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desiree930
This one hurts. I love Jane Eyre, and was looking so forward to this darker take on an already somewhat dark story.
The first 150ish pages were wonderful. They followed Jane's life from her early childhood all the way through her boarding school years and the first few years after she left school. In that time, she murders a handful of men who hurt and threatened her and the people she cared about. This was all very interesting. In her mind (and honestly, I see where she's coming from) all of her actions were justified. Even so, she feels varying levels of remorse for these different murders, depending on her relationship with the victim in question. I really enjoy her friendship with Clarke, who she loves like a sister.
Unfortunately, after the first 150 pages, the pacing and story slam on the brakes of any potential momentum and spend the next 200 pages talking about a lukewarm mystery and a bunch of characters that are not fleshed out at all. They also spend pages and pages on exposition that is wind-numbingly boring.
Also, I really disliked the romance. I just didn't connect with them as a couple at all. I also hated that every time Jane is talking to mr. Singh or Charles, they throw in a bunch of words that needed annotations on the bottom so we knew what they meant. I feel like they wouldn't use those words when they are having a conversation with a native English speaker because they'd have to stop every ten seconds and explain with all the other words meant, but they didn't. And somehow Jane understood everything they were talking about.
Honestly, the writing in general leaves something to be desired. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make the language and sentences sound authentic to the 1840s/1850s, when this book is supposed to take place. Unfortunately, this leads to several nonsensical passages. All of these flowery phrases with long words are present, but they don't add anything to the story, except to add confusion. It also affected the pacing of this book, especially through the middle section. I also found it silly that she tried to use all of this flowery language to make it authentic to the time period, but then had her characters doing and saying things that just would not be done or said. It was a big disconnect for me.
At the end of the day, this book was boring. I wanted to love it. I didn't. Now I need a fluffy contemporary to my mind off of it.
The first 150ish pages were wonderful. They followed Jane's life from her early childhood all the way through her boarding school years and the first few years after she left school. In that time, she murders a handful of men who hurt and threatened her and the people she cared about. This was all very interesting. In her mind (and honestly, I see where she's coming from) all of her actions were justified. Even so, she feels varying levels of remorse for these different murders, depending on her relationship with the victim in question. I really enjoy her friendship with Clarke, who she loves like a sister.
Unfortunately, after the first 150 pages, the pacing and story slam on the brakes of any potential momentum and spend the next 200 pages talking about a lukewarm mystery and a bunch of characters that are not fleshed out at all. They also spend pages and pages on exposition that is wind-numbingly boring.
Also, I really disliked the romance. I just didn't connect with them as a couple at all. I also hated that every time Jane is talking to mr. Singh or Charles, they throw in a bunch of words that needed annotations on the bottom so we knew what they meant. I feel like they wouldn't use those words when they are having a conversation with a native English speaker because they'd have to stop every ten seconds and explain with all the other words meant, but they didn't. And somehow Jane understood everything they were talking about.
Honestly, the writing in general leaves something to be desired. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make the language and sentences sound authentic to the 1840s/1850s, when this book is supposed to take place. Unfortunately, this leads to several nonsensical passages. All of these flowery phrases with long words are present, but they don't add anything to the story, except to add confusion. It also affected the pacing of this book, especially through the middle section. I also found it silly that she tried to use all of this flowery language to make it authentic to the time period, but then had her characters doing and saying things that just would not be done or said. It was a big disconnect for me.
At the end of the day, this book was boring. I wanted to love it. I didn't. Now I need a fluffy contemporary to my mind off of it.
I read "The Start of You and Me" by Emery Lord about a month ago (January, 2017) and really enjoyed it. It was the light, fluffy contemporary that I'd needed in that moment after reading a book I absolutely hated. I had "When We Collided" on my shelf as well, and wanted to pick it up right away, but critical reviews from reviewers I trust made me a little wary. Fortunately, this book proves that sometimes you just have to go into a book open-minded and form your own opinion. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and the emotional impact it had for me.
Things I liked:
Characters:
Emery Lord did a wonderful job creating these characters. From Jonah and Vivi to all of the side characters, they all felt very well-developed to me. I also loved Jonah's family dynamic and also how Vivi interacted with them, especially the 'littles', as the youngest three siblings are collectively referred to. If I had to choose one character who I wasn't as thrilled with, it would be Carrie, Vivi's mother. I'll explain why later on.
The depiction of grieving and depression:
At the beginning of the book, it has been 6 or 7 months since Jonah's father passed away unexpectedly. While their mother sank into a deep depression to the point of not even leaving her room, the older three siblings are forced to assume the adult roles in the house in every way. With Jonah especially, you get the sense that he hasn't allowed himself time to grieve and just mourn his father because he is trying to be the super-responsible older brother. Compounded with that is the knowledge that both of his older siblings are about to go off to college and he will be left to support the family on his own.
The depiction of mental illness:
From the first few pages, I sensed that there was something just a little off about Vivi, even before we learn that she is supposed to be on lithium, which is a mood-stabilizing drug. In the beginning, her behavior is bubbly and vivacious, and we are just led to believe that she is just that kind of upbeat person. As the story progresses, her behavior becomes more and more erratic. Reading from her perspective is like watching a car crash in slow motion. As readers, we can all see that something awful is going to happen, but she is completely oblivious as she spirals out of control. I have known people who were diagnosed as bipolar. The depiction of this disease felt very authentic to me. Vivi did things that were dangerous and awful, but she wasn't an awful person. I also felt like Jonah's reaction to her increasingly-wild behavior felt realistic. Despite all of the growing up he'd done since his father's passing, he's still a kid. Vivi wasn't his first girlfriend, but we get the sense that this is the most emotionally intense relationship he's ever been in. As a reader, you can see the toxicity that their relationship is breeding. I wouldn't go so far as to call it abusive, but definitely dysfunctional. And because he doesn't know the true nature of her mental state, he deals with everything the way I think most boys would their first time in love.
