Review of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, or, Finally Someone Who Understands Me

Rainbow Rowell makes me feel understood. She understands what's important in a quality boyfriend. She understands how having a sick parent matures you beyond your years. She appreciates the stress an introvert experiences when forced to participate in an extroverted world. And she understands bookish people who love to read and reread and discuss and read the book some more and then bury themselves in fanficiton because they just can't bear for the experience to be over.

There is a lot going on in Fangirl (as there usually is in life) and no single issue that we can label as THE PROBLEM that this book is going to resolve, because that's not how things work in life (at least, not in my life!). There are a multitude of road blocks, flaws, and mistakes that all take turns being THE PROBLEM throughout the book. Sometimes all Cath can think about is whether or not her dad is on the brink of a mental collapse, panicking that her sister is talking to their absent mother, agonizing over the embarrassment of criticism from a professor or figuring out where you stand with the boy you like (but let's agree: THE PROBLEM is mostly what's going to happen to Simon and Baz next). Life is revolving set of problems and I appreciated Rowell's recognition of this, and that while change and improvement takes place gradually over the course of the book, pretty much nothing is fully RESOLVED. The characters felt realistic to me (they even take bathroom breaks!), so much that even though I went to school far far from Nebraska, I could picture them all on my Alma mater's campus.

Cath and I would definitely be friends (did all readers feel this way? Probably.). We'd be hanging out in our dorm room on Friday nights, having spontaneous emergency dance parties, and spending much too much time treating fictional characters as if they are real people (this sentence is itself an example of what I mean). Being a devoted member of a fandom is usually something I only share with my close friends (who already love and accept me). It's always a little bit of a thrill to find someone else who knows what fanfiction is (I've had to explain it so many times, and never as well as Cath does to Levi). AU, OTP, OOC, slash and shipping are foreign terms to most of my friends. I don't know why reading fanfiction is so embarrassing (okay, I do know why: it's because most of it is poorly written literary porn, but that only makes it more exciting to find a good author) but it makes perfect sense for anyone who has ever felt strongly about a book; why would I want to leave that world? And if the story didn't end the way I wanted it to, then here is the perfect way to explore and re-explore the way things might have been. Fanfiction readers unite!

From Simini Blocker's profile on Behance.net

And if I was friends with Cath, she might be able to introduce me to one of Levi's friends... who could be exactly like Levi, please. Levi isn't perfect- he wouldn't turn heads on the street and he's got some boundary issues with those protein bars. He's human and believable and he panics and says stupid things after a kiss. And yet he's more than human, or at least, he's the best kind of human. I am so drawn to his endless generosity, his delight in being there for other people and making them happy. There are a lot of authors who think that physical attractiveness or eternal youth is enough to make someone a worthwhile life partner, or who think that kindness is more valuable when it's rare. And sure, we all like a bad boy who is only vulnerable for us, but as I was reading Levi's character, I felt there was something more beautiful and desirable in a man whose goodness is apparent and available to all, and that someone so universally good would choose me to be around.

General warm feelings, Rowell, that is what you have given me with Fangirl! And I'm not ashamed to say I've already scoped out what fanficiton is available for this book.

So what do you think? Are you fanfiction readers (if so- recommendations for good writers, please!)? Did you identify with Cath? What's on your emergency dance playlist? I hope to hear from you!

-Kate

Rating:


Badges:
The New Best Friend Badge
The I’d Marry You If You Were Real Badge
The Good Writing Badge

Review of Abandon by Meg Cabot, Or, Tea, the Last Weapon of the Desperate

In a Nutshell: Abandon is about 17-year-old Pierce (our modern Persephone) as she moves to a new town and her many interactions with the keeper of the Underworld who appears in her life at critical moments.

That doesn't look comfortable

I recently read Defy by Sara Larson which was a book that aimed higher than it delivered.  The cover and description lead me to believe this would be a kick-ass woman warrior novel, and instead I got a weak and unsupported love story and a heroine who blushed and cried more than a beauty queen on pageant day. 

