You can't judge a book by its cover. Seriously. That's really super true.
The blurb, the cover! I was pumped. I couldn't finish it.
I'm sorry to all oYou can't judge a book by its cover. Seriously. That's really super true.
The blurb, the cover! I was pumped. I couldn't finish it.
I'm sorry to all of the readers that thought, "What the spell?" was totes adorbs, but I can't. It's so stupid, never mind being ever so precious. It got old fast. I mean like, brush-your-teeth fast. Like, it's-not-delivery-it's-Digiorno's fast....more
I finished it, so that says something about me, doesn't it? I followed the carrot, even though the entire time I was thinking, I should go to the libI finished it, so that says something about me, doesn't it? I followed the carrot, even though the entire time I was thinking, I should go to the library and check out more Novik books. Have you read Uprooted? You should.
Jesus. Anyways, look. They're supposed to be 12 years old in grown bodies. It's weird. They use six-year-old terminology for adults, and I just can't. It all feels unreal because that's not how 12 year olds act.
So here's the book: It's my birthday, I'm awake. Who are these people? I'm the leader. No, I'm the leader. Let's walk and walk and walk. Dust. Blood. Skirmish. The book is almost over? I guess now I'll tell you what's really going on. Is your mind blown? No? Fine. Well, there's only 20% more, so...
I feel like I'm missing something, which is why I kept returning to the previous pages for some sort of clue. What the hell is this?
Harun's setting iI feel like I'm missing something, which is why I kept returning to the previous pages for some sort of clue. What the hell is this?
Harun's setting is hypnotic and freighting, which drew me in, but the plot is weakly fixed to our characters. I felt drawn to each character as well, but then the plot would become hazy and dream like, making me lose my way. I can only tolerate so much stream of consciousness writing before I freak out. I know that something happened, but I can't tell you that it mattered. ...more
Alisha: The fan who is neither crazy, nor entitled rants
Update:
So I've been on Amazon, watching the reactions. Lots of sock puppets and ra
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Alisha: The fan who is neither crazy, nor entitled rants
Update:
So I've been on Amazon, watching the reactions. Lots of sock puppets and rabid Charlaine fans giving this turd 5 stars. Even Anne Rice is weighing in! I'm uber suspicious of all reviews that say, "She tied this up nicely, way to go Ms. Harris! and I look forward to reading the Coda in October!" Gotta hand it to Penguin, they are on top of this.
"Hey everyone! Look over here! Disregard the bad reviews. Those people are CRAZY!"
There's been a lot said about this final installment of Sookie. There have been angry fans, sad fans, furious bloggers, and Charlaine sheeple. Fans of Charlaine and maybe free speech? are calling the upset masses entitled and crazy. If you didn't like the book, you are a crazy Eric/Sookie shipper. Just check out the Wall Street Journal's crap article, How to Kill a Vampire Series if you don't believe me.
It's a mess. In the end, this will sell plenty of books, but a good portion of readers will remember that their emotional trust was broken. Say what you will, that is a legitimate feeling. There is a relationship between reader and writer and that is built on trust. When a writer chooses not to just add a twist, but to twist a knife into the reader, it's sometimes permanent.
(view spoiler)[The world of Sookie has changed. I've thought a lot about why Harris would write an arc that heavily favored Eric, then dismantle the entire work in three books. (hide spoiler)] My guess is that Harris, being tired of Sookie isn't in the same frame of mind she once was when writing the frisky waitress/telepath. Of course she isn't in the same place she once was. We change. What once was exciting and fresh, can become dull and stale. Likewise, with Sookie, Harris' ability to do what she wanted in light of True Blood, crazed fans, and simple boredom all took their toll on the work.
I've read books 1-9 at least five times each. 10-12? Why bother?
I'm not a whiny girl who didn't get her way.
I did not read this final installment and I don't plan to, but not for the reasons that you might think. I'm not an entitled douche bag. I don't want to make Harris my bitch. I've been known to read a book or two, and despite what Harris' PR camp is spinning, I won't be attempting suicide or threatening the author any time soon. Most likely, I'll just read something else.
Here's my complaints, since I know the ending and I've read all the reviews on Amazon.
