Word count: didn't care enough to estimate (not too long, though)
Rating: Only if I'm stranded on an island and there's nothing else to read (like a diWord count: didn't care enough to estimate (not too long, though)
Rating: Only if I'm stranded on an island and there's nothing else to read (like a dictionary, 'cause I'll take a dictionary over this any day)
[image] *ARC provided by NetGalley
I didn't feel like writing a review when I've finished this. Two weeks (or so) has passed and I still don't want to do it. I guess I have to accept that the desire to review this one won't come. Ever. And just force myself to type a few coherent sentences.
I didn't like this book. I didn't like it at all. It didn't have me enraged or anything. It's simply not enjoyable.
Writing:
Awkward as a duck. A blind duck. A blind crippled duck. A blind crippled duck on acid. A blind crippled duck on acid made of jello that feeds on lost hopes and dreams. I'm not impressed.
Main character/s: a tall, bony storyteller in his 40's (or something)
+ his sidekick: a crippled fisherman that is very lonely and lost everything and now is just like 'fuck me' 'fuck you' 'fuck everybody' and is an impatient idiot with no self control
When you put a storyteller in your book and he tells some stories that you, the author, actually relate to the reader, you better be a fucking amazing writer to pull it off. It's really hard to write a charismatic bard. It is. So if you can't do it, don't try. Can you taste it? That's my disappointment. You made me weep embarrassment for you. Congratulations.
Story: Just fuck you. Boring as shit. And as unoriginal as possible.
Additionally I didn't give a flying fuck about anything or anyone. There was no time (or reason) to like/connect/start caring about any of that stupid shit.
And that book has no point. As far as I know it's not a part of a series. Meaning the whole, boring fucking thing that came out of nowhere is going to the 'nope' land.
Oh, wait, it is a first part of a prospective series? Well, I can't fucking wait for the second instalment (did you feel my sarcasm slap you across the face? DID YOU? Good.)
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Conclusion: It didn't make me angry. Just fed up with everything and everyone. God, it reads like something I could've written. When I was 15. In fact, I'm pretty sure my stories were better than this.
word count: about 110 000 rating: not for the faint-hearted
*ARC provided by NetGalley
"Lord, I pray to you in my capacity as Chairman of the Boardword count: about 110 000 rating: not for the faint-hearted
*ARC provided by NetGalley
"Lord, I pray to you in my capacity as Chairman of the Board of Williams Gypsum Corporation and de facto head of this household. Thank you for selecting me to lead this successful company and family. We praise your wisdom and judgement in selecting all the leaders of our society. Thank you for allowing our company to provide us with this home, this food, this way of life. Amen."
This is not a 'feel-good, all ends well and evil gets defeated' kind of book. That's the first thing to keep in mind.
Here we have a dystopian novel that in NOT a YA romance. Which fills me with an imponderable joy. It's the future. And the world? Well, it went to shit. But in a really bizarre way. Corporations run the world in which resources are extremely scarce. There's a rigid hierarchy in society. Career is a religion, corporation is God, and obedience to authority, imperative.
"All of a worker's needs - housing, food, education, security, medical care, everything - were met in return for the pledge of only one duty: total dedication to the company."
Not the nicest of circumstances. It looks like corporate feudalism.
Characters? There are many. At first we get only little snippets of a story from multiple view points (and I mean multiple), which made me sceptical, but then they nicely come together and form a smooth story. Smooth, but not easy to read. There's no main character. More than that, there's pretty much no black and white. No one to love completely. Every single person is flawed. And there's a looming corporate evil, but given human love of power and authority I don't find that excessive.
Story? Blew my mind. I did not see that coming. And that. And that. That too. Wow Pretty much a bumpy ride full of surprises. Nobody's safe, no outcome certain. Seriously, in a way it's like G.R.R. Martin. If you don't like your characters dying, this book is not for you. (view spoiler)[ Seriously, all main characters at one place at one time? Nope. Carnage. Let them all die. Or almost all. Yeah, why not. Let them all lose. (hide spoiler)] *evil laughter*
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It doesn't have a happy end, but it's only the first book in a series, so I didn't expect a full resolution. But I didn't expect such a mess either. And a mess it was. In a good, but slightly masochistic, way.