Things I didn't like:
Carrie:
Vivi's mother was the one character I didn't think was written in a convincing way. Near the beginning of the book, she gives us our first notion that there is something off about Vivi's behavior and, understandably, shows concern that her daughter may be skipping her medication. Vivi blows up at her mother and storms off, and her mother's response to her overreaction is to just accept that her daughter is being honest with her. Later, after another outburst from Vivi, Carrie accuses her again of skipping meds and even counts her daughter's pills, which is okay because Vivi has taken to tossing her lithium pill into the ocean each morning. After that, Vivi impulsively steals her mother's credit card, drives off to another city and buys a Vespa. What is Carries response? Is it to ground her and make her return the Vespa? Nope. Is it to insist that her daughter talks to a counselor because she is OBVIOUSLY off her meds? Uh-uh. So what is it? Nothing. There are absolutely no repercussions for Vivi's actions. That made no sense to me whatsoever. At one point Carrie says something like, "I caught her stealing, drinking, and smoking, and I thought it was just normal teenage stuff." Um, what? Even if that behavior is normal teenage stuff, does that mean it goes unchecked? I did not like her character at all. It was like she had her head in the sand after about the first 30 pages.
Insta-love:
This is one trope I really can't stand, although it actually bothered me less in this book than it has in others I've read. I think that's because it's obviously more like infatuation at first sight for Jonah, although his feelings do intensify rather quickly. And in Vivi's case, it felt like just natural part of her mental illness. Lows and highs are all intensified, so a feeling of love at first sight feels realistic. I still don't really like this trope as it often feels a little lazy.
All that said, the end of this book really got to me. I found myself choked up and even getting a little teary at the resolution to this story. I loved it because it wasn't the happily ever after that so many YA books (especially YA romances) give you. The funny thing is that I wasn't even a fan of Vivi and Jonah as a couple because it was obviously a very toxic relationship. Despite that, I really appreciated the way that these characters resolved their relationship. The letter that she wrote to him was really beautiful and even though it was bittersweet, it was also full of hope and love and it got me right in the feels.
At the end of the day, I really appreciated this book. I'll be waiting for Emery Lord's next.
Things I liked:
Characters:
Emery Lord did a wonderful job creating these characters. From Jonah and Vivi to all of the side characters, they all felt very well-developed to me. I also loved Jonah's family dynamic and also how Vivi interacted with them, especially the 'littles', as the youngest three siblings are collectively referred to. If I had to choose one character who I wasn't as thrilled with, it would be Carrie, Vivi's mother. I'll explain why later on.
The depiction of grieving and depression:
At the beginning of the book, it has been 6 or 7 months since Jonah's father passed away unexpectedly. While their mother sank into a deep depression to the point of not even leaving her room, the older three siblings are forced to assume the adult roles in the house in every way. With Jonah especially, you get the sense that he hasn't allowed himself time to grieve and just mourn his father because he is trying to be the super-responsible older brother. Compounded with that is the knowledge that both of his older siblings are about to go off to college and he will be left to support the family on his own.
The depiction of mental illness:
From the first few pages, I sensed that there was something just a little off about Vivi, even before we learn that she is supposed to be on lithium, which is a mood-stabilizing drug. In the beginning, her behavior is bubbly and vivacious, and we are just led to believe that she is just that kind of upbeat person. As the story progresses, her behavior becomes more and more erratic. Reading from her perspective is like watching a car crash in slow motion. As readers, we can all see that something awful is going to happen, but she is completely oblivious as she spirals out of control. I have known people who were diagnosed as bipolar. The depiction of this disease felt very authentic to me. Vivi did things that were dangerous and awful, but she wasn't an awful person. I also felt like Jonah's reaction to her increasingly-wild behavior felt realistic. Despite all of the growing up he'd done since his father's passing, he's still a kid. Vivi wasn't his first girlfriend, but we get the sense that this is the most emotionally intense relationship he's ever been in. As a reader, you can see the toxicity that their relationship is breeding. I wouldn't go so far as to call it abusive, but definitely dysfunctional. And because he doesn't know the true nature of her mental state, he deals with everything the way I think most boys would their first time in love.
Things I didn't like:
Carrie:
Vivi's mother was the one character I didn't think was written in a convincing way. Near the beginning of the book, she gives us our first notion that there is something off about Vivi's behavior and, understandably, shows concern that her daughter may be skipping her medication. Vivi blows up at her mother and storms off, and her mother's response to her overreaction is to just accept that her daughter is being honest with her. Later, after another outburst from Vivi, Carrie accuses her again of skipping meds and even counts her daughter's pills, which is okay because Vivi has taken to tossing her lithium pill into the ocean each morning. After that, Vivi impulsively steals her mother's credit card, drives off to another city and buys a Vespa. What is Carries response? Is it to ground her and make her return the Vespa? Nope. Is it to insist that her daughter talks to a counselor because she is OBVIOUSLY off her meds? Uh-uh. So what is it? Nothing. There are absolutely no repercussions for Vivi's actions. That made no sense to me whatsoever. At one point Carrie says something like, "I caught her stealing, drinking, and smoking, and I thought it was just normal teenage stuff." Um, what? Even if that behavior is normal teenage stuff, does that mean it goes unchecked? I did not like her character at all. It was like she had her head in the sand after about the first 30 pages.
