Hey guys, so let's talk about sex for a minute. And that's not just me wanting to talk about sex, that's me saying, "hey let's talk about this book, wHey guys, so let's talk about sex for a minute. And that's not just me wanting to talk about sex, that's me saying, "hey let's talk about this book, which conveniently grants me a license to be slightly inappropriate in this review." Not that I need a license or anything, but I try to keep it toned to a respectable level since I'm about 70% sure my mom reads my reviews. I digress.
Every once in a while, I read something so far removed from what I usually read� like total extreme� and it's always fascinating to watch myself reacting. Especially since I mostly read YA with a splash of Adult thrown in. Well, I thought after reading T-Rex Troubles that I'd read everything. And I'm glad to see the universe continues to prove me wrong and keep me on my toes.
I mean, it kind of came at a perfect time: This book essentially answers one of life's burning questions: what if you had a magical vagina or glowing penis? What a concept! That sounds awesome! Vag powers activate! If only I could freeze time with an orgasm, whoa, that's some serious next level super hero shit. Also, endless opportunities to nickname your partner's penis and interesting variations of Star Wars cosplay. I'm thinking Light Bright or Glow Worm. Oh! Better yet, it'd be the perfect time to use some Lady GaGa lyrics.
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So that's where we meet our heroes, Suzie and Jon. Just enjoying their bodies, freezing time and robbing banks, as one does. That last point might seem like a huge leap, but in their minds, they were using their powers for good by trying to keep the neighborhood's local library up and running with the stolen funds. So, sure, let's save the library with sexy times. I approve of this selfless yet noble cause. The only thing is that now the sex police are involved and man does that complicate this plan a bit.
If you're thinking this book is too good to be true, saddle up. It's addictive and hilarious in an awkward NSFW sort of way. A few examples:
- When Jon first discovers his powers, he decides to dick around in a porn shop and vandalize it on a regular basis for shits and giggles - The sex police wield weapons shaped as dildos (and fuck yeah they'll slap you with it) and BDSM hand cuffs - And omg the leader of the sex police is code name: Kegelface, because why not?
The dialogue is witty, sharp and will have you constantly asking it WTF, the artwork vivid and engaging. I also enjoyed how the story flipped between past and present, though, at times it wasn't as smooth as a transition. Still, Suzie is an awesome narrator who demands your attention on every page.
There's just a lot of hidden gems here, folks, and I'm recommending this book with a straight face, surprisingly.
Also, WTF is up with my library's priorities? How does it have a billion copies of Fifty Shade and not volume 2 of Sex Criminials. Also, no kindle edition of it on Amazon! How am I supposed to read this in public and snicker softly to myself now?! Gah!
Disclaimer: I read to about 65%. Skim read to about 90% and read to the end. Also, this review will contain spoilers for the alternate endingNo stars.
Disclaimer: I read to about 65%. Skim read to about 90% and read to the end. Also, this review will contain spoilers for the alternate ending that are not in spoiler tags.
Years ago, when Twilight was in its prime, someone told me that Breaking Dawn was never supposed to happen. That it was the book where Stephenie Meyer was given free reign to do whatever she wanted because the series was so popular, everyone would buy it regardless of quality, and rake in big dough-cheese for her and her publishers. I don't really know how true that assumption is, but dammit if isn't true for Life and Death.
Take me for example: I own all of the Twilight books, have read Twilight (just the first book) a total of 4 times, 5 if you include this (and I do), that came of the series (I'm not always a fire-breathing bitch queen), made fun of it, enjoyed parts of it, loathed chucks of it and everything else in between. I also attempted to re-read the series back in 2012 for this little thing I started called , and had so much fun reviewing Midnight Sun (I really wish she'd finish that), but by the time I got to New Moon (the book I dislike the most), I just couldn't continue on and .
Over the past few years, I've settled on generally disliking everything Twilight stands for while holding onto a morbid fascination and, begrudgingly, bestowing some sort of respect for a series that put YA literature on the map.
So when I heard of Life and Death, literally the day it released, I knew I'd buy it. No questions asked. I was hoping many of the issues I had with Twilight would be corrected with this version. It had so much potential to be great! I never expected there to be huge drastic changes to the story -- I did expect it to be pretty much the same as Twilight, so believe me when I say that was the least of its problems.