I did have some minor problems with a story that made me consider dropping the rating, but that would be unfair. The whole thing was way too good. Still, they can't go unmentioned. WARNING!!! Next paragraph may contain minor spoilers (mainly from the very beginning of the book, but still, you deserve a fair warning).
There's a certain inconsistency that made me frown a lot. Diehl mixes magic/spirituality with technology/realism. Those two don't mesh. Especially if there's only one element that stands out like a sore thumb. (view spoiler)[ A samurai dies and his soul takes over a body of another man, and now they'll share it? WTF? (hide spoiler)] Travelling souls? No, not minds. Souls. Travelling from the past. Actually, just one soul. Yeah, that did not fit in at all. If the author stuck with the idea of drug induced split personality that would be more consistent.
In the end, this book exceeded my expectations and brutally surprised me every step of the way.
"We're walking among the dead. Life's value seems reduced, continuously dangled like bait on a fishing line. Killing, dying, reaping, or getting raped"We're walking among the dead. Life's value seems reduced, continuously dangled like bait on a fishing line. Killing, dying, reaping, or getting raped - the dimensions of these horrors are diminished to points of geography. Here on this rock, they rape. There by that bush, they kill"
"He's going to talk because it's not like he's accused of a serious crime. We don't have anyone accused of serious crimes here. They're accused of murder, rape, or robbery. Never of drug trafficking"
"She said it was the people she traveled with who raped her. They'd told her they were migrants and convinced her to walk with them. Then all three of them raped her. When her son aborted between her legs, the bandits killed him with blows. Then they beat the woman until she lost consciousness."
word count: about 90 000 rating: no, sheer effort put into writing a book and a horror of it will not make me rate it high
It's worth reading. Please, just hear me out.
content in general: **** facts/materials/effort: ***** structure/writing: ***
***ARC recieved from NetGalley***
What is this book about? The miserable fate of immigrants during their long and insanely dangerous journey. The story of their plight as witnessed by one (IMO insane) journalist (*I think he had a photographer with him). The book consists of description of fate/lives of people he meets on his way. Both migrants and indigenous.
Why do I think he's insane? Because he fucking risked his life. A lot. For years. To gather enough material to write this book. It takes a special kind of person to poke at those things. He didn't just talk to authorities, oh no, that would be boring. He travelled with migrants! That's right! Did all the crazy stuff they do. And bam! Now he's willing to share this sad, sad picture...
No. No matter how tempted I am to give it 4 stars just for the sheer insane effort that went into writing this book, I can't. Don't get me wrong. It's a good book. It's a chilling book. It's a fascinating book. But by no means 100% perfect.
And remember kids, 3*** means 'I liked it'.
So what went wrong? What stopped this book, which had a potential to be stunningly amazing, from reaching the stars?
At first I loved it. Then I got confused. First thing it lacked (that stopped it from being 5***** book) was a little map. Either at the end or beginning of the book or (preferably) at the start of every chapter. Since the book follows a rout the author took, it would be nice to have a map. You know, to make it more tangible. And yes, I could look at my own map, but seriously, who could be bothered?
Than there's a repetitive nature of this book. Try as you may, it's the same sad story told over and over again (similar stories, but well...). And lack of map made me forget what place I am reading about. More distinguishable features would be lovely, just to keep it more varied.
Also, I'm an evil, evil bitch. Which means that the author annoyed me. Quite a lot. And that's why 4**** are out of the question for me. But hey, it may be me. It may be a matter of my fucked up perception, but he seemed to write (quite often) along the lines of: there were golden times when migrants roamed free, but now it's gone. No. Those were NOT golden times. Immigration MUST be regulated for a heap of reasons. DON'T romanticize those 'open' borders of old. I try to keep my reviews short (aka readable), so I will not get into all the details. But unregistered migrants are a bad thing. Not just because they commit crimes (sometimes) but probably even more so because they are defenceless victims of them (exploitation at work, blackmail, extortions, rapes, trafficking, kidnappings... you name it). And they can't go to the police.
