Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!
For some reason, I can't get this song out of my head. And I think I kn
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!
For some reason, I can't get this song out of my head. And I think I know the reason why:
Because I did not like this book... like at all.
We rarely get Chinese-inspired YA books published by American publishers - so taking that into consideration plus that pretty cool hand-drawn cover, I was seriously psyched to read this. I couldn't wait to get to know a rootable, sympathetic, bad-ass Chinese heroine and be a part of her journey in knowing who she really was and her role in the grander scheme of things; I was stoked to be immersed in a setting deeply rooted in Chinese culture - the food, the architecture, the atmosphere, the words, and the mythology surrounding mythical beings and urban legends; I was and best of all, I was thrilled to witness a romance so exciting between a handmaiden and a false monk, excited to be engrossed in lyrical writing that would give me the bestest ever reading experience.
Long story short: I experienced none of these things.
So, um, baaah.
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The major reason why this book is not getting more than 2 stars from me? The writing. The writing was so unnecessarily wordy. Now, don't get me wrong - I've read humongous books before. I mean, Brandon Sanderson churned out two 1000-pages books in his Stormlight Archive and I gobbled all that up with a big smile on my face, asking for more. Uprooted was pretty wordy as well, but because the writing flowed so well, but because the writing was just downright beautiful, it's not hard to fly through it.
This is where Serpentine is different: the writing is full of unnecessary details - of the surroundings, of what the characters are doing at every second in minute triviality. Like, this book literally took pages just to describe Skybright's walking (or slithering?) into the forest as she tried to look for Kai Sen and/or Zhen Ni. Sometimes, it would keep repeating the same sentiments over and over. And you know what makes it worse? THE WALLS OF TEXT. On my Kindle, this had about 3500 locations, but the book felt so much longer because of he walls of text every time we're not in a conversation between two people. Walls of text, and then unnecessary details, plus the "telling than showing" narrative? Good lord, exhaustion galore. I wouldn't have minded the first one if the writing was amazing to consume ala Libba Bray or Helene Wecker, but it wasn't, it was just so tedious. Halfway into the book, I started skipping pages when it was all about the *~*~*~details~*~*~* and only came back reading when something vital happened.
I didn't miss a damn thing.
BUT! It doesn't end there. Sometimes, a boring narrative can be tolerable as long as there's a heroine you can root for, a heroine with an engaging personality. Skybright was unfortunately as interested as watching paint dry. She was the handmaid of Zhen Ni, the youngest daughter of the Yuan household. She couldn't marry, and could never leave her mistress' side, unless of course, she was relinquished of this position, but seeing as these two had grown up like sisters, that wasn't something that could have happened anytime soon. I get that because she was the handmaid, she couldn't be too strong on the personality side, but goodness gracious, she was so, so, so, so, so, so flat. Was it the monotonous narrative? Was it because majority of the time, it was all about the details, that this heroine didn't shine? I'm not sure, but all I know is I was so detached from her.
I couldn't even bring myself to care when the narrative was about her internal conflicts, which usually started with a question...
What would happen if she changed with her mistress beside her? Skybright's throat closed at the thought. She heard Zhen Ni's steady breathing, and slipped out of bed and into a courtyard dimly lit by starlight.
When she had shifted, it was always at nighttime - she only wished she knew what triggered it, so she could anticipate it. Could she control it somehow? Will it away when it happened? Skybright sat on the stone bench beneath a peach tree, digging her toes into the earth and enjoying its coolness.
Ugh, ugh, ugh. The monotonous narrative just made me want to bang my head onto a wall. Am I the only one? AM I???
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This makes me real sad because despite the overwhelming details, it wasn't immersive enough. The details may have been in abundance, but they were about shallow things, and thus, the world-building wasn't really given that much of an emphasis, in my opinion. Like, the only stuff we got about the backstory of the Serpent Demon were from a fricking textbook, and that took like half a page, and some words in passing from this guy called Stone (heh). I couldn't even picture the Kingdom of Xia - like were the Yuans a close relative of the Emperor? What kind of business did the master of the household do? Can the Ghost Festival be described in better detail other other than it being that event where ghosts come out?! I mean, come on! I want to get to know this culture more and the ones I got felt half-assed at most.
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Plus, I didn't ship the ship.