Insta-love:
This is one trope I really can't stand, although it actually bothered me less in this book than it has in others I've read. I think that's because it's obviously more like infatuation at first sight for Jonah, although his feelings do intensify rather quickly. And in Vivi's case, it felt like just natural part of her mental illness. Lows and highs are all intensified, so a feeling of love at first sight feels realistic. I still don't really like this trope as it often feels a little lazy.
All that said, the end of this book really got to me. I found myself choked up and even getting a little teary at the resolution to this story. I loved it because it wasn't the happily ever after that so many YA books (especially YA romances) give you. The funny thing is that I wasn't even a fan of Vivi and Jonah as a couple because it was obviously a very toxic relationship. Despite that, I really appreciated the way that these characters resolved their relationship. The letter that she wrote to him was really beautiful and even though it was bittersweet, it was also full of hope and love and it got me right in the feels.
At the end of the day, I really appreciated this book. I'll be waiting for Emery Lord's next.
I think I've just about learned my lesson concerning buying books on Book Outlet without checking reviews first. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE Book Outlet, but I am coming to the realization that I need to be a little more selective, even when the books are so heavily discounted.
Thorn Abbey caught my eye because of the cover. So pretty. The synopsis also sounded interesting: MC Tess goes to private school where she starts dating a boy whose girlfriend drowned the year before and then creepy things begin to happen to make Tess think that the girlfriend may be haunting the place. I love a good ghost story, so I was hoping this wouldn't disappoint.
Unfortunately, all this book DID was disappoint.
What I liked:
1. The length:
The book was short. It is less than 300 pages, the type is large, and some of the chapters are very short, which makes this book speed by. I read it in just a couple of hours.
2. The cover:
Such a pretty cover. It definitely gave me that eerie ghost-story vibe I was looking for.
What I didn't like:
1. Tess:
What an insufferable character. This girl is dumber than a box of hair. First of all, her immediate obsession with Max was creepy, bordering on stalkery. She sees him in a class where he doesn't even speak to her and she leaves the class head over heels because he looked up at her and caught her staring at him. I wish I was joking. That was all it took for her to fall for him. After that, she follows him around, inserting herself into his life. All she thinks about is the two of them being together and their 'connection', which is almost entirely made up in her head. The entire basis of their relationship comes from one conversation where he corrects her as she's talking about constellations (something she is supposedly very knowledgeable about). He corrects her, and she is struck by their amazing similarities. SMDH.
This creepy stalker tendency continues as Tess decides that she just has to know everything about Max's dead girlfriend, Becca. She cyber-stalks her and goes through her new roommates belongings (because of course she just happens to be rooming with Becca's ex-roommate...naturally). She even goes through an old diary that belonged to Becca, which is a good thing because otherwise this idiot never would've figured out the mystery.
Also, she has zero self esteem. Her new roommate Devon, along with Devon's stereotypical and one-dimensional posse of mean girls, treat each other like crap. They treat Tess even worse than that. But instead of telling them to go screw themselves, she meekly lets them bully and criticize her so she feels accepted into their little gang.
2. The slut shaming:
Oh my goodness. There is so much of this nonsense in this book, from every character. All of the mean girls call each other 'tramp', 'whore', 'bitch', etc. as some sort of term of endearment. It's not cute. The things they say to and about other people are even worse. Tess herself is very judgmental about the way her roommate dresses, referring to her clothes as hooker-wear at least once. Max talks about how Devon has slept with half the school as a way of explaining why she broke up with her boyfriend. It's rampant in this story.
3. The 'romance': As I said before, Tess is a creepy stalker. But apparently, that's okay with Max, because he finds her endearing, for some reason I just can't quite grasp. We are never shown any real connection between them and I never get the sense that he has super deep feelings about her. Most of their dialogue is very flat, as are their actions. We are *told* things, but never *shown* them. There are many times where Max kisses her 'passionately' and 'deeply', but that is all the description we get. One of these supposedly life-changing kisses happens after she's been sick as a dog for days. He comes to her room and they make out on her bed...while she is still recovering. I'm sorry, but the last thing I want to do when I'm sick is make out. Just...no. It is one of the most cliched and lukewarm romances I've ever read.
4. The 'mystery':
You may ask why I didn't DNF this book if I disliked so much about it. I ask myself that too, looking back. But to be honest, I was mildly intrigued by the ghost story. I wanted to know how it, and the mystery surrounding Becca's death, was going to play out. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this as well. There are a few genuinely creepy moments throughout this book. Tess seeing someone's face in the television when it wasn't on, Devon talking to someone in the middle of the night who Tess couldn't see, etc. But these few truly creepy moments are overwhelmed by many more cliched moments that are so poorly-written that they are almost laughable.
The thing is, Tess is an idiot. I know that's been previously stated in this review, but frankly, it cannot be overstated. She is just so damn dumb. The moment she starts reading Becca's journal, I knew that 'M' wasn't Max. It was painfully obvious. I didn't know exactly who it was yet (I didn't remember Killian's last name began with an 'M') but as soon as they said his full name again a few chapters later I knew. And how long did it take for Tess-the-Wonder-Sleuth to figure it out? 92 Freaking Pages! And literally the ONLY reason she figures it out is because she is reading in Becca's journal again and Becca refers to him by his full nickname, while also referring to Max as 'Mx', when any other time she EVER refers to ANYONE it's only by their first initial. And it STILL takes her another paragraph of the journal before she actually puts the pieces together. So. Dumb.
The other big 'reveal', about Becca influencing and ultimately taking over Devon's body was something that was obvious to the reader since the beginning of the book. And maybe I could buy Tess not realizing what was going on if this story wasn't being told through her perspective in first-person. But it is. Throughout the story, she has several strange things happen to her that were paranormal in nature. But after each incident, she just kind of goes on with her life. She accepts any crazy explanation Devon gives her about her erratic behavior, and just ignores everything else. It's infuriating, because it feels like the author thinks her readers are as stupid as her characters. When you drop 'clues' that are as blatant and obvious as the clues she was dropping, you can't wait over a hundred pages to pay them off.
5. The ending and epilogue:
I actually thought it was kind of ballsy to kill off the love interest in the story. However, I felt absolutely no emotions about it. I didn't feel like I really knew Max as a character at all. The only thing I knew about him was how Tess saw him, and that was a completely idealized version of a perfect boyfriend. Because of that, I never bought their romance. So when he died, I was surprised, but not sad at all. It didn't help that this part was so rushed. It was like:
Oh no, he'd dead. Sad.
I was really sad, but my mom got me on some meds, and now I'm okay.
Oh, it's three months later...Summer vacation! And the mean girls are being nice to me!
Yawwwwwn. Then somehow, because reasons...Max is able to inhabit Franklin's body after Franklin dies? I don't get it. How the hell is that supposed to work? When Becca did it with Devon, I kind of accepted it because it was obvious that Becca had been haunting and influencing Devon for months and actually caused her death...but why was Max able to do the same thing to Franklin. If Franklin was going to die, and taking over people's dead bodies is apparently a thing that can be done in this world, why wouldn't Franklin just take his own body back over? I guess the same could be asked about Devon...I don't get it.
I know that this story was inspired by the novel (and later movie) 'Rebecca'. I haven't ever read the book or seen the movie, so I'm not sure if the body jumping thing is a plot point in the story and if it IS a part of it, if it's explained at all.
This book was bad. Just plain not good. The best thing I can say about it is that it had a lovely cover and it was a quick read. I will not be picking up future books by this author.
Thorn Abbey caught my eye because of the cover. So pretty. The synopsis also sounded interesting: MC Tess goes to private school where she starts dating a boy whose girlfriend drowned the year before and then creepy things begin to happen to make Tess think that the girlfriend may be haunting the place. I love a good ghost story, so I was hoping this wouldn't disappoint.
Unfortunately, all this book DID was disappoint.
What I liked:
1. The length:
The book was short. It is less than 300 pages, the type is large, and some of the chapters are very short, which makes this book speed by. I read it in just a couple of hours.
2. The cover:
Such a pretty cover. It definitely gave me that eerie ghost-story vibe I was looking for.
What I didn't like:
1. Tess:
What an insufferable character. This girl is dumber than a box of hair. First of all, her immediate obsession with Max was creepy, bordering on stalkery. She sees him in a class where he doesn't even speak to her and she leaves the class head over heels because he looked up at her and caught her staring at him. I wish I was joking. That was all it took for her to fall for him. After that, she follows him around, inserting herself into his life. All she thinks about is the two of them being together and their 'connection', which is almost entirely made up in her head. The entire basis of their relationship comes from one conversation where he corrects her as she's talking about constellations (something she is supposedly very knowledgeable about). He corrects her, and she is struck by their amazing similarities. SMDH.
This creepy stalker tendency continues as Tess decides that she just has to know everything about Max's dead girlfriend, Becca. She cyber-stalks her and goes through her new roommates belongings (because of course she just happens to be rooming with Becca's ex-roommate...naturally). She even goes through an old diary that belonged to Becca, which is a good thing because otherwise this idiot never would've figured out the mystery.
Also, she has zero self esteem. Her new roommate Devon, along with Devon's stereotypical and one-dimensional posse of mean girls, treat each other like crap. They treat Tess even worse than that. But instead of telling them to go screw themselves, she meekly lets them bully and criticize her so she feels accepted into their little gang.
2. The slut shaming:
Oh my goodness. There is so much of this nonsense in this book, from every character. All of the mean girls call each other 'tramp', 'whore', 'bitch', etc. as some sort of term of endearment. It's not cute. The things they say to and about other people are even worse. Tess herself is very judgmental about the way her roommate dresses, referring to her clothes as hooker-wear at least once. Max talks about how Devon has slept with half the school as a way of explaining why she broke up with her boyfriend. It's rampant in this story.
3. The 'romance': As I said before, Tess is a creepy stalker. But apparently, that's okay with Max, because he finds her endearing, for some reason I just can't quite grasp. We are never shown any real connection between them and I never get the sense that he has super deep feelings about her. Most of their dialogue is very flat, as are their actions. We are *told* things, but never *shown* them. There are many times where Max kisses her 'passionately' and 'deeply', but that is all the description we get. One of these supposedly life-changing kisses happens after she's been sick as a dog for days. He comes to her room and they make out on her bed...while she is still recovering. I'm sorry, but the last thing I want to do when I'm sick is make out. Just...no. It is one of the most cliched and lukewarm romances I've ever read.
4. The 'mystery':
You may ask why I didn't DNF this book if I disliked so much about it. I ask myself that too, looking back. But to be honest, I was mildly intrigued by the ghost story. I wanted to know how it, and the mystery surrounding Becca's death, was going to play out. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this as well. There are a few genuinely creepy moments throughout this book. Tess seeing someone's face in the television when it wasn't on, Devon talking to someone in the middle of the night who Tess couldn't see, etc. But these few truly creepy moments are overwhelmed by many more cliched moments that are so poorly-written that they are almost laughable.
The thing is, Tess is an idiot. I know that's been previously stated in this review, but frankly, it cannot be overstated. She is just so damn dumb. The moment she starts reading Becca's journal, I knew that 'M' wasn't Max. It was painfully obvious. I didn't know exactly who it was yet (I didn't remember Killian's last name began with an 'M') but as soon as they said his full name again a few chapters later I knew. And how long did it take for Tess-the-Wonder-Sleuth to figure it out? 92 Freaking Pages! And literally the ONLY reason she figures it out is because she is reading in Becca's journal again and Becca refers to him by his full nickname, while also referring to Max as 'Mx', when any other time she EVER refers to ANYONE it's only by their first initial. And it STILL takes her another paragraph of the journal before she actually puts the pieces together. So. Dumb.
The other big 'reveal', about Becca influencing and ultimately taking over Devon's body was something that was obvious to the reader since the beginning of the book. And maybe I could buy Tess not realizing what was going on if this story wasn't being told through her perspective in first-person. But it is. Throughout the story, she has several strange things happen to her that were paranormal in nature. But after each incident, she just kind of goes on with her life. She accepts any crazy explanation Devon gives her about her erratic behavior, and just ignores everything else. It's infuriating, because it feels like the author thinks her readers are as stupid as her characters. When you drop 'clues' that are as blatant and obvious as the clues she was dropping, you can't wait over a hundred pages to pay them off.
5. The ending and epilogue:
I actually thought it was kind of ballsy to kill off the love interest in the story. However, I felt absolutely no emotions about it. I didn't feel like I really knew Max as a character at all. The only thing I knew about him was how Tess saw him, and that was a completely idealized version of a perfect boyfriend. Because of that, I never bought their romance. So when he died, I was surprised, but not sad at all. It didn't help that this part was so rushed. It was like:
Oh no, he'd dead. Sad.
I was really sad, but my mom got me on some meds, and now I'm okay.
Oh, it's three months later...Summer vacation! And the mean girls are being nice to me!
Yawwwwwn. Then somehow, because reasons...Max is able to inhabit Franklin's body after Franklin dies? I don't get it. How the hell is that supposed to work? When Becca did it with Devon, I kind of accepted it because it was obvious that Becca had been haunting and influencing Devon for months and actually caused her death...but why was Max able to do the same thing to Franklin. If Franklin was going to die, and taking over people's dead bodies is apparently a thing that can be done in this world, why wouldn't Franklin just take his own body back over? I guess the same could be asked about Devon...I don't get it.
I know that this story was inspired by the novel (and later movie) 'Rebecca'. I haven't ever read the book or seen the movie, so I'm not sure if the body jumping thing is a plot point in the story and if it IS a part of it, if it's explained at all.
This book was bad. Just plain not good. The best thing I can say about it is that it had a lovely cover and it was a quick read. I will not be picking up future books by this author.
I have to admit, I'm having a difficult time getting my thought together about this book. When I first started reading, I loved it. The setting, the premise...I was here for it 100%.
Unfortunately, while I feel like the potential for this story was really high, the execution just left me feeling a little underwhelmed.
The world building in this book is only so-so. I was expecting much more from a story about a girl going to the Underworld (or Otherworld, as they call it in this book). I had a difficult time understanding some of the descriptions as well, because the author would use words that the reader had no context for, until you finish the book and realize there is a glossary in the back of the book. But even then, the glossary only had a few of the words that were thrown into this book.
The characters were good, but I wanted more. The first half of the book, there really isn't much interaction between Maya and Amar. He is always off doing his thing and she is wandering around trying to figure out what is going on. There are a couple of scenes where he is trying to teach her things, but I just wanted more. In the second half of the book, Maya repeatedly professes her love for him. But I don't really felt like we saw their relationship progress at all. They kiss once and then the story skips forward a couple weeks and even then she doesn't fully trust him. But then, all of the sudden she's madly in love with him? Eh...I'm not sure I can suspend disbelief to that extent.
Mostly, I just felt like there wasn't enough detail in the story. There are some absolutely beautiful phrases, and I look forward to reading future books by this author, but I felt like so much of this book was really rushed. I wish that she'd let it breathe just a little bit. Give me more of the romance. Tell me more about the culture she was raised in. Actually, I felt like this could've and maybe should've been two books. The two parts really feel like two separate stories to me. The first book could've been her choosing Amar and being introduced into the Night Bazaar and Otherworld, ending with her betrayal of him and being cast out of the Otherworld. The second could've been her finding her way back to him, with a side trip into the town she grew up in, helping her sister. There is enough material there for a really good duology.
All in all, I'm very intrigued by this writer, but I was left feeling slightly disappointed in this book. However, considering this was a debut novel, I'm optimistic about her future works. I will definitely be picking up her next book at some point (I really liked Gauri), but it's not at the top of my to-do list.
Unfortunately, while I feel like the potential for this story was really high, the execution just left me feeling a little underwhelmed.