Was the book interesting? Yes. And morally outraging. Corruption of authorities paired with well organized, powerful gangs and their violence create hell. This is why moral codes of our society are so important. If not, average people give in to corruption, also authorities are in on the crime. What hope is there then? What life is that?
"Los Zetas are like a metastasizing cancer. Migrants are recruited. Soldiers are recruited. Policeman, mayors, businessmen - they're all liable to become part of the web. "
"It's a conservative estimate that 40% of all state police units have been bought by Los Zetas"
This book is NOT for the faint hearted. It's in your face. Unapologetic. It presents you with a truly horrible problem that has no easy solution. Could the migrants just stay at home? No, they quite often run from things. Terrible, terrible things. In fact, this book makes you wonder if creatures living in those areas (south from USA) can even be called people (before you lynch me, the answer is YES). If they all should just get nuked from the orbit, for their lack of moral principles is sickening. Not just gang violence, but absolute lack of compassion among 'normal' people, their willingness to hurt others, to abuse any power they have, to get some gains from human suffering or add to it or cause it.
"What was her life like? Like a slave's, she says. At five years old, her job was to walk the streets, selling fish and firewood. If she came back with something still in her hands because she hadn't sold everything, Maria Dolores would whip her with an electrical cable until she had open sores on he back. Then Maria Dolores would cover those cuts with salt and oblige her "little twin" to lick it off. It was on one of those days, one of those sore-licking days , that her brother died on the floor where they both slept. They said it was parasites, Erika says. She's convinced that those parasites came from the sores on her back. [...] "...After that, I lived like a drunk on the streets, sleeping between dumpsters." She lived like that for two years. [...]...Maria Dolores talked her into coming back. "The physical abuse wasn't as bad, but, in general, life was worse. Omar, one of the woman's sons, was fifteen years old and repeatedly raped her. "That's why I wonder if I'll ever understand what it is to have normal sex. I got so used to him tying up my legs and arms and having sex with me like that" [...] Erika, the girl who was repeatedly raped from age eight to thirteen, gave birth to twins and then, as if her suffering were inevitable, her story goes on. "I didn't understand what pregnancy was. I only felt I was getting fat. That woman accused me of being a whore. I told her it was her son that did it, but she told me I was like my mother, a prostitute, and that just like her I'd ditch my future kids like dogs. She dragged me out of the house naked and walked me five blocks to a nearby park and left me there. And so I had to start completely from scratch."
See what I mean? And that's just one story!
That doesn't work against the book. The true horror of the situation is actually what makes it good.
Sounds like I should have loved it, right? I should. I'm into social issues. But! Nope. - some statements are pounded into our heads to death - those inexplicable bits (plentiful bits) romanticizing immigrants are infantile - total lack of understanding on the side of the author that immigrants are a problem, not just victims. And that making their journey comfortable and safe is NOT a solution! THAT killed 4**** rating for me. But it doesn't make the book any less worth reading. Just more biased and, at least for me, objectively a product deserving a lower rating. And personally, because that annoyed me. - demonization of US attempts to close the border - repetitive nature of the book (the fault is in writing, seriously, I almost gave up on it a few times)
all those things mean I can't give it a sparkling review. The bias of the author really got on my nerves. And because of the subject matter and the enormous effort put into gathering the material for it I feel like I should apologize. Like I should love it just for what it is about... THIS is why I was putting off writing this review for, well, forever. I hate feeling this way.
My final verdict? It's good. Depending on how much you know, it can be shocking. It doesn't focus on one story, one place. It skims, and jumps, and introduces you to abundance of facts. It's also infuriating (in a sense that it makes me want to keep all those fucking gangs far away from me. Or, preferably, kill them. All of them) Should you read it? Depends on what type of person you are, really, but I think that getting confronted with an uncomfortable reality is a healthy thing.
Word count: (???) short (I don't trust my estimates) Rating: “Not dying is a pretty epic feeling. “
[image] Work on your zombie killing skills.
