BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE // Nostalgia and Peace

Five Stars—ajklsdflk (when words fail to describe how wonderful a book is) 

As with THE RAVEN BOYS and THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Stiefvater, I first listened to BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE on audiobook, and it was phenomenal. 

The Characters

Greenmantle // Greenmantle is an odd villain; he’s truly terrible, and truly dangerous, but he fascinates me more than he scares me. Danger and evil seem almost to bore him. The best thing about him, though, is that Stiefvater makes him feel like a real person. 

Piper // Piper is even more interesting than her husband. Though she conforms to some of the more stereotypical female tropes (not to say that any of those are bad)—yoga, book clubs, buying small ugly dogs (okay, small ugly dogs are bad), etc.—she is also her own person. Like Greenmantle, she doesn’t seem to be able to feel fear or love. But, as my sister says, they still make a cute couple. 

Jesse Dittley // *eyes turn to hearts* I love Jesse. I love how Stiefvater puts his dialogue in all caps because it’s so big and boomy. I love how Stiefvater shows his dialectic speech more than she does with some of the other characters. And I love how he calls Blue “ant” and wonders if she’s short because she didn’t eat her vegetables. 

Adam’s father // Adam’s father, when shown through the lens of distance, is harder to fear because he’s easier to see. That’s not to say that his actions become justifiable, only understandable in terms of who he is: a petulant person, more child than man. 

Maura // Even though this book centers around her absence, I felt like I learned more about Maura in this story than I did in the two previous. Maura is wise and gentle and something other. She is like Blue and she is like the Gray Man and she is like a cup of Earl Grey tea with cream. 

Stiefvater's Writing

When I was trying to decide whether or not to buy IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma, I remember finding that the biggest issue negative reviewers had was the writing style. They complained that the prose was dense and hard to get into (in so many words). But if you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you’ve likely seen me mention how much I love everything about IMAGINARY GIRLS. “Liz,” you say, “you’re getting distracted. We were talking about BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE.” 

We are, don’t worry. I mention IMAGINARY GIRLS because I’ve seen several reviewers, even ones who like Stiefvater’s books, mention that it was hard to get into THE RAVEN BOYS because of the writing style. Stiefvater’s style, like Suma’s, is richer and asks to be read more slowly. It’s meant to be savored. The sentences are more out of the box; when I get stuck in a sentence structure rut, reading their work helps me to view writing in a new light. 

Obviously, my stylistic preferences won't always be yours. But if you happen to like Nova Ren Suma’s style, Stiefvater’s will likely appeal to you as well. 

The Atmosphere

I know I touched on atmosphere in my review of THE RAVEN BOYS, but I want to mention it again. Very rarely, when I’m reading, do I get truly absorbed. I can be head-over-heels for a story and still forget to pick it back up once I’ve put it down. But the Raven Cycle blocks out anxiety-driven distractions and overactive thoughts. Stiefvater’s writing steals me from my time and lands me in some strange in-between place where it’s always autumn, and always spring, where there’s always a cool breeze and rain and the sound of moving leaves and bird song in the morning. It slows my blood. 

While I mentioned that I love living in Virginia because it makes me think of this series, I feel it’s also important to mention that I may have been living in Virginia and enjoying it for a few months before I picked up the Raven Cycle, but it was the Raven Cycle that made me never want to leave. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? What are some books that make you feel peaceful? Do you like books that make you feel strangely nostalgic?

THE DREAM THIEVES // Things that go

Five Stars—ajklsdflk (when words fail to describe how wonderful a book is)

As with THE RAVEN BOYS, by Maggie Stiefvater, I listened to THE DREAM THIEVES on audiobook. The amazing thing about Will Patton’s narration is that I could still hear it in my head as I read the book through the second time, and it encouraged me to read more slowly, to savor the word choices and the sentence structure. 

The Characters. 

While I already discussed Blue, Gansey, Ronan, and Noah in my review of THE RAVEN BOYS, there are other characters I need to list as well. Because even though Stiefvater’s writing is filled with plot and mystery and tension, it still feels as though it’s the characters that drive it. 

Kavinsky // I don’t know if Kavinsky counts as a full-on antagonist in this book, but he certainly doesn’t make life better for Blue and the raven boys. He acts almost as a foil for Ronan, not because he is what Ronan is not, but because he is a polar opposite of what Ronan wants to become. 

The Gray Man // The Gray Man is a hit man. He is characterized by his lack of characterizing features. If I said I want to be him when I grow up, would you promise not to tell the police? He is the most well-rounded-without-being-overstated assassin character I have encountered in a while. He is a person who happens to be a hit man, rather than a hit man who happens to be a person. 

The Cars // THE DREAM THIEVES, more so than any of the other books in the Raven Cycle, is about cars. We have the Pig, Gansey’s ’73 Camaro, which has its share of mishaps and time-loopy weirdness. We have the Gray Man’s champaigne disappointment, a depressing rental car that features frequently. And we have Kavinsky’s white Mitsubishi Evo, which is a phenomena all its own. As an honorable mention, I can’t forget to include Ronan’s BMW. Basically, this book is a celebration of things that go, and I could not be more pleased (well, okay, I would be more pleased if Stiefvater had thought to include a Lamborghini). (Side note: There’s a dentist in my area who owns a yellow convertible Lamborghini, and I’ve seen it twice. I’ve also encountered a silver one in the wild. *dies of happiness*) 

Declan // Ronan’s older brother is a piece of work, and I’m still trying to map out the family dynamics, specifically the shared tension he and Ronan bring to the table. (Side note: There’s a Declan who goes to my church, and every time someone says his name, I flash back to the Raven Cycle. This is perfectly characteristic of how, even with more minor characters, Stiefvater’s writing leaves a mark on your consciousness.) 

Persephone // I love Persephone. That’s not to say I don’t like the others who live with Blue at 300 Fox Way: Maura, Calla, Orla, Jimi. (And I plan to talk about them in a later review.) But Persephone has always stuck out as my number one favorite. She is flaky and distracted, wise and perseptive, sad and cryptic. She seems simultaneously childlike and world-weary. 

In Conclusion. 