I won't bother reviewing this book, because it's essentially the same as Twilight and I've already written a review for that. Just swap around the pronouns in your head as you read it.
In the forward, Stephenie Meyer opens with this:
"But I’ve always maintained that it would have made no difference if the human were male and the vampire female� it’s still the same story. Gender and species aside, Twilight has always been a story about the magic and obsession and frenzy of first love."
I don't think she was very successful. There were times when I wondered what Meyer was truly trying to accomplish here. Was she trying to basically say her novel features an unhealthy relationship even with roles reversed? As in, "Hey guys, my book is horrible either way!" Or was her goal to further highlight how Twilight had a lot of instances of sexism, including sexual violence against women? Because if so, then I suppose, yeah, she was successful.
Here's a general run down: Beau is your classic Gary Stu who falls for The Ultimate Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Edythe. He has no aspirations to do or be anything until he spots the love of his life in his high school cafeteria. Not much has changed with our young, desperate lovers except for their pronouns, but Edythe is still a jerk/control freak/stalker and somehow less creepy than Edward. And Beau is still a very weak character and as interesting as the dirt beneath my shoe. There is an alternate ending which is essentially a pathetic attempt to pack New Moon and Eclipse into a clusterfuck of info-dumping. But more on that later.
What I really want to talk about is the treatment of the female characters.
I don't know how this was even possible, but reading Life and Death actually made me hate Twilight even more than I originally did. This is mostly because it became shockingly evident that certain scenes (sexual assault) were purposefully left out in this version because the characters didn't have vaginas. Lovely.
Bella's attempted rape scene has now turned into Beau's assault scene. If you remember, in Twilight, while Bella is getting lost in Port Angeles, she runs into a group of drunk men who attempt to sexually assault her. This is made clear by their jeers ("Don't be like that, sugar.") and Edward's later dialogue. But for Beau, his assailants are a mix between female and male and have the intention of beating him up because they think he is a cop. The section is entirely re-written with more dialogue, a gun and threats of death.
Then there is Rosalie's rape scene, now changed to Royal's assault scene. Instead of Royal being raped, he's tricked during the wedding and beat up within an inch of his life. Now, one could argue the time period and say, "Well, that's happened back then. It's just how things were." And, maybe, before I read Life and Death I could have seen that point. But when the two biggest instances of female sexual assault are completely left out when you swap the genders, oy, that's an issue.
Now that is not to say I wanted to see men get rape in Life and Death. It's just a glaring problem where I now see those scenes as "Literary Rape," used as plot devices to add depth and sympathy to Rosalie's character, and to give Edward a reason to look super heroic in the face of rapists. Maggie Stiefvater said it best in :
"I’m talking about novels where the rape scene could just as easily be any other sort of violent scene and it only becomes about sex because there’s a woman involved. If the genders were swapped, a rape scene wouldn’t have happened. The author would’ve come up with a different sort of scenario/ backstory/ defining moment for a male character."
That is exactly what happened here.
One could argue that Meyer wrote a more progressive version of Twilight with Life and Death and that's partly true to an extent. Edythe does appear to try to make her relationship with Beau as equal as possible. But there are constant references to the gender changes as if Meyer is trying to prove something to the reader, and they only seemed to further resign me to the fact that Meyer has no idea what she's doing. (Bold is mine.)
His straight gold hair was wound into a bun on the back of his head, but there was nothing feminine about it� somehow it made him look even more like a man.
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I fumbled for my wallet. “Um, let me� you didn’t even get anything—� “My treat, Beau.� “But—� “Try not to get caught up in antiquated gender roles.�
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She turned toward the cafeteria, swinging her bag into place. “Hey, let me get that for you,� I offered. She looked up at me with doe eyes. “Does it look too heavy for me?� “Well, I mean…� “Sure,� she said. She slid the bag down her arm and then held it out to me, very deliberately using just the tip of her pinkie finger.
It was like Meyer was shouting me, "DO I IMPRESS YOU?!" And I kept going:
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In the hands of a more skilled writer, this might have been pulled off flawlessly. I found the changes she made with Beau's narration interesting. Meyer mentioned in the Forward that Bella is more flowery with her words, where Beau is not. This is a complete understatement. The one thing Twilight actually had going for it, was the occasionally pretty quote. I say occasional, because the novel contains too many short, simple sentences than I usually like in my books. In Life and Death's case, the writing has been watered down so much that it feels on par with See Spot Run. And I don't necessarily think this is a gender thing. Just because a character is a boy, doesn't mean he can't be articulate or well-versed.