First meeting: you guys saw each other for only a few seconds, AND at a distance.
Second meeting: you guys meet each other in the woods, by accident, even. You talk a bit.
Third meeting: YOU FUCKING KISS?! WHAT THE FUCK?!
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Kai Sen was an intriguing character IN PAPER. I mean, he's a false monk, for crying out loud! That screams panty-dropping already, but like Skybright, he was as flat as a cardboard. He was way too too-good-to-be-true, who didn't have any actual intriguing thing about him, who was drawn to Skybright and dropped the L-bomb despite their lack of romantic development (or at least a development that felt meaningful). This aspect felt so shallow, too, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about these two, even when Skybright was having her heart-clutching moments thinking of him or with him. And me? I was all...
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Sigh. I don't think I'll be checking out Book 2 at this point. HOWEVER, take this opinion as one opinion too many. Majority of the reviews have been positive so far, so I am clearly in the minority. You may still like this book so go ahead and try. As for me? Game over....more
THIS IS THE DA BEST YA ASIAN HORROR BOOK EVERRRRR!!!! This book seriously left me flabbergasted - and in a good way. I loved The G[image]
THIS IS THE DA BEST YA ASIAN HORROR BOOK EVERRRRR!!!! This book seriously left me flabbergasted - and in a good way. I loved The Girl from the Well - it was scary and legitimate, it felt legitimate, and it really captured the thoughts of a ghost really well. I mean, of course I don't know how ghosts think, but the thoughts of Okiku in that book felt more realistic and so out there and so... vengeful and lonely in such a ghost-ly way. That's why I was so wary of picking up the second installment because I didn't want it to tarnish my love for the first book.
But of course, naive Faye was being naive because this book ROCKED MY SOCKS!
Or, to put it in more accurate terms... IT SCARED THE LIGHTS OUT OF ME!
I never expected this book to be so much better than its first installment, especially since we don't get Okiku's POV here at all - only Tark's - but goodness gracious me, I started reading this at 3:00 AM (a.k.a. the hour where ghosts and spirits and demons are supposedly at their strongest) and felt every hair on my body stand up on end due to fright and a very wild imagination. I had to sleep with my back facing the mirror, just in case... you know... GHOSTS AND STUFF. So what is Tark and company to do when an American ghost adventure crew and his friend Kagura go missing in Japan in their pursuit to find a legendary, lost village?
The best thing about this book that made it so scary to me was the mystery and history Tark and his friends had to unravel and solve in order to get out of their rather unfortunate situation alive. Have you guys ever heard of the Aokigahara in Japan? It's basically a huge land of trees and forage in this mountain where there is this sense of peacefulness and melancholy althroughout. It is also called Suicide Forest because this is a popular spot for people to hang and kill themselves. The fact that a century ago, there was a village here that did ancient, dark rituals? Aha, now you have yourself a pretty intriguing, mystifying, and creepy premise. This aspect here really made the book come alive for me... I could just imagine Tark and Okiku innocently walking in the forest looking for their friends, and then BAM, a village appears right in front of them that has been left to rot for years. Where is everybody? Why are there creepy dolls in the houses? HOLY SHIT, IS THAT A DEAD GIRL CRAWLING AT US AND MAKING STRANGE CACKLING SOUNDS OF DEATH?!
The mystery of the village, the backstory, how they were all presented and laid-out were just so well-done. It had the essence of that mysticism and uneasiness that you usually find in Japanese horror when you combine a bit of history, dark magic, and of course, mythology/urban legends. It had the atmosphere done right, too! I was legitimately scared while reading this. THIS IS NOT A JOKE. I WAS CLUTCHING MY BABY BOSTON TERRIER IN ONE ARM WHILE HOLDING MY COPY IN ANOTHER BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS STILL IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING. If you have played Fatal Frame (Japanese puzzle horror game where you walk around villages and houses trying to solve a riddle while battling ghosts with a camera), or have watched Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, then you should know what I'm talking about, and you should be expecting the same here. Creepy dolls used as vessels, dead girls coming at you full of vengeance and wrath, an ancient dark magic ritual and a tragic history... yep, this is what I'm talking about, baby.