*ARC Word count: (???) short (I don't trust my estimates) Rating: “Not dying is a pretty epic feeling. “
[image] Work on your zombie killing skills.
*ARC provided by NetGalley
It tickled my new found love of dystopia and curiosity about mechanics of stabbing people in the brain.
I don’t particularly love any of those four characters, but neither do I vehemently hate them. I think Zack's a wuss, the way he talks about ‘not wanting to shoot them’. If you see a zombie you kill it. Period. Next case. Next fucking case.
As I haven’t read Mortality I’m not in a best position to speak in depth about the prequels. But I will. HA!
The book short story is divided into 4 parts – each told from a different point of view and using a different medium. What we actually get to see are letters, diary entries, notes and reports written by characters.
First one up: Pierce He writes letters to his girlfriend (?) Quite sensible guy. He seaz (ha ha) zombiez (he he), or rather hears them in the middle of a night and has an immediate, correct reaction. Get your shit together, get some weapons and run for your life. It’s a guy that (view spoiler)[ stabs a zombie through the temple with a kitchen knife (hide spoiler)] Which made me think a lot about how that would feel (as in what that compares to – doing stabbing, not getting stabbed).
Second: Belle Poor girl, what a stupid name parents gave you. I always wonder how awkward it is if a girl is exceptionally ugly. Or just gets old. What a shitty name for an old lady. But there are worse, imagine grandma Jessica… Lacks certain gravitas, wouldn’t you agree?
Anyway, I digress. From what I understood she’s young (haven’t gone to high school yet) and pretty dim. Yes, it’s a great idea to let your thoughts wander aimlessly when you’re outside. Alone. And totally forget to fight or scream. Ellis, the chicken quote might be the only sensible thing that girl have said. But to be fair she’s young, so a lot can be forgiven. Ha ha. Not really, but at least it explains a lot. She just hangs around her father and complains about food, ‘cause she’s picky.
Thrid: Alex Now that’s a joker. The boy is on the run with his sister, mother and some chick. Along the way they live notes, so father can follow them and (eventually) find them. Ha ha. Very funny. Imagine that – you get home and bam! There’s only a note. And then you’re supposed to go on some freakish trip praying you’ll find all the damned clues. Great plan. I don’t suppose people are rational during such times, but the idea seems funny, especially for the father. What if rain destroyed a note? Or someone ate it? That’s just sad.
Also Alex, you little shit, “But I’d like to think that if any government is going to get it together and find a solution it will be us.” You’re deluded. America (despite what you’ve been repeatedly told) isn’t “the bestest, smartest, richest, grates country evaaaa”. I know you’d like to think it, but majority of your scientists is imported, not ‘home grown’ so no, it won’t be Americans coming up with anything. Gee, what is wrong with people? Why not Canadians? Or Japanese? Or Russians? *mutters*
Four: Zack the chicken that is far too sensitive for all the violence. They have guns. I’d use them. Also crossbows? Really? Where exactly did you get them? Guns are far easier to find and user friendly. You really need to become a better planner and get your act together.
In the end I did have a good time with it and it put me in a mood for a nice dystopian story. ...more
Word count: about 95 000 Rating: “I’ll face my fate like a man. Or at least, the closest approximation of one that I am able to manufacture on short noWord count: about 95 000 Rating: “I’ll face my fate like a man. Or at least, the closest approximation of one that I am able to manufacture on short notice. “
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*ARC provided by NetGalley
EDIT: I'm bumping up the rating to 5 stars, because the more I think about it the more I love it. Quirky, funny, realistic - what more could I want?
I truly didn’t expect much of that book. I don’t like the cover or the title. But boy, do I like the contents.
This is an amazingly realistic, down to earth story. At the beginning I was terrified, thinking that it’ll be full of cardboard, one dimensional cliché characters and tropes. And it wasn’t. First 5 pages made me consider dropping the book immediately, the rest… it kept on getting better and better.