So when I saw Abandon's cover depicting a supine, pretty but nondescript brunette and a tagline of "She knows what it's like to die" I anticipated an overly-dramatic teen who took herself too seriously and fainted frequently.  I was delighted to be wrong.   Meg Cabot is an author who knows this was to be read by 14-year-old-girls and kept the tone light and fun- at times passing over in a paragraph situations that would provide enough fodder for a half a dozen Lifetime Channel movies.  Cabot draws in her readers in the first few chapters with strategic comments about a scandalous "incident" and a creepily nuanced question from Pierce's grandmother in a cemetery.  And of course I knew that at some point there would be a death and a resurrection and some sort of romance with the god of death, but being a big fan of retellings, I needed to know how Cabot was going to do it.

No relation.

Despite an unfortunate name (every time I read it I thought of the New Hampshire born, unremarkable 14th President of the United States), I really liked Pierce.  Maybe it was her naive honesty (she bluntly tells her best friend, Hannah, that she can see evil now, and she'll protect her, and is somehow surprised when Hannah decides they need to spend some time apart).  Or her quirks, like her puzzling hatred of tassels.  But probably it was my appreciation that she didn't take herself too seriously.  Since I has been anticipating a heroine who cried alone in her room a lot and thought the world might end because she couldn't sort out her feelings, it was refreshing to read Pierce whose general attitude seemed to be "Oh well, that didn't work out as planned.  Moving on..."

I also can't help but like Pierce's reaction to John Hayden.  He's handsome, tall, and dressed all in black, so we know that despite his moodiness and lack of screen time he's a worthwhile guy who will eventually capture the heart of Pierce (because only a hero is described in those terms).  I like that Pierce isn't afraid to call him a jerk when he is one (see above, "naive honesty").  That no matter how attractive he is in those dark jeans, that does NOT make it okay to kidnap her.  That even though "he's just trying to keep her safe" Pierce knows that her life is hers to live and risk as she sees fit and won't think he's being sweet and protective.  The first time she was faced with spending an eternity with him in a castle-bedroom, she had the common sense to freak out, know she was way to young for this, and have wherewithal to throw tea in his face and escape.  

What did you think of Abandon?  Did you like Pierce as I did, or was she too much of a space cadet for you?  How does this compare to Cabot's other novels?  Were you also happy that the cemetery sexton had a partner and it wasn't a big deal- as it shouldn't be?  I look forward to reading your thoughts!

-Kate

Stars:

Badges:

Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR List

This is a feature of The Broke and the Bookish

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I’ve already started reading this one, and I’m in love! Fangirl is about Cath, one part of a set of twins, headed off to college for the first time and trying to balance making new friends, her twin’s new steely coldness, her father’s mania and loneliness, and her all-consuming love of the Simon Snow fandom.

The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare by M. G. Buehrlen

I can’t resist a good time-travel story- mostly because I love history and I would be beyond psyched to have that super power and get to experience history first hand! I’m excited to read about Alex, a high-schooler who frequently has visions of the past, only to find out these are not visions, but memories of her past lives- and a mysterious blue-eyed boy appears in each one of them (of course- there’s alway a boy).

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Kestrel has to join the military or get married- limited options for a girl in this imaginary world. When she buys an attractive man-slave, Arin, she thinks he could be the key to living a life beyond society’s limitations.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Ava is just like the rest of us- she wants to fit in and be accepted. Unfortunately for Ava, she was born with the wings of a bird (due to the foolish love of her ancestors), which makes this desire a little more difficult to achieve. 

Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

I’m told this is Bones meets Fringe- so I’m in! Nearly, despite her name, is not the daughter of a celebrity. She lives in a trailer park. Her mother is an exotic dancer. And if that didn’t make high school hard enough, she is able to feel the emotions of others when she touches their skin, which makes her the only person who can solve the serial murders of her fellow students.  

Half Bad by Sally Green

Witches, a male protagonist, and a cool, bloody cover is enough of an enticement for me.

 The Only Boy by Jordan Locke

In a future world where all the men have been annihilated (probably keeping a few for breeding purposes?), one boy has managed to escape discovery and is living in a conclave of girls. Having just read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, I in the mood for another gender-segregated society novel.

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Two boys are trying to beat the Guinness World Record for longest kiss, and are becoming an inspiration for other young boys accepting themselves and their sexuality. I’m disappointed by the lack of same-sex relationships taking center stage in YA novels and I want to try to read more of the books that are available.

 The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

About this time last year, I visited the historic house with Miss Meg, and promised myself I would read the novel by this time next year! Well, it’s next year and it's time to make good on that promise!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

The movie is coming out, and while I’m not sure it looks like a good movie yet, I know I’m going to see it eventually, so I’d better have that book read in preparation!

