The first three are a pretty solid trilogy, and the forth is a good book, too...though I feel it was unnecessary. These are very light. I never felt emotionally involved with any of the characters, and none of the 'romance' ever felt like anything special. The characters didn't have a lot of depth. Some of that may have been intentional, because of the things going on in their worlds, but I really feel that it's important to have depth and *real* change in characters as the story develops. I'm not saying these are bad books - not at all - but they were just... light. Fluffy. The stuff they were dealing with was so serious, but there was just...no emotion behind it. Perhaps it's the way that men approach emotion as opposed to how women do... That's something I've learned this summer: when a woman pulls up a past event as a way to stir the emotions, it's used eloquently and generally it's the right event/word/vision at the exact right time (of course there are exceptions...). Male authors are less consistent in this area. Westerfeld provided a nice diversion in these books...
I took a risk reading this. I'm not a big fan of books about regular humans living in a normal world. The reason I went for it was because of the amnesia - that provides for a lot of self-discovery and growth. It started out very well. The self-discovery was there: teen girl realizes she's a petty, self-absorbed brat. It doesn't take a Hollywood turn, though. All these things are realized, but nothing much is done. The book was okay, but the ending was just so average...so normal...that I was bored. It was exactly what would really happen.
...I read to escape things like that...I don't have any desire to read about the world I actually live in...
I picked this up based solely on the title. It sounded like it'd be interesting. The thing is, I'm not a big fan of zombies. I'm just not. I've tried... really. My favorite movie as a child was Night of the Living Dead (the original, of course). The story wasn't bad, I guess. I didn't get emotionally involved with any of the characters, and the romantic aspect was weak and mostly empty. There was a lot of death. A LOT. This author killed all the time...didn't care who was being killed. My biggest problem with the book was how it ended. Pretty much nothing happened, and I was disappointed. I didn't find out until just a couple minutes ago that there are two more books in the series. Oops. Guess I'll check the library site and see if I can get the next two books...though I didn't care for the characters...even the few who lived.
Some parts of this book were pure genius, and others were not. There are two worlds, a prison and the real world - and naturally, the real world is a prison in its own way. The real world prison is the aspect of this book that I find to be the most interesting. They follow a strict Protocol... they've chosen an era from the past and live in it...as a way to eliminate all those things that come along with competition and the creation of new things. Everything is period. It came across as 18th century Europe... with royalty and poverty. Everything was controlled - even the weather. It was a really unique take on the future and ways to control a society. The rest of the story wasn't as genius... and this is one female author who wasn't adept at creating an emotional connection between the characters themselves or the reader and the characters. Absolutely nothing was settled in the end, and honestly, there are more questions than answers, so I'll probably have to get the next book. Again, it's tough to continue with a series when I feel so little for the characters.
I am REALLY trying here, but... try as I might, this book isn't hooking me. I read around 20 pages yesterday and was so terribly bored that I didn't even bother with a bookmark. The writing is really good. Atwood is clearly a very talented author, but I'm not interested in the main character. He's not a hero-type; he's really kind of gross. Unfortunately, he's not gross enough for it to matter. I just feel nothing for him. I don't care if he finds what he's looking for. Typically I'm all about the character-driven novel, but in this case, I think a better hook might have been the world in which they live. The jacket hints at some interesting stuff... but there's just no room for a slow start. I think I might be giving up on this one... which will be a first this summer.
And that's it for what I've been reading...in the fiction department, anyway. I'm still working on 70 Mistakes Writers Make...and the usual plethora of articles and blogs. As a reader of mostly nonfiction, all these stories are starting to seep into my interpretation of the world in a disappointing way. After reading HP, I was almost depressed that I lived in this boring world with no Hogwarts and no magic. I've got to admit, though, that that is the only fiction world in which I really want to live. And even then, I'd only want to live there if I'd gotten my Hogwarts letter. Now, I'd be gunning for a letter for Oliver... he'd look great in Ravenclaw robes. The thing is, reality is awfully dull in comparison to even the most depressing alternate world.
It all makes me think of my most recent Twitter follow - firstworldpains. It's a hilarious yet deeply depressing look at the things we westerners struggle with in our daily lives. Some pains include, "My dog doesn't fit in my Coach handbag," and "I accidentally walked to the non-automatic door at Target and I had to open it myself." Somehow I think that, even though I'd be unsuited for it, a life of struggles lends itself better to a depth of emotion that...matters. Of course it's easier for characters in books to fall in love - they're in life-or-death situations. Their emotions are already piqued, so they're primed for it... bring two (or three) people together under those circumstances, force them to rely on each other, and they'll automatically form a bond. It may or may not be genuine romantic love, but the urgency and necessity of it all falls easily to passion. They're clearly already capable of passion. And then we read books and watch movies and see all these people having thrilling romances...and want it. It kills authenticity, but that's ideals for ya... and entertainment. I'm having trouble deciding if I'm okay with this...
Anyway... It's 11. I need to get some stuff done before it gets too hot to do anything! The monsoons should arrive later this week...and I am THRILLED! The smell of rain in the afternoon... the dark skies and amazing sunsets... the electricity on the air... I really can't wait! Sadly, I think it's way too late to save our 4th of July, but hopefully we'll get some fireworks later in the year.
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