On Breaking Walls: A Review of Requiem by Lauren Oliver

After finishing this book, I gave myself a full twenty-four hours before I started to compose my review (an excessive amount of thought gathering time for me). I wanted to make sure that I wrote this from my brain and not just from my gut, which felt hallow with disappointment at the end of this novel. When I finished Delirium, I had some basic issues with the story, but over all I felt that this author had some new and interesting things to say on the subject of teen love and relationships in general. With Pandemonium, I was very impressed with her ability to write internal dialogue and the character development that Lena undergoes. The only thing there that frustrated and let me down was the ending, which I honestly should have seen coming. Even that highly questionable ending, I still held out hope that Requiem would prove me right about this series, that it would draw the story together, end in a satisfying manner, and say all of the big and meaningful things I wanted this series to say. It did not. It didn't even come close.

Requiem continually switches point of view between Lena and Hana. Lena has returned to the Wilds with Julian. Her relationship with Julian and Alex is uncertain, and I'll save you some time--she never resolves her feelings. She goes all Bella Swan and hops back to Julian whenever Alex appears to be shunning her, only unlike Bella she never conclusively makes a choice. My opinion of Lena plummeted throughout this book, in part due to the love triangle issues and in part due to her utter inability to do anything useful. Hana, on the other hand, has been cured and is living a seemingly safe and charmed life, engaged to the soon-to-be mayor. I found Hana's story more interesting than I thought I would. Her conflict over whether she has lost herself after being cured--can she still feel, can she still dream, does she want to?--is thoughtful. She quickly discovers that the life that is expected of her will likely be miserable.

In terms of character development this book fails almost entirely. Instead of progressing forward, getting stronger, gaining clarity, Lena remains stagnant and perhaps even regresses a bit. Not only does she not manage to choose between the two boys who inexplicably have feelings for her, but she fails at every turn to step up and take action.

In terms of plot, well, there isn't a lot of it. I find that I'm often disappointed with how dystopian series end, because the world so often fails to undergo the radical transformation that I want to see happen. They tend to end on a barely hopeful note, and I always feel like there is so much more to the story, like we've stopped in the middle. That's how I felt with this book. Like there should be at least one more book, and of course there isn't.

More than anything, when I finished this book, I felt bad about having looked forward to it and bad about having recommended the first two. I can't imagine ever wanting to return to this series, ever rereading this book, or ever recommending it to anyone again. Obviously, if you've read the first two, you're going to read this one. In the case that you haven't read this series, and you think you might want to, I would gently caution you that it's very unsatisfying. 2 stars.

On Titian: A Review of What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long

Well, folks...I put off reviewing this book because it's book 5 in it's series, and I have in fact reviewed the first three books, but not #4, and I hate to review out of order...but I guess I'm going to, since it may take a week or two for me to actually get around to book 4. Book 4 will be reviewed here, fear not. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone. I will say that What I Did For a Duke stood very well on its own, and I don't think you necessarily need to read the series in order. Though I always prefer to. Anyway, on to the review!

The duke described in our title is Alexander Moncrieffe, and he's out for a little revenge sex. Because, you see, Ian Eversea almost slept with Moncrieffe's (now ex) fiance, and so Moncrieffe thinks that the perfect revenge will be to deflower and abandon Ian's beloved sister, Genevieve. Genevieve, however, proves to be more than a match for the duke in terms of intelligence and perceptiveness, and he finds he feels some real emotion for her. Not to mention that Genevieve is feeling a bit melancholy, and nursing a broken heart after Harry (her best friend, and the love of her young life), tells her that he plans to propose to another girl.

Positive Comments

 

There are a lot of good things to be said for this book, but many of them can't be said in a spoiler free review. What I can say, in general terms, is that I really loved the characters, and as a result I really enjoyed their romance. I loved Genevieve for her quiet wittiness. I loved how misunderstood she was--seemingly shy and plain, but secretly in possession of very strong and passionate feelings. We learn this when she describes her love for art, and for brightly colored flowers, and so forth. Her family and friends never see her in this light, but the duke does. Moncrieffe is an older hero, and he's loved and lost before. I loved how good he was at reading and knowing people.

