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Read in one sitting because HOLY MOTHER WHY IS THIS SO GOOD??
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
In this world of regular kids becoming internet or YouTube superstars, it’s easy to see where Sarah Billington got her inspiration, and easier still to relate to Poppy Douglas. From having her heart broken and pouring her emotions out on the internet to dealing with the new found fame it brings her, she’s a great character to follow. She’s incredibly upbeat, even when she’s getting her emotions all tangled up by boys, adolescence, and real life. She actually makes some decent decisions, and even when she makes stupid, rash ones, it’s easy to see why her mind took her there because everything’s so clearly laid out.
Seeing her relationship with Tyler form and become solid was actually really nice. While it seemed to move pretty fast, it fit with the teenage characters (though I have a question — did Tyler really just up and totally forget about high school to go be a rock star?) and they were really freaking cute.
Along with Poppy and Tyler are some pretty good secondary characters, from her best friend to her parents and her little brother who inadvertently names their dog ‘Poo-Bum’, if I’m remembering correctly. Poppy didn’t overshadow her supporting cast, and I really appreciated that. Hell, I even enjoyed her ex-boyfriend Cameron.
I had very few problems with the book, my only main concern being how…well, self-indulgent it felt at times. I mean, to have Poppy write a song, have that song picked up by a local band who just happens to have a hot lead singer who likes her, and then they go on to be rock stars and maybe Tyler is cheating on her with all those groupies but maybe he really does love her… I wrote stuff like that when I was 15 and passing Nsync fanfic notebooks back and forth between classes with my best friends. It could have been a bit better.
But to be honest, that kinda spoke to me more than it should have. (I’m 27 and I read YA fiction, what else do you expect out of me?)
At it’s heart, The Kiss Off is a really fun, upbeat contemporary novel. The characters are fun, the plot zips along even though it’s kind of easy to tell what’s going to happen, and I ended up reading it in one shot.
In this world of regular kids becoming internet or YouTube superstars, it’s easy to see where Sarah Billington got her inspiration, and easier still to relate to Poppy Douglas. From having her heart broken and pouring her emotions out on the internet to dealing with the new found fame it brings her, she’s a great character to follow. She’s incredibly upbeat, even when she’s getting her emotions all tangled up by boys, adolescence, and real life. She actually makes some decent decisions, and even when she makes stupid, rash ones, it’s easy to see why her mind took her there because everything’s so clearly laid out.
Seeing her relationship with Tyler form and become solid was actually really nice. While it seemed to move pretty fast, it fit with the teenage characters (though I have a question — did Tyler really just up and totally forget about high school to go be a rock star?) and they were really freaking cute.
Along with Poppy and Tyler are some pretty good secondary characters, from her best friend to her parents and her little brother who inadvertently names their dog ‘Poo-Bum’, if I’m remembering correctly. Poppy didn’t overshadow her supporting cast, and I really appreciated that. Hell, I even enjoyed her ex-boyfriend Cameron.
I had very few problems with the book, my only main concern being how…well, self-indulgent it felt at times. I mean, to have Poppy write a song, have that song picked up by a local band who just happens to have a hot lead singer who likes her, and then they go on to be rock stars and maybe Tyler is cheating on her with all those groupies but maybe he really does love her… I wrote stuff like that when I was 15 and passing Nsync fanfic notebooks back and forth between classes with my best friends. It could have been a bit better.
But to be honest, that kinda spoke to me more than it should have. (I’m 27 and I read YA fiction, what else do you expect out of me?)
At it’s heart, The Kiss Off is a really fun, upbeat contemporary novel. The characters are fun, the plot zips along even though it’s kind of easy to tell what’s going to happen, and I ended up reading it in one shot.
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
I had ridiculously high hopes for this, because if there’s anything that hits one of my reading buttons hardest, it’s fairytale/myth re-tellings. I love them. So hearing all about a whole city of fairy tales just waiting to happen? Yes please. Kill Me Softly starts out pretty strong as Mirabelle runs away from home (and her two fairy godmothers) to Beau Rivage, the town she was born in and the town her parents died in. What she finds is a whole fairy tale sub-culture, which is so cool. All these kids are marked and simply waiting for their fates. Most of them hate being trapped by destiny, and as much as they rage, they’ve surrendered to the fact that they’ll be a Snow White or a Prince Charming or a Beauty and her Beast when they come of age.
Apart from that, however, the book doesn’t hold up at all. Mirabelle rapidly devolves into the most annoying of YA tropes – the one who falls into instant love with someone, while still intrigued by another. Love triangles, man. I hate them. She doesn’t do much of anything, and it seems all she does is go somewhere, listen to someone give her some exposition, then do more of nothing. It got tiring very quickly, and no matter how much I loved the idea of Beau Rivage, I couldn’t keep reading it.