“Bonnie, there’s something you didn’t know about me.� � I used to smell really good to vampires.�
Corny. So very corny.
It's not uncommon to discover popular YA authors' inability to write convincing male POVs. *cough*Veronica Roth*cough* And I learned from Midnight Sun, that it's not exactly Meyer's forte either, but c'mon! This was really bad, even for her.
The there's Beau's obsession with Edythe's unhealthy* body. Oh, god, I'm so disgusted with this part, and I don't really understand why it was included.
"Her pale arms, her slim shoulders, the fragile-looking twigs of her collarbones, the vulnerable hollows above them, the swanlike column of her neck, the gentle swell of her breasts� don’t stare, don’t stare� and the ribs I could nearly count under the thin cotton. She was too perfect, I realized with a crushing wave of despair. There was no way this goddess could ever belong with me."
Is this supposed to show Beau's unrealistic expectations of women's bodies? That only vampires can achieve this level of "perfection" that society constantly forces on us? Because there is no other explanation that works well here and I'm really trying to give Meyer the benefit of the doubt and throw her a bone. The issue with this theory is, there's no indication in the book that this is an unrealistic view. Actually quite the opposite happens later in that same scene:
I had a new definition of beauty.
Sigh. I don't think I need to go into why this is problematic, so I'll just leave that there for your critique.
*Unhealthy, as in for majority of women, this is an unattainable beauty standard. Apologies if that came off as body shaming women/girls where that is their healthy. I'm speaking specifically about society's constant pressure on women and girls to be as thin as possible, many times to the detriment of their physical and emotional health. When Beau describes Edythe, he focuses so heavily on the sharp angles of her bones and it perpetuates the idea that these characteristics make her more beautiful than others. I find these descriptions irresponsible and feel there could have been a better way to describe her.
So let's talk about the ending. This part will have spoilers beyond this point. This is your one and only warning.
Yes, it's re-written -- horribly, if I'm being honest. During the scene with the ballet studio (which, BTW, Beau didn't take ballet as a kid because HE'S A BOY. *eyeroll*), everything is pretty much similar expect for the fact that Edythe can't suck out all the venom out of Beau's body, leaving him only one possible future: becoming a vampire super early and living happily ever after with his BAE, Edythe.
I wouldn't have had an issue with the change if it had actually been written without the massive amounts of info-dumping. It reads like Meyer decided last minute that she wanted to only do 2 chapters of the gender swap (which she mentions in the Forward), realized she spent all of her deadline time on re-writing the entire book, and quickly wrote an ending hours before she emailed it to her editor.
She crams the werewolf history, volturi history, rules of being a vampire, and Beau's human funeral altogether and it's just so goddamn messy. It also makes the insta-love look even worse because at least Bella had 3 other books and a pining Jacob to consider leaving Edward. It was just an overall hot ass mess that seemed so out of place. This is why I said they just let Meyer do whatever the hell she wants; half that stuff would have never flown with a debut novel or any novel that desired to actually be, you know, good.
Would I recommend this and should you read it? Hard to say. My first response is, "Oh, god, no. Don't waste your money." $12.99 is an unacceptable price for an ebook (thank goodness for Kindle returns!). It doesn't really offer anything vital to the Twilight fandom/universe and is generally a horrible piece of writing that I want to fling stones at. But then the other half of me enjoys the suffering of my fellow book lovers and is considering purchasing this as a gag joke to both of my lovely co-bloggers. Because that's really all this trite, wish-fulfilling, wankfest of a re-imaginging is good for, and I really, really need to stop being so damn curious about everything. But anyway, I'm rambling when all I really want to say is... the ball's in your court now, E.L. James. I eagerly await your newest, fan fiction original book.