I love the rest of the cast, too. I though Ian was rather hilarious. Like many very young men, he's all sex drive and no sense. Harry annoyed me a bit, but again much of his flawed character can be attributed to immaturity and inexperience, and I feel that he could easily be redeemed once he grows up a bit. Initially Harry seems like a good match for Genevieve, but once you get to know them you realize that they aren't quite on the same playing field. Genevieve is ready to be challenged by love and enter a commitment, while Harry is still dealing in crushes and mind games as one does in high school.

I liked the touches of humor in this book. From the witty thoughts of our main characters, to the silly behaviors of our side characters, there's a great deal to make the reader smile.

Critical Comments

 

My only frustration with the plot is one that I really can't mention, it being a huge spoiler near the end. What I will say is that I was frustrated with Genevieve and how slow she was to understand her own emotions. I was frustrated that she caused pain because of it. I guess a love triangle is a love triangle, and it generally annoys me no matter where it's found.

Recommendation

 

Who would like this book? Certainly and Julie Anne Long fan, because he style and talent with creating likeable characters shows through in this book. I'm confident that most historical romance fans. Of the readers that I discussed this book with, the one that didn't like it mainly took issue with the age difference between the hero and heroine. So that would be my only major caution--if you don't like older men, stay away. And the love triangle thing. Other than that, it's a wonderful novel. 4 stars.  

On Castes: A Review of The Selection by Kiera Cass

I was eager to read The Selection for a number of reasons. The first was the cover, which really rocked my socks, or would if I wore socks. The second was the premise, which I thought was a hilariously terribly premise, but I thought it might be really amusing (and I will address why momentarily). And the third was the fact that I saw it getting wildly mixed reviews. Love it, hate it, set it on fire, and everything in between. Of course I wanted to butt in with my own thoughts.

The Premise: In a dystopian future, what was once the United States is now part of a large kingdom, with a fairly strict caste system. You are numbered One through Eight, One being royalty and Eight being homeless. The Selection is a chance for any girl in the country to marry the young prince, Maxon, thus instantly being elevated and gaining wealth for her family. Thirty five candidates are chosen. America Singer (yes, her name is stupid), doesn't want to be a chosen. She's a Five who just wants to marry her Six boyfriend and live out her life poor but rich in love. But America is chosen, and with her life changing so drastically, she decides to make the best of it--by befriending Prince Maxon and her fellow Selected.


Positive Comments:

America may have a stupid name, but she's a good character--for the most part. I felt like I could relate to her, even when I disagreed with her world view and her decisions. She's naive and optimistic in her view of love. She wants the best for her family, but she isn't blindly selfless. She genuinely seems to like herself, and maintains her sense of individuality by not allowing The Selection to totally change the way she looks.

Maxon was interesting to me in that he was obviously so sheltered, but yet had a lot of weight on his shoulders. I liked his interactions with America, especially early in the book, when it's clear that he doesn't know anything about girls, friendship, life outside the palace, or how to fall in love. They form a friendship--and Friends First is my very favorite romance trope.

The dystopian setting was, predictably, what made this story work for me. Unlike many dystopian books, the hypothetical future presented here is not so outlandishly unrealistic as to keep me totally removed from the story (*cough cough, Divergent*). Yet not so realistic that it's nightmare inducing. I liked learning about the caste system and the social and economic issues inherent in that sort of system.

Critical Comments:

"It's Hunger Games meets The Bachelor"! I can't remember where I read that, but boy is it willfully misleading. Yes, this is a dystopian book with a competition plot, but the similarities end there. If this were a book were 35 girls had to fight to the death, and the winner got the be princess--yeah, that would be spectacular. But it's a lot tamer than that. This is not, by any means, an action filled book. It's actually very slow in parts, and readers who like adventure and suspense are bound to be disappointed. 

Look, Tippy has a crown!

The competition itself holds the book back in many ways, which is where I get to my above comment: The premise is stupid. I hate The Bachelor. If you love it, more power to you. But I hate it. Love doesn't work like that. And having multiple people competing for the love of one person will always, always, keep me from getting fully invested in the relationship. This is the same reason that love triangles don't work for me, nine times out of ten. Well, this is a love triacontakaihexagon. With a love triangle on the side. Not good.

