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As entertaining as this was, I couldn't shake the feeling that a lot of the stories in this narrative are way overblown, or at least the details have been fudged a bit to make Frank seem cooler than he is.
I keep wondering how to shelve this. It's not quite fantasy in my eyes, because there aren't any fantastical elements. It's not historical fiction. It's not dystopian.
Maybe I should create a shelf called "other worlds" and leave it at that.
The Winner's Curse is based on an interesting premise: that the person who wins in an auction is also the loser, because they've paid more for the item than anyone has. The way this plays out in the novel from Kestral buying Arin to the final scene works out really well, and I commend the author for pulling that off. The final page was my favorite of the entire novel.
The first half of the book, however, was incredibly boring. I realize that a majority of the character and relationship building took place there, but a faster pace would have worked a better. Especially because the last half of the book really picks up the pace and then...flat lines again. When focusing on the machinations of society, war, and rebellion, this is a fun, fast paced novel. When focusing on Kestral and Arin, it's boring.
Not to say that I didn't enjoy those aspects of The Winner's Curse. I just wish there'd been more to the build up of Kestral and Arin's friendship/romance before the plot really kicks in. I appreciate the lack of instalove, but unfortunately that meant I had no real connection to them as a couple. From what I read, I didn't really believe in Kestral and Arin. The spark wasn't there.
That goes for the rest of the novel; it was interesting in places, but some sort of essential spark was missing at the heart of it all.
Maybe I should create a shelf called "other worlds" and leave it at that.
The Winner's Curse is based on an interesting premise: that the person who wins in an auction is also the loser, because they've paid more for the item than anyone has. The way this plays out in the novel from Kestral buying Arin to the final scene works out really well, and I commend the author for pulling that off. The final page was my favorite of the entire novel.
The first half of the book, however, was incredibly boring. I realize that a majority of the character and relationship building took place there, but a faster pace would have worked a better. Especially because the last half of the book really picks up the pace and then...flat lines again. When focusing on the machinations of society, war, and rebellion, this is a fun, fast paced novel. When focusing on Kestral and Arin, it's boring.
Not to say that I didn't enjoy those aspects of The Winner's Curse. I just wish there'd been more to the build up of Kestral and Arin's friendship/romance before the plot really kicks in. I appreciate the lack of instalove, but unfortunately that meant I had no real connection to them as a couple
Spoiler
when the rebellion began. However, when Kestral found out about Arin's betrayal, I was SO HAPPY she stuck to her guns and hated him for it for much longer than most YA heroines wouldThat goes for the rest of the novel; it was interesting in places, but some sort of essential spark was missing at the heart of it all.
Hovering between 2 and 3 stars, this was an event that took much longer than it deserved and disrupted the storylines in other books for no good reason. So, you know, just your average comic crossover event.
All-New X-Men, Volume 4: All-Different
Brian Michael Bendis, Mahmud Asrar, Stuart Immonen, Brandon Peterson, Brent Anderson, Wade Von Grawbadger
I kind of enjoyed this one, even though there were aspects of it that I didn't quite get into as much as other aspects.
The dystopian setting seems to be a little out of left field, but it works for what the author is trying to do when it comes to the star-crossed lovers trope. The setting is about all that's truly interesting about the dystopian setting here. Where the novel really works, for once in this genre, is in the romance between Sol and D'arcy. It's a great slow build, and when we focus on the pair, it works greatly. Sol doesn't let her mission go astray when the romance builds, either. Instead, she keeps forging forward, even though her mission (which the entire plot is based around) started with a terrible decision and keeps moving forward thanks to Sol sort of falling into the plots others have set up.
It feels weird, being pleased with the romance in a YA dystopian novel. So, so weird.
The dystopian setting seems to be a little out of left field, but it works for what the author is trying to do when it comes to the star-crossed lovers trope. The setting is about all that's truly interesting about the dystopian setting here. Where the novel really works, for once in this genre, is in the romance between Sol and D'arcy. It's a great slow build, and when we focus on the pair, it works greatly. Sol doesn't let her mission go astray when the romance builds, either. Instead, she keeps forging forward, even though her mission (which the entire plot is based around) started with a terrible decision and keeps moving forward thanks to Sol sort of falling into the plots others have set up.
It feels weird, being pleased with the romance in a YA dystopian novel. So, so weird.
Fun, fun, FUN.
Meda is delightful, especially when her narration almost seems as though she is a reader taking a peek at a YA novel of her own. This is especially fun when it comes to the romance.
And then I got punched in the face with emotion.
All the best books do that, I suppose.
Meda is delightful, especially when her narration almost seems as though she is a reader taking a peek at a YA novel of her own. This is especially fun when it comes to the romance.
And then I got punched in the face with emotion.
All the best books do that, I suppose.