I’m finding that Stiefvater is neck-and-neck with Ray Bradbury for the title of "Liz’s Favorite Author" (which is, as you know, a prestigious position *cough cough*). I’ve also decided that, while I already own the whole Raven Cycle in hardcover, I want to purchase the set in paperback as well so I can go through and *gasp* underline and annotate and pull apart the stories so I can see how they tick (and hopefully learn more writing theory as a result). I plan to do this with THE SCORPIO RACES as well. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read THE DREAM THIEVES? What is your favorite Stiefvater book?

THE RAVEN BOYS // Bottled Virginia Magic

Five Stars—ajklsdflk (when words fail to describe how wonderful a book is)

When I picked up THE RAVEN BOYS, I did it more because several trusted friends had recommended it, and less because I was actually interested. Had I realized it was going to offer me a similar sort of moody realism to IMAGINARY GIRLS, I would have been much more excited. In the end, the biggest reason I decided to try THE RAVEN BOYS was because I was on an audiobook kick and there weren’t many options available at the library. Also, I had listened to THE SCORPIO RACES and enjoyed it, so I was grudgingly willing to read more by Maggie Stiefvater. (It’s weird how loving one book doesn’t necessarily translate to a desperate need to read more by the same author. Possibly I’m afraid of being disappointed by the rest of their work.) 

The Audiobook. 

Despite my minor obsession with them last year, I’m finding I'm not a huge fan of audiobooks. So often the narrator feels wrong for the story, and it taints my enjoyment. But Will Patton does a phenomenal, phenomenal job, I tell you. His voice is bottled Virginia magic. I prefer listening to it over reading the story with my eyes, as I did the second time through. 

The Characters. 

All of Stiefvater’s characters, however large or small of a role they play, don’t feel like portraits of humans, as so many characters do; they feel like actual humans. On that note, I’m convinced it would be worthwhile to base a writing program off Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle (and THE SCORPIO RACES). *takes notes* 

Blue // Blue is sensible but eccentric. While she is her own person, she is not the wild, reckless, wish-fulfillment type of character that has become prevelent in YA. She is sad and deep wihout being melodramatic. 

Gansey // Stiefvater is both cruel and brilliant to inform us, before we even officially meet him, that Gansey is going to die. I say brilliant, because I get the sense that Stiefvater's no push over, that she’s going to do what she’s been telling us she's going to do all along. I say cruel, because she then proceeds to write a character I can’t bear to lose. Gansey is studious, driven, thoughtful, kind, and yes, a bit arrogant and stupid about money and status, but he’s Gansey. I read about him and I hear his ghost saying “That’s all there is,” and my eyes get a little leaky. He doesn’t feel fictional; he feels real, like someone who ended a long time ago and needs to be remembered. 

Ronan // He is violent, predictable, and understandable. I simultaneously fear him and want him for a friend. His anger drives him, his pet raven humanizes him, and his secrets lend him depth. There’s so much to Ronan, so much I feel about him, and I can’t find a way to put any of it into words, because it’s more an indescribable swirl of color than a line of text. I can’t properly express how glad I am that he is getting his own trilogy. 

Noah // Noah is soft and sad and shadowy, and he breaks my heart. I want to keep him safe in my pocket wherever I go; I want to be his best friend. I can’t go into much detail about him without entering spoiler territory, but suffice it to say that, of all the character storylines in THE RAVEN BOYS, Noah’s is my favorite. 

Adam // I relate to Adam, and I pity him. I get a little angry, too, because he makes all his pain and anger worse by driving his friends away at crucial moments. I wish he would be willing to take help, wish he wouldn’t villify Gansey for offering it. That said, I understand why he feels the need to pull himself up by his bootstraps, though I worry that if he doesn’t learn to manage his desperate need for dignity, he could end up more like his father than is good for anyone. 

Henrietta // Although Henrietta is a town, it’s a character too. It fills the book, every corner, every nook and cranny of it. I love the sense of place. I love that I, too, live in Virginia. I love walking my landlord’s dog and pretending I’m in Henrietta, that I can hear the hum of the ley line, that when I round the corner, I could stumble across Blue and the Raven boys. 

The Atmosphere. 

The atmosphere in this story is so strong, I can taste it, smell it, touch it. I want it to replace my atoms. It’s like drinking straight nostalgia from a favorite mug. 

In Conclusion. 

I have read this book twice, and I already want to reread it. Rest assured, I will shove it in your face like I shoved IMAGINARY GIRLS in your face, and you will not hear the end of it until you cave and read it. Now I’m off to finish rereading BLUE LILY, LILY BLUE so I can maybe finally work up the courage to read THE RAVEN KING and see what happens. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read THE RAVEN BOYS? Have you read anything else by Maggie Stiefvater?

A Court of Mist and Fury // My Conundrum

Three Stars—Good

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES

Unlike with ACOTAR, I drafted this review the same day I finished reading A COURT OF MIST AND FURY. I think this calls for a celebratory coffee. 

The Rating and a Content Warning.

I wanted to cover this bit first because I think giving it three stars is a tad misleading. I was tempted to give it two stars; I was also tempted to give it four. Or five. Or one. (Okay, not one.) *headdesk* Let it be known, I enoyed ACOMAF, and part of the reason I took so long reading it (several months) was because I wanted to suffer from a book hangover for as short a time as possible (since A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN comes out in May). However, the biggest, BIGGEST reason why I docked two stars was the sexual content. I was warned that there would be some, but there was a good deal more than some. And I do not like sexy times in books. They make me uncomfortable, they gross me out, and they make me sad because I don’t feel super okay recommending books with this level of sexual content, even if I liked all the other parts. (I know I probably include this disclaimer a lot, but rest assured, if you loved, loved, loved this book, I’m not judging you. I’m just saying that stuff is not for me.) 

So, a word to the wise. 

Moving on. 

PTSD, Depression, Food, and Art. 

At the end of ACOTAR, after an extremely traumatizing ordeal Under the Mountain, Feyre is killed and then brought back to life as a High Fae (that was a lot of capitalization). Naturally, this has a lasting impact on her mental health. She finds herself unable to keep food down, unable to paint, unable to feel much of anything. I kind of felt her pain here, given some of the struggles I’ve been going through recently. It helped to have some perspective. 