The best way I can think of to describe that book would be something along: The realistic slice-of-life story told for the first person view of our MC, Samuel; a 16 year old quirky teenager obsessed with slasher&horror movies. Yes, there is a romance element, but if you’re thinking typical YA, think again. This is possibly the most realistic depiction of teenage life and love life I’ve ever come across. It may not be the most exciting, action packed, fast paced, romantic book about teens, but in my opinion it has great pacing and balance all around.
Let’s start with Samuel and his click of friends – they’re all unique and (surprisingly) not annoying (even Adrian turned out OK in the end). They are as far from being popular as humanly possible, but aren’t pathetic no-lives. We also don’t get Greek-god-drop-dead-gorgeous specimens that simply couldn’t see their beauty. They’re just normal. In fact, looks aren’t a big focus of the book. Our image of characters (ALL of them, not just the main ones) is build by impressions, by behavior and dialogue rather than direct description. Looks are rarely mentioned. Let’s all applaud the author, for that is the way to do it.
When new girl comes to school she shakes things up. Now some may think that Camilla is an unrealistic character, that her moving between different social circles and hanging out with the unpopular kids is a joke ‘cause “no one would make such choices”. Accept I was an introverted version of her. I had many friends (both popular and unpopular) that liked me (but not the rest of my friends). Somehow I got accepted in all circles. Which always baffled me, since me and the cool kids have seemingly nothing in common apart from chronic addiction to oxygen ( I’m no great ‘social catch’). So if it happened to me, a girl like Camilla would be totally able to do it. In fact I knew a person like her. So there. Suck on it. Notice she didn’t discard anyone, she just hung out more with ‘geeks & nerds inc.’ while still being a part of chess club, volleyball team and comity organizing a school dance. She is determined to break Sam’s and his friends’ walls and opens them up to the world of possibilities. I knew some people that were exactly like her! Which probably made me like this book a bit more.
Behaviors of the characters were very teen like, but not annoying or needlessly exaggerated. I can’t stress enough how much I’ve enjoyed realistic dynamics shown in this book! I do believe some readers might find it boring, but for me it was perfectly paced and steadily kept me interested and emotionally invested into the characters. And I like all of them. All 5 members of the click/pack/whatever you want to call it.
I also found it very funny – that’s always a good thing. With many references to films and books.
EDIT: Question was answered by a real person. Apparently YES. It happens. The only question I have is: do people really have enough time to watch stuff repeatedly? Because I rarely re-read books or re-watch things. Especially TV shows! That would take far too long. So when I read about a boy that memorized some movies and watched repeatedly most of his favorite genre, I get confused. Am I weird? I’m 22 and I haven’t done anything like that. I’m not sure if it’s even physically possible. To watch Battlestar Galactica until I know it by heart seems like a colossal waste of time to me.
But there’s one issue that truly bothered me. The author is a woman, and she’s writing about a teenage boy. How well can she project that? When a guy tries to write about a girl I’m cool (since I am one) and can call him on his bullshit. But this? I don’t know. I don’t know if I completely buy it.
Conclusion: If you’re expecting quick, dramatic, instant love you’re going to be very disappointed. It’s a realistic book of slice-of life variety. There is no big quest driving the plot. There hardly is a plot – it’s much more impressionistic. I loved it. Grand finale wasn’t blown out of proportion and stayed in keeping with spirit of this publication. Integrity. That’s always
*Oh yeah, but what was the deal with that wack karate lesson? 0.0 I'm pretty sure you can't just come and get the shit beaten out of you right of the bat. It was a first lesson! They don't freaking make you fight the black belts! Until you lose consciousness. So... There was that. ...more
Word count: about 140 000 (just a very rough estimate) Rating: “The body of a man hung from the statue. Horribly mutilated, the corpse had been strung Word count: about 140 000 (just a very rough estimate) Rating: “The body of a man hung from the statue. Horribly mutilated, the corpse had been strung up by ropes and decorated in macabre fashion with candles.” 3,5 stars, rounded up to 4 because I'm in a giving mood
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ARC provided by NetGalley
Structure, this review should have one. Right. Nope, not happening. Hectic thoughts assemble!
