Richard Matheson filled A Stir of Echoes with so much potential, but ultimately the book never delivered. There is a lot of creepy and introspective pRichard Matheson filled A Stir of Echoes with so much potential, but ultimately the book never delivered. There is a lot of creepy and introspective paranormal stuff. And an interesting cast of characters. Where Matheson failed is by focusing on the abnormal happenings surrounding main character Tom, and not going into quite as much detail with the other characters. When everything is said and done, this story really isn't about Tom, but throughout much of the book, we are led to believe it is.
Nonetheless, I am still a Matheson fan and plan to continue reading his work. This just wasn't the best. And nothing like the movie, at least as I remember it ;)...more
This was okay. While listening I kept thinking of how much more I would have enjoyed this as an actual kid, rather than an adult interested in YA bookThis was okay. While listening I kept thinking of how much more I would have enjoyed this as an actual kid, rather than an adult interested in YA books. Also, Goonies. For some reason, this story reminded me so very much of Goonies.
Sorry for the crap excuse for a review. This is a cute story, something both kids and adults should be able to enjoy. It just didn't inspire any deep thoughts or strong emotion. ...more
Catching Jordan does not do justice to the YA genre, lurve triangles, college football or girls who aspire to play traditional "boy" sports. For a beCatching Jordan does not do justice to the YA genre, lurve triangles, college football or girls who aspire to play traditional "boy" sports. For a better, I mean completely different league better, book about a girl who plays football, pick up Dairy Queen and forget this one.
In Dairy Queen, protagonist DJ Schwenk struggles with the reality of a girl playing a tough, physical boy sport. She deals with different degrees of acceptance. She balances her hopes, dreams and the realities of her situation. Unlike Jordan here.
Let’s see, Jordan is a high school senior, and daughter of a NFL pro. Not only is her dad a NFL hero, but in college he was a two-time Heisman trophy winner. Um...what the fuck with the slap in the face to Archie Griffin??? The man who happens to be the only real life two time Heisman winner, and an alumni of The Ohio State University! (On that note, author Miranda Kenneally clearly has a beef with Ohio State... her players don't care when Ohio State scouts come to the game but get their panties jockstraps in an uproar when scouts from the team up North come to check them out. Whatever :P)
At any rate... Jordan. Her dad is a football hero. Her brother is doing quite well in college ball. And Jordan herself has been her town's star quarterback since she was in grade school. So it is accepted that she is a kick ass football player, despite being a girl. Uh huh. I get it. Really. Girls can do anything boys can do. Except... sometimes they can't. Sorry ladies. But physically girls simply don't measure up. We don't. So while a girl may be able to compete with some guys, in the end guys are bigger, have more muscle mass and therefore more strength. Yet Jordan seems to think that she has a shot at winning a full football scholarship at a Division I-A football school. Do you know how very difficult that is? For talented football playing boys??? Let alone a girl? She says she loves football and wants to play football... which I can believe. But why must she go to the best of the best? To compete in a sport in which girls can't possibly compete? What the fuck is wrong with going to a smaller school? Do you know how many high school kids may be hometown (or even statewide) heroes and have to make the heartbreaking decision between accepting a scholarship to a Division I-A school and probably not getting field time because of the talent and the competition... and accepting a scholarship at a smaller and less prestigious school yet getting lots of playing time because the competition isn't nearly as fierce? When boys, talented boys, are faced with this decision... it is difficult for me to believe that a girl would be recruited by (and play at) a Division I-A school.
Furthermore, the kids in this book casually make statements such as, "He's NFL material" Uh, what? Firstly... going from high school football to college football is such a huge leap. So many high school stars simply fizzle out when it comes to college ball. And the transition from college to NFL is an even greater one. In so many ways, it is an entirely different game.
Anyway..... the "sports" aspect of this book severely disappointed me. Clearly, LOL. As for the lurve aspect... clichéd triangle. Jordan was shallow, the story line was unrealistic. Lurve triangle at its worst. Sorry, but there was nothing redeemable or enjoyable about this story. ...more
Chick lit really isn't my thing. But hey, this is the start of summer. Reading is supposed to be light and fluffy, right? Besides, my library is curreChick lit really isn't my thing. But hey, this is the start of summer. Reading is supposed to be light and fluffy, right? Besides, my library is currently out of audio books I'd like to listen to, and this one appeared on the shelves, so....