My eye twitched after I finished Velvet. I rubbed it, it twitched again. Apparently, my eye didn't know what to make of Velvet any more than I did. WaMy eye twitched after I finished Velvet. I rubbed it, it twitched again. Apparently, my eye didn't know what to make of Velvet any more than I did. Was it bad or was it good? Did I enjoy it or did I hate it? Is it possible to say yes to all of those questions? Just a heads up that this review is going to be even more convoluted that usual and skip around a lot. I regret nothing.
At first glance, Velvet appears to be the same Paranormal Vampire Romance novel we've all read a hundred times. Girl moves into a new town. Girl meets Hot Guy who's never shown interest in any other girls in town. Girl almost dies, but Hot Guy saves her. Blah, blah, blah... romance. So if you are tired of this kind of set up, then prepare to be highly disappointed for the first 40% of the novel. That fact is, if Velvet had been published during the Twilight Era--let's be honest, it totally belongs there--it would have probably been a huge hit. But now, it has a lot working against it. Readers expect more from their PNR and the Twilight-esqe model is, frankly, played out.
But moving on to what you actually really care about: was this any good? That is such a complicated question so, I will give an equally complicated response. Velvet is like an Oreo Cookie. It's not the best cookie you can have, but it will satisfy your desire for one. The end pieces are pretty terrible by themselves and the icing in the middle is just way too much high fructose corn syrup in one go. The cookie works okay when it's together, but still kinda leaves this weird aftertaste in your mouth. It's like your body subconsciously knows that you fed it a sub par treat and denied it a chocolate chip cookie. But at the same time, you find yourself reaching for another Oreo and your body is strangely okay with this. And after you've finished the entire pack, you end up craving a real Cookie.
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The first 40% is an absolute struggle. It features a ridiculous premise (Adrian's demon, vampire father wants to impregnate Caitlin to produce more vampire babies for reasons), awkward dialogue (though some parts are chuckle worthy) and scenes that is sure to make your eyes roll. In fact, most of it is so unreal, that I often wondered what went through the author and editor's head when green lighting this. I really hate to say that because it sounds like an insult, but it was so bad to the point of hilarity, which made me wonder if I was reading actually reading a satire. If that was the case, then bravo to both West and her editor because they nailed it.
Or maybe I just read it as a satire to actually make it through the book? Also a possibility.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I need to really tell you guys how ridiculous the first half is. Many would say Velvet is just like Twilight. That's true, but not true enough. Others would say Velvet is nothing like Twilight. I guess, in a way, that's true, too. But again, not true enough, in my opinion. Velvet has an explanation for how vampires came into existence and it's as confusing as all getup, but at least the attempt is there. Then the love interest, Adrian, is actually a decent guy. He respects boundaries and goes away when Caitlin tells him to hit the road. So, I'd say Velvet is like Twilight with manners, science and a ridiculous/frustrating/fascinating plot.
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While I was reading Velvet, I found some parts so unbelievable, that I went to find out what inspired West to write it. What I discovered was something shocking... she was inspired by Twilight! She wanted to write a vampire novel with a slightly different spin and therefore, it is inevitable for this novel to be compared to its inspiration. Just like how we all love to compare Fifty Shades of Grey to Twilight. Oh damn, I just went there. Anyway, in many ways, she did improve on an existing Vampire Novel Template. She excelled where Stephenie Meyer didn't for me. And I can't believe I'm about talk about some things I liked about Twilight. WTF has this world come to?
Twilight's beginning, while super slow, allows a good amount of build up for Edward and Bella to meet. I'm not referring to the insta love, because that definitely happened, but they had several interactions woven into Bella's boring life of cooking her dad dinner before things got started. Obviously, it goes downhill from there because the insta love arrives and sets everything on fire.
On the other hand, Velvet doesn't have the same setup and it makes it harder for the reader to be thrust into the novel with no real introduction. As soon as the novel starts, suddenly, Caitlin is in trouble and Adrian is there saving her.
"I nearly killed you, to keep you alive."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
It was completely jarring to me because I was still trying to figure out who, what, when, where, why and WTF. And from then on there was a barrage of not-so-carefully constructed scenarios that forced the couple to be in close proximity. At one point the end up in a closet together and then a bed all in the same night. Yup. Adrian literally goes from not caring about any girl at the school to picking Caitlin up for school the next day.
"You're here two days and he just offers to drive you home?"