The air changes. Then that invisible spider crawls up my spine, tickling the hairs behind my neck. I have come to know this spider these last couple of years. It whispers there's something else in the room, breathing with you, watching you, grinning at you. I hate that damn spider. For one moment, the doll's stringy brown hair flitters a shiny black under the fluorescent lights. For one moment, the doll's glassy gaze takes on the faintest tinge of malicious self-awareness. For one moment, that thing's head breaks through the water's surface and looks at me.
And there was Tark... Tark's POV made everything else so much better. He had this humor that was so amazingly done and quite realistic. I really love this guy. He was someone who didn't care what others think about him, and someone who didn't scorn the fact that he was stuck with a ghost 24/7. Then again, Okiku was a pretty kick-ass female ghost so I wouldn't be complaining, either! I love how despite the fact that he was scared of what's to come (unlike other pseudo alpha male heroes, this guy doesn't battle it out with a vengeful ghost without preparing just because he can), he's still so determined to protect those who are dear to him. He still gets scared. As in piss-my-pants-scared-and-vomit-my-guts-out-scared, but he's so brave for still walking forward and facing whatever atrocities not only to save his friends but also for the innocent souls that were still writhing in agony and suffering.
Plus, did I mention how he was funny?
Don't look behind you. Don't look behind you. Don't look behind you. That's how people die in movies. Don't look behind you.
I look behind me.
*SNORT*
I scan the room with my flashlight, trying to listen for any sounds of scratching and thumping, but I don't seem to be sharing the space with anyone else, incorporeal or otherwise. Then I devote a minute or two to rocking myself on the floor and whimpering, because holy hell, that was scary as fuck.
DON'T WORRY, TARK. I AM WHIMPERING RIGHT BESIDE YOU.
Six girls meant six dolls. I now understand the purpose of one-man tag in this village. To contain their ghosts, I'll have to play with each of them.
"Oh, shit," I say again, just because I can. The thought of playing another game of one-man tag is enough to make me weep, let alone six more.
I WISH YOU LUCK, BIG GUY. BUT I BELIEVE IN YOU.
And damn, the mystery, plot, atmosphere, creepiness - they all fucking delivered, man. I was a very happy woman when I finished this book, even more so with the ending. THAT ENDING. THAT FLAWED, REALISTIC, AND YET SO UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING ENDING THAT LEFT ME TEARY-EYED. I didn't expect it to end the way it did, but it was perfect, let me tell you. Tark and Okiku is such a great team and I'm fervently, crazily wishing we won't see the end of them.
Dear Ms Chupeco,
Seriously, this isn't the end of Tark and Okiku's adventures right?! THERE WILL STILL BE MORE GHOST ADVENTURES SET IN JAPAN, RIGHT?! I would be so sad if this will be the end of everything, because this two are perfect, you write amazingly great mystery and creepy scenes, and I simply. Want. MOOOORE!!!!
Please, guys, read it. Don't be put off by the series cover makeover (really, why did they do this?! The original cover was such a great concept! D:) because this is top-notch horror and mystery all in one. It seriously feels like watching a scary Asian movie, giving you the scary feels only an Asian horror movie can give....more
A fantasy with a Chinese-inspired setting? An isolated village high up in the mountains, full of deaf people? A heroine who regains her hearing back aA fantasy with a Chinese-inspired setting? An isolated village high up in the mountains, full of deaf people? A heroine who regains her hearing back and aims to use it to make a difference? WOW, BADUM-TSS!
On a perfect, ideal day, this would have been an absolutely great treat. Just from these few sentences, we can already feel the diversity of the premise!
But, alas, it is not a perfect and ideal day, because this book is boring and dull as hell. But hey, there's one thing positive from this: I'm done with it! Yay!
First of all, let me just say that I've read the first book of Vampire Academy and I've read her GAME OF X series which I absolutely, absolutely adore (to the moon and back). I've seen what Mead can do with her books: make a teenage voice very unique, authentic, and dynamic (like Rose), make scenes full of urgency and tension (like Game of X), and make settings that are full of life, history, and character (once again, like Game of X). This is why I am so flabbergasted with Soundless, because this book has NONE of the things above, even when the author is well-capable of writing them excellently. Throughout reading, all I can think of was, "Really? Mead wrote this? The one who brought Rose, Dimitri (however awful his movie actor is), May and Justin to life?!"
