Going into her boss’s office expecting a promotion, Paige is floored to find out that she’s been fired. She’s even more surprised when it turns out thGoing into her boss’s office expecting a promotion, Paige is floored to find out that she’s been fired. She’s even more surprised when it turns out that her two best friends have also been let go. She doesn’t even know what to do with herself -- event planning was her life -- until her brother’s best friend Jake suggests that she open her own business. When the three friends go into business together, they get a lot of advice from the entrepreneurial Jake. Behind the scenes, sparks start to fly and it’s not long before Paige and Jake struggle to keep their hands to themselves. But what about the promise that Jake made to Paige’s brother years ago?
THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
This book should have been everything I was looking for and more. I love brother’s best friend tropes. I love books that are set in New York City. This book, unfortunately, just didn’t do it for me. Like, at all.
I think the first problem was that an author who is clearly British tried to write American characters in an American setting. While I would typically take no issue with this, there were glaringly obvious errors that really pulled me out of the story. I would think that a big publisher like Harlequin would have a team of editors to handle things like this, but apparently not. Some examples:
� a character’s “cookery� blog = food blog � a condom’s “expiry� date = expiration date � “she’d left hospital� = she’d left the hospital � we don’t have cryptic crosswords here, especially not in mainstream newspapers
I really just took issue with the whole writing style in general. This contemporary romance clocks in at 464 pages, which is insane. There’s no reason for a book like this to be that long, and it shows in the extremely repetitive writing. Not only do we get the same ideas repeated again and again, but then the characters will sit down and analyze them! I get that Paige often puts on her Brave Face, I get that she doesn’t like being protected, and I get that she doesn’t want to hire people she’s just going to have to fire. It doesn’t need to be drilled into my head every third page.
The love scenes could be, at times, pretty hot. At least there’s that, but let’s be honest here. This is not erotica. We didn’t need ten pages to describe one kiss or thirty pages to describe one sex scene. The romance also went from 0 to 100 real quick when I’d kind of been assuming that this would be a slow burn. Paige and Jake had chemistry, but I don’t think the level of description was really warranted and the whole thing came out of nowhere.
And can we get back to the firing thing? Paige and company hate their former boss. I get that. I know what it’s like to work for an irrational boss who has no idea what they’re doing. But the reason the terrible boss gave for firing them was actually... pretty legit? They were repeatedly coming in late and setting their own schedules. Real life doesn’t work like that. If you start at 8am, you start at 8am. You don’t get to come in an hour late "because of traffic� or because you “stayed a little late last night.� It doesn’t matter how good you are at your job. If you disrespect your company’s time like that, you’re going to be fired. I feel like I would have sympathized with them more if the reason for firing them had been something like “a client complained about you� or “the CEO decided we needed to cut X jobs and you’re one of them, sorry.�
All things considered, I was set to give this book three stars and call it a day. And then the ending happened. I had to subtract a star just for that. I mean...
(view spoiler)[Did Jake really just break up with Paige for saying “I love you� and then not 48 hours later show up at her door and propose? Oh, but he didn’t even propose of his own volition. No, he proposed because everybody in his life berated him for being an idiot and told him he was going to lose Paige if he didn’t get his act together. And the actual proposal? Showing up at her house uninvited, whipping off his shirt in front of her friends (and her brother) and making some speech about “sorry I hate commitment but maybe we should get married?� And the girl goes and says yes? It’s a good thing the book was over at that point because I just turned my Kindle off and went to bed. (hide spoiler)]
I appreciate the ARC but I won’t be continuing on with the (so far) seven other books in this series.
I received a free ARC of Sleepless in Manhattan from the publisher (via ŷ) in exchange for my honest review.
Colby's life hasn't been short on tragedy. Her best friend Joe died in a terrible accident and, a few months later, her husband committed suicide. DecColby's life hasn't been short on tragedy. Her best friend Joe died in a terrible accident and, a few months later, her husband committed suicide. Deciding it's time for a fresh start, she leaves her life as a lawyer behind and decides to start a restaurant. Hiring Joe's brother as the executive chef might stir up a lot of emotions, but as a well-known, award-winning chef, Alec couldn't be a better choice.
In her two years as a widow, Colby hasn't even attempted another relationship, so she's shocked when she begins to feel an attraction to Alec. But everything is not as it seems, and both Colby and Alec are hiding their guilt over past mistakes. Can they make a relationship work, or will everything in their past get in the way?
I love romances that start in childhood, especially when it was one-sided and there was a lot of pining. I can say I'm a teensy bit creeped out by the age difference... but what can you do. I also love brother's best friend romances, and Alec was (and, to an extent, still is) good friends with Colby's older brother, Hunter. I had expected that I would love this book, but I didn't. I really, really, really didn't.