Please- warn me if you think I'm wasting my time on any of these!  I look forward to seeing what's on your TBR list!

-Kate

Review of Hourglass by Myra McEntire, Or, Stop Sniffing Pillows and Get Back To the Plot

I had a lot of issues with this novel, which I had such high expectations for; proof that a beautiful cover does not equal beautiful writing. 

Gorgeous, Right?

 Writing a convincing time-travelling novel is no easy feat. There are a lot of complications in a time-travel plot (even J.K. Rowling did not do it to my satisfaction; why didn't Hermione just take a nap? Who would trust such a valuable tool to a 13 year old just so she can overload on courses?). 

Hermione, make better use of that thing!

Rather than focusing on uncomplicating a complicated plot feature, McEntire decided to distract from the plot to have Emerson fall in insta-love not once, not twice, but three times in the novel (Michael, Kaleb, Jack). Unfortunately an interesting "ghost" and time-travel story took backseat to a sub-par paranormal romance (wherein all the characters, regardless of age, talked and acted like worldly 35 year olds). 

I found it frustrating that all Emerson knows about Michael is that he's hot (anyone man who wears a tight all-black ensemble with motorcycle boots sounds like a an eye-roll), smells good (so much so that even in her darkest moments Emerson can be distracted by burying her face in his man-scented pillow) and rich (what kind of sophomore in college can afford two apartments, sports car and tux?) but she's willing to tell her traumatic story to him and trust him with her life? I question her judgement.

The only thing really binding Michael and Emerson together when they first meet is their mutual ability to see things they should not. These ghosts/rips/shadows of the past were the most interesting part of the plot line, and not nearly enough time was spent on them (not even in between heavy sighs and almost-kisses). Why do they disappear when Emerson touches them? How were these people chosen to be "rips"? Why aren't the rips scared of the horseless carriages or shocked to see such an inappropriately dressed female? In future books I would expect that the reason all of time is running parallel and the lines are starting to bleed together will be explained. Unfortunately Hourglass just didn't drive enough interest for me to finish the series.

Emerson doesn't take full advantage of talking with people of the past.
I'd have a lot of questions, personally.

On top of being dissatisfied with Emerson's tendency to be attracted to (and attractive to) every man with abs in the novel and a dissatisfying time travel plot (so why did Cat open the time warp again? And did they seriously just do the evil-villan thing of explaining all their evil plots? Villians! Word of advice: shoot first, explain later. You'll never be foiled that way.) but I could not stand Emerson as a character. I don't know if the author was southern, or just thought it would be quaint to set her novel in the south, but none of the characters complied with what I know to be basic southern behavior. The southern women I know are very hospitable, chivalrous, and polite. Southern charm is about making those around you feel at ease and I didn't get that sense even once from Emerson who proved to be one of the most selfish characters I have ever read. It was subtle, but still affronting to someone who was raised better. 

Let's note some of her offenses:

1) She was just hired for a new job (faulty and illegal hiring practice, by the way) and either left work early or simply no-showed every single time

2) Her brother and sister, who have essentially become her parents for the last 4 years, are having a kid and the best she can do it a muttering of "you'll be a great mom"?  Take some interest! Get excited over those baby clothes! As questions about how they'll design the baby room or what names they're thinking about choosing. I know this won't push the plot along, but it would make Emerson a more likable character.

3) You're a guest in someone else's home and you're just going to hop up and sit on their counter and eat their fruit as they slice it- and not even offer to help? That comes across as awfully rude to me.

4) The worst offense of all was SPOILER ALERT when a certain character died, Emerson could only think me, me, me. How could I possibly lose the man I've known for a whole week! In such a dramatic state that everyone in the house has to comfort Emerson. It doesn't even occur to Emerson that Kaleb has just lost his best friend and honorary brother. NO, let's just focus on Emerson's needs. END SPOILER

But that summarizes Emerson for me- a girl who can't see past herself and her own problems. That is not a character I can like and not a character I want to read more of.

-Kate

Rating:

Review of Defy by Sara Larson, Or, This Is Why They Don't Let Girls Be Guards

On the cover: “A wonderful tale of adventure, romance, and embracing your true self.  Alexa is a heroine readers will love to follow!”- Marie Lu, bestselling author of the LEGEND series.  