Bad Plot Devices
Alisha takes offense. Harris thinks that (view spoiler)[ rape is a appropriate plot device, selling Eric into sex slavery for the next 200 years. Lets salt that and add that Pam is forbidden to go with him. What's troubling is that I doubt she would have made the same choice for a female character, because RAPE! Holy crap! (hide spoiler)]. Try saying that out loud to someone who hasn't read the books and see if they don't laugh at the absurdity of that particular choice. "She did WHAT to Eric?!?"
1. I waffle between thinking that Harris hates her fame or or fans or the book. I can't tell which one. Then I think, no, she's just tired of it. But after her choices for DEA, I am back to thinking that she's a bit vindictive. Why? I haven't a clue. It could be the fans, or True Blood/Alan Ball hate. I can't say. I do feel her choices for Eric were vindictive. Let me restate that. I feel this. YOU are free to feel other stuff.
But Alisha! Wait! Harris can do whatever she sees fit. See my last comment, but also...
Sure, she can and she did. I ask you though, how did Moning conclude the Fever series? How has Gabaldon treated Fraser and Claire? How did Mead conclude Vampire Academy? You can literally insert any couple into this example and get a similar outcome. That outcome being that not everyone is satisfied with conclusions, but the readership did not freak the fuck out.
2. Harris wrote the love between Eric and Sookie. Eric always had Sookie's back even when she didn't realize it. He graveled her drive, and replaced her coat. He called her brave and self-less. He tried to protect her from a bond with Andre. Harris also wrote Sookie saving Eric. In those books, many of us became invested readers.
3. Harris wrote the (view spoiler)[friend/boss/big brother relationship between Sam and Sookie. There was a kiss here and there, but we READ that it could never work because Sookie could hear his thoughts unless he was actively blocking her. But now, it's all good. Thoughts, shmoughts, is what I always say! (hide spoiler)]
4. Harris wrote that Sookie was worried (annoyingly concerned) that the bond between her and Eric was influencing her feelings of love, so much so that she broke the blood bond. And yet, Sookie is willing to overlook (view spoiler)[the use of the Culivial Dor on Sam because...we don't know. Sookie decided that reading Sam's thoughts didn't matter, so maybe it a new life choices/attitude thing. Maybe her clock is ticking? Settling worked well for Tara, right? After all, Tara has twins! (hide spoiler)]
5. Harris wrote Sookie as brave in the beginning and accepting of other supes because people had always treated her like crap. She was open to others, but now, to live a happy life (view spoiler)[ she must shun other supes and try to live as humanly as possible? (hide spoiler)]
6. I'm not okay with the way it ended for Eric. (view spoiler)[ Rape happens and so does sex slavery. I know it's just a book, but it leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. CH wouldn't make this choice for a female character, but it's okay for a man? *face palm* Just kill him off! This choice is cruel and the sex slavery is icky. We know what happened between Eric and his maker and we know he was abused sexually. (hide spoiler)] That was sad. Now it's full circle? Jesus. I just can't...
My hard-hearted husband laughed up when I told him what Harris did to Eric. He said I ought to charge Harris with committing a McMurtry in the first degree. If you don't know what I'm referring to, see Lonesome Dove and the sequel, The Streets of Laredo.
But wait! There's more weird plots! Why would Sookie's gay cousin, Claude want to (view spoiler)[ kidnap and rape Sookie? He was foiled by homophobes? Right wingers save the day! (hide spoiler)] Again, I didn't read this, but there are some heated rants of tumblr that are discussing this peculiar plot device.
If you don't want to end up a spinster, it's time to settle!
Back to my point. I'm not reading the book because Sookie isn't fun anymore. That character I loved has devolved into a bigoted old woman, hell bent on nitpicking every aspect of her life. Sookie settled! She settle for line dancing, kids, and casseroles. That is NOT BRAVE. Remember ladies, when a woman nears thirty, it's time to quit being picky. The music is about to stop, so pick a chair! Charlaine wrote that too.
This is one of those books you have such high hopes for. Fun cover, good title, and then blah.
Abby's character is uber predictable and just immature. Her voice smacks of a girl of 12 rather than 16 or 17 years old. I expect a certain level of immaturity from my YA characters, but not to the point where I want to smack them.