Then Came You is the story of four women. None of these women are especially likable or relatable. They all have "daddy issues" and they all have difficulty relating to other people in general and other women especially.
At the center of the story is India, a trophy wife and gold-digger who is passing off her 43 years as 38 to her insanely rich older husband. When they attempt to have a baby, they discover that she is infertile and turn to surrogacy to create their family. Initially, India was my favorite. She is flawed, and therefore so much more likable and relatable than the other three women. She has made mistakes in the past which, at the very least, makes her more interesting. However, towards the end of the novel we learn that her mistakes were the result of matters beyond her control and she really wasn't the screw up she was presented as. That is a shame. Incidentally, India's mother is a hippie flake who was largely absent from her childhood, and her father non-existent. Her first husband was an older man and her current husband, Marcus is also much older than her. India does not appear to have any female friends.
Bettina is India's stepdaughter, and Marcus' only daughter. (Marcus does have two sons, but they do not play a prominent role in this story.) Bettina's only purpose appears to be a bitch with daddy issues. From day one she is suspicious of India, and intensely dislikes her. But to be fair, Bettina pretty much intensely dislikes everyone she meets. Bettina is 23 years old, and her parents have been divorced for years. Yet her most passionate wish is for her parents to get back together even though she has a fair amount of disdain and disrespect for her new-agey mother. She is so distrustful of India that she hires a private detective to look into India's past. It is also worth mentioning that Bettina has no friends, has never had a boyfriend.
Jules is the egg donor in this soap opera. Poor Jules is so beautiful and athletic and smart that she suffers the attention of hoards of men wanting to date her. All the time. The first time we meet her we have to listen to how annoying it is when men approach her for a date. Sorry, not feeling the sympathy here. She is a recent Princeton grad, yet she hates Princeton students. Jules is not from a wealthy family, and apparently that makes her more worthy of her education than her classmates? Or something. But she (tell me if this sounds familiar) has no friends and although she (unlike Bettina) has dated, she doesn't have any significant romantic relationships. Jules parents are also divorced. Her mother doesn't play an important role in this story, but her dad does. Jules dad is a long time alcoholic and drug addict. Jules hates her step mother, seeing her as an enabler (eh, she probably is.) At any rate, Jules sells her eggs so that she may send her daddy to an expensive rehab facility.
Finally we meet Annie, the surrogate mother. Annie is also 23, and a married mother of two. Her husband works while she stays at home with the kiddos. Annie has a relationship with her mother, honestly can't remember if her father is in the picture at all. She hates her sister because her sister is thin (status post lap band surgery), has a rich doctor husband, and a college degree. Guess what? Annie doesn't have female friends. Her hubby, Franklin, is her high school sweetheart. Annie decides to become a surrogate for the money and the chance it will provide her to help her family to get out of debt. Initially Franklin goes for it, but we flash forward to Annie being preggo and suddenly Franklin has an issue with Annie's pregnancy. This all came out of the blue, and we readers are left to ponder the reason for Franklin’s disapproval.
Of course, this being chick lit, all four women eventually meet up and after some initial uneasiness form an awesome female power band of sistas. Hrm....
The three younger women in this story: Bettina, Jules and Annie are so bitter and so dislikable. These ladies aren't even 25, yet they all sound like hardened, angry and depressed middle aged people. Furthermore, they are all so very judgmental that I didn't want to relate to their problems, even if I could. Bettina ~ poor little rich girl. Jules ~ hates being pretty, hates "privileged" classmates, hates her junior analyst job even though she is making six figures straight out of college! Annie ~ jealous of her sister, and justifies it by saying her sister is mean. Whatever bitches!
Author Jennifer Weiner spent the entire story feeding us the miserable (albeit somewhat entertaining) drama of these unhappy women and yet expects us to believe that the arrival of sweet little baby Rory brings them all together in some pro-female, screw-you-nuclear-family happiness. Yeah.
Even though all these women really want for themselves and their parents is a nuclear family.
Even though these women are fairly self-absorbed and have difficulty relating to others and making friends.
Even though Weiner does a great job at creating and presenting characters who are a hot mess, she does not present them with the skillz to overcome their shortcomings. We are just expected to click our heels three times and believe.