Because I’m prejudiced against Romance (as a genre) in general, I hadn’t expected such an honest, nuanced representation of mental trauma. In this case, I wasn’t just surprised, I was moved. Even if this book had no other redeeming qualities, I would love it simply for how it shows Feyre’s emotional journey. 

Relationships.

I can’t go into much detail here without risking spoilers, so let me just say: I was intrigued by Feyre’s relationship with both Tamlin and Rhysand. Coming into the series, I had expected something a little different with regards to these three characters, but Maas ended up surprising me. Though I think I already know what’s going to happen now, I’m ohmygosh so excited to see how this trilogy ends. (And she’s writing three more books in the ACOTAR universe!?! WANT.) 

Small issues.

There are thick books, like THE HOST, where I genuinely believe that removing any detail (or word, or scene, etc.) would take away from the story, but there are more commonly cases with thick books, like ACOMAF, where I have to wonder if the book could have benefited with more tightening. That being said, I admire Sarah and her work ethic to the moon and back (and then to the moon again). Of all the writers I have stalked researched, I find her to be one of the most inspiring. It takes crazy amounts of time and effort to publish two thick books a year and not end up stabbing yourself in the eye with a pair of tweezers. So yeah, props to her. I just think she needed a bit more time. 

In Conclusion.

While there were some stylistic aspects I wasn't as much of a fan of, and while I don’t feel comfortable recommending this book, given how broad my blog audience is, I did enjoy the overall experience of the story and am excited to read A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read ACOMAF? What are some elements in stories that make you uncomfortable? What are some reasons why you might not recommend a book you enjoyed?

A Court of Thorns and Roses // An Overdue Review

Four Stars—Great

I had meant to post my review of Sarah J Maas’ A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES sometime during Valentine’s week. I’d also intended to review A COURT OF MIST AND FURY and CRUEL BEAUTY during that same week so I could tie them all together with a neat little bow, which obviously didn’t happen. I finished ACOMAF on the last day of February and, as of writing this post, still have yet to read CB. 

Le sigh. 

When I do get around to reading CB (and since my Kindle reading habits have been sporadic and spastic of late, who knows when that will be?), I still hope to do a post comparing and contrasting ACOTAR and CB. I also plan to buy A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN when it comes out, and I might even read and review it in a reasonable amount of time. We’ll see. 

For now, let’s talk about ACOTAR. 

The Set-Up.

While ACOTAR is primarily a “Beauty and the Beast” retelling (yay!), it also inlcudes elements of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” (a story that has haunted me for years) and “Tam Lin” (which I was less familiar with). When it comes to retellings, it can be difficult to process and repackage a popular, oft-retold story and still produce something fresh, which is why I think the combination of these three fairy tale storylines is one of ACOTAR’s greatest strengths. 

Feyre.

For whatever reason, I came into the story not expecting to relate to or appreciate Feyre all that much. I think this partially had to do with the fact that I knew ACOTAR is a romance (and if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that romance is usually a miss for me). But Feyre’s combination of tough and soft won me over. 

She sacrifices so much of her time and energy to support her family, which did remind me an awful lot of Katniss from THE HUNGER GAMES. Despite the similarities, though, Feyre is still her own character. She is practical, yet artistic, and she somehow finds a way to balance these two aspects of her personality. It can be so easy to see art as non-essential, the first thing to go when life gets hard, and I loved that it doesn’t get displaced in the face of Feyre’s abject poverty—that it’s recognized as a part of who she is. Also, I love that her relationship with painting mirrors her emotional state throughout ACOTAR and ACOMAF. 

Confession time.

Every time a book description mentions fairies/the fae, I find myself losing interest, even though I love books like THE PECULIAR and THRONE OF GLASS. I’m not really sure why this happens, it just does, and I almost skipped out on ACOTAR because it’s a) a romance and b) a book that heavily features the fae. However, I ended ACOTAR feeling more favorable to books of it’s ilk. I consider that a win. 

Content warning.

There is some sexual content, and I am squeamish, so that accounts for the dropped star. 

In Conclusion. 

I’m sad that I didn’t review this book right after reading it because, now that a fair amount of time has passed, my memory has gotten a bit vague on some of the nuances I wanted to discuss. The busier I get with writing, the more I find myself forgetting small details, like my name, or a book’s storyline, so I can’t give you as well-informed a recommendation as I had hoped. But I do remember that I very much enjoyed ACOTAR (especially the ending), and I will eventually want to reread it. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES? Will I ever spell “thorns” correctly on the first try? (No. Because I always type “throns.” Don’t ask me why.) What are some of your favorite fairytale retellings? Have you read CRUEL BEAUTY/do you recommend it?

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly // My Scary Best Friend

Note: Today I break from NaNoWriMo madness to bring you one last book review before November hits me like a confused airplane.

Rating: Five Stars—ajklsdflk (when words fail to describe how wonderful a book is)

Ever since I first heard about this book, even before it came out, I’d been dying to read it. Scratch that, ever since I first saw the cover, even before I read the summary, I’d been dying to read THE SACRED LIES OF MINNNOW BLY. Let’s just pause for a moment to appreciate how well-designed this cover is. I didn’t need to read the cover copy before I knew the story featured some sort of cult. But more importantly, the way the design focuses predominantly on the hands is absolutely beautiful, considering the fact that Minnow doesn’t have any hands. It’s like this cover did all the work for me. It let me know hands were going to be a MAJOR theme (which they are), and the formatting for the title made me look at exactly what that title is saying about Minnow’s mental state. 

I could go on for an absurdly long amount of time discussing the cover, but I will spare you that, at least for the present. So let’s talk about the book itself, shall we?

The Story. The Kevinian cult took Minnow’s childhood and her hands. Now that the Community has burned to the ground, and now that the police have found the Prophet Kevin’s body in the rubble, it is clear that Minnow knows something about what happened. Thrown into juvie for nearly beating a boy to death, Minnow keeps her deepest, darkest secrets to herself. But when the FBI detective assigned to her case offers her early freedom in exchange for information, Minnow must decide whether to face her past or embrace it. 