But of course, all these "happenings" are not without a purpose. I mentioned before that Adrian saved Caitlin from his demon vampire dad who wants to impregnate her. So it's his job to stay with her at all times to protect her.
"What did you mean when you said you were my personal shadow?" He rubbed his eyes. "It means that you're in trouble." I frowned, waiting for him to elaborate. "For instance--that storm? Wasn't a storm." "The storm was not a storm." "It was a disturbance." I snorted. "In the force?"
As per the usual characterization of a PNR heroine, Caitlin brushes off the impending danger until she finds out what he wants. And if those quotes made you slow blink, feast your eyes on this gem:
"He wants to impregnate me? Like, with a baby that kind of impregnate?" "I understand you're upset--" "That does not even cover the middle finger of what I am feeling--" "--but please believe me that nothing is going to happen to you while I'm here--while we're all here, my family and I." "What about when you're not here?" I sputtered. "What about when I'm at home? Or when I'm asleep? What about my family?" "This is not--he won't rape you, or anything," he said, struggling for words and looking awkward as hell. "He'll make you want him. It's--what they do. It's a game."
Because of course making someone want you, even when they actually don't, isn't rape. It's totally consensual! Like I said, the for the first 40% of Velvet, the struggle is REAL.
Unlike Twilight, Caitlin and Adrian's romance is very slow burn. For most of the novel, they aren't "together" and don't particularly want to be, but they do have an attraction. And I have to admit, it was nice seeing their banter and watching their obvious feelings growing. West never rushed it and therefore made me appreciate it more. The only thing I have to complain about with this was that the sexual tension got ridiculous. Once Caitlin and Adrian finally admit their feelings for one another, the spend the night as his place, in his bed, clothes off, cuddling. I just don't buy that.
Another thing Velvet did right was female friendships. Caitlin's best friend is considerate and kind as well as the other girls in the novel. They hang out outside of Adrian's presence, have sleepovers and talk about topics other than boys or Adrian. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is that Velvet completely passes the and that's something I never expected. Even some of my favorite YA novels fail at this.
All good things came to a swift end when the final conflict caught up with the plot. Unfortunately, I was let down. I went through the entire novel waiting to find out more information about why Adrian's dad sought out Caitlin in particular only to discover nothing. I was given virtually no new development! It just ends on the same note it began, but with more romance. It was so frustrating! It feels like it was a cheap attempt to get me to read the second book and goddamn it, I think it worked because yes I'll fucking read the sequel and I'm not happy about it. UGH! Where's a real cookie when you need it?!
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I don't know if I'd seriously recommend Velvet to anyone. Well, that's a lie. I kinda do want some of my friends to read it because I'm super curious of what their face would look like while doing so. And now you all know what gift you're getting on Friendship Day. I'm an awesome friend.
I was actually hoping to be the black sheep amongst my friends when it came to Cut Both Ways. I wanted to be that lone wolf, singing praises for this I was actually hoping to be the black sheep amongst my friends when it came to Cut Both Ways. I wanted to be that lone wolf, singing praises for this book. So it's unfortunate that I have to agree with everyone else and say this book was terrible.
I knew going in that this book involved cheating, so I was ready for that. And I'm generally okay with unlikable characters, which is what Will essentially is. But I was really looking forward to seeing how Mesrobian handled sexuality and the boxes society likes to place it: straight, bi, gay, etc. I wanted to see that exploration and see a character struggle to understand himself and how he identified. I also wondered if this was a book that could then challenge my own views on sexuality.
It did none of this.
Cut Both Ways is the classic example of how marketing and publicity has the tendency to sell the public on a certain kind of book, when it's completely NOT that kind of book. Sure, Cut Both Ways does feature a main character, struggling with sexual identity, but it never really goes anywhere. The main conflict of the story isn't even about that or the cheating. It's about Will's broken family: his alcoholic, hoarding dad, his (in his mind) overbearing mom and his ability to run away from any and all problems.
The only sexual exploration in Cut Both Ways is Will feeling guilty about sleeping with Angus when he has a girlfriend or having sex with his girlfriend when he's feeling sorry for himself. There is inner monologue about if Will is gay or not, but it never goes further than that. He never considers that he could like both, that it could be okay to enjoy both. In fact, Will uses sex as a form of escapism from the main plot of the novel: dealing with his dad's issues. For some unknown reason, his father finishing his house remodel project seemed to be the central conflict of the novel, while everything else took a backseat.