Sorry, not buying it. Rather than spend an entire novel building up the conflict, this story would have been so much better had some time been spent reading about characters learning to overcome and work through conflict.
But, whatever. This isn't snarky, but its still chick lit. I didn't expect to be blown away and I wasn't. ...more
Oh Stephen King, how I used to so love your storytelling....
This collection of four novellas starts with 1922, a ridiculously long winded story in whiOh Stephen King, how I used to so love your storytelling....
This collection of four novellas starts with 1922, a ridiculously long winded story in which a man kills his wife and then proceeds to lose his fortune? His son? I never finished this one so I'm not quite sure. Even while I was still listening, my attention wandered. This story has a lot of typical King-isms including homey talk between small town, local men. It also revisits Kings fascination and revulsion with rats. The basic idea here was done so much better in The Tell-Tale Heart.
Big Driver is a bit of a revenge tale. Here we meet Tess, an older single author who is beaten, raped and left for dead. She makes it home and plans revenge. Who has read King's story Dolan's Cadillac from Nightmares and Dreamscapes? Well, that is the gist of Big Driver. Only with lots of loose ends added, and then neatly tied up with a bow.
Fair Extension was my favorite of this collection. There are of course some King-isms (junk yards, rats) because the man apparently is unable to write without recycling so many ideas. Even so, in the beginning we see Harry Streeter, who has been struck with terminal cancer, make a deal with the devil. While the story is longer than necessary, it has some of that old, eerie, creepy, Stephen King flavor I used to love so much.
A Good Marriage also started out promising. Soon it, too became just a little too long-winded. The ducks all neatly lined up in a row, and all the loose ends were tied up. Hooray, everything works out for the best in the end.
Stephen King, especially his short stories and novellas, used to amaze me. Lately, not so much. I find his writing style to be long-winded, and over told. This saddened me, but I was okay. Reading tastes should evolve, right? So I figured my issue with King was simply a difference in taste and would leave it at that.
Then I listened to the afterward of Full Dark, No Stars. Holy hell is King mad at his critics! He dissed literary fiction, stating it's not real because it is about extra-ordinary people in ordinary situations. Who cares, he says. Who cares if it is written pretty or makes you think because it's not the truth. He is a writer who makes you feel. Who puts ordinary people in extra-ordinary situations and then explores and discovers what they would do. He explores the idea "that sometimes murders help elderly ladies to cross the street." *insert dramatic pause here*
Puh-lease! Interesting that King "explores" so much because I can't tell you a thing about the individual personalities of any of his characters. Yes, I can tell you what they do. However, their inner monologues and even spoken words are not individual to their characters. They are typical of every Stephen King character ever written. These people are, yes, placed in extra-ordinary situations. But all the chips fall into place. Solutions are provided; no loose ends are left dangling. People encounter no obstacles. Everything is easy-peasy (to borrow a favorite King phrase.)
So Stephen King has critics. Every author does. At this stage in his career, in his life... he really feels the need to defend himself at the end of his stories like this?
The thing is, King really does have amazing ideas and creates interesting characters. I would love for someone (who? his editor? wife?) to guide him; assist him in getting to the freaking point of his story and sticking with it. Take out all of the extra added nonsense. Make his characters encounter obstacles. Leave some endings open, and don't give everyone a sense of closure. Then, perhaps I would feel as strongly as King intends his audience to feel when reading his work.
At one point King made a statement to the effect that he doesn't write stories to make his audience think, rather he writes them to make his audience feel. Well, that is certainly the case here. Only I am pretty sure the feelings I have are not what he intended. ...more
Eh... lately anthologies aren't really my thing. And I read this on a turbulence filled flight squished into a seat between the window and a very niceEh... lately anthologies aren't really my thing. And I read this on a turbulence filled flight squished into a seat between the window and a very nice, but larger lady who was taking up the entire armrest and part of my ribcage as well. Bad mood + bad flight + lack of personal space = enjoyed this book much less than I expected to.
Kelley Armstrong's books are becoming more and more difficult for me to rate and review. On one hand, her characterization and world building are someKelley Armstrong's books are becoming more and more difficult for me to rate and review. On one hand, her characterization and world building are some of the best I've read. But on the other hand, she apparently wants to be a mystery writer, and her plots have become formulaic. Le sigh.
