Maybe I just set my standards really low after reading the unmitigated disaster that was Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later--in fact, I know IMaybe I just set my standards really low after reading the unmitigated disaster that was Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later--in fact, I know I did--but I actually kind of enjoyed this. Don't get me wrong, it is total trash. But in a much less disappointing way. Like, I may actually read the remaining five books in this miniseries....more
Aw, I liked this a lot. Sarah Dessen's best release since "This Lullaby."Aw, I liked this a lot. Sarah Dessen's best release since "This Lullaby."...more
I have some really conflicted feelings about this book. On one hand, the author's writing can be evocative and engrossing. On the other hand, if I wanI have some really conflicted feelings about this book. On one hand, the author's writing can be evocative and engrossing. On the other hand, if I wanted to read third-rate Jane Eyre fan fiction...well, I never want to do that. I spent sizeable chunks of this book screaming, "WOW, SOMEONE SURE READ 'WIDE SARGASSO SEA'" and "YOU ARE ACTIVELY MAKING ME LIKE MY FAVOURITE BOOK LESS BY SUCKING SO HARD, HOW DARE YOU." Then she'd go back to the real meat and potatoes of the story, and I'd be totally down with it again. In short: good writing, terribly flawed execution of interesting gimmick....more
The ghostwriter couldn't avoid a lot of repetition as the book went on, and it grew a little tiresome. But if you're totally fascinated by the Brown fThe ghostwriter couldn't avoid a lot of repetition as the book went on, and it grew a little tiresome. But if you're totally fascinated by the Brown family like I am, you won't even care. Plenty of details that have never made it onto their show....more
I love Rainbow Rowell's writing. I don't know her particular style is for everyone, as I would call it...feelings porn, maybe. Not literally porn, butI love Rainbow Rowell's writing. I don't know her particular style is for everyone, as I would call it...feelings porn, maybe. Not literally porn, but she writes stories that are full of EVERYTHING I have ever wanted a romantic interest to say, do, and think about me.
This is her only adult novel, and the last of her currently published books that I've read. It was really enjoyable. Not as great as Eleanor & Park, but an improvement over Fangirl. I was dubious about the set-up (lots of e-mail exchanges) and the creep-level of the main character (lots of him reading his crush's e-mail exchanges). Eventually, both won me over....more
Okay, I think Veronica Roth can be a really engaging writer. She describes things in such a way that it's very easy to picture them (which may be oneOkay, I think Veronica Roth can be a really engaging writer. She describes things in such a way that it's very easy to picture them (which may be one reason why Divergent was optioned so quickly to become a movie, I guess). She is excellent at writing action.
WHICH IS WHY THE FIRST HALF OF THIS BOOK WAS SO GODAWFUL BORING.
I could barely make myself plod through a little over one half of this book. Not only does she shoehorn in some desperate attempts at creating ~*~*love triangles*~*~ at the eleventh hour, but there is a twist in the story that requires a lot of explanation. A lot of it. Oh, so much.
When things begin to pick up towards the end, it becomes much more readable. The way it ends almost kicked up my rating to three stars, becauseBIG BIG BIG SPOILER(view spoiler)[I became increasingly convinced that Tris needed to die at the end to give the story any real completion. A lot of elements were adding up so that I would have felt a little cheesed if she hadn't: she no longer had a death wish, which gave any last-minute sacrifice a bit of poeticism; she certainly wasn't going to lead her brother to his execution the way he'd led her to hers; finally, her death in service of the greater good would have further demonstrated the qualities the book had tried to show in her over and over again--namely, bravery and selflessness. And that goodbye scene between her and Tobias was a dead giveaway, besides.
Anyway. I was really, really pleased that a YA novel would end in the heroine's (noble!) death. You don't see that often at all(hide spoiler)].Nonetheless, that doesn't give me any satisfaction about wasting time on the first 250 pages or so.
Oh, oh oh. One more thing. It doesn't matter to me when you kill off a character (Oh, come on. That's not a spoiler. You had to know people would die.) if I can barely remember anything about that character. Give me reasons to care! I want to care! But I can't care if I'm busy trying to remember which bland background character with no defining traits you just killed off....more
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