There's really nothing happening in this book. The romance is lack-luster, the magic is predictable, and the ending was a cop-out. Spellbinding fails to conjure the magic.
Advance reader copy provided by netgalley.com and Scholastic Books...more
Here's why I eye-rolled myself into a headache while reading Feed
Here we are, 28 years into the future and the blogging world is the shit! The world has turned to blogs for their reliable truth after the zombie apocalypse. Please tell me why I don't have to explain how dumb that is? Fine. Not a big deal? Okay.
The bloggers have broken themselves down into three categories:
Newsies--Yes, as in from the ancient movie of the same title. These folks are straight reporters.
Irwins--As in Steve Irwin. These are the action/dare devil reporters. Oh for fuck's sake! It's 28 years into the future, Irwin has been dead now for how many years? But no, we're Irwins!
Fictionals--See bad stories and worse poems.
While I'm raging about pop-culture, which seems to have stalled out in this book at 2001, how the hell do we have Newsies and Irwins and nobody's heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? M'Kay. Sure.
The technology seems to have stalled out around the early 2000s as well. Apparently, Georgia needs three cell phones--er, why? Also, why the fuck do I need to know this? Lots of dumb details really weigh the story down.
That was annoying, but more annoying were the pages worth of the setting up of the technology. Dear, Lord! I don't give a flying fuck why you connected this to that, or the other. I don't need to read more pages about Buffy fixing this and wires being connected. No! You are wasting my time!
Oh, and don't get me started on the finger pricking blood tests! Apparently they have to hurt because the pain is psychological BARLB WHMOLUM. SCIENCE!
So, consumers don't want a blood scanner that doesn't hurt? You know, because they NEVER have to scan? Oh, wait! They do have to scan? Like ever other page? Oh. So why the fuck does it have to hurt and prick every fucking finger? GARBLE BLARB, SCIENCE!
Meanwhile in politics...this boring shit happened.
Yes, Feed is far more about the politics of the future than anything else--especially zombies. Surprise, fuckers! This zombie book is not about zombies! We get to hear all about the state of the union from George, who is the most cliche, unlikeable, hypocritical character ever!
George and why I hate her:
Wears nondescript black clothing with lots of pockets and boots
Doesn't like touching or affection of any kind
Does not like animals
Has a strange relationship with adopted brother
Believes that showing emotion is weak
Is an egocentric asshole who likes the sound of her own voice
Loves to power play everyone, including her employees
Grant writes George these horrible blog posts about her musings about the world. They suck! First, there's WAY too many of them. Second, they all start to blend together. Third, and this is 450 pages later, I began to realize that Grant is most likely the kind of person who loves the sound of her own voice. Oh, the self-important blathering!
Overall, this book is awful for all kinds of reasons! It's way too fucking long, the characters are completely without merit, and the story suuuukkkkxxx! Once I realized who the bad guy was, I was so done. Who wants to keep reading self-important BLAR BARL BLARB when you know who the cliche bad guy is. Can you say, President Snow, much?
Feed feels very much as though it were written ten years ago, or more. The pop culture references were terrible and could have been solved by changing the stupid terminology, or just not making the damn book set SO freaking far into the future. Newsies and Irwins? I about gagged. How dumb.
But here's the thing about dumb. I can suspend disbelief even for dumb if the characters and story work, but they didn't. George is awful and the plot is so predictable it actually made my head hurt. The world building was good, but honestly, a world without a plot is just a world.
Short on Story, Harris' Newest Book Fails Again*** **Or, How Harris Let Alisha Down (who loved Sookie forever and ever)**
Rating details: I gave this thShort on Story, Harris' Newest Book Fails Again*** **Or, How Harris Let Alisha Down (who loved Sookie forever and ever)**
Rating details: I gave this three stars out of pity, then I got mad the more I thought about the crap I'd just read, so I changed it to one star.
I'm about to lay down the harsh on the newest installment in a series I adore and it isn't going to be pretty because quite frankly, I'm pissed. If you want to disagree with me, please do so. I have a lot to complain about and I didn't put it all down, so please, tell me HOW AWESOME this book is. Just try.