Here is what kicks ass about this book: The Otherworld is amazing. Armstrong's strength as an urban fantasy writer definitely lies her her ability to create a believable, well defined, and engrossing world without ever overwhelming the reader with info dump. In Broken the story revolves around Elena, Clay, Jeremy and the other werewolves. We also are confronted with sorcerers, ghosts, zombies, necromancers and vampires (oh my!) There may be a few others I am missing. But my point is that Armstrong is able to weave so very many beasties and mythologies into an amazingly complex and enjoyable story.
Another strength is Armstrong's characters. Whether I love them or hate them, they are all incredibly well rounded, authentic and have distinct voices. So many urban fantasies rely on secondary characters who are defined by their paranormal type. The people we meet in this series are fairly unique in addition to their Otherworldly persona.
Here is what is not-so-awesome about this book: Speaking of characters, I would love to see them grow and change a little bit. One of the things I loved so much about Bitten is seeing Elena struggle to accept her wolfiness and the pack lifestyle. Since then, Armstrong has written stories with protagonists who face external struggles rather than internal ones. Not really a big deal, but when we are seeing the same characters over and over again (granted, not all books feature the same protagonist) I would love to see… I want to say character development. But that really isn’t the right word because they are already so developed. I just want to see characters change some as a result of their experiences.
Regarding those character experiences… at the beginning of each novel the protagonists and her partner are faced with a mystery. One that seems quite simple and straightforward but becomes more convoluted as the quest to solve it continues. At this point in the series, I know to expect lots of Scooby Doo type chases down different pathways, old fashioned detective work (you know, based on finding the right clue or talking to the right person rather than scientific evidence) and introductions to lots of new and old people, and lots of new and old mythologies.
Here is where Armstrong’s books leave me so conflicted. I’ve read through bad urban fantasy plots when I am in love with the characters and want to see where they are headed. *cough* Charlaine Harris *cough* And of course so many urban fantasy books are dependent on awesome plots without a lot of character growth. Unfortunately at this point in the Women of the Otherworld series I know what to expect from the plot. And the characters. The result is a reading experience that doesn’t make me feel nearly as much as I would like to. The twists and turns while mystery solving become annoying and the life-threatening situations are lacking intensity. All in all, I am faced with a skim-worthy, blah book.
If any of my local libraries happens to get the rest of this series on audio, I will continue with it. After all, I love Armstrong’s writing style (mystery stuff and weak plot aside) as well as her Otherworld. This series is great to listen to as I am driving to work or completing errands. But as far as sitting down to read a novel? I’m moving on to books with a little more surprises in store for the reader. ...more
Meh. A Little Wanting Song is told from alternating points of view. There is sixteen year old Charlie, a socially awkward, sensitive, musically talentMeh. A Little Wanting Song is told from alternating points of view. There is sixteen year old Charlie, a socially awkward, sensitive, musically talented girl with few friends. And there is also Rose, a sixteen year old, socially awkward, mean girl who is also quite interested in science and has few friends. Do they sound a little similar here? They do in the book, too. Their voices aren't that different from each other. This book relies heavily on dialogue between not just Charlie and Rose, but also their friends Dave and Luke, as well as Charlie's dad, granddad, and the ghost voices of Charlie's mom and gran. It might have worked better had this story only been from Charlie's point of view, or displayed less dialogue. But as it is written, all of these unique characters came out sounding so very much alike.
The plot here had little surprises. Read the synopsis, what do you think is going to end up happening? (view spoiler)[ It happens. Happily ever afters all around, hooray! (hide spoiler)] Between the undistinguishable characters and the obvious plot, A Little Wanting Song is missing that Aussie magic. This story had potential, but as it is, it doesn’t really bring anything new to YA lit. ...more
Kevin Brooks certainly has high ratings here on Goodreads, so I went into this one quite hopeful. Well... let's chalk it up to my reading tastes vs. wKevin Brooks certainly has high ratings here on Goodreads, so I went into this one quite hopeful. Well... let's chalk it up to my reading tastes vs. writing style. Lucas has a slow-moving plot filled with a lot of introspective musings and societal comments. *yawn* Making the story move even slower is the repetative prose,
As the afternoon wore on I just kept moving all the bits around in my head, trying to fit them together. But, unlike a plastic puzzle, these bits didn't keep still. They kept shifting around and changing shape. I'd work on two or three bits, get them sorted out, fix them together, and then I'd leave them for a while to go off and look at some other bits. But by the time I'd sorted those bits out, the original bits didn't fit anymore. They'd become something else. And then, when I went back to working on them again, the other bits started to change. It was infuriating.