The beginning of the book wasn't bad. The pacing was a little uneven, but it had its moments. I liked watching Colby and Alec come to grips with their attraction. There are things in their pasts that make a relationship difficult, but there was always this simmering current of sexual tension running through all of their interactions. Jamie Beck is really good at writing lingering stares, flashbacks, and tension.
Unfortunately, that's pretty much the only positive thing I can say about this book.
The book is just... so heavy. I wasn't expecting that, I wasn't in the mood for that, and it's obviously reflected in my rating. We have death and suicide and long-lasting reactions and repercussions and the processing of grief and I just wanted a romance. I expected something light and romantic based on the blurb and the cover -- maybe a little bit of depth given the suicide aspect -- but this isn't light and it's not particularly romantic. This book is only 354 pages but I had to force myself to finish it over the course of four days.
One of my biggest pet peeves in a romance is characters who act like children. You're grown up enough to have a sexual relationship but you're not grown up enough to get the heck over yourself and have an actual conversation? Drives me crazy.
Colby was so immature. Honestly, she's like a petulant child. Yes, she's lived through some very awful things, but her whole thing about "Alec has a temper so he's probably bipolar" and "I can't make compromises ever again because I made too many compromises in my marriage" was so frustrating. Everything Alec does gets compared to everything Mark did. Everything they do together gets compared to everything she and Mark did together.
Colby is so stubborn and hard-headed and nobody really calls her out on it. I guess Hunter gives her a tiny bit of a talking-to near the end of the book, but it's too little too late. Colby makes decisions that clearly have negative effects on her life (and the lives of those around her) and it's just like everybody goes along with it because she's Colby. It's her life. It's her restaurant. Nobody can say anything.
One of the things that drove me absolutely crazy was Colby's insistence that she, a lawyer with literally zero food experience, knew how to develop a menu better than an award-winning chef. That she knew better how to run a restaurant than people with actual restaurant experience. Her hard-headedness was so frustrating and I honestly don't know how Alec put up with it.
Alec wasn't a perfect character, but he was a lot better than Colby. At least Alec was a pretty consistent character with clear motivations. What exactly does Colby want? Not a successful restaurant, because she's always ignoring good advice. Not a healthy relationship, because she constantly sabotages it. Not a healthy relationship with her family, either, because she's always enabling her mother's manipulation and making excuses for her horrible behavior.
The writing is fine, but the plot leaves a lot to be desired. I wish I would have enjoyed this more. If I weren't reading this for my TBR challenge, I probably would have DNFed.
Final rating: ★☆☆☆�
I received a free copy of Before I Knew from the publisher (via ŷ)....more
After the tragic death of her young daughter and subsequent collapse of her marriage, Sara heads to the small town of Redemption, Connecticut to claimAfter the tragic death of her young daughter and subsequent collapse of her marriage, Sara heads to the small town of Redemption, Connecticut to claim her grandmother’s old home and do some soul-searching. There, she meets Cilla, a longtime resident of the town who’s helping her nephew through a difficult time in his own life.
Cilla’s nephew, Jake, is still reeling from an accident that changed his life forever. To top things off, his sister Rose has enlisted Jake’s help in taking care of her son, Olly, when Jake has no idea how to care for a child. Can Sara and Jake make things work and move on from their past trauma?
Saving Sara was my first book of 2018 and the first book that I chose for my 2018 #killingthetbr challenge. I won this book in a ŷ giveaway in August of 2016, so it more than qualifies as a book I’ve had hanging around unread. Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with the characters or with the story, so 2018 as a reading year isn’t off to a great start.
The first thing that I want to mention is that this book was written by an Australian writer. There is, of course, nothing wrong with authors setting their books in other countries, but it was glaringly obvious to me that the author was not from the US. I was pulled out of the story several times when one of the characters would use Australian terms like “candy floss� instead of cotton candy or Australian sentence structure like ”he’d got off to� instead of “he went� or “he’d gone,� for example. I went to school for linguistics, so this is something that I notice really easily and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not sure it would bother most people quite as much as it bothered me.
I also felt kind of conflicted because while the writing is fine, I didn’t really feel any connection to the characters. I thought I’d at least connect with the main character since we share the same name, but nope. I found Sara to be almost a caricature, vacillating between this all-consuming grief that never really gets resolved and a giddy schoolgirl crush on her neighbor. You’d honestly think Sara was thirteen years old based on how she behaves when she realizes that Jake likes her. Similarly, Jake vacillates between guilt over the accident and being turned on my literally anything Sara does. Sara cries? Watch out, Jake’s got an erection. I guess she’s just super attractive when she’s sobbing, I don’t know.
I thought that the whole side story of Cilla and Bryce was a bit odd as well. I’m not used to a romance novel including two separate yet somewhat connected stories. If I’m reading a book about Sara and Jake, I don’t want to suddenly see another, unrelated couple’s story. I couldn’t get behind their relationship, try as I might, because even Cilla didn’t seem to be that into it until the end of the book. There’s guilt and awkwardness and then there’s flat-out incompatibility. Cilla and Bryce did not seem to be looking for the same thing, so I was puzzled when their possibility of romance actually took off into a real romance.