First, there wasn't much story. My head was NOT spinning with new info to absorb as some readers have expressed. Harris does not succeed in pulling her series out of a nose dive. It wasn't better than the last book. Those that maintain the opposite seem to have come by an advanced copy of the book. Perhaps you gave the book a few pity stars because you love Sook? Or maybe, you are like I was, HOPEFUL. Hopeful that the story would advance? Hopeful it would improve? I get you.
I'm sad that Harris is letting this series die, as Sookie has been much loved. I'm sick of her though. I'm sick of Harris too for all she complains about Sookie; in her 20+ years of writing she's never had a character that's been so popular.
**Warning--side rant about the TRUE BLOOD EXCUSE**
Too many times I've read the excuse that because It-Was-Made-Into-True-Blood-the-Work-Suffered. That line of BS does not follow, folks. Harris is the author of her books. Alan Ball is the creator of True Blood. Harris' book have lost their way. True Blood is HBO's biggest money maker since the Sopranos. If Harris was unable to continue quality story lines for the series, she didn't need to accept the contract. Instead, she accepted the contract, and punished her fans. That's right Charlaine, I'm feeling punished for having loved the previous books. It's quite cruel.
**Back to the book**
The plot did contain a mildly interesting mystery, but there wasn't much push to solve it. As a reader, I wasn't concerned the way I ought to be. For example, mysteries like Who is Plotting to Bomb The Pyramid of Giza Hotel?, Who Killed Maria Starr?, or Where the Hell is Bill? made me read on.
Too many glossed over days left me skimming for actual story. Harris falls back on her standby Sook went to the store, picked up her mail, cooked dinner, and washed her hair because there were no great revelations today BS. Listen, you can't do that. It's cheating. There's no story. I'll let you do it once, maybe twice, but by the fifth time, if it weren't on my Kindle, I would have chucked the book across the room.
Where's the beef? There was relatively zero Eric, and what was there became horribly flat. Bill has more moments, which are nice, but again, there's not much there either. What we are left with is head time with a character that needs a script for Zoloft. Being in Sookie's head isn't a pleasant place.
**Relationship Gripes**
If we are to buy that Sookie is in love with Eric, I'd expect more passion. Yell, fight, screw, but do something! If she were in love with Sam, I'd expect more than vanilla. I don't buy any of it. Rather than tell Eric where he could stick it, Sookie hung up on Eric or told him to go so many times I lost count--and what's worse is that in most cases, he'd only been present in the scene for a page give or take.
Even if you don't like Eric, Sookie runs from nearly all confrontation, which makes me dislike her, and made me ask, why? I have a few theories, but the most plausible is that Harris simply didn't want to write it. Gosh, that would take effort!
As an author, one doesn't need to destroy characters just to end a romance between them. Leave us with something, please, even if we end up hating Eric, at least we'll feel something for him, other than tired.
Absent from book 12
Sex New and fresh descriptors Physical attraction to anyone that is exciting Fun, humor, anything interesting Engrossing mystery
Present in excess
Angst Avoidance Cooking, picking up mail Waitressing Second tier characters doing boring town stuff
**WARNING: Bon Temps is a snooze, move to Monroe**
Harris spends too much time in Bon Temps with D characters. I don't care about Tara and JB. I don't care about Jason and Michelle, or Holly and Hoyt, or...you get the picture. Harris fails badly. They don't advance the plot.
WAIT, Alisha. Isn't there a point to all the babies and weddings? Yes, but there are better ways to let us know that Sookie wants a family without Tara and JB--who are the poster couple for surrender-to-any-nice-man-so-you-can-have-kids message that is becoming all too familiar in this series. Gag! What a pessimistic point of view on love and marriage! Should Sookie settle for less like Tara, who married JB because she wanted kids and he loved her? Dear God, NO! In many ways, this is the most demoralizing aspect of book 12.
Harris created a world of fantasy and romance, but is bull dozing it with a level of reality I find concerning. I miss Eric wearing leather, Sookie running from potential kidnappers and hiding in Bill's hidey hole--naked. I miss Sam turning into a lion. I miss Claudine showing up to a fight in pajamas. I miss the silliness and fun.