The world building in this book is only so-so. I was expecting much more from a story about a girl going to the Underworld (or Otherworld, as they call it in this book). I had a difficult time understanding some of the descriptions as well, because the author would use words that the reader had no context for, until you finish the book and realize there is a glossary in the back of the book. But even then, the glossary only had a few of the words that were thrown into this book.
The characters were good, but I wanted more. The first half of the book, there really isn't much interaction between Maya and Amar. He is always off doing his thing and she is wandering around trying to figure out what is going on. There are a couple of scenes where he is trying to teach her things, but I just wanted more. In the second half of the book, Maya repeatedly professes her love for him. But I don't really felt like we saw their relationship progress at all. They kiss once and then the story skips forward a couple weeks and even then she doesn't fully trust him. But then, all of the sudden she's madly in love with him? Eh...I'm not sure I can suspend disbelief to that extent.
Mostly, I just felt like there wasn't enough detail in the story. There are some absolutely beautiful phrases, and I look forward to reading future books by this author, but I felt like so much of this book was really rushed. I wish that she'd let it breathe just a little bit. Give me more of the romance. Tell me more about the culture she was raised in. Actually, I felt like this could've and maybe should've been two books. The two parts really feel like two separate stories to me. The first book could've been her choosing Amar and being introduced into the Night Bazaar and Otherworld, ending with her betrayal of him and being cast out of the Otherworld. The second could've been her finding her way back to him, with a side trip into the town she grew up in, helping her sister. There is enough material there for a really good duology.
All in all, I'm very intrigued by this writer, but I was left feeling slightly disappointed in this book. However, considering this was a debut novel, I'm optimistic about her future works. I will definitely be picking up her next book at some point (I really liked Gauri), but it's not at the top of my to-do list.
I put off reading this book for quite awhile. I'm not sure why, except that maybe I just didn't see how Meyer was going to succeed in making the Queen of Hearts a sympathetic character.
I'm happy to say, I was wrong. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.
Catherine is a character I actually related to quite a bit. She's a baker, and I love to bake. Even her explanation of how baking makes her feel was so familiar to me. I can also be very short-tempered, and knowing what happens to be Queen by the time Alice comes along, I think it's fair to say that she has an impatient streak as well. I enjoyed the romance between Cath and Jest as well.
The side characters were nice as well, especially Hatta and Cheshire. They both really add to the whimsy of the story, especially considering that Catherine was a relatively grounded force in the story.
Meyer did a wonderful job constructing the land of Hearts. I can't say 'creating', because obviously that honor belongs to Lewis Carroll. However, I felt like she succeeded in staying true to the spirit of Wonderland while making it seem new at the same time. Heartless retained the whimsy and fairy-tale quality of the source material, while making it her own. I also enjoyed that she brought in other fairy tale and literary elements with Peter Peter and Raven.
I also love that it wasn't predictable for me. That is pretty amazing, considering that I've read the source material and seen several theatrical iterations of the story. I think that's one thing that makes this story so successful. As readers, we know that it is Catherine's fate to become the unforgiving and bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts. But we have no idea how the story is going to get there. I had all sorts of conspiracy theories as I read this book of how Catherine was going to get out of this and actually get her happily ever after...but of course, that is not what happened.
If I have one complaint about this story, it's that I wish the characters had gone to the land of Chess. I really wanted to see that. Maybe Meyer could write a companion novel about the red and white war in Chess? I would be so there for it!
All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait for Meyer's next book!
I'm happy to say, I was wrong. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.
Catherine is a character I actually related to quite a bit. She's a baker, and I love to bake. Even her explanation of how baking makes her feel was so familiar to me. I can also be very short-tempered, and knowing what happens to be Queen by the time Alice comes along, I think it's fair to say that she has an impatient streak as well. I enjoyed the romance between Cath and Jest as well.
The side characters were nice as well, especially Hatta and Cheshire. They both really add to the whimsy of the story, especially considering that Catherine was a relatively grounded force in the story.
Meyer did a wonderful job constructing the land of Hearts. I can't say 'creating', because obviously that honor belongs to Lewis Carroll. However, I felt like she succeeded in staying true to the spirit of Wonderland while making it seem new at the same time. Heartless retained the whimsy and fairy-tale quality of the source material, while making it her own. I also enjoyed that she brought in other fairy tale and literary elements with Peter Peter and Raven.
I also love that it wasn't predictable for me. That is pretty amazing, considering that I've read the source material and seen several theatrical iterations of the story. I think that's one thing that makes this story so successful. As readers, we know that it is Catherine's fate to become the unforgiving and bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts. But we have no idea how the story is going to get there. I had all sorts of conspiracy theories as I read this book of how Catherine was going to get out of this and actually get her happily ever after...but of course, that is not what happened.
If I have one complaint about this story, it's that I wish the characters had gone to the land of Chess. I really wanted to see that. Maybe Meyer could write a companion novel about the red and white war in Chess? I would be so there for it!
All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait for Meyer's next book!
2.5 stars
This was just okay for me. This is only the second Sarah Dessen book I've read. I know this was written a long time ago, and I can see how her writing has matured over the years. That being said, this book didn't really do anything for me, and it was very predictable. The story was fine, and I actually think it had potential to be really good. Unfortunately, Colie spent too long being self-pitying and self-conscious. When she finally flipped the switch and gained a little self-respect, I just didn't care that much anymore. I also thought the romance and friendships were lukewarm at best. I did like her Aunt's character and thought she was probably the most fleshed-out of any of the characters, Colie included. It was a very quick read, which I appreciated.