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1. Flat heroine - if you're hoping to look for rootable, dynamic, and vibrant heroine here, I'm warning you now that you may end up getting disappointed. Don't get me wrong - I don't need a feisty heroine inmy stories, but good lord, I at least require them to have some personality in their bones. At first glance, you'd think that Fei would be intriguing - like her fellow villagers, she is deaf and she uses sign language to communicate, but she can draw and paint a mean portrait/picture. Her job as an artisan is to draw the "news" every day - what do the radishes look like today? Are there many people suffering and giving in to sickness? She and her fellow artists will draw that shit up. Like I said, intriguing, yes? However, for me, Fei is as interesting as watching paint dry. She goes on really, really long monologues about what she is seeing and observing and feeling and you'd think, "Oh this must be so poetic and life-changing!" But nope. BORING. BORING. BORING. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING. She has absolutely 0% personality. She doesn't make me feel like I could root for her anything. The most she made me feel while I was reading was a jump on the bed, because I fell asleep while reading and my Kindle hit my face.
My poor fucking face.x
2. NON-EXISTENT WORLD-BUILDING - Do not be fooled by the promised Chinese folklore or mythology or whatever bull the premise tells you because this aspect was non-existent. I was waiting for the world to be expounded and built-up, but that did not happen. We only get characters with Chinese names (we don't even know what their Chinese names mean... usually Chinese characters have their own literal meanings that when combined can turn up something ridiculous or poetic, and let's just say Soundless forgot about that part), with a Chinese-sounding city nearby and then that's that.
This was a half-assed book with a half-assed "Chinese-inspired" setting. We don't even know how their village came to be, or how they came upon this sort of "trade relationship" with the people down below. We hear about this sorta EVIIIIIL emperor who we only get to know in very short passing. We don't know who he really is, what his role is in the grander scheme of things in connection with the heroine's village, how his fucking empire operates, or even just a tiny bit of history of his bloody dynasty. NONE! NONE! NOOOONE! We don't even know what their fucking metals are for and why they are so coveted. Then all of a sudden, we get two or three paragraphs explaining this mythological creature called the Pixius textbook-style and then they save the day and everything's done.
On an ideal day, I would have gone, "Wha---? WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT'S HAPPENING!? WHY ARE THERE MYSTERIOUS THINGIES COMING IN A DEUS EX MACHINA MANNER?! WHY IS EVERYTHING SO FUCKING VAGUE?!?!?!?!?!" But it wasn't an ideal day, and I was just so bloody booooooored to even care.
Oh, my god. Fail. Just utterly fail.
3. Shallow plot - Don't go into this book expecting to be wow-ed by its premise and its cultural aspects (lol) or by its story in general because even for a fantasy, this is shallow. It has a story (or conspiracy?) that I bet you've seen before.I can work with predictability, sure - it's hard to find a truly original idea nowadays, and oftentimes, I rely on execution to make up for it. But this one was SO FUCKING PREDICTABLE that it made me feel like I was reading some sort of adventure book for 8 year olds. By the time I reached 1/4 of the book, I already knew which direction it was going, and since it was already boring as hell, it made the ride so much more excruciating.
I still get shivers from thinking about it guys. Predictability + flat heroine + non-existent and half-assed world-building = 1-fucking star.
Since I was young, I've always loved Asian horror films. I'm a fan of horror in general (who agrees with me that getting goosebumps is AWESOME?! No? No...? Okay...), but there's a certain quality in the Asian counterparts that I don't really see in Western works. For one, they incorporate their mythology in their films and literature, and these are deep, complex, and old folklore that are very ancient to the point that they sound fucking creepy and mysterious. Second, they usually concern the supernatural, so combine a violent death and an urban legend with some mythology to the mix and you pretty much have something that will set your fears to the edge. Result? Something that's bloody scary and psychologically thrilling.
That was why I wanted to read this so much - for my love of Asian horror, and the fact that it highlights a bit of Japanese folklore and ancient traditions. It's not something that you encounter every day in the Young Adult market, and I was interested in seeing how it would turn out. And besides, a Japanese ghost as a narrator? Who wouldn't want to read something like that? Turn the lights off, give me my blankets, let the winds howl in the dead of the night - I'm reading that shit.