Listen, just get it over with. Send Sookie to Sam, send Eric away, leave Bill pining as he always has. I don't care anymore what happens to her and neither does Harris. ...more
I read a lot, so I very much wonder about the five star reviews of this book. Are they forced from a desperate publisher? I don't know. All the fiMeh.
I read a lot, so I very much wonder about the five star reviews of this book. Are they forced from a desperate publisher? I don't know. All the five stars actually made me look back at the book and skim it, asking myself what I hated about this book. I really didn't like any of it. The ghost that were supposed to be scary, were not. The characters were lackluster. It was just super cliche and poorly executed.
What I do know is that this is not a good book.
There were some good elements, but it was mostly hokey. It was not suspenseful in the least. The ghosts talked A LOT to the point I was thinking, just tell them what you need them to do. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
The characters were as flat as the apparitions. Here's Zoey, she's lovable and likes to cook. Here's Margot! She's angry and a professor. Gag.
The well written areas of the book deal with music. I particularly enjoyed the club scenes and details therein, but those scenes were few and far between...more
**spoiler alert** This started strong, but lost me around page 300. I really began to feel like the characters were all one person, rather than indivi**spoiler alert** This started strong, but lost me around page 300. I really began to feel like the characters were all one person, rather than individuals. I got sick of the self-indulgent rantings of each character and the bleak outlook of America based on a hyper liberal view point.
I found the characters to be devoid of real human emotion. If you believe that everyone goes around hating the masses and fantasizing about "f%*$ing" all day long, then sure, Freedom is packed with raw emotion! And, if you do those things, you must have a very high IQ, indeed!
The dialogue was done badly. Anytime a character laughed, it reminded me of bad texting or Facebook, "Ha, ha, ha!" Sometimes Franzen mixes it up and just writes, "Ha!" Oh, good job, Franzen! You wouldn't want to work on character development or anything like that! Oh, wait, Lalitha really likes to say, "Be that as it may". Of course, you pointed that out via Walter, so then I was watching for it. How tricky of you?! GAG!
The female characters are nearly worthless. Apparently, women are full of "female bullsh*it", but because we are so packed with FB, he only takes the time to make Patty a complete mess. Lalitha is very one dimensional, Connie is psychotic, and Jonathan's sister, is an evil slut in comparison to the male characters who are heroic and authentic. Even when the male characters have ulterior motives, we are made to believe that their motives are somehow better and more deserving than their female counterparts.
I had grown to like Walter's character until the move to DC where he immediately fell for Lalitha, who I found arrogant. We as readers are asked to believe that because Walter and Patty are having difficulties that he is suddenly fantasizing about Lalitha all day long? Somehow it's believable that a character like Walter wouldn't ask his assistant to find new housing when he is so very tempted by her? Come on! Patty is apparently so racked with guilt for sleeping with Richard four years prior that she remains married and living with Lalitha upstairs for years while Walter salivates over her? I found it incredibly unbelievable that Walter would tolerate having a temptation so near and that Patty wouldn't get over her guilt and just leave Walter and Lalitha to it.
Again and again we're reassured as readers that the characters are "intelligent". If by intelligent you mean lying, selfish, and over-educated, then yes, by all means, they are intelligent.
Overall, I am too moderate to fall under Freedom's leftist spell. I don't think that the New York Times is the end-all-be-all of American culture. I don't care for art films, bad garage bands, or folks who refer to their parents by their first names. It simply became too much to swallow without question....more
When Katniss is left to herself, she is a self-indulgent, boring character. How many pages did Collins need to give to her nightmares or her hiding inWhen Katniss is left to herself, she is a self-indulgent, boring character. How many pages did Collins need to give to her nightmares or her hiding in closets feeling sorry for herself? The truth is, this could have been 200 pages and good, but Collins strung it out, essentially beating a dead horse....more
I hate that this fucker was made into a movie, and subsequently, every asshole who loved this dribble are all, "OMG! So good. It was so amazing and inI hate that this fucker was made into a movie, and subsequently, every asshole who loved this dribble are all, "OMG! So good. It was so amazing and inspiring!" Oh, shut up! If you don't do subtly, and need your themes and symbolism spoon fed to you, by all means, this book is, "So. Good."
Alisha-Dear Constant Reader
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