Infuriating indeed. When the days are warm and sunny, and I am behind on my reading challenge, my patience runs thin with this type of tiresome, overwritten prose.
An even bigger literary offense, in my eyes, is that the entire plot in Lucas is dependent on characters behaving stupidly. The good guys, the bad guys… there was simply no motivation nor was there any believability to their actions. Had just one person acted normally, this book might not have been.
Still, Brooks does seem to have a high rating here. Perhaps the best time to give him a go is a dreary rainy day when all the laundry is done and a pot of soup is warming on the stove. Whatever. This one is a definite two stars for me. ...more
So it seems that Dear Dark Dexter has become poorly written, zero character development Dexter. Even worse, he is surrounded by static characters, copSo it seems that Dear Dark Dexter has become poorly written, zero character development Dexter. Even worse, he is surrounded by static characters, cops who are strangely uninterested in doing police work, and people who actually form a conga line at at bachelor party. Really, who does that???
I think that in the hands of a better writer this story could be so much better. (After all, the show is filled with an amazing cast of characters.) Unfortunately, in the books author Jeff Lindsay focuses on portraying Dexter as an emotionless and cold blooded predator. As is the case with Darkly Dreaming Dexter, this is written in the first person. The reader follows Dexter's inner monologue and occasionally gets to see him acting either stoic or witty in horrific situations. This technique would work if the supporting cast was written a little better. But the rest of the characters are written to have even less personality than emotionally and psychologically fucked up Dexter. And this hurts the novel a great deal.
Considering how detached Dexter is from the world around him, and how little emotion he displays towards the people in his life, this story would have worked so much better as a short, or a novella. Even though I love reading Dexter's inner-monologue, it gets to be a bit boring after awhile. This is a book I only recommend to hard core fans of the show. (And even then I recommend it cautiously.) As a lover of books, it makes me beyond sad to find myself preferring a television show to the books the show is based on. But based on the writing here, I can't help but wonder how many of these books would have been published if the show had never been made? ...more
This story features twelve year old Rebecca as she struggles with her parents’ separation, her sense of self, and a magical wish-granting breadbox. WhThis story features twelve year old Rebecca as she struggles with her parents’ separation, her sense of self, and a magical wish-granting breadbox. Whew. Author Laurel Snyder very nearly pulls it off, too. Rebecca is smart, nerdy, and has a touch of immaturity and selfishness that makes her seem so much more authentic than most YA main characters. However, when everything is said and done, all of the various themes didn't really tie together. Or perhaps they did? Let me back up...
Rebecca's parents aren't getting along and haven't been for some time. The day after her parents have a huge fight, Rebecca's mother takes her and her little brother Lew from their home in Baltimore to Atlanta to visit their grandmother. It is not until they arrive that Rebecca learns this "trip" is going to last indefinitely, and that her mother has already enrolled her into a new school there (It's worth mentioning that this trip occurred only a month or so after the start of the new school year.) Predictably, Rebecca struggles with her disrupted home life, and with getting along in a new school. However, she is able to ignore a lot of these angsty issues when she discovers a magical bread box in her grandmother's attic.
So, magical bread box, eh? I like that this item is completely unexplained, and the rest of the story has no paranormal elements. Basically, Rebecca can make a wish for any physical item, that is no bigger than a bread box, and it will appear in said box. Problems arise when Rebecca begins to explore where exactly these items come from, and what the implications are of her having them.
But here is where the mixed messages arrive. Is this a story about children of divorce and separation? A story of being true to yourself? A moral tale which cautions that material items do not solve problems? Or that large issues take more than a thoughtless quick fix? I was loving this story a lot until I reached the end and realized how much of Rebecca's plight went unresolved. Her family is still a bit of a mess. There is no big revelation there. And regarding the breadbox, problems were created when she used it, and problems were created when she tried to undo what she had done. So the lesson is....what?