The Writing. I see first person present point of view used a lot, and I can tend to get a little tired of it, because I feel like some writers use it without really knowing how to use it. (Wow, that sounds rather arrogant. For shame, Liz. For shame.) It’s one of those writing styles that really really really lends itself to choppiness if you’re not careful (a problem I’ve noticed especially in the DIVERGENT trilogy). So right away, I was shocked by how good this usage of FPPPOV (we’re going to call it that for short) is. Stephanie Oaks’ style is lyrical and beautiful—some of the most poetic prose I’ve ever read. As I was reading, I didn’t have a single moment where I stopped to think that maybe I would have worded something differently, which is saying a lot, since I can be a rather critical reader. (I don't think I've been as impressed by a writing style since IMAGINARY GIRLS.)

Minnow. As someone who has spent the past couple years working through lies I have taught myself (and been taught) and false guilt I have taken as my own, I really related to Minnow’s struggle to unlearn all the things her cult had forced her to believe about life. Minnow isn’t soft or sweet or especially naive. Rather, she is smart and strong and more capable than she realizes. I can’t even put into words how much I love her character (and Angel’s), or even why I love it so much, just that I absolutely adored being inside her head, experiencing the space she has created in her mind and the inner freedom she has always cherished despite the restraints of her cult. In the face of incredible loss and pain, Minnow proves herself resilient. 

The Cult. I love literature and songs about cults. Last NaNoWriMo, one of my rough drafts was actually about a woman’s efforts to unearth the remains of a decades-dead cult and figure out what happened to the single reported survivor after she went missing. I’m really excited for editing that novel next year, because it’ll give me an excuse to research cults. But it’s not like I’d ever want to join one. I think I was just exposed to the concept of mass hypnosis, so to speak, at such a young age that it left an impression on me. I’m interested in the insane, the broken, and the delusional. The people who get swept up in cults like the Kevinian Cult are just the sort of people whose minds I want to analyze and dissect (metaphorically speaking, of course *puts down scalpel*). I love that THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY gives us a chance to peek into the psychology behind the lies that keep so many people following a harmful man. I love that it shows us the damage and the desensitization that takes place when people learn to crave the perceived safety of a narrow, unforgiving world. 

The Setting. Last but not least, we have the two settings featured in this book. We have the Community, which we witness through Minnow’s memory in all its raw awfulness, and we have juvie, which seems like such a safe, enlightened place in contrast. Since I haven’t read many (or any?) books set in juvie, this was a really nice change of scenery for me. 

In Conclusion. THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY is so good—it’s beyond good. I can’t even properly express to you how good it is, because the more I talk, the more I think I’ll start to sound like I’m secretly trying to get you to join a cult. It happens. So let me just say, if you are okay with some adult elements/language and a fairly significant amount of gore, I will happily shove this book in your face. It is one of my new all-time favorites, and I think it has the potential to become one of yours.

(Also, if you are interested in more cult-related things, check out this NaNo forum. It's totally not a cult.) 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY, and if so, what did you think? What are some excellent examples of first present POV? Do you have any recommendations for novels about cults?

WARM BODIES // I Promise, It Only LOOKS Like Necrophilia

Rating: Five Stars—ajklsdflk (when words fail to describe how wonderful a book is)

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the UK cover for WARM BODIES? It’s simultaneously morbid and elegant, which was why I had to buy this edition. (Also, the fun part of the physical book is that the brain stem and veins on the cover are raised like mountains on a topographical map, so you can stroke them, if you’re into being super creepy like that. *whistles casually*) 

Okay, okay, moving on. 

I have a confession to make. 

I am zombie trash. 

If you’ve been my friend on Goodreads for any amount of time, then you probably already know that. (You also probably know that I’m vampire trash, but we’re not going to talk about that. Shhh.) 

I almost broke with my typical Monday/Wednesday schedule and made this a full on zombie-themed week, since I have enough material to review a zombie novel EVERY DAY, plus a fun zombie-related thing on Wednesday. If I wasn’t trying to get all my posts through to the end of November edited before October 15th, I wouldn’t hold myself back. But as it is, I already have enough on my plate without adding extra. *sad face* 

Okay, time for another confession: With WARM BODIES, I watched the movie before reading the book. *hangs head* I’d been planning to borrow the audiobook from the library, but when I saw the movie was on VidAngel, I went ahead and watched it. And I absofreakinglutely loved it. Naturally I went ahead and bought the book so I could eat the author’s brain. I mean read it…with my eyes…

*clears throat* 

Side Note: Normally I do try to read the book before watching the movie, as I am a loyal bookworm, but I also tend to be more forgiving of the movie version if I watch it ahead of time. That way I’m not distracted and annoyed by all the differences. And if I love the movie, I am more likely to be forgiving of weaknesses in the book (as with THE MAZE RUNNER, which I felt was good, but not particularly well-written). 

So lets talk a bit about WARM BODIES. 

The Writing. The first thing you need to know about this book is that it is really well-written. I kept wanting to jump up and share random quotes with my sister, even though I’m normally not the type to do that. 

The Tone. While R’s narration is primarily funny in the movie, his narration in the book is not only humorous, but surprisingly introspective and wise. 

The Main Theme. As can be expected from a zombie story, WARM BODIES deals with what it means to be human and what it means to be alive. But we’re getting this from a unique view-point, since R is a zombie. 

The Story. When R encounters Julie on a hunt, instead of eating her, he rescues her and bring her back to the airport where he lives with a collection of other zombies. As R comes to know Julie, and even care about her, he begins to realize that he is not content as a corpse—he wants to be alive. 