Marie Lu, you have done me wrong.  I can only assume that Sara Larson is a friend of yours and you’re being supportive, otherwise I don’t know how you could have been an impartial reader of this novel and think it was up to par with YA novels such as your own.

This could have been an enjoyable novel if I hadn’t just read the Legend Series.  And re-read the Hunger Games.  And finished Divergent.  In a vacuum, there is much less to criticize about this novel, but in contrast with the YA novels I love, that keep me awake at night, that both surprise me with their ingenuity as well as speak to me on a personal level by realistically portraying human interaction and emotion… Defy simply did not deliver.

In the places it should have been fanciful and a stretch of the imagination, it fell flat.  In the last year I’ve read (or re-read) worlds where a whole wizarding society exists, where the color of your eyes indicates a superpower great or small, where children are thrown into an arena to fight each other to the death on live television.  So when presented with a woman knight in a medieval monarchy, I wasn’t impressed.  It’s been done, and Tamora Pierce does it better.

No contest.

I found myself caught up on details that didn’t make sense, when maybe I should have just tabled my disbelief and gone along with the circumstances. For example, How did Alexa best the captain in a swordfight when she was a mere 14-year-old girl?  Yeah, she practiced with her father, but that does not explain how she could be the “the fastest, the most skilled at archery, unparallelled at swordsmanship.”  That seems like a REAL stretch, and unfounded other than some passing comments that she worked really hard.  Foundation is important; an author needs to show me examples that would lead me to believe that Alex being #1 skilled guard is believable (same with creating a foundation for love interests.  Rylan’s “I’ll always love you” and Damian’s “It’s always been you” is such bullshit.  That came out of nowhere.  There were no indications leading up to these declarations).  Never underestimate the importance of foundation.

I also find the timetable pretty unbelievable. It seemed like taking Alex along in the “kidnapping” was a last minute decision… then it turns out she is the key to defeating the sorcerer… then they only give her two weeks to learn how to defeat the sorcerer?  But don’t worry because all it takes is a pep talk from Damian, telling Alex to “channel her anger” for her to suddenly be able to take on a super powerful dark magician.  If only I had a Damian pep talk when I was training for a marathon (“Kate, just channel your anger and run harder.”  Thanks, Damian.  So simple.  Why didn’t I think of that?).

Just go out there and do it!

Which brings me to… the love triangle.  She’s a girl.  Everyone knew it apparently, but only now have they decided not to treat her as a guard who has proven herself, but as a child who needs to have her tears wiped away and face constantly touched and brought to her room to rest.  What upsets me most is that Alex plays into it.  This stoic soldier who has learned to control her emotions (so she says) now can’t stop crying when she’s sad, frustrated, happy, relieved.  She won’t stop blushing every time she sees Rylan or Damian’s well-muscled body parts.  She’s suddenly “constantly aware that she’s a girl” which, frankly, wasn’t hard for me to remember since every other page you are acutely cognizant of your gender due to one of these men’s penetrating gaze.

*pentrating gaze*

It’s also dubious that this girl who has “never allowed herself to be attracted to anyone before” suddenly feels so at ease on the planes of love.  Wrapping Damian in her embrace, comforting words and unquestioned security in his love.  Sara Larson would have been better to add some doubt and insecurity.  My chest is bound- does he still think I’m hot?  I’ve never kissed before- am I doing this right?  OMG, I just finished a hard workout, do I smell bad? Sara Larson, if you’re going to write a fantasy novel, you have to give us some emotional foundation.

Awkward First Kisses

Last thought: Breeding houses *shiver* and when Damian tells Alexa that he plans to eradicate them when he is king, I was hoping for a little more encouragement or pushing from her, but all we got was a “That’s so great.  Yeah, I can wait til you’re king.”  Um, maybe do something about the systematic rape now-ish.

-Kate

Rating:

Review of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, or, Maybe The Whole Book Should Have Been About Grimalkin

This is a novel I liked better as it progressed. I don’t think it’ll ever be a volume I return to time and again, but it was an entertaining read for my daily train ride (even if I did try to hide the cover a bit so my fellow commuters wouldn't judge me).