This is a cute, well written story with believable characters. However, I wanted a little more at the end. As it is, it felt more than a little incomplete. Or maybe, as a person whose parents never divorced there is something more to this that is over my head? Either way, it is a solid two stars for me. ...more
Oh, Dexter... where to begin? I should probably disclose that I am a huge fan of the show, and have been for quite a few years. (What show? If anyone Oh, Dexter... where to begin? I should probably disclose that I am a huge fan of the show, and have been for quite a few years. (What show? If anyone really doesn't know, it's a series on Showtime with this wonderfully creepy intro.) So I picked up Darkly Dreaming Dexter with more than a little trepidation. After all, as an avid reader, I am usually that pissed off person fuming that Hollywood makes too many unnecessary changes when transforming a book to either the big or little screen. Once in a blue moon the movie adds depth to a novel, but more often than not, the changes seem to be for the worse. In fact, the only instance I can recall thinking that the movie and book complement each other is A Clockwork Orange. But, I digress.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter is the story of Dexter Morgan, serial killer. With a conscience. Sort of. Dexter was adopted and raised by Harry Morgan, a Miami cop. When Dexter was still young Harry noticed signs that he may be troubled but felt that he was a good kid nonetheless. So, Harry instructed Dexter to live life according to a rigid code. Essentially, he taught Dexter how to channel his urge to kill into only going after bad guys, and he also taught him how to avoid being caught. The book takes place when Dexter is twenty eight, and has been enjoying the life of an unknown serial killer for about ten years.
This book is really an introduction to Dexter, his life, and his ways. At first, I loved it. Loved Dexter's stoicism. Loved that in print he is one hundred times more creepy and detached than he is on the show. Although the supporting characters do not play a very large role in the book (so far, at least) it was interesting to see them through author Jeff Lindsay's eyes. But as the book continued, it became...strange. There is a serial killer on the loose. Although Miami homicide is stumped, Dexter feels a kinship with the killer. Is it because he, too is a serial killer and knows how they think? Or is it an unexplained psychic bond with the killer? (view spoiler)[ It's both! (hide spoiler)] The title, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, refers quite literally to Dexter's dark dreams. It will be interesting if this angle is more fully explored in future books. However, as they are introduced in this book, they come across as poorly explained vaguely paranormal filler. In addition, when the climax of the story was reached, and the good(?) guys were in direct confrontation with the bad(?) guys it simply... ended. The next chapter was at least a few days later. Wha-what? Lindsay reveals the basics of what happened, but not the details. Frankly, I felt that this was a cheap trick. As if he knew how to create a mess, but not how to get his characters out of it. That alone is such a poor writing trick that it lowered this rating from four stars to three.
I can't say that this is a novel I wholeheartedly recommend. If I were to read it as a standalone book, having never seen the television show... I'm not sure how well I would like it. Dexter is a complex and fascinating guy, no doubt. And Lindsay deserves kudos for coming up with the concept. Unfortunately the written execution of Dexter and his story leave a little to be desired. Dexter does the emotionless sociopath thing just a little too well here. There simply isn't any character development.
However, maybe there will be changes in book two? After all, I know where the show is going and what is in store for Dexter. Although there are some huge differences between the show and the book, (as in life and death differences) (view spoiler)[ ha! I'm not gonna tell you here ~ read for yourself ;) (hide spoiler)] the show being based on the novels lead me to believe that they both are headed in the same general direction. Or not :) I guess I will find out because despite my love/disappointment with this novel, the show ended on one heck of a fucking cliffhanger this season. Hopefully reading these books during the offseason will sate my Dexter obsession until next September! ...more
We all went to highschool with that girl. You know, the slutty one. Maybe she had sex with her boyfriend in the band room after school. Or with multipWe all went to highschool with that girl. You know, the slutty one. Maybe she had sex with her boyfriend in the band room after school. Or with multiple guys in the alley behind the grocery store. Or gave head to a member of the soccer team during a party. Or maybe she didn't? But whether she did or not doesn't really matter. Because these sexual gossip stories and labels are how she will be defined by her peers.