I was surprisingly okay with the plot, however, while America remained uninvested in the competition.The second that she decided she might like to win, my enjoyment of the book started to wane dramatically. I stopped trusting her feelings for Maxon and her previous boyfriend, and I sincerely started to doubt her intelligence. It's a shame, because the first 3/4 of the book were 5 star quality.

Recommendation

If you like futuristic dystopian novels, and you don't mind them on the slow side, this is a good pick. Bonus points if The Bachelor ranks as one of your most beloved shows. If, however, you are looking for action, adventure, and epicness in your dystopian, look elsewhere. 3.5 stars.

Blog Tour! Spectral by Shannon Duffy

For some reason I tend to be more critical of witch stories than any other type of book in the paranormal genre. Perhaps it stems from having read so many in my misspent youth. Whatever the case might be, once I realized that this was going to be a witch book, I got very worried. Thankfully, though, it exceeded my expectations.

On the surface this is a fairly typical coming of age/gaining magical powers story. Jewel and her family have moved countless times since she was a child. Jewel is under the impression that they're on the run from the mob and in witness protection. But with the approach of her seventeenth birthday, Jewel starts to realize that there may be something odd about her. Finally, she discovers that she's destined to become the spectral--a super powerful witch, who's presence will bring special prosperity to whatever coven possesses her. Jewel wonders who she can trust--her family? Her new friends? Friendly, nice guy Chase? Dark, sexy Roman? Or is she on her own?

Positive Comments

I have to start by saying that the cover is both gorgeous and relevant to the story. Kudos to the artist.

The story is rich with ideas that put a slightly different spin on the usual witch story. Each witch has his or her own power--from the ability to calm others to the ability to create protective force-fields. As she comes into her powers, Jewel gains the ability to absorb the powers of anyone who attacks her. Assuming that this is the first book in a series, I can see this ability expanding to both aid and harm our heroine.

Say hello to Tippy!

A good balance of action and quiet moments kept this book fresh and interesting. Jewel deals with a lot in terms of betrayal, violence, loss, and uncertainty. Seeing her grow and become stronger was rewarding for me.

 Like love triangles? Well, you're in luck. Jewel has two attractive boys who are into her (because OF COURSE she does). The upside of this is that, while both boys are likeable characters, one is pretty clearly in the friend zone from the first time that he appears. Jewel doesn't intentionally drag out her indecision, and so who she'll end up with is obvious. I liked that Chase was constantly willing to step in when Jewel needed him, and that he was undemanding in his feelings toward her. I also liked that Roman sticks his neck out for Jewel, risking torture, imprisonment, or death to be with her. Does she deserve either one of them? Probably not, but I think she will in time.

I liked that there was some question as to who the good guys really are. You aren't certain of who is the most evil until the climax. I also appreciated that the "villains" were given sufficient motivation for their actions, beyond just evil for the sake of evil.

Critical Comments

The beginning was painfully slow for me. Because I knew what general direction the plot was headed in, I was frustrated with all of the exposition and explanation. I felt that Jewel took an awfully long time to figure out things that were right in front of her. All of those inconsistencies and half truths she's been living with for sixteen years, and she's only now figuring out that things are off?

Overall, Jewel was something of a frustrating character. Aside from the willful blindness that I already mentioned, she has some moments of poor judgement that rattled me. The use of the powers she acquires, for example, struck me as reckless. She's using mind control on people without knowing what the fall out could be! For all she knows, it could zap her energy or put her in a coma or damage her brain.

While I felt the world building was passable overall, I had some issues with a few of the details. I questioned, for example, why it was necessary to keep Jewel's powers a secret from her. Because it might cause her to start gaining power before she's ready? How does that work? And I'm not sure of some of the rules, such as how restricted each witch's power is and what role covens serve in this, and so forth.

Recommendation

If you're a big fan of witches, and you don't mind a little predictability, this is a good book choice for you. I would also recommend it to fans of love triangles and romances that progress at the speed of light. While not flawless, this book is entirely enjoyable. 3.5 stars.

Buy Spectral Here!

On Costumes: A Review of Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Alright, we're moving right along with this contemporary romance kick. I'm going to throw in some historical soon, to mix it up. Then, maybe a werewolf or something. Onward!