This was just okay for me. This is only the second Sarah Dessen book I've read. I know this was written a long time ago, and I can see how her writing has matured over the years. That being said, this book didn't really do anything for me, and it was very predictable. The story was fine, and I actually think it had potential to be really good. Unfortunately, Colie spent too long being self-pitying and self-conscious. When she finally flipped the switch and gained a little self-respect, I just didn't care that much anymore. I also thought the romance and friendships were lukewarm at best. I did like her Aunt's character and thought she was probably the most fleshed-out of any of the characters, Colie included. It was a very quick read, which I appreciated.
Ever since I read the Lunar Chronicles, I've wanted a story revolving around Iko. Her character in the original series was one of my favorites (aside from Thorne) and when I found out they were doing a graphic novel from her perspective, I was so excited. Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying this as much as I wanted to. It was good, not great.
Iko just didn't feel like the same character to me. There were still moments with her humor and personality, but she just felt different to me. I didn't like the scenes between her and Kinney, and if he is going to make him a romantic interest, Meyer definitely has them on a super slow burn...
There wasn't enough of Scarlet and Wolf to really form an opinion, but from what I saw their relationship seemed very sweet. It definitely reminded me of them in the books.
Jacin and Winter had almost no arc. The only conversations they have involve several other people.
Kai and Cinder have literally no contact with each other throughout the entire book. We see Kai for approximately 5 pages...
The only interactions I really liked involved Thorne. He is my favorite character from the series, and he is still my favorite. I really like his relationship with Cress. Actually, he has amazing chemistry with every other character he comes into contact with. The scene where he, Cress, and Iko are in the android shop was probably my favorite in the entire book. It was just so cute and funny.
I do like the discussion about AI and what constitutes life and emotion. I wish they were focusing a little more on that and less on the hunting of the wolves.
I didn't understand why the alpha wolf thought that Cinder had a way to bring them back to their previous selves. If she did have a way to restore them, wouldn't she have given that to her friend Wolf first?
Another thing that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me was the plot point that Cress gets sick everywhere they go and that her immune system isn't very good. The reason it didn't really track for me was that Winter has lived her entire life on Luna and yet she doesn't seem to have a problem with her immune system as an ambassador who travels around all around Earth. It felt like a plot contrivance to get Iko to the party and have Cress stay behind.
My biggest complaint about this graphic novel was the art work. I did not like the aesthetic. I didn't think that any of the characters were distinctive. They all had very similar features and face shapes. This series always seem to be so colorful to me and I didn't like how everything was and just tones of blue. It just didn't really work for me. And maybe that's just my inexperience reading graphic novels. I want to read more this year, so perhaps in time I will come to enjoy this style a bit more.
I didn't realize this was the first volume in what looks like it's going to be a series of graphic novels. I think I will continue with the series because it actually was an incredibly quick read but I am not as excited about the next volume as I was about this volume.
Iko just didn't feel like the same character to me. There were still moments with her humor and personality, but she just felt different to me. I didn't like the scenes between her and Kinney, and if he is going to make him a romantic interest, Meyer definitely has them on a super slow burn...
There wasn't enough of Scarlet and Wolf to really form an opinion, but from what I saw their relationship seemed very sweet. It definitely reminded me of them in the books.
Jacin and Winter had almost no arc. The only conversations they have involve several other people.
Kai and Cinder have literally no contact with each other throughout the entire book. We see Kai for approximately 5 pages...
The only interactions I really liked involved Thorne. He is my favorite character from the series, and he is still my favorite. I really like his relationship with Cress. Actually, he has amazing chemistry with every other character he comes into contact with. The scene where he, Cress, and Iko are in the android shop was probably my favorite in the entire book. It was just so cute and funny.
I do like the discussion about AI and what constitutes life and emotion. I wish they were focusing a little more on that and less on the hunting of the wolves.
I didn't understand why the alpha wolf thought that Cinder had a way to bring them back to their previous selves. If she did have a way to restore them, wouldn't she have given that to her friend Wolf first?
Another thing that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me was the plot point that Cress gets sick everywhere they go and that her immune system isn't very good. The reason it didn't really track for me was that Winter has lived her entire life on Luna and yet she doesn't seem to have a problem with her immune system as an ambassador who travels around all around Earth. It felt like a plot contrivance to get Iko to the party and have Cress stay behind.
My biggest complaint about this graphic novel was the art work. I did not like the aesthetic. I didn't think that any of the characters were distinctive. They all had very similar features and face shapes. This series always seem to be so colorful to me and I didn't like how everything was and just tones of blue. It just didn't really work for me. And maybe that's just my inexperience reading graphic novels. I want to read more this year, so perhaps in time I will come to enjoy this style a bit more.
I didn't realize this was the first volume in what looks like it's going to be a series of graphic novels. I think I will continue with the series because it actually was an incredibly quick read but I am not as excited about the next volume as I was about this volume.
3.75 stars
This book was very good. I will admit, it did take awhile for me to become invested in this story. The beginning was a little dry with all of the technical pilot speak. Also, I wasn't quite sure what was going on as far as the structure goes...but once I realized the context that we were learning all of this information, I found myself growing more interested in the book.
I liked the structure of this novel; the idea that the main character is writing out her confession after being taken prisoner. There were moments of confusion as the narrator switched from first to third person depending on what she was narrating. She also referred to herself in the third person and also had many nicknames/code names. There were many characters with aliases, which made it slightly confusing at times.