I had ridiculously high hopes for this, because if there’s anything that hits one of my reading buttons hardest, it’s fairytale/myth re-tellings. I love them. So hearing all about a whole city of fairy tales just waiting to happen? Yes please. Kill Me Softly starts out pretty strong as Mirabelle runs away from home (and her two fairy godmothers) to Beau Rivage, the town she was born in and the town her parents died in. What she finds is a whole fairy tale sub-culture, which is so cool. All these kids are marked and simply waiting for their fates. Most of them hate being trapped by destiny, and as much as they rage, they’ve surrendered to the fact that they’ll be a Snow White or a Prince Charming or a Beauty and her Beast when they come of age.
Apart from that, however, the book doesn’t hold up at all. Mirabelle rapidly devolves into the most annoying of YA tropes – the one who falls into instant love with someone, while still intrigued by another. Love triangles, man. I hate them. She doesn’t do much of anything, and it seems all she does is go somewhere, listen to someone give her some exposition, then do more of nothing. It got tiring very quickly, and no matter how much I loved the idea of Beau Rivage, I couldn’t keep reading it.
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
Sometimes I make myself go back and read classic novels instead of my favorite Urban Fantasy or YA Dystopias, and I picked this up because The Stepford Wives was checked out at my library. I’m so glad I did.
A Kiss Before Dying is a true psychological thriller, though I have to say there’s more f*cked up psychological insight on the serial killer at the center of the story than there are thrills. It’s incredibly messed up as we follow the killer from his first kill to his last, and so hard to put down. What I loved best is that Levin doesn’t rely on gore or shocking descriptions to make your heart pound; his writing does it all.
If you’re into this genre or even have a passing morbid curiosity, A Kiss Before Dying is a great read.
Sometimes I make myself go back and read classic novels instead of my favorite Urban Fantasy or YA Dystopias, and I picked this up because The Stepford Wives was checked out at my library. I’m so glad I did.
A Kiss Before Dying is a true psychological thriller, though I have to say there’s more f*cked up psychological insight on the serial killer at the center of the story than there are thrills. It’s incredibly messed up as we follow the killer from his first kill to his last, and so hard to put down. What I loved best is that Levin doesn’t rely on gore or shocking descriptions to make your heart pound; his writing does it all.
If you’re into this genre or even have a passing morbid curiosity, A Kiss Before Dying is a great read.
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
I don’t remember how or why this ended up on my to read shelf, but I’m glad it did. I eventually picked it up in the library and found Old Man’s War to be a completely engrossing read. While I love sci-fi, I’m not too knowledgeable about the classics; I don’t know Henlein from Asimov yet, but I really liked Scalzi. His writing in this seemed almost a little too detached at times, but the future world he’s built is amazing.
From the Colonial Defense Force that takes senior citizens and gives them newer, stranger bodies to the various aliens they encounter (and almost always go to war with), there’s a great world out there that I wanted to learn more about. At times it felt like John, the main character, was a little too good, too smart and too perfect, but it all worked with the story being told. I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series to expand on the world Scalzi’s created.
I don’t remember how or why this ended up on my to read shelf, but I’m glad it did. I eventually picked it up in the library and found Old Man’s War to be a completely engrossing read. While I love sci-fi, I’m not too knowledgeable about the classics; I don’t know Henlein from Asimov yet, but I really liked Scalzi. His writing in this seemed almost a little too detached at times, but the future world he’s built is amazing.
From the Colonial Defense Force that takes senior citizens and gives them newer, stranger bodies to the various aliens they encounter (and almost always go to war with), there’s a great world out there that I wanted to learn more about. At times it felt like John, the main character, was a little too good, too smart and too perfect, but it all worked with the story being told. I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series to expand on the world Scalzi’s created.
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
Apparently I was in the mood for messed up tales, because I Hunt Killers follows Jazz, who grew up under the tutelage of the worst serial killer ever: his father.
This entire novel follows Jazz’s journey of self-discovery and his struggle with nature vs. nurture as he does his best to track down another serial killer using the tools his father taught him. Not exactly the reason his dad taught him, but Jazz is so determined not to end up a serial killer like his dad and the battle is a constant thing. Every moment of the novel he’s fighting the instincts drilled into him, and it’s so fascinating and a little heartbreaking to read.
For some reason I couldn’t go ahead and give it four stars, but I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a different sort of YA novel. Warnings for disturbing imagery.
Apparently I was in the mood for messed up tales, because I Hunt Killers follows Jazz, who grew up under the tutelage of the worst serial killer ever: his father.
This entire novel follows Jazz’s journey of self-discovery and his struggle with nature vs. nurture as he does his best to track down another serial killer using the tools his father taught him. Not exactly the reason his dad taught him, but Jazz is so determined not to end up a serial killer like his dad and the battle is a constant thing. Every moment of the novel he’s fighting the instincts drilled into him, and it’s so fascinating and a little heartbreaking to read.
For some reason I couldn’t go ahead and give it four stars, but I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a different sort of YA novel. Warnings for disturbing imagery.