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a companion novel to Stephanie Perkins' stunningly awesome Anna and the French Kiss. In it, we follow Lola, a delightfully quirky seventeen year old girl with a passion for crazy clothing. She lives with her two fathers in a nice neighborhood in San Francisco. She has a boyfriend named Max, who is twenty two years old and a rock musician. Life is going well, until the Bells move back in next door. Cricket Bell was Lola's first love, and the truth is she's not sure that she's over him. And Cricket certainly doesn't seem to be over her.

Positive Comments

I liked Lola's parents. They're strict, but in that good kind of way that shows they really care about her. I enjoyed seeing such a positive portrayal of gay men as parents. The heavy contrast between this and Lola's disaster of a birth mother was a bit heavy handed, but overall I still liked the family dynamic.

I liked Lola. An artist who wears her art. A girl with big dreams. A little immature for a seventeen year old, and not perfect by any means, but I still did not mind being in her head.

Oh, hi Tippy.

Lola's relationship with Max is the perfect picture of unhealthy relationships. Lola is completely unable to be honest with him, to be genuine with him, to stand up for herself or her friends. Max clearly feels superior to Lola in many ways and has trouble respecting her, often treating her with thinly veiled condescension and contempt. His lifestyle is incompatible with hers. Honestly, to me it seemed like the problems arose less from the age difference and more from the fact that Max simply isn't a very nice person. Although the age divide did not help.

Enter Cricket. I loved Cricket. I liked his smarts and his creativity in what he invents. I liked his style. I liked his kindness coupled with slight awkwardness. He's quirky. She's quirky. They're two quirky people falling in love.

The little details of their relationship are what hooked me. Talking through their bedroom windows. Helping Lola's father make pies. Midnight walks. Constructing a dress together. These two are too cute for words.

Speaking of too cute--Anna and Etienne! I loved that Lola gets to see them, see what a healthy and happy relationship looks like. It helps her figure out what she's missing, and I think that's awesome.

Critical Comments

Lola has some moments when she comes across as shallow. Her singular goal of creating an elaborate Marie Antoinette style gown, for example. That's great and all, but having multiple meltdowns over it? Maybe I just don't get it. But this was what lead me to feel that she's on the immature side of seventeen, rather than just a person with a flare for drama. That annoyed me a bit.

I never warmed up to Calliope, Cricket's twin, as I think I was supposed to. She struck me as self centered and, in some moments, a little hateful. I wish we'd gotten to see more of her nicer side.

Recommendation

Great as a stand alone, great as a loose tie in to Anna and the French Kiss, just great all around. It's a very light and cutesy romance, and it doesn't have as mature a tone as Anna did (a product of the narrator, no doubt), but I'd still recommend it to contemporary romance fans. 4 stars.

Buy from Amazon: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Miscellaneous Mondays: Tippy the Love Triangle

All readers have their own set of pet peeves. Like, some people really hate cliffhangers and won't read a book if you warn them that there's a cliffhanger. If you're like me, you read it anyway, and then throw the book at unsuspecting by-standers out of frustration (sorry Josh). Some people can't handle infidelity. Stupid characters. Children in peril. Lazy characters. Awkward dialogue. Bad grammar. Slang. Dialect. Authors who fail to understand the anatomy of relevant body parts.

And then there's love triangles. *Sigh*

Here's the thing: love triangles keep showing up at various levels in tons of the books I read. It's a pet peeve for me. It's not a deal breaker, but it makes me grind my teeth it frustration. Like there was Mockingjay...

When I saw this on deviant art, my only thought was "If only!" But I digress...

I know readers for whom love triangles are deal breakers. So whenever I'm trying to recommend or warn off a book, I end up writing this extended paragraph--"It's a love triangle, and that bothers me a bit, but if it would bother you a lot, maybe don't read this book...." I'm sick of this. So I'm replacing that paragraph with this:

Meet Tippy the Love Triangle

Tippy is our new mascot. The noble mascot of love triangles everywhere. Don't hate Tippy. Tippy doesn't mean to hurt anyone. Tippy is just confused, and can't make up his mind.

And from now on, Tippy is going to take the place of my "this book has a love triangle, fml" paragraph. Anyone else is welcome to barrow him as necessary. Tippy has a hard time being exclusive.

I hope everyone's books are pet peeve free this week. Happy Monday, everyone!