There were characters I thought were done well, and characters that lacked sparkle. Overall, I found Meghan to be disappointing and her dialogue unimaginative. I also didn’t like how inconsistent she was. Maybe it’s just part of being a teenager, but I didn’t appreciate how she wished for designer jeans, then bashed girls who did dress nicely, to later defy the court by wearing her human clothes only to feel self conscious and insignificant moments later. Make up your mind, girl! If you’re going to be defiant and comfortable in your skin, then do it! Stop recanting each time you see someone better dressed or more attractive than you!

My favorite characters were minor characters. The Packrats stole my heart, and I knew I would be entertained when Grimalkin was in a scene. The author must be a cat-owner, because she totally captured the attitude of a cat- independent and self-important; I loved it.

Makes you want to visit the SPCA and adopt, doesn't it? 

I really didn’t get into the plot until we learned about the Iron King. Before that, it felt really aimless and drifting. It felt like a series of misadventures without any real focus or direction. It was tiring to read about something dreadful happening, Meghan being rescued, something else dreadful happening. I also really hope we find out why Meghan is so special. The king doesn’t really seem to care one twit about her. And if she’s the undoing of an entire race of people, you’d think the Iron King would just send faeries to mate with humans and there’s a whole army of halflings.

That being said, I was impressed with the author’s handle on faerie mythology. It’s so not what I thought when I was a kid (Tinkerbell). It’s dark and sadistic. While I must admit I liked the dark stuff, it was really strange to me that the topics didn’t feel to fit the voice. This felt like it was written for a 14 or 15 year old. The voice felt very young, very accessible, very innocent, and then there’s casual discussion of gang rape (not once, but TWICE in the course of the novel) and the queen being “denied a consort.” Jeez. Those are some pretty adult things. It really bothered me that her near-gang-rape was brushed off so easily. Yes, she was saved, but that is a VERY traumatic experience. It also concerned me that she’s so wrapped up in Ash that she can recover from such an interaction. It felt unrealistic and disrespectful to me. 

Applies to humans, fairies, and halflings.

But that’s just one girl’s opinion.

What do you think? Have you read The Iron King? Are the sequels worth reading? Were you also disappointed that the fairie race lacks racial diversity? 

-Kate

Rating:

Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want to Live In and Characters I'd Never Want to Trade Places With

A Feature of The Broke and the Bookish

While there are a number of fictional boyfriends I'd like to steal, there aren't a lot of fantasy worlds I'd actually want to live in, or lives I'd want to trade with ficitonal people. Here is a list of 5 people and 5 places that I am very happy to keep in fiction!

People

Get thee to a nunnery!
At least you have a fabulous hat

 Mercedes from Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

Because while she gets a tolerably happy ending in the movie, but in the book, she’s sent to a nunnery while Edmond sails into the sunset with a sexy slave-child-woman.

See him in theaters in March!

Tobais Eaton from Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

Because *SPOILER ALERT* I just can’t see him ever being really happy or fulfilled after what happened. *SPOILERS DONE*

credit to izzibelle at Deviant Art

Hazel Grace from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Because *SPOILERS* not only are you dying of cancer, but you watch the love of your life succumb to cancer? That’s as awful as life gets, unless you’re Katniss Everdeen who watches everyone die. *SPOILERS DONE*

Lily Bart from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Because who doesn’t love a story where following your heart causes you to lose social status, friends, money, health, EVERYTHING?

I've always pictured Kaya as Mara

Mara Dyer from the Mara Dyer Series by Michelle Hodkin

Because despite the delightful and delicious Noah to stand by her side, that is some dark, messed up stuff she is experiencing (and in my head I replaced “messed up” and “stuff” with other choice words).

Places

Panem from the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Because I would definitely be picked, and I would probably die of an anxiety attack or heart attack before I even made it to the arena.

The Colonies from Legend Series by Marie Lu

Because even worse than living in a military state is living in an entirely commercial state where money makes the world turn and people literally sell themselves to advertising (which, come to think of it, is not all too different from how we live now).

Future Portland, Maine from Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Because a world or life where you can’t feel any emotion at all is an empty one. 

The Utopia in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Because everyone is overstimulated, but nothing is real. And children having sex play is just an upsetting image.

Okay, so a map of Antion doesn't exist (yet)
This is a medieval map of Japan

Antion from Defy by Sara Larson

Because breeding houses. ‘Nough said.