The characters were no better, mostly serving as pawns in the story with no real purpose for their existence outside of forcing Will to react. The only character that did seem to be semi-fleshed out was Will himself, but I'd wager he's a hard character to relate to (unless you happen to be the specific reader this book was aimed at, and I really don't know what kind of reader that would be). The way he treats his girlfriend, Brandy, was infuriating, cheating aside, and he showed no signs of wanting to improve it or at least break up with her to let her move on. No, he decided that cheating on her with Angus and having her around to fuck whenever he felt horny or sad was better.
A part of me wasn't sure what to make of Will and Brandy's relationship. It developed shortly after Angus kisses Will, so initially I thought that Will hooking up with Brandy was a way for him to "not feel gay." But then he decides to willingly be her boyfriend and engage in relationship activities despite not really caring about her. And it just killed me that he could not show an ounce of feeling for her whenever she told him she care about him or even when she tells him she loves him. Nothing. He gives her nothing.
Another thing that really bothered me was Will's lack consideration for the trouble he could get Brandy in. I had no issue with Will constantly talking about how horny he was, but when you've already gotten your girlfriend in trouble by her Aunt for having sex under her roof (and she's warned you to be careful because pregnancy is a real thing that happens!) and you proceed to start feeling her up right on the porch in daylight, expecting sex right there, something is wrong with you. But let's not stop there! Because, of course, Will is so horny that he has to have it whenever nature pounds on the door like it's the po-po, so hurried sex outdoors without a condom sounds great. Just awesome. >insert pregnancy scare<
Angus only seemed slightly bothered that Will was cheating on Brandy and was more than wiling to be used for sex. To be honest, we really don't know much about how Angus feels about anything since he barely had any lines in the book and only really shows up conveniently when Will is thinking about sex.
SPOILERS from this point forward because I'm angry and I have to vent a little.
As awful as all that sounds, the Cut Both Ways still had a chance to redeem itself, or so I thought. There was still the ending that could bring at least some of these issues to a resolution. But no, that would have been too much work.
So here's the ending in a nut shell: right on the cusp of a climax, it just ends. Nothing is addressed. And just when I thought the book was finally going to dive into some of the anger-inducing issues, I flip to the next page and it's the Author's Note.
I wanted to scream.
For a book to attempt a heavy issue and then outright refuses to deal with any of it during the book nor at the end, I was shocked and felt cheated. Does Will finally break up with Brandy? Does he decide to instead stop sleeping with Angus? Does Brandy ever find out will is cheating on her? Does Will come to any sort of sexual self-acceptance? What happens now that Will's step-dad has revealed himself as a homophobe? How does his un-intentional coming out affect his relationship with his mother, father and sisters? Does Will ever admit to Angus that he is in love with him? DOES ANYTHING GET DEALT WITH?
The only thing interesting about Cut Both Ways was the author's choice to leave out the word "bi-sexual" in the story to allow the reader to "contemplate what his is and what he might be." While I was reading, it did seem kinda odd that Will never considered the possibility of being bi-sexual. It's just that in this day in age, with more people coming out and being supportive of others, that it wouldn't have not once crossed his mind. I not asking for Will to have identified himself in the story, just that I think it's odd he wouldn't have *thought* about it. And again, all this would have been nice in theory if Will even TRIED to deal with anything or if the ending didn't end right after the climax. GAH.
Just an overall disappointing read that was a complete waste of time.
Finished Copy was received via YA Books Central in exchange for an honest review....more
DNF at 30%. I started this because The Jewel had an evil cliffhanger and I really wanted to know what happened to the characters. Well, upon starting DNF at 30%. I started this because The Jewel had an evil cliffhanger and I really wanted to know what happened to the characters. Well, upon starting The White Rose, I realized that I remember NOTHING from the first book, which made it extremely had to remain invested in this book. So once I found out what happened to the characters, my interest took a nose dive and I knew it was time to put The White Rose aside.
If you enjoyed The Jewel, I highly recommend a quick re-read before jumping into this one. ...more
I'm not entirely sure about a rating yet. I liked it, but didn't love it.
Thoughts: I think this would be a great read for younger readers or those whoI'm not entirely sure about a rating yet. I liked it, but didn't love it.