I also don’t think I originally inferred from the very vague blurb that this book is about a woman whose child has died. I hate books that feature dead children. I love kids. I don’t want them to die or to read about the aftermath of their deaths. I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book had I known that’s what it was about.
My list of problems just keeps growing, but there also seemed to be some continuity and consistency problems? The biggest example is Jake’s drinking. Near the beginning of the book, he mentions that he grew up with an alcoholic father and made a conscious decision not to consume any alcohol, but then goes on to talk about going to bars with his drinking buddies. I just feel like this book could have used an editor.
My reading year in 2018 isn’t off to the greatest start, but there are still 50 or so weeks left to read something better.
Final rating: ★★☆☆�
I received a free advance copy of Saving Sara from the publisher (via ŷ) in exchange for an honest review....more
Well, I've had a night to think about it, and I'm pretty sure I finally know where I stand with this book.
I didn't like it.
It's difficult, because it Well, I've had a night to think about it, and I'm pretty sure I finally know where I stand with this book.
I didn't like it.
It's difficult, because it actually gets much better around the halfway point, but there's always something off-putting lingering in the background. Let me start with the basics.
Grace Chapman, wife of literary icon Ted Chapman, has spent most of her life placating the volatile emotions of those around her. As a child, she walked on eggshells, never knowing what side of her bipolar mother she was going to get. As an adult, she has learned to make herself scarce when her husband gets in one of his moods. Despite her absolute terror at her husband's mood swings, Grace feels that her life is almost perfect. Things change, however, when Ted's efficient assistant is forced to quit to deal with problems in her own family. Suddenly Grace must deal with Ted's unrealistic demands, she must organize their household and take on tasks she hasn't had to deal with in decades. Grace is drowning, so when a young woman appears out of nowhere offering to help, she hires her without much of a thought.
Beth is perfect. Too perfect, some might say. In a matter of days, she has whipped the household into shape. Ted's the happiest he's ever been, and somehow, Beth has also had time to clean and organize the entire house AND help with Grace's charity work. But then strange things start happening. The rentals for a high-end charity event never arrive, leaving the guests disgruntled and Grace embarrassed. A favorite scarf of Grace's disappears, only to be seen on Beth a few days later. She's crazy, Ted says, to think anything might be off, especially when their lives are so great. She should be seen by a psychiatrist.
Grace has lived her whole life in fear of becoming her mother, so the suggestion to see a psychiatrist, to become one of those overly-medicated women she's always vowed not to be, hits her the wrong way. But Dr. Ellery is so understanding. He makes her feel validated and comfortable. So when he suggests that she try this pill, and that pill, and another four pills to combat the side effects of the other two, she agrees. After all, doctors know best, right? Soon, Grace is a shell of her former self and has no idea how to get back to what she once was.
So, overall, the premise is pretty good. It's actually a bit terrifying, thinking that something like this could happen. So my issue is (mainly) not with the plot, although it could have used an editor to clean it up a bit. My main problem is with the writing.
First, let me start off by saying that the whole writing style is odd. Because Grace is a well-known chef, the author has, for some reason, found it necessary to include a recipe at the end of every chapter. The writing is also very distant, detached, almost like you're watching one of those Discovery Channel documentaries where the British guy is narrating while a lion devours an unsuspecting antelope. Grace hides in the bathroom as Ted rages downstairs. Here's a recipe for buttery kedgeree. Grace's mother often called her ugly and useless. Here's a recipe for salmon. Beth is surely convincing Ted that Grace is crazy, but Grace isn't crazy, right? Here's a recipe for ginger ice cream.
Also, several threads of the plot are started, only to be discarded later. I wanted to know what was going on with Dr. Ellery, how he got away with medicating Grace into a stupor. I wanted to know why Beth targeted Grace's family. I wanted some justice for Grace at the end, for something to happen to Ted, or to Beth, or both. But the whole book was just flat.
The plot is highly predictable. I could have told you something was off when Grace was looking to check references for Beth and Beth couldn't provide a current phone number. References by email? Really? And if, for whatever reason, Grace was really that naive and trusting, she had to have known that the charity debacle was all Beth's fault. But, instead of trying to figure out why all these terrible things have suddenly started to happen after letting Beth into her life, Grace is more focused on the weight she's gained due to her new medications.
I knew going into this book that it didn't have great reviews, but I also knew that Jane Green is well-known in the chick lit world, so I gave it a chance. All in all, I'm pretty disappointed. I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't.
Thanks to the publisher and ŷ First Reads for the free copy....more
As a child and young teen, Judy Blume's books were some of my favorites. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret totally defined my childhood. I read andAs a child and young teen, Judy Blume's books were some of my favorites. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret