And so we finally have Skeezie's character book as the conclusion for James Howe's wonderful Misfits series.
From the very start of the series, I coulAnd so we finally have Skeezie's character book as the conclusion for James Howe's wonderful Misfits series.
From the very start of the series, I could always tell that Skeezie was more than the wise guy Howe has written him to be; It seemed to me that he was an actor who knows how to leave his problems at home where he thought they ought to be, and then put on the 'joker' role he plays for the Gang of Five; this book sort of proved this to me in some ways. In this final book, Skeezie learns so much in this one week without his friends around him; perhaps without the people he needs to put on his joker role, he was forced to face things he would have put off thinking about. We see how much he has grown from the moment he was introduced in chapter 1 of the Misfits to this 'life changing' summer of his to even 12 years later while he waits to for his son to be born and be a father (he totally deserves to be a father after all he's learned and been through)
This book is a wonderful sendoff to the Misfits series and characters. It leaves you with a sense of nostalgia as you see the characters 12 years after you've met them as 12 year old kids. It also gives you a sense of happiness because one way or another, they received a happy ending you know they deserved. Don'tlookatmeI'mnotcrying...more
Boy, oh boy, this book has so much to offer now! I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven book whose p3.5-4 stars out of 5 >>>Some spoilers ahead >>>
Boy, oh boy, this book has so much to offer now! I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven book whose plot was just as compelling as the character development. By the time you finish the book, you'll feel like you've lived a lifetime with Lada and Radu, and yet Kiersten White promises there is more to come your way. The dynamic between violent and fierce Lada with gentle and sweet Radu is one of the gems of this novel; the Dracul siblings are always on the verge of being both each other's protector and enemy. It is also interesting to see how they truly each other's foils especially in how they deal with the circumstances they were dealt with -- in particular, the circumstances their sex has dealt them respectively (thank god this wasn't just a 'change Vlad the Impaler's sex to a woman and copy down history from there. No, Lada has her own problems as a woman and Radu relates to her and their world differently because of being HER brother.)
However, if there is one qualm I have with this book is how easily it can be perceived/marketed as 'feminist'. To me, it was not /as feminist/ as a 'what if Vlad the Impaler was a woman' historical fiction should be.
Don't get me wrong -- Lada /is/ a strong, independent who needs no man, but she is White's ONLY strong, independent woman who needs no man. No one shines as bright as Lada and she basically projects the misogynistic views men have of her onto other women; she tries so desperately not to be a woman or associated with the sex. It also doesn't help that she gets extremely jealous and have violent urges at the possibility that other women could take Mehmed's attention away from her.
[ Huma is arguably the OTHER strong, independent woman who needs no man who shines as bright as Lada, but even she is written as a woman who got her power from beauty and her sex appeal. All of which, make her fall into the femme fatale archetype that we honestly need less of. ]
Perhaps the most feminist character in the book would have to be Radu ( that or I really love him dearly ). He is a boy who is very much in touch with his feminine side, and that's not because he is considered 'the handsome/beautiful'. He is nurturing and sees the power women can wield in a world that denies them power (he constantly seeks refuge in the harem because he knows there are powerful women there who can provide him safety). He also admires Lada and sees her potential -- her assets and downfalls -- in a way people often do not see because they either underestimate her or overestimate her. Radu sees Lada as a human.
HOWEVER, that is not to say, Lada /can't/ be the strong, uncensored, unabashed feminist character we've been waiting for in the future. I have only read the first book BUT there is definitely a deep sense that Lada develops in the way she relates to her sex. She is often quite fascinated with her body as a woman and how women can have power in ways men cannot have. My favorite part of the novel, and what I consider to be the tensest part, was when Lada demanded Mehmed to tell her how /he/ has pleasured and served the women in his harem who always pleasure and serve him. I think this was a light bulb/aha moment for her in realizing that she wasn't the only one struggling in being a woman in her day and age.
In the end, And I Darken is a great story and has a lot of potential in the upcoming books. I eagerly want to start reading Now I Rise, but I have to at least try to make a dent in my TBR pile and lessen the books. However, that won't stop me from searching more about Vlad the Impaler in the near future. ...more
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