It’s hard to describe how I feel, because that would mean starting a review by talking about the ending, and that could confuse people. Oh, well. You’ll live.
I’m beginning to believe Sullivan is addicted to spicing things up at the end of each book. He just can’t give you a nice resolution. Well, he gives one, but also ads incredibly exciting details that make me particularly toxic to cats, due to potential leaking of curiosity to which they seem to have such averse reaction. Second Sullivan’s book I read, and at the end once again we’re witnessing a secretive conversation that ads olive to embers turning them into a blazing flame. Just saying. It makes you want to immediately grab next book and find out more. And it’s not something random and irrelevant stacked on. Oh no. It’s very much a part of what was before. A unique insight.
Nice thing about both books was presence of side characters that are well constructed and have you emotionally invested. I’m not sure how many of them we’ll meet again, but I want to see them ALL. Yes, I get easily attached to characters, especially if they are interesting.
In both first and second part of Riyria Chronicles we get to follow action from more than one vantage point. Quite often such changes can be irritating, because we either like one storyline and find the other a necessary boredom-fest; or we get so into things, that by the time we go back to the other plotline, we don’t really want to read it, and that happens after Every. Single. Chapter. In this case we’re I was (once again) totally into both plotlines.
This time around plot was a bit less predictable. People die, which made me unsure of how things would unfold. In the end I was satisfied with the outcome. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but it’s not Father Goriot kind of dramatic. Good.
Our beloved characters made mistakes. Yes, they still are amazingly good in, well, things that they’re good at, but things aren’t easy. I like how we see here, that killing a person might not solve all your problems (not because it’s morally wrong, but because every action has a reaction). Sometimes in books heroes joyfully go about slaughtering people and nobody seems to care. Here dead bodies have potential to be a problem. And, naturally, can be swept under the carpet for someone’s convenience.
We still get a wonderful dose of good and bad people. Even though we begin to have sympathies and figure out who’s who, there’s never 100% certainty (aka ‘have I figured out who all treacherous scumbags are?’ syndrome). That’s good. That keeps you interested.
Some criticism? Yes, I can do that. I’m great at pointing out all the little things. Just ask my boyfri… Aaaaand he’s gone.
There are new characters introduced, and a lot of focus is on them, which means we actually don’t get to see a lot of Hadrian (I can’t stop thinking about the 14th emperor of Roman Empire - Caesar Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus Buccellanus Augustus) and Royce (now that one makes me think of cheese –don’t ask why - and cars). I like them, I like them together and that is just not really there. Don’t get me wrong, we do get to see them and learn about them, but their dynamic isn’t explored.
The action had less drive and direction than in the first book, where both plotlines were clearly going somewhere. In this case they’re like two stealthy goats; you think they’re just frolicking here and there until you realize they were slowly moving toward that jar of marmalade. It was like a firework, slowly creeping up on the sky, and suddenly BAM! A short burst of ‘OMG, it’s all happening at once!’ and then it’s gone and you’re left in a cold and marmalade-less darkness (but hey, you can still eat the goats!)
I also really love humour in books and in this one there isn’t much of it (am I nitpicking? Well, I need to do something!)So if you're looking for a good laugh, go somewhere else.
Generally I've enjoyed this book. In the words of Jeremy Jahns "It's a good time, no alcohol required"
Speaking of fireworks:
This was never the way I planned Not my intention I got so brave, drink in hand (green tea, admittedly) Lost my discretion It's not what, I'm used to Just wanna try you out I'm curious for you Caught my attention
I’ve read a book and I liked it The taste of its bloody plot twists I’ve read a book just to try it I hope my boyfriend doesn’t mind it, ‘cause damn it, I can be a grammar Nazi… It felt so wrong It felt so right Don't mean I'm lonely tonight I’ve read a book and I liked it I liked it ...more
Word count: about 98 000 Rating: By all means, do move at a glacial pace; you know how that thrills me Book-ie provided by NetGalley
First of all BLURB Word count: about 98 000 Rating: By all means, do move at a glacial pace; you know how that thrills me Book-ie provided by NetGalley
First of all BLURB is a lie!