And honestly, as weird—and wrong—as it sounds to contemplate a zombie/human romance (because necrophilia is messed-up), I really, really advise you not to judge this book by its premise. I’ve heard a people say harsh things about WARM BODIES without even knowing what the story is really about. (The rest of this section contains spoilers, so just highlight the blank part to read the text if you don’t mind being spoiled. Also, just so you know, I'm totally stealing TT's method of hiding spoilers.) [SPOILER] If you assume WARM BODIES is about necrophilia, you’re missing the point. It’s not about falling in love with a dead body. It’s not about sex. It’s not a twisted novel about twisted peopled doing twisted things. It’s about recognizing worth and value in a mind that can’t fully express itself. It’s about dying and then coming to life, because that’s what falling in love is like. The whole point of the story is that the zombie apocalypse wasn’t started by a virus or a curse. It was started because people simply stopped living. It started because people became dead inside, and the next step was to start devouring each other and decomposing. 

As R says:

“I think we crushed ourselves down over the centuries. Buried ourselves under greed and hate and whatever other sins we could find until our souls finally hit the rock bottom of the universe. And then they scraped a hole through it, into some…darker place."

The whole point of R and Julie’s relationship is that, when R falls in love, he begins to come to life. If you get all hung up on the idea of a human falling for a zombie, you miss the whole point that this whole shocking set up was set up to make. At its core, it’s not about a human falling for a zombie or a zombie falling for a human—it’s about a zombie falling for life. [END SPOILER]

The Characters. R is one of my favorite narrators of all time. He’s a packrat, romantic zombie with a conscience. I’m not sure how much better it can get than that. 

I also really love Julie. She is smart and strong and brave and refreshingly different. She’s very much alive in her own sharp, wistful, angry way. Normally I don’t find the potential romantic interests particularly well-matched to other each other, so it’s always nice to fall for both sides of a ship. 

Then there’s M, and he’s just perfect. He’s the perfect sidekick, the perfect comic relief, and the perfect second-in-command (of sorts) to R. 

Nora is great too. She is subversive and independent, hardened yet vulnerable. Perhaps my only problem with the movie version is that, while Nora is a POC in the book, they used a white actress. Because apparently it’s impossible to find a black actress for the role. *angrily punches zombie in the face* 

The Parallel. [SPOILER] We need to talk about the whole Romeo and Juliet set up, right down to the balcony scene and the feuding families (alive people vs. zombies). Even the ending parallels ROMEO AND JULIET, since R is already dead (though coming alive) and Juliet’s brief eye color change after the kiss indicates a temporary transition to zombie status. I don't think it's meant to be a retelling of ROMEO AND JULIET, per se, but the elements are there, and I love it. [END SPOILER]

In Conclusion. I have nothing else to say. I feel like R. I have all these happy thoughts about WARM BODIES stuck in my head, but all I can do is bang the keyboard a couple hundred times in an attempt convince you of this story’s amazingness. Dlfkajsdf asdlfkjasfdk as;lfjasldfkj

As you might have gathered, it's one of my new all-time favorite books. 

Go forth. Read.

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read WARM BODIES? Have you seen the movie? Which do you prefer? What are some of your favorite zombie novels?

MISERY // Excuse Me While I Hide

 

Rating: Five Stars—ajklsdflk (when words fail to describe how wonderful a book is)

MISERY is my first Stephen King book, and I came into it with a little trepidation, because I wasn’t sure what to expect. (Fun fact: I used to live about two hours away from where Stephen King lives in Bangor, Maine, and I’ve been to Bangor multiple times. To my knowledge, I never ran into him though, so that’s depressing. My new claim to fame, now that I’ve moved, is that I live approximately forty-five minutes away from Maggie Stiefvater.) 

The Plot. When Paul Sheldon’s legs are shattered in a terrible car accident, Annie Wilkes rescues him and gives him medical care. Unfortunately, Annie is Paul’s number one fan, and she is furious when she learns that Paul kills off her favorite character, Misery Chastain, in his latest novel. Soon Paul realizes he has only two options—write a new book bringing Misery back to life, or die horribly at the hands of the increasingly psychotic Annie. 

The Writing. Having never read any of Stephen King’s work before, I wasn’t sure exactly what his drawing power was, but now I understand why so many people love his books. From the tangible details to the well-rounded characters, his writing is hypnosis. Through some strange writing magic, he manages to create just the right balance of tension, suspense, and reality. In fact, I think the scariest thing about this story is the feeling that it could actually happen outside of fiction, or rather, that it has already happened. 

The Setting. I’m listing the setting before the human characters, because the setting is a character in and of itself. I felt like I too was trapped in Annie’s house, living through the horrors alongside Paul Sheldon. And I don’t typically get absorbed in a book’s setting quite like that. Normally I can get a good idea of the layout of a fictional world, but in this case, I could see all the rooms, the halls, the locked doors and the furniture, as well as all the surrounding landscape. I felt the horror of the place. Again, in keeping with how real the plot is, I almost felt like I could grab a map, hop in my car, and drive to visit Annie’s house to see for myself how it looks. 

Paul Sheldon. While I wouldn’t say that Paul is my favorite main character of ever, or that he would be a person I’d love to meet in real life, I think he’s perfect for the story. He is the most well-written writer I’ve encountered thus far—the most convincingly real fictional writer. Often I think authors romanticize their work when they write about writers, that they get carried away and overly idealistic. But I related to Sheldon on so many levels, it wasn’t even funny. And because I could connect, as a writer, with his own thoughts about writing and struggles with writing, I felt he was the perfect narrator. 

Annie. *checks closet* *checks entire apartment* *hides all sharp objects* I know she’s fictional. I know. I’m repeating that over and over from the back of the aforementioned closet, as I rock back and forth with my knees tucked to my chest, listening for the sounds of footsteps in the kitchen. But she feels so real, I kept half expecting to look up from my Kindle to find her staring down at me with an axe in her hand. 

Now, I love reading about characters with mental illnesses of all sorts, ranging from mild autism to psychopathy, but I would have to say Annie is my favorite one yet. Her disjointed, child-like and sadistic insanity is so well-written and so chaotically understandable, I found myself wishing she was a real person so I could interview/observe her and do up a whole psych profile on her. (All this with a lot of bullet proof glass and steel bars between us, naturally.) And if I haven’t managed to sell you on the idea of her yet, let me put it this way: She takes rabid fangirl to a WHOLE new level. 