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
My Soul to Take is a nice twist on the myth of banshees, and a surprisingly enjoyable YA paranormal romance read. I’ve grown tired of many tropes in the genre recently, and while My Soul to Take has some of them, the writing moves quickly and the plot is interesting enough that I could forgive them and enjoy it.
Kaylee is a pretty nice heroine to follow; she’s sensible, she isn’t incredibly dumb, and she understandably thinks she’s going insane when she realizes she can predict people’s deaths – and ends up screaming like a banshee when near them. It didn’t feel like there was any actual character development with Kaylee, apart from her learning her true heritage as a banshee, and I didn’t enjoy the instant love she develops with Nash. Honestly, that trope is what knocked this down a star for me. But the book was enjoyable enough that I think I’ll continue on with the series. I still hold out hope that there isn’t a love triangle, even though I can see it coming a mile away.
My Soul to Take is a nice twist on the myth of banshees, and a surprisingly enjoyable YA paranormal romance read. I’ve grown tired of many tropes in the genre recently, and while My Soul to Take has some of them, the writing moves quickly and the plot is interesting enough that I could forgive them and enjoy it.
Kaylee is a pretty nice heroine to follow; she’s sensible, she isn’t incredibly dumb, and she understandably thinks she’s going insane when she realizes she can predict people’s deaths – and ends up screaming like a banshee when near them. It didn’t feel like there was any actual character development with Kaylee, apart from her learning her true heritage as a banshee, and I didn’t enjoy the instant love she develops with Nash. Honestly, that trope is what knocked this down a star for me. But the book was enjoyable enough that I think I’ll continue on with the series. I still hold out hope that there isn’t a love triangle, even though I can see it coming a mile away.
How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
Unless you’re a fan of the FX television show Archer this novel is based on, it’ll pretty much fly over your head, I believe. The humor is so specific and inflammatory that it won’t really work with someone who isn’t familiar with it, which is this book's major downfall.
That aside, as a huge Archer fan, I LOVED IT. Every single word written is pitch perfect, and I could hear it all narrated by H. Jon Benjamin, who voices Archer on the show. The chapters vary from drink and food recipes to what to do when you’re lucky enough to have sex with Archer and some actual tips on being a spy. It’s all so tongue in cheek and perfectly Archer that I can’t really say much more about it. I read it in one delighted sitting and then ended up marathoning some of my favorite Archer episodes just because.
Unless you’re a fan of the FX television show Archer this novel is based on, it’ll pretty much fly over your head, I believe. The humor is so specific and inflammatory that it won’t really work with someone who isn’t familiar with it, which is this book's major downfall.
That aside, as a huge Archer fan, I LOVED IT. Every single word written is pitch perfect, and I could hear it all narrated by H. Jon Benjamin, who voices Archer on the show. The chapters vary from drink and food recipes to what to do when you’re lucky enough to have sex with Archer and some actual tips on being a spy. It’s all so tongue in cheek and perfectly Archer that I can’t really say much more about it. I read it in one delighted sitting and then ended up marathoning some of my favorite Archer episodes just because.
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
A story told entirely through images, Chopsticks is a unique and interesting entry into YA, and something I found really intriguing. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite do it for me. Despite my interest in graphics and art to some degree, Chopsticks didn’t click with me. I was too aware that none of it was real, that all of it was created and staged, especially when there were pictures that were sepia-toned or polariod for some reason, when it takes place in the digital era. Polaroid pictures next to IM conversations were just too jarring.
The story itself wasn’t too bad; Glory is a piano prodigy who may or may not have cracked, and who’s madly in love with Frank, the boy next door. The question is whether it’s all real or just a part of Glory’s broken mind. Honestly, I didn’t care in the end. It all felt too distant, and it was hard to connect to either Glory or Frank, despite the many indications via their art that they were incredibly depressed teens. I read a lot of comics, and I’ve come to appreciate that art can and sometimes does tell a story better than words can; this just wasn’t the case in Chopsticks.
A story told entirely through images, Chopsticks is a unique and interesting entry into YA, and something I found really intriguing. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite do it for me. Despite my interest in graphics and art to some degree, Chopsticks didn’t click with me. I was too aware that none of it was real, that all of it was created and staged, especially when there were pictures that were sepia-toned or polariod for some reason, when it takes place in the digital era. Polaroid pictures next to IM conversations were just too jarring.
The story itself wasn’t too bad; Glory is a piano prodigy who may or may not have cracked, and who’s madly in love with Frank, the boy next door. The question is whether it’s all real or just a part of Glory’s broken mind. Honestly, I didn’t care in the end. It all felt too distant, and it was hard to connect to either Glory or Frank, despite the many indications via their art that they were incredibly depressed teens. I read a lot of comics, and I’ve come to appreciate that art can and sometimes does tell a story better than words can; this just wasn’t the case in Chopsticks.
Man, this reads like it was written by a sixth grader trying to imagine what a glamorous Upper East Side life is like. POV and tense changes every other sentence. Awful.