The Story of a Girl is the story of Deanna Lambert, a girl who was discovered to be having sex with a 17 year old friend of her brother when she was only 13. Four years later, Deanna's self-esteem is worse than it was back then, she only has two friends, and is labeled the town slut. In addition she comes from a low income, incredibly dysfunctional family. Speaking of her family, Deanna's father was the one who initially discovered her in a sexual act with the older boy. This created a hot mess of tension between father and daughter which is still affecting their relationship.
As someone who grew up in a small Ohio town, I found this story as well as Deanna's slut-shamming to be very realistic. Kudos to all of you lucky enough to experience your adolescence in a large city. Or an enlightened part of the country. In the heart of the Midwest, those stories do stay with girls long after they should.
While there are a ton of realistic YA novels dealing with sexuality, self-esteem, friendship and family issues, very few of them feel nearly as realistic as Story of a Girl. Deanna struggles with conflicted feelings towards sex, jealously of her only female friend, maintaining a platonic relationship with her only male friend, and idolizing her older brother. Deanna also suffers a whole mess of issues revolving around her father, as well as her mother. What makes this book so unique is that Deanna is not the sort of YA protagonist to look up to. She doesn't always make the right decision or say the right thing. She is troubled, insecure and secretive. There is no big epiphany at the end or heartwarming moment. But in all of Deanna’s interactions, words and thoughts there is an honesty that is often missing from YA novels.
So why only three stars? As I mentioned, Deanna is a mess. Yet at the end, things appear to be looking up. Author Sara Zarr did not shy away from creating a fucked up situation, but when everything was said and done… everything turned out okay. Granted Zarr showed us the rationale for Deanna’s bad behavior. But no matter how justified crappy behavior is, there are usually consequences. I just don’t buy that relationships will go back to the way they were, or even become stronger after a person acts like a jerk. Unfortunately that is the only thing I find disappointing in Zarr’s novels. She has a talent for making unlikable characters sympathetic, but seems unwilling to let anything bad happen to them once they and their baggage have been introduced. ...more
Saskia Walker's The Harlot nearly never made it to my finished book shelf. One of the first scenes featured a man having sex with a prostitute in a jaSaskia Walker's The Harlot nearly never made it to my finished book shelf. One of the first scenes featured a man having sex with a prostitute in a jail cell. I'm not sure when this novel takes place (1800's perhaps? There is mention at one point of muskets.) At any rate, it surely takes place in a time before penicillin. Therefore, so much talk of unprotected sex with a prostitute and endless references to her "wet cunny" did nothing for me but send visions of syphilis and crabs and whatnot. So icky. Plus, the idea of prostitution being a sexy profession sought out by women who love sex irritates me as well. But that is a rant for another day.
To get back on point, I stayed with this story, and am glad I did. Although we initially see characters motivated primarily by their libido, as the story continues actual character development takes place. And an actual relationship. And a sort of interesting plot. Hooray!
It seems silly to write a well thought out review, because once I start to break it all down, there is a lot more to critique than praise. However, it's erotica. Historical-fictiony erotica at that. (ie: lots of excuses to use silly phrases such as, "Yes sire" and "If it so pleases Master" and whatnot) But as far as this genre goes, it is one of the better written books.
I loved this a million more times than Please Ignore Vera Dietz. "Mama's boy" Lucky Linderman, his ants, his crazy family... this book very nearly hadI loved this a million more times than Please Ignore Vera Dietz. "Mama's boy" Lucky Linderman, his ants, his crazy family... this book very nearly had me in tears. It will be awhile before I can process and write a coherent review. ...more
How is it that by my fifth book in Kelly Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series I am in love with her world building, but still not totally connecHow is it that by my fifth book in Kelly Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series I am in love with her world building, but still not totally connected to her characters? The amazing thing about Armstrong is that she creates such in depth and believable paranormal worlds (in this case an afterlife.)
Haunted follows the story of Eve Levine, by now everyone reading this series knows she is a half-demon black witch, who also happens to have been dead for the past three years. But while reading this novel, I never did get a great feel for her. Yes, she is impulsive, kicks ass and doesn't let fear hold her back. But neither does Paige, Savannah, Elena...After spending two long books with goody-two-shoes Paige, I thought Eve would be a breath of fresh air. In a way she was. However, she really didn't come across as someone even close to deserving the bad rep she had when alive. Kristof Nast (remember him? Savannah's father) also makes quite a few ghostly appearances in this novel. And while I liked him quite a bit, like Eve he isn't really a bad guy. Just a good guy at heart who was caught up in the bad Cabals? Hmmm....