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The main problem with this book is it doesn’t know what it wants to be. A si-fi? A romance? An adventure? A philosophical story? Should we identify with/like the MC or just witness the events? If you try to be everything at once, you fail, like that flying fish with legs. (Wait, what? What fish? Well, exactly my point.) Reading this book was like inviting a Spanish lover to find out he’s gay and Russian. Nothing against gays and Russians but I had expectations here! This is not a science fiction adventure. If these are the droids you’re looking for, move along.
Si-fi aspect is neglected (THE WHOLE WORLD BUILDING IS NEGLECTED), for example space travel. How it works? What about Einstein’s theory? How fast do spaceships travel? How many inhabited systems are there? How many intelligent races? Any workings of the world and technology, quite frankly, would be nice. We’re told so little it’s pathetic. Ok, there’s this ship, what does it do? I mean when you have a crew you don’t just fly around without purpose. So what is their job description? NOTHING. They’re just a bunch of friends/lovers merrily drifting through the Big Quiet .
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The book starts with a bang, Alana is quickly thrown into an adventure, but then it gets very slow and introspective. At first I loved it, getting to know the heroine, the crew, reading about her obsession love of star-ships and space. All those emotional inner monologues created an atmosphere, allowed us to know the MC better. Things between crew and Alana unfolded slowly. It was lovely. A hero doesn’t immediately ever (in fact) get a chance to prove herself. It was good until it wasn't. You can’t drag something like that for too long unless you’re a master of addictive writing. I lost my patience a little bit before 50% mark. Yep. Slow 45% was AWESOME! And then came bleh. One romantic sentence filled me with desire to run ( I predicted a downhill slope right then). After 50% mark I had some hope left, but no. Only a little bit of action (including Alana acting like a stupid hoe – which didn’t help my ‘love’ of the book) and bam! Back to romance with full force! So much drama, so much MC’s emotional turmoil I wanted to slap her, and tell her to get over herself.
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Romantic relationships in that book are so complex! Starting with MC being lesbian (no, not a spoiler, we learn that on a second or a third page). And then there are even more lesbians! Lesbians everywhere! (view spoiler)[ People that are not in monogamous relationships, but instead create an intricate social net of needs and deeds. (hide spoiler)] So much potential for drama! And drama we get. Not a si-fi adventure. It should be titled “Story of dramatic misunderstandings in space”.
There are so many problems I don’t even know where to start.
Too slow/ nonexistent plot. It’s all about pseudo philosophical musings/ inner monologues/ romance&friendship&sisterhood drama. Action is scarce. Plot had a potential but is barely there in the end, serves as an atrophied remnant of a story that was meant to drive things, but doesn’t do shit. I almost DNF-ed at last 10 pages. Just didn’t give a damn about ANYTHING.
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Fuck-ups in writing.
We get woman dominated world. Seriously? One guy(wolf actually) only? Main character? A woman. Random contact they’re looking for? A woman. Capitan of the ship? A woman. Doctor on the ship? A woman. Pilot of the ship? A woman. Random taxi pilot? A woman. Family of Alana we meet? Sister and aunt. Two women. Child aspiring to be a mechanic? A girl. Alana’s doctor? A woman. The only enforcer that ever speaks? A woman. And let’s not forget the woman that wanted to do ‘business’. Ships are feminine too. Practically every character we meet is female. I started to suspect that is some kind of post apocalyptic world without men, but Alana has a father and there is a male mechanic on the ship, so no. Just bad writing.
Certain facts are missing and we are left wandering wtf? At least I am, but maybe I’m just special. I wanted to know how many people are on that freaking ship, for example. MC tells us she recognizes people’s footsteps, so she knows who’s coming, but we are never explicitly told how big/small the crew is.