Content Warning. I loved this book, and I would recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach who doesn’t mind strong language and mild sexual content. Again, I stress, if you are at all bothered by violence and disturbing elements, this is NOT the book for you (and there’s no shame in that). BUT, if you aren’t bothered by these things, then I will gladly shove MISERY in your face because IT IS SO GOOD. 

In Conclusion. I haven’t read anything quite like this before, and it surprised me in the way that I like to be surprised. I mean, come on, it’s a book about a guy writing for his life, for crying out loud. What’s not to love? I definitely plan to read more from Stephen King (although cautiously, because he’s so good at scaring me it scares me, and I don’t scare easy when it comes to books). I’m thinking of reading UNDER THE DOME next (along with ON WRITING and one of his co-written short story/novella things), but I would appreciate your recommendations if you happen to have a favorite Stephen King book. I feel like he’s written a small library, so it’s rather difficult to choose. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read MISERY? Have you seen the movie version? (I haven’t seen it yet, but I’d be curious to know if you think it’s any good.) Who is your favorite fictional writer? Who is your favorite fictional insane person? Also, if you're curious about my DIVERGENT discussion, I will be continuing that next week. 

THE BOOK OF THE BIZARRE // A Jumping Off Point

Rating: Three stars—Good

Basically, Varla Ventura’s THE BOOK OF THE BIZARRE is a collection of morbid and strange factoids. It includes a fair amount of information on a wide number of phenomena and happenings and suchlike, and it’s great—to a point. Some of the trivia is nothing special—for instance, I think most people know that toenails grow more slowly than fingernails since we have to cut our fingernails more often. But for all the information that wasn’t new to me, there was plenty of information that was. 

If you enjoy research as much as I do, and if you’re as morbid as I am, then I highly recommend this book to you because it is a great starting point for more research. I have yet to finish looking up all the stuff that caught my interest. If you’re a writer, especially of the morbid and macabre, you will probably get a few plot bunnies. But, if you don’t like going to secondary sources to read up on things, this book might not be for you. Most of the facts and anecdotes are rather abbreviated and are only worth reading as prompts for further research. On their own, they don’t have too much value. Also, there are some consistency errors within the text, and more than a few of the stories seemed quite implausible, to the point where I can’t recommend this book to gullible people who don’t fact check. (Grandmotherly reminder: It might be printed in a book, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.) 

I got my copy for a dollar at a library sale, and the physical edition itself is attractive. I’m glad I read it (and glad I own it) because it makes for an interesting conversation starter and it’s given me more things to go out and learn about on my own time. But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to you if you were thinking about buying it at market value, because you could just as easily scour the internet for creepy and strange facts without needing to pay a dime. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Do you like reading books of facts? Do you like doing research?

VINEGAR GIRL // A Tiny Bookish Recommendation

Rating: Five Stars—ajklsdflk (when words fail to describe how wonderful a book is)

I won an ARC of VINEGAR GIRL by Anne Tyler in mid-February, but I haven’t wanted to post my review until closer to the release date. Since June is its release month, I no longer have any excuse to procrastinate. 

Strangely enough, I don’t have a lot to say about this one. It’s not that I didn’t think it was deep or important, just that it was like a nice cup of tea. You quietly appreciate the taste, you finish drinking it, and then you move on to other cups of tea. You don’t necessarily feel the need to explain to everyone just how wonderful that specific cup of tea was and why.  But that doesn't mean you loved the tea any less. (Can you tell I’m drinking tea at the moment? My brain is very confused because the tea is not coffee.) 

The Story. Essentially, VINEGAR GIRL is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. While Anne Tyler keeps a lot of the basic plot points, she also takes a fair amount of poetic license with the story. As evinced by my five-star rating, despite my love for the original, I’m a big fan of the changes she’s made. She’s simplified the story and taken out a measure of the dramatic, leaving it safe and cozy, but by no means boring. The characters are unique, charming, and lovable (except Bunny—I hate Bunny).

The Tone. Overall, the tone is lighter and quieter. Anne Tyler’s Kate is vinegar where Shakespeare’s Katherine is acid. I felt I was more able to relate to Kate, from her lack of romantic ideas to her propensity toward being a well-meaning bad influence on children. She’s not violent or especially bitter like Katherine—she simply has a mind of her own. 

Highlights. VINEGAR GIRL offers important observations on life and feminism, such as the fact that women are often treated as more valuable once they are engaged/married. 

Style. Anne Tyler’s writing style is quirky and refreshingly different from what I ordinarily read. I’ll have to see about stealing borrowing more of her novels from the library. 

In Conclusion. I highly recommend this book, especially for women, feminists, and all other literate humanoids. 

What about you, my little coffee beans? Have you read any Shakespeare retellings? Are you surprised that I didn’t have a lot to say on this one? (Because I am.) Stay tuned because in a month or so I will be reviewing another modern Shakespeare retelling.

Mini Reviews: UNDER THE NEVER SKY, THE YOUNG ELITES, and THE SHIFTER

Note: Since I've finally decided to claim my blog on Bloglovin', here's the link: Follow my blog with Bloglovin. (You're under no obligation to follow, of course.)

Warning: As always, I try to stay relatively spoiler free. But it doesn’t hurt to proceed with caution.

UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Rating: Two stars—Meh

 

On the whole, I don’t think UNDER THE NEVER SKY lives up to its potential. While there were things I genuinely liked about it, I spent most of the book feeling disinterested and disappointed. I mean, the first bit of action with Aria is great and I was all excited for a sci-fi, dystopian with lots of mental landscapes and hordes of people who can’t bear reality. Then the narrative switched to Peregrine’s view point, and I just got kind of…bored. Sure, he’s a cool guy who can smell people’s emotions and see well in the dark. Plus he’s hot (according to Aria). What’s not to like about him? But he lives in a village and hunts for a living and deals with typical medievalish problems. That’s not to say I don’t like stories about that sort of thing, but I was expecting UNDER THE NEVER SKY to be techy and cool and futuristic. I was not prepared for chickens and blood lords and savages with weird super senses. Probably this is my fault, because if I had read enough about the book before I started, I would have known what I was getting into. My bad.