Bad characters who aren't really bad aside, the thing that kept me from enjoying this book was that it was just too many stories tied up into one. Eve is on an afterlife bounty hunter quest to find a murderous Nix. Her task takes her so many places and settings. To name only a few she visits Colonial America (to meet Lizze Borden, no less!) an afterlife pirate island, an afterlife island swarming with a poltergeist and his nymphs, a hell dimension, a mental institution, a prison, a haunted (or not?) castle in Scottland, a couple of visits to Paige and Lucas (oh joy...) and so on and so on. In addition, the reader is privy to multiple flashbacks to some of the Nix's most famous murders. Don't get me wrong, I love Armstrong's writing style. However the constant changing of scenery and story and players left me feeling overwhelmed. In addition it was hard to feel a sense of dread or urgency because I was pretty sure everything was going to be okay in the end. (view spoiler)[ Or was it??? (view spoiler)[ Of course it was! (hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)]
Bottom line... it was okay. Eve is a million times more likable than Paige and as always the world building was fantastic. I just wish this book was edited down a little. At nearly 500 pages there was too much jumping around without ever evoking a real emotional response from me. But who am I to complain? I already have the next in this series checked out from the library ;)
Cyborg Cinderella is such an awesome concept that unfortunately never made it as an awesome story. At least, not in this book. The reviews for CinderCyborg Cinderella is such an awesome concept that unfortunately never made it as an awesome story. At least, not in this book. The reviews for Cinder are all over the place, so even though I didn't enjoy this from the first chapter, I stuck with it hoping for a satisfying ending. Blegh, big mistake.
Where to begin? The fact that this is inspired by Cinderella takes a lot of intensity out of the novel. Will Cinder go to the ball? Does the prince really like her? Will her step-mother guardian thwart her plans? Everyone knows the Cinderella story. Everyone. Author Marissa Meyer had a cute idea, but these traditional Cinderella story elements would have been so much more effective had they been mentioned in passing and not such a large part of the plot.
As for the new, cool sci-fi aspect of the story... it was neither cool nor sci-fi. We get just enough world building for characters to carry on a conversation. Barely. Cinder is a Cyborg, at one point we even learn she is 32% Cyborg. But what does that mean? Are we talking body mass? Central nervous system? Major organs? In addition, she has a metal hand and a metal foot. But why? Normal human people have life-like prosthetic limbs every day, and they are no less human for it. So why must Cinder's be made of metal? Again, back to the 32% Cyborg... are we talking brain? These questions and so many more are simply never answered. And frankly, being 32% Cyborg doesn’t seem so bad… again, we simply don’t know exactly what parts of Cinder are replaced by machinery and what that means to her or the world around her.
Regarding the world building, I found the whole thing to be juvenile. Meyer writes of political intrigue, plague, interplanetary wars, a post world war earth with new countries, and aliens. But where most excellent sci-fi is believable and thought provoking, this story is just baffling. It is sci-fi light. For kids. That is, Meyer writes about heavy stuff, but puts as much thought into it as... well, as the Disney version of Cinderella. Even the characters are lacking any personality save for the traditional Disney fairytale notion of good people being very good and bad people being very bad.
It could be I am simply bitter because I wanted more out of this book. Despite the reviews being all over the place, I thought that perhaps there would be enough originality in this story to make it enjoyable. Hmmm... not so much. Had this been marketed as a middle-grade book rather than YA I might be more forgiving. Maybe. Cinder was a huge disappointment and I will definitely not be continuing with this series or this author. ...more
This book never struck me as anything I wanted to read. However, so many of my Goodreads friends gave it such fantastic reviews that I decided to giveThis book never struck me as anything I wanted to read. However, so many of my Goodreads friends gave it such fantastic reviews that I decided to give it a try... meh. I'm not going to write a review because there wasn't anything particular about this book which made me dislike it. Just an overwhelming feeling of it not being the right reading fit for me. However, I did like Sara Zarr's characters and writing style, so I'll give her another shot. ...more
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