I don’t really like Alana, she’s passionate, that’s true, but also reckless and irresponsible. She’s willing to jeopardize the whole crew, her own life, pilot’s life, everybody’s freedom because... She’s feeling fucking sentimental(!) and decides to talk to a child about it. (view spoiler)[ Yes, it’s wise to approach a lone childe while you’re trespassing with an intention of theft. No, of course parents will not get suspicious of a stranger talking to their kid. Especially if it's a fugitive wanted for genocide. (hide spoiler)] I mean WTAF? I liked her at first (apart from the very beginning; her way of getting onto a ship was... Suicidal? Criminal? Moronic? Pengun-ish? but I did my best to forget this part and like her. Well, ok, I didn’t, but she had a potential). Guess how it all starts?(view spoiler)[ She really wants a job on a ship, so when one comes by looking for her sister she... Decides to hide in the cargo bay. Intended result - getting a job. And then she's surprised things don't go as 'planned'. (hide spoiler)] WTF? What kind of logic is that? BUT it was one reckless thing, she acted on an impulse, it happens; hence, that part I could understand (should’ve read it as a bad, bad sign though). If we add to that the reaction of a crew, it’s perfect (for a while). They don’t just all say: “oh, you’re an MC! You’re so awesome! Let’s bond!”. Things don’t go smoothly. I’ve enjoyed that very much. For a while I planned to give it **** and thought it had even five star potential.
No. Such. Luck. (Ha ha ha ha ha. Naive Little Me)
“By talking to the child, I’d condemned us all” -> That’s right BITCH! You’re so stupid I cannot believe it’s legal.
“Between this and my earlier stunt with the … I’d proven my irresponsibility several times over.” How nice of you to admit it. What? Should I applaud you? It’s mustard after dinner. ‘Don’t open’ sign on the inside. ‘Have a safe trip’ as welcome. Retrospective wits mean less than a pair of tits. LEARN bitch, learn.
I can forgive a lot, if it’s a story of growth. But it isn’t (even if the book claims it is at the end, which it does LITERALLY. I don’t care how vehemently my pet penguin swears he’s a toaster, I aint popping any bread in him when I want some toast). Alana hasn’t changed at all. We don’t see her being ‘the best’ anything, definitely not sky surgeon(like blurb suggests). Yes, she has a constant hard on for those flying vessels, but aside from her obsessive monologues about the depth, with and girth of her grand devotion to them and space there is nothing going on.
And what was this about: “Women with swagger like that….” bla bla bla. Now, I could easily forgive usage of the word ‘swagger’ has it been implemented jokingly. But you can’t have a full blown dramatic monologue and snick in some ‘swagger’. Talk about anticlimactic.
I also didn’t like the way the author handles Alana’s chronic degenerative nerve disease and pain in general (not a spoiler, we’re told at the very beginning). MC is some super human that is constantly often in excruciating pain (for one reason or the other) and just rolls with it. Broken ribs + getting smashed against the wall in throws of passion? Doesn’t matter in face of her LUV, more than that, it actually made her feel more alive. Like WTF?. Do you know any people with chronic pain? Or at least have you seen house MD? It affects you. It just does. But in this book the point about pain heightening sensation has been repeatedly hammered in during the same scene. Over and over again. Either Alana is a closet masochist without ever realizing it (it’s not like she lacked the opportunity with lifetime of pain... *sarcasm*) or the author knows nothing gets cute ideas that reek of ignorance. I know it’s supposed to highlight just how much they yearn for each other (i.e. Alana is so HORNY she’d hump a doorknob if there were any on the ship), I guess it was simply a straw that broke the camel’s back. The way author casually treats pain is a big no no for me.
And what’s with engineers having traditionally long hair? Really? What about, oh, I don’t know, COMMON SENSE? No wonder they’re a dying breed. Nothing screams professionalism like long, thick mane of hair. Again, I have long hair and it gets in a way all the freaking time. NOT an asset for an engineer.
And here we have it. The author divorced common sense in general.
That book deceived me. It pretended to be a si-fi adventure and then spited at me a surprising amount of personal bullshit and… Behold…. ROMANCE! It was slow and romantic and overly dramatic and pseudo philosophical. It’s not a sin, but I just came to the beach with all my ski gear. No fun at all.
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To think I considered giving it 5 stars at a point…
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