Thoughts: I think this would be a great read for younger readers or those who are not huge fantasy readers. The world building is simple and enough to give the reader a feel for the fantasy world without confusion. However, I couldn't help but crave more from it. I'm not sure if this was the book or if it's just the fact that I read it while I've been listening to the Outlander series, where Diana is famous for taking 300 pages to describe a blade of grass. Hard to say. I'll come back to this review later. ...more
Final books are hard. Readers dive in with so many expectations, hopes and fears, and let's not forget the ships. I suspect it must be at least a littFinal books are hard. Readers dive in with so many expectations, hopes and fears, and let's not forget the ships. I suspect it must be at least a little daunting for an author to want to give their readers everything and stay true to their story. Friends, for me, Marie Rutkoski has done just that. This story has taken me on a remarkable journey, capturing my heart and and melting my emotions in one fell swoop.
The Winner's Kiss is a perfect conclusion to an expertly crafted series. And as always there are many familiar reasons to love the final installment as much as its predecessors while containing quite a few twists that kept me anticipating the turn of each page. Our protagonists, Kestrel and Arin, experience a lot of growth as previous choices finally reach shocking, climatic consequences, many of which I was unsure how they'd move past. I definitely didn't expect the changes Kestrel underwent; she is both the same and vastly different, exploring physical and mental strength of female characters.
You don't need to be gifted with a blade. You are your own best weapon.
The unpredictability of this novel is its greatest weapon as Rutkoski clearly shows she's not afraid to make you beg for your favorites' survival. She's heartlessly brilliant like that.
What I didn't expect was how much I enjoyed Roshar's character. I give his sarcastic, witty remarks an A++ and loved how he reminded me of a rougher version of Sturmhond from The Grisha series. It was smart for him to have as much page time as he did since The Winner's Kiss contains romantic tension to the max with a few scenes causing me utter desperation—moments where I was throwing buckets of water out of my ship, lest it sink, screaming "Noooooooooo!" fiercely at my ceiling.
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I still admire the writing and how it manages to convey so much more than is actually written. It's made me re-think my stance on 3rd person narration, usually my least favorite. But the fact that I, too, now feel as though I can translate Kestrel and Arin's Epic Starring Contests, Roshar and Arin's Bromatic Body Language among a host of other tells, just goes to show you the quality of writing. No words are wasted, and always feel so carefully deliberate while still maintaining its raw honesty.
Perhaps what The Winner's Kiss succeeds at the most is its ability to straddle that fine line between a character driven and plot driven novel. Neither side took over the other, out-shining or lacking in development. The relationships were given the proper amount of time and dignity. Not only is there a focus on Kestrel and Arin's, but also of another that's made very clear it's just as important, and maybe even more so. And, yes, in case you were wondering, this book does indeed pass the Bechdel test, something which I'm always pleased to see in a YA novel.
The plot was excellent. Surprisingly detailed battle scenes, strategies and political maneuvers are at the front without making my eyes glaze over with confusion. And I loved that Arin's cultural religious beliefs along side Kestrel's disbelief was handled with a great amount of respect and love. It really highlighted an ongoing theme of tolerance and respect of others' differences, and that is so incredibly relevant. And, of course, I really enjoyed how the novel began and ended with A Winner's Curse, bringing the entire series full circle. Nice touch.
I am fiercely in love with all things Kestrel and Arin. Their relationship struggle in the novel was so real. Finally a YA book where it's not the fantasy world keeping them apart, but actual real relationship bumps that plagues us all: break down of communication, acknowledgements of individual changes and growth, trust issues, accepting faults along with strengths, understanding personal struggles, guilt of hurting the one you love the most, forgiveness, and above all, mutual respect.
Favorite quote:
"He changed us both." She seemed to struggle for words. "I think of you, all that you lost, who you were, what you were forced to be, and might have been, and I—I have become this, this person, unable to�" She shut her mouth. "Kestrel," he said softly, "I love this person."
It's sad for me to come to the conclusion of a favorite series, one that I never expected to adore so much. But I loved every minute of this ride and can't wait to revisit.
Highly recommending.
Excellent series is excellent.
An ARC was provided by the publisher. No monies or favors were exchanged.
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