However, I was thrown off for other reasons as well. The romance is creepy and weird, and the transformation between “I hate you” to “I love you” hinges on a rather superficial event. Not to mention, it’s a tad upsetting to know Perry can smell all of Aria’s emotions (and he won’t stop sniffing her #awkward). Give poor Aria a little privacy, please and thank you.

What disappointed me the most, though, was the dystopian element itself. For one thing, Perry’s culture, which takes up most of the book, doesn’t feel hugely dystopian. I mean, sure, Perry and his brother (who happens to be in charge) don’t get along, and the Aether might possibly torch the place, and the people might starve. But none of those things are characteristically dystopian, in the strictest sense—they just happen to be obstacles in the way of happily ever after.

 

For another thing, I wanted to spend more time in the Pods. The people of Reverie (one of the Pods), always wear Smarteyes, devices that allow them to live in hundreds of virtual realms while they go about their daily lives. Aria has been told that people began using Smarteyes as means of entertainment because the Pods are super boring. But that feels like an overly simplistic answer. I want to know why people chose unproductive technology over other forms of entertainment, such as invention and industry and physical play. I want to know the deep hurts in society—the roots of this issue. The Smarteyes—the need to constantly daydream and the fulfillment thereof—are a symptom, and I want to know the cause. Rossi doesn’t dwell on that. Maybe she expands the sci-fi and psychological elements further in the rest of the trilogy (which I do plan to read at some point), but I would have appreciated a more solid first book.

 

THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu

Rating: Three stars—Good

 

I like this story, and I don’t like it (which is my typical reaction to anything by Marie Lu). On the one hand, I love Lu’s ability to create dark atmosphere and heightened tension; but on the other hand, I always find her character dynamics a little lacking. At first I was a bit iffy about the premise, the idea that a mysterious plague has given some of its victims strange (and random) powers, like the ability to control wind, the ability to create illusions, and the ability to affect emotions. But I liked that is was supposed to be a villain’s origins story, so I finally took the plunge.

In some ways, Adelina (our main character) did not disappoint me. She is selfish, sadistic, and warped. Her father’s cruelty haunts her, and her sister’s goodness burns her. Unfortunately, I feel that Marie Lu spent more time telling us (through Adelina) that Adelina is all these things, rather than just showing us through actions. I also got a little (translation=a lot) skittish about Adelina’s crush on Enzo, because let’s face it, she knows that he’s an equally sadistic jerk. He mistreats her and she still gets the hots for him. Umm… Granted, I know she’s messed up and all, but really?

The ending though—the ending won me over. I may feel dubious about the plausibility of many Marie Lu plot points, and I may cringe a little at some of the characterizations and relationships and whatnot, but let it never be said I don’t appreciate the emotion Lu is able to convey so well. There is that.

 

THE SHIFTER by Janice Hardy

Rating: Four Stars—Great

 

Right from the start, I fell in love with this book. It has that perfect blend of quirky narrative and intriguing premise that I tend to crave. Maybe the concept isn’t wholly original, but I’ve never seen anything like it before. Unlike the Healers in the league who remove pain from people’s bodies and transfer it to enchanted Pynvium, Nya can shift pain into other people, a talent that makes her a valuable commodity to those with unsavory intentions. When her sister, Tali, goes missing, Nya must determine what morals she is willing to cast aside in order to get her back.

I love the dynamic here, the way Nya wants to be a good person and not hurt people and all that fun stuff, and the way she justifies her compromises throughout the narrative. I also like how often she remembers her Grannyma’s rather interesting words of advice. Her personality and her backstory feel real and full, yet the author doesn’t spend a long time giving us a huge info dump on the subject.

Also, the world-building is great. From the Healer’s League to the docks, we get to see the contrast between the upper class and the lower class, the ones who can afford healing whatever the cost, and the ones who struggle each day just to find a job so they can eat. I think the setting might have some Egyptian influences, but don’t quote me on that.

Ultimately, I’m glad Janice Hardy didn’t feel the need to send her characters on a quest in order for her story to be a “proper fantasy”, but I do think she could have made life a little more difficult for her darlings. What am I saying, though? I’m just sore that the story ended so quickly, because I WANT MORE. And I want Nya and Danello to become a thing. Aasdfjlksdfk. That is all.

Well, that’s it for today, my little coffee beans. What are your thoughts on these books? Have you read any of them? Do you know if the sequels to UNDER THE NEVER SKY are any good?

DOCTOR HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG: Which One's the Villain?

 

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Note: So, as you may have noticed, I’m not reviewing a book today. That’s because I’ve decided to mix things up a little. From now on, I’ll be using Mondays to review/discuss all sorts of media—books, music, movies, TV shows (basically anything I feel like).

Warning: THIS POST WILL SPOIL EVERYTHING.

           If you haven’t seen the show, it’s only 43 minutes, and you can watch it right here because I’m nice and I’ve provided the link for you. And, just as further warning, there are three mildly inappropriate bits. If you are concerned about this, all you need to do is mute or skip from 24:22-25:08, 28:20-28:34, and 31:32-31:38. DOCTOR HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG is unrated, but factoring in violence, innuendo, and language, I’d give it a mild PG-13. And if you’re like me and you’re wondering if it’s legal for this to be online, trust me, in this case it really is fine. When Joss Whedon and his gang released this video, they released it directly to YouTube, so there’s nothing to worry about. Problem solved. [Translation: Joss Whedon might possibly be my hero.]

 

Okay, now that we’re done with the really long disclaimer, let’s get down to the fun stuff. But if you haven’t seen the show already, I highly recommend that you do so before you read any further. Seriously, I’m not sure this post will make sense if you haven’t watched the show. And it’s a really good show, even if the title is a little weird.

That said, the major question I had at the end of DOCTOR HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG was, “Which one’s the villain?”

Let’s start with our main character, Doctor Horrible (aka, Billy Buddy). With his penchant for petty theft and his eagerness to become part of the Evil League of Evil, it seems pretty obvious that he would be our prime candidate. Beyond that strike against his character, he has a few other things going against him. Like your average creep, he follows Penny on her date with his nemesis, Captain Hammer.