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First of all, Okiku. She rocks my socks. I love her and her narration so much. Is it weird that I totally want to be friends with this ghost, despite her dark and bloody history and killing streak? Her narration was really excellent - she talks in a formal way, doesn't shortcut words (It's -> it is; you're -> you are; I'm -> I am), and uses deep words you don't really see much in a conversation. It made a lot of sense because one, she is a ghost; and two, she is three centuries old (if she used "swag" or "yolo" in there, I would have thrown the book to a wall. Haha!). It was insane how her formal way of talking added to the gritty and edgy atmosphere, making me feel like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book.
And all around me the air
explodes
into little fireflies.
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And as surprising as this may sound, her perspective gave this book a lot of philosophical value. As Okiku sees more things unfold, she gets her own realizations along the way, too - about life, and death, and everything in between. To explore these concepts using the ghost's mind and with her preconceived notions brought about by her own experiences when she was still alive made it all the more thought-provoking. Despite being of the supernatural, you can't help but like her all the same as she is not completely a bad ghost. She has a mission, something she decided to pursue due to her violent past.Plus, she gurgles. And moans. And can stand on ceilings. And bloats her victims. Among other things. Are you scared yet?
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I can definitely say that there are a lot of creepy scenes here that would surely satisfy any horror fan. When shit hits the fan and the ghosts strike, it will make you want to shield and turn your eyes away. I mean, come on! Hands hugging you from behind, hands that slither from a dark closet?! Decapitated birds crashing into windows?! Darkness and then a disfigured body under the bed?! What the bloody fuck?! BUT GIVE ME MORE PLZ!
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The secondary characters, mainly Tarquin and Cassie, were pretty good as well! I like them a lot despite an underwhelming amount of backstory, and I looked forward to their scenes and their eventual roles as catalysts to Okiku's character evolution. Aside from Okiku, Tark was probably my favorite. He had a curse put upon him, but he's not the self-pity type who whines about it everywhere he goes. He even has a fair amount of defeatedness surrounding him to the point he doesn't want to bother people about his condition so he keeps to himself. I guess that's one of the reasons why he attracted Okiku's ghost.
And did I mention he can be funny? This is what he says to Callie in a letter when he mentions seeing a Japanese vending machine selling used panties (the fuck?! I googled this... and it actually exists!):
So I almost tried this underwear machine out - just to, you know, see if it actually works - but my acute sense of shame finally won out. There are so many other fun ways to dishonor the family name that buying girls' underwear shouldn't be one of them.
Or this...
Just the other day, I found a salon that specializes in giving girls crooked teeth. And this is considered adorable, if, uh, Japanese girls who look like vampires needing braces are supposed to turn men on. Also, there's a holistic care spa specializing in dogs. I think in my next life I'd like to come back as some rich Japanese lady's labradoodle and enjoy all these spoils. Kinda ironic that most hot spring resorts allow for dogs, but not for people with tattoos. So I guess in this current Japanese social hierarchy, we've got Japanese > pets > me.
Or this?
"Remember Kagura mentioning you would make a fine onmyouji if you'd lived in ancient Japan?"
"I looked that up. I'm not so sure I'd do well with the calendar-making and the astrology part of the job, though. Can you imagine me coming up with horoscopes for the emperor? 'Today shall be your lucky day, so long as you don't behead your favorite onmyouji for no reason. Girls might like you better if you had a different face, but remember that patience is a heavenly virtue. Also, don't forget about the non-beheading thing.'"
Oh, Tark. You're adorable.
You know what's even more amazing? The fact that this is a supernatural, psychological, horror read, and yet it ends in such a beautiful, albeit bittersweet, note. The ending was really, really beautiful and enlightening that it made me teary-eyed. It subtly tackled the concept of sacrificing yourself and your "peace" just so you could continue protecting someone who made you a better individual. Bravo, Ms Chupeco! Bravo!
Overall
This was a really good read for me. It had its creepy moments, it had its enlightening moments, and its fair share of funny quotes and scenes that ultimately let to a well-balanced read. So, can we get a horror read with Filipino mythology next? Please, please, please with cherries on top and with chocolate all around it?...more
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. This did not alter my thoughts in any way.
Disclaimer: This can be very rant-y. And ma
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An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. This did not alter my thoughts in any way.