All that said, this book was wonderfully crafted. Now that I understand the context of what was going on, I kind of want to re-read it. I feel like this would definitely hold up.
This book was very good. I will admit, it did take awhile for me to become invested in this story. The beginning was a little dry with all of the technical pilot speak. Also, I wasn't quite sure what was going on as far as the structure goes...but once I realized the context that we were learning all of this information, I found myself growing more interested in the book.
I liked the structure of this novel; the idea that the main character is writing out her confession after being taken prisoner. There were moments of confusion as the narrator switched from first to third person depending on what she was narrating. She also referred to herself in the third person and also had many nicknames/code names. There were many characters with aliases, which made it slightly confusing at times.
All that said, this book was wonderfully crafted. Now that I understand the context of what was going on, I kind of want to re-read it. I feel like this would definitely hold up.
3.75 stars. I 'read' this on audiobook. I really enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting, and I'm a sucker for a star-crossed lovers kind of story.
I loved the Remnant Chronicles, so I was super excited when I saw this novella available on audiobook through my library.
My one issue is I wanted more. Mary E. Pearson is a great writer, but I felt a little shortchanged as far as the plot went. There is a huge passage of time in this story that I wish had been explored a little more, and some of the story points are relayed in a very off-the-cuff kind of way, almost in passing...and these are things that are pretty important, like, "X killed Y. This is how." No real setup or anything, and what could have and should have been the climax was told in a very matter-of-fact kind of way, with very little tension. I understand that this is a short story, but maybe that is the problem. I could've stood reading a full-length novel about this, where we really could've had some amazing character and world development.
As it was, I enjoyed this story and its characters and can't wait to read Pearson's next book.
I loved the Remnant Chronicles, so I was super excited when I saw this novella available on audiobook through my library.
My one issue is I wanted more. Mary E. Pearson is a great writer, but I felt a little shortchanged as far as the plot went. There is a huge passage of time in this story that I wish had been explored a little more, and some of the story points are relayed in a very off-the-cuff kind of way, almost in passing...and these are things that are pretty important, like, "X killed Y. This is how." No real setup or anything, and what could have and should have been the climax was told in a very matter-of-fact kind of way, with very little tension. I understand that this is a short story, but maybe that is the problem. I could've stood reading a full-length novel about this, where we really could've had some amazing character and world development.
As it was, I enjoyed this story and its characters and can't wait to read Pearson's next book.
Very minimal, slightly spoilery things ahead:
This is the first Kasie West book I've read, and it won't be the last! I really enjoyed this book. From the quirky characters to the unique courtship, the author took what could have just been a fluffy (and admittedly trope-filled) contemporary YA romance and turned it on its head. Also, I don't know if this was intentional, but I totally got a Pride and Prejudice vibe from this book (hate-to-love, letter-writing, bad boy was actually good the whole time, girl is overly judgmental...I could go on) and I'm a sucker for that.
I liked Lily, the main character. She is a fully fleshed out character. She is not perfect, by any means. She actually has a tendency to be socially awkward, and she also can be quick to pass judgment and slow to get over a grudge. But she is also creative (especially musically), part of a big family, and not scientifically-inclined, which all speak to me on a personal level. Actually, I also have a tendency to be awkward and slow to get over a grudge...so I guess that explains why I like Lily.
I also really enjoyed the side characters. I do wish we'd seen a little more of Isabel's character, because she didn't necessarily feel complete to me, but I loved Lily's quirky family, especially her parents. I liked that they were actually present in her life and she seemed to have a good relationship with them. You don't always get that in YA.
I will say that my one complaint was that it was obvious the entire book who she was writing letters to. Even before the letters started, it was set up in a very predictable way for the reader. It made sense that SHE wouldn't know who it was, but Lily's focus on him made it completely obvious, at least in my eyes. Even so, I still enjoyed their interactions immensely.
I can't wait to dive into more Kasie West books. If they're all as sweet and fun as this one, I think I'm in for a huge treat!
This is the first Kasie West book I've read, and it won't be the last! I really enjoyed this book. From the quirky characters to the unique courtship, the author took what could have just been a fluffy (and admittedly trope-filled) contemporary YA romance and turned it on its head. Also, I don't know if this was intentional, but I totally got a Pride and Prejudice vibe from this book (hate-to-love, letter-writing, bad boy was actually good the whole time, girl is overly judgmental...I could go on) and I'm a sucker for that.
I liked Lily, the main character. She is a fully fleshed out character. She is not perfect, by any means. She actually has a tendency to be socially awkward, and she also can be quick to pass judgment and slow to get over a grudge. But she is also creative (especially musically), part of a big family, and not scientifically-inclined, which all speak to me on a personal level. Actually, I also have a tendency to be awkward and slow to get over a grudge...so I guess that explains why I like Lily.
I also really enjoyed the side characters. I do wish we'd seen a little more of Isabel's character, because she didn't necessarily feel complete to me, but I loved Lily's quirky family, especially her parents. I liked that they were actually present in her life and she seemed to have a good relationship with them. You don't always get that in YA.
I will say that my one complaint was that it was obvious the entire book who she was writing letters to. Even before the letters started, it was set up in a very predictable way for the reader. It made sense that SHE wouldn't know who it was, but Lily's focus on him made it completely obvious, at least in my eyes. Even so, I still enjoyed their interactions immensely.
I can't wait to dive into more Kasie West books. If they're all as sweet and fun as this one, I think I'm in for a huge treat!