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           And when Hammer pushes Billy past his breaking point, Billy decides to murder the Captain. Seems clear-cut, huh?

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But wait.

Doctor Horrible does not fit your average, two-dimensional, villain mold. Oh no. Despite his evil laugh and his mad genius goggles, he also has a good heart and an interesting (if not entirely spot-on) moral compass. And fortunately, since he’s the main character, we get a unique look into his perspective and the motivations that drive him.

           So let’s take a peek at some of the things that might make him “the good guy”. Before Captain Hammer rubs his relationship with Penny in Doctor Horrible’s face, the doctor really has no desire to kill anyone, even though he’s required to do so in order to get into the Evil League of Evil (run by Bad Horse, the Thoroughbred of Sin). Though Doctor Horrible harbors a secret crush on Penny, he doesn’t pressure her to like him back or force himself on her in any way—in fact, he can be very respectful (you know, when he’s not stalking her).

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           While most villains operate with anarchy as their main goal, Billy views anarchy as a tool necessary to overthrow the broken system that guides humanity.

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           Whatever the case, he has his finger on the pulse of human nature, and he recognizes the evil that lurks in the heart of humankind. He doesn’t embrace corruption—in his own weird way, he hopes to fight it.

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(Also, it could be argued that, had the freeze ray not chosen to malfunction at a critical moment, it’s possible Doctor Horrible might have been unable to go through with the murder of Captain Hammer. But that’s all speculation, and it’s a moot point since the freeze ray DID malfunction. Moving on.)

Now for our next villain candidate: Captain Hammer. As the one who sets himself up against Doctor Horrible, it seems pretty obvious that Captain Hammer is our hero. After all, he continually thwarts the Doctor’s nefarious schemes, he rescues Penny, and he helps the homeless. Pretty great guy, huh?

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Unlike other heroes, though, Captain Hammer is a major jerk. Throughout the story, it’s obvious to everyone except Penny that he doesn’t respect her—doesn’t even see her as more than an object for his own amusement. In fact, I find it very telling that he rescues Penny from the runaway van by shoving her into a pile of trash bags—because, had Penny lived, that’s exactly what he would have done to her in the end. He would have grown tired of her, dumped her like garbage, and moved on to the next good-looking girl.

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Ultimately, he’s only concerned with what he can get and by how people see him.

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           As long as the masses fall at his feet, worshiping him for his heroic deeds and his good looks, then he doesn’t worry about whether he’s doing good or not. He looks down on those he considers lower than himself, and continually reminds them of his perceived superiority. And, unlike Doctor Horrible, he doesn’t care about correcting the rampant problems in society (such as the homelessness epidemic), unless by doing so he can make himself look great.

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           “Wait Liz,” you say, “he does do nice stuff—he does help the homeless.”

           But my question is, if you do nice stuff for bad reasons, does that really make you a hero?

Right about now, you might be thinking “Just be done, okay. He’s hot, Liz, so don’t question him.”

To which I answer, “Wait, there’s more.”

As Doctor Horrible points out in his song (“Slipping”), Captain Hammer’s disguise is slipping—more and more, what lies beneath his “nice guy” exterior is becoming evident.
 

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When Captain Hammer comes across true pain, the kind he has so enjoyed inflicting on Doctor Horrible, he runs screaming from the room, knocking over a lady on the way out.

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           The fact that, by doing so, he’s leaving Penny skewered with death ray shrapnel, isn’t at all important to him—and maybe you could argue that he couldn’t have known so he isn’t to blame. Fair point. But if he were a true hero, even though he’s in pain (and not visibly wounded), his first priority should be the well-being of others. Considering that the death ray explosion occurred in his attempt to kill Doctor Horrible and thus is his fault, it’s his responsibility to make sure no one is injured.

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           Instead he thinks only of himself, leaving Doctor Horrible to sit with Penny during her last moments.

“Okay, Liz, you’ve made your point. Can I go home now?”

Wait, I’m still not done. Because there’s one more villainous candidate.

“WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING. TELL ME YOU’RE JOKING.”

I’m not joking.

Because our next candidate is Penny—sweet, innocent, naïve little Penny who harbors such compassion for the dark and gritty areas of society.

“Liz, you monster, I can’t believe you. Poor darling Penny has probably never hurt anyone or anything in her life. She puts herself at risk just to collect signatures for a building she hopes to convert into a homeless shelter. Even to the end, despite the way he treats her, she still refuses to recognize the evil in Captain Hammer. She doesn’t judge Doctor Horrible. And she’s just so stinking nice. Liz, you really are a heartless, soulless, cold—”
 

All this I know.

“Didn’t you listen to the songs? Didn’t you hear Penny say she believes there’s good in every heart? Didn’t you—”

There you have it, and I couldn’t have said it better myself. Yes, Penny is a sweetie, and I’m not arguing so much that she is the problem, but that she has contributed to the problem. And please don’t assume that I’m at all victim-blaming. The fault of her death lies with both Captain Hammer and Doctor Horrible, and we can discuss the blame at a later date. But as Billy so aptly points out, Penny is treating a symptom—homelessness—rather than the problem.

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           And you can’t help people until you find out what’s wrong with them. Sure, if you have a headache, I could give you ibuprofen, but that really won’t take care of your festering brain tumor. If I were truly concerned about you, I’d do everything I could to make sure someone took that tumor out of you before it killed you.

I’m not blaming Penny for wanting to help the homeless—I think that’s admirable of her, and we need more people willing to do that. Honest to goodness, that’s not the issue. But I want to challenge her ideology. If there really is good in every heart, then why do homeless people exist in the first place? When Penny dies, she dies believing that Captain Hammer is her shining, selfless hero and that Billy is her sweet laundry buddy.

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            And while that makes Penny a genuinely loveable person, in order to help people, you have to see them as they really are, broken and messy and imperfect. No one is going to save the world through idealism—and rose-tinted glasses have a way of blinding people to reality.

 

So there you have it, your three candidates. Now who do you think is the true villain? Or is it fair to single out only one individual? Also, on a scale of one to ten (ten being the greatest), how mean am I for even considering Penny as one of the baddies?