Disclaimer: This can be very rant-y. And maybe a little spoiler-y.
Like a lot of people out there, I love Japanese culture. I've read a LOT of mangas, edited and translated a few, have my own scanlation group, watched a lot of JDramas, sang so many of their songs, watched animes (ONE PIECE FTW FOLKS), etc. etc. I mean, I'm far from being the ultimate otaku, but there was a point in my life that I listened, watched, and read Japanese material exclusively. So, yes, aside from the delicious cover, Ink drew me in simply for its premise. Sure, it's already riddled with clichés (new girl moving to town, paranormal guy who doesn't want the heroine near him 'cause he's dangerous...), but the execution is what's important. And the characters. The characters have to be likeable. Or else. I go grumpy. Like a mean cat.
Unfortunately, what this book garnered is having the most status updates from me. Check out this review and scroll down and you'll see a WALL of text of ranting and just me being overly annoyed with the heroine's stupidity. I tell you, she's the most obnoxious little thing EVER! But first, let's get to the good stuff before I transform into the angry Hulk, yes?
THE POSITIVE (*´▽｀*)
Okay, first, Sun's writing is pretty refreshing. She really knows how to write and I applaud her for that. Her prose, although awkward at times, was a delight to read. I think there needed more build up in some certain areas, though, but generally, it's pretty good. And I love how well-written and researched this book is. You can really feel you're in Japan, and needless to say, it felt like watching some animes and reading some mangas all over again. She got the attitudes right, the honorifics right, the language right ("Sonna wake nai jan!" really got to me. You hear that in every anime/jdrama), etc. It felt like it's a tribute to a particular audience, y'know? For those who love Japanese culture... because it felt too familiar to me, so I kind of understand why other people can't really get into it. The sprinkling of Japanese words did seem a little too much (and weren't they already speaking Japanese? So why put Japanese words in the dialogue?). My only concern was that the glossary was a bit underwhelming. I definitely think a few more solid explanations could've been put for some words.
THE NEGATIVE ( ゜∀゜)アハハ八八ノヽノヽノヽノ ＼ ／ ＼
Whoo boy... here comes the negative...
Okay. The only negative factor that I found here is the heroine, Bella swan Katie Greene. She's a blonde American who traveled across the globe to live with her aunt after her mom died and her grandparents are still not in the condition yet to care for her. so here's sulky Katie Greene, who wants nothing of Japan and only cares about going home to the land of the free. THEN... she meets elusive, dangerous, but cool Yuu Tomohiro, and here is where the shit goes down down down down down...
I hate Katie Greene. Or Greene Katie. Whatever. I HATE HER.
My wall of text of status updates is dedicated to this stupid, impulsive, silly girl who can't make herself to stay put for 2 seconds. I initially liked this gaijin who felt lost in an all-new world, but after meeting the love interest, she started becoming so obnoxious that I couldn't help but rage every fricking chapter. So, why do I hate her?
One, she's very impulsive and obnoxious. She was so curious about Tomohiro that she kept on stalking him and bothering him. She made it a point to always find him in the crowd, and when they do find each other and he goes all cold on her, she would say, "That guy has it for me! What a meanie! He should stay away from me!"THE FUCK?? Isn't that what you should be telling yourself? You eavesdropped on a private conversation, made a fool of yourself by climbing a fucking tree to "make war", and you have the gall to say that he was the one bothering you? After climbing that tree of her own will "half" of the school saw her skirt AND SHE EVEN BLAMED IT ON THE POOR BOY!! Like seriously? If I were Tomohiro, I'd be running away from you, too. Why? Cause you're a crazy dumbass, that's why!
She's so curious about him she stalks him day in and day out.So, there was this scene where she followed him to this garden, and another where she bought a bike because she saw him ride a bike and decided it was smart to follow him in the same manner, etc. etc. And then when they met again, she was told, "Stay away from me." and she thought to herself, "That's my line."
(#｀Д´)ﾉﾉ┻┻;:'､･ﾞ
NO. IT'S HIS LINE. IT'S HIS FUCKING LINE AND IT'S FREAKING JUSTIFIED!!!
And then not to mention she would be so wishy-washy after...
I want him to leave me alone... didn't I? I never wanted to see him again... right?
(ﾉд-｡) OMG. Make up your own damn mind. Just admit your eyes went Ka-Ching Insta-Love! and leave us out of your torturous monologues. And then she went on to say that it was Tomohiro who wanted to mess with her head. She was so fucking certain he's out there to get her when she was the one who's been trying her damn hardest to get his fucking attention. See the inconsistency? Nah, you're just a dumbass, Katie. A big, big moron. It was like this for the first 20% and needless to say, while I was reading that much, I was soooo tempted to just drop it then and there. I can't stand the heroine. I just can't.
So cue in another hot guy who (gasp!) told her she was beautiful and she felt like she betrayed Tomohiro somehow by liking that. LOLOLOLOLOL. Say what? You felt that when just a few moments ago you were chastising him? WHAT. You guys weren't even a couple yet and she felt like she betrayed him... Uh-huh...
Second, she's so forceful and selfish. Obviously, our dear love interest had his own secrets up his sleeves, precious secrets he wasn't not ready to tell anyone yet. But Katie? Wait? She ain't got time fo' that! So what did she do, you ask? Why, she went on forcing him to spill his beans! And every time she did this little stunt of hers I get so upset because she didn't seem to care about what those secrets could mean to him. She just wanted to satiate her own curiosity. Like, girl. The dude has secrets, we get that. Let him say them to you in his own time, okay? Give it a rest! He'll eventually tell you!! CHILLAX. THE WORLD AIN'T GONNA END, YO! ( ≖_ゝ≖ )
Third, she overreacts. A LOT. She overanalyzes the simplest of things like everything fucking revolves around her. One scene that made me see red was this Kendo match. Tomohiro and Ishikawa were sparring each other, and she saw how focused Tomohiro was, and then she went, Perhaps Yuki and Tanaka were right... maybe I shouldn't get near him. Maybe he really is dangerous. LIKE LOOOOOOOL!!!!! DUDE!!!! DUUUUUUUUDE!!!! LOOK AROUND, WHAT DO YOU SEE? THAT'S RIGHT! A KENDO MATCH! Of-fucking-course he'd be focused as hell and be all "HAAAAH!" Do you want him to do jump ropes or something or do ballet? HECK NO! It's a fucking contact sport. Good god.
And when they did finally get together (ugh...), there would be moments where she'd drop lines like "she can't live without him", that the guy "want her like he never wanted anything". Like, whoa. OK. And when she suspected he was avoiding her, she felt like the balance of the world was tipping. LOLOLOL! Gosh, girl...Obnoxious much? You need to slow the fuck down. Seriously.
And here's what sealed the deal of why she's my most hated heroine ever.
So when everything was going apeshit, Tomohiro brought her to a love hotel and tried to rape her. She was all hurt, and ran away. THEN... eventually, she got to the realization that it was all an act!
I was a moron. An absolute, total moron.
It wasn’t like Tomohiro to take me to a love hotel, to say the things he’d said. He was messing with me to get me to hate him.
To save me.
(´；Д；｀) Girl... girrrrl. Are you listening to yourself right now? That IS not romantic at all, and that is not the right way to think. Whether or not he pretended to rape you to protect you, it's still downright wrong, and I can't believe you're thinking you were the stupid one. Hurting others to protect them is not cool, okay?!?!
*HUFF PUFF HUFF PUFF*
Okay. This has gone a wee bit too far.
Overall, the heroine ruined everything for me. As in I couldn't help but seethe every time she does something that annoys me and it totally ruined the reading experience. And as others have said, it's a clusterfuck of clichés, too, so that also influenced this rating. I'm unsure whether or not I'll read the next books, but I'll definitely read other books from Amanda Sun that's not in this series. If I have to endure one more page of Katie yapping, I'll go insane. Seriously.
She's done it again, folks. Marissa Meyer's done it again.
SHE MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH HER WORLD AND HER CSPOILER FREE! FULL OF FEELS THOUGH.
She's done it again, folks. Marissa Meyer's done it again.
SHE MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH HER WORLD AND HER CHARACTERS ONCE MORE.
Let me first say that the Lunar Chronicles is one of my favorite YA Science Fiction series. More than the intricate writing and the awesome characters, the books have what I deem is the most important... heart(and I'm not saying that literally). By "heart", I mean it has that amazing ability to reel you in and let you experience first-hand the world and the emotions our heroes and heroines go through in the rawest sense. It can make you feel for them, sympathize with their plight, and leave you wanting to be strong in their place especially when they find themselves encountering various trials and tribulations. It can made you feel sad and angry at the injustice being done to them and to innocent civilians, despite the fact that what we are witnessing are words laced together to create a story. Best of all, it can make itself seem so real, like the world feels familiar and the characters feel like they're my own real-life friends. Marissa Meyer's books made me feel all that.
Cress? No exception.
If I had it my way, I'd simply laden this review with gifs that represent everything I felt while I was reading this book, with a Nike-inspired message at the end that goes, "Just read it!" I mean, what else is there to say other than this book simply has it all? Marissa Meyer just keeps getting better and better each book, and I'm proud to say I'm kind of afraid of what she will become in a couple of years, when her writing and storytelling continues to improve, but I digress.
Usually, I reserve 500 pages or more for fantasy books, because they usually need a lot more pages to mold and polish its world and its own society and rules (magic or no), so you can't blame my nervousness when I saw Cress had more than 500 pages to boast of. That's a lot for a book for the Young Adult demographic, but honestly, while I was reading, it felt like I was flying through the pages and couldn't find my brakes. Next thing you know, you're at 50%, then at 75%, and then at the end... there's just so much suspense and activity going on that you feel as if the almost-600 pages of awesomeness are NOT enough (yes, I did wish, and sincerely so, it was longer!). So much to admire and love in this book.
For starters, there's Cress, also known as Crescent Moon, a Lunar Shell who has been trapped in her orbiting satellite for several years. Loving Cinder and Scarlet so much, I had thought that maybe my heart was already full and there won't be any room for her, but goodness, I fell in love with this sweet girl from the very first page. Even though I'm not always a fan of awkward personalities, Cress's socially-impaired self was adorable and absolutely endearing to read; it was like meeting someone utterly innocent and full of optimism and dreams that you can't help but hold her gently. Who would've thought she can make being reserved and shy so appealing? She may not have Cinder and Scarlet's strengths and she may be the kind of person who'd rather toy around with technology, but she proves herself a valuable ally and a lovable character. I can totally understand a certain character's protectiveness of her; I would shield her too if I were in his shoes. So far, she's my favorite of the three heroines!
Aside from her, the other characters have been so much fun to read. Iko totally wins as the best supporting character ever humor-wise. There would be moments where the atmosphere would be dark and heavy and full of tension, but she'd be the icebreaker with her witty and comical moments. And even though Wolf has a more serious persona, he had his funny moments, too, and I can still remember him cradling his can of tomatoes (is it weird that THIS is the most memorable scene in the book for me? I can just picture him doing that...). I didn't love him more than I loved him in Scarlet, but I really liked how his seemingly intimidating aura works well with the others. Cinder is still kick-ass and Thorne is absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE! Dude, if I had it my way (again), Thorne would be with ME (nothing against you, Cress darling; the man is just irresistible!) I loved his laid-back attitude and how he would downplay bad things happening to them with a joke or with a smile; I loved how resilient he was despite the odds turning against him, and; I loved how well he got along with everybody. He's like the guy everyone likes, the person in the group everyone may get annoyed with every once in a while but would still come back to him at the end of the day. I appreciated that so much.
And there's Kai. Kai, the young Emperor who I thought was bland and too uptight in the previous books. Kai who I finally grew to love in this installment because he, at last, grew a pair when he needed it most. I loved how he matured so much here! Before, I kind of didn't like how he let the situations run their courses with little effort from his part. I was disappointed in how he didn't seem to fight for his people and the things he believed in enough. But in Cress, I appreciated how he eventually took initiative in changing things for the better, despite what other people may think or say; how he gave absolutely zero fucks what his advisers may think and did what he could because no one else was trying. It was such a welcome change from the tense person I got to know in Cinder and Scarlet, and I can't wait to see how much more he'll grow. See, Kai? Having a pair isn't so bad, is it?
I can't wait for Winter. The stakes have never been so high and you can just feel the tension and suspense seeping from the pages. Marissa Meyer is a talented author who can effortlessly and flawlessly make her characters come alive. And while I may be impatiently waiting for the last and final installment, I can only give Cress and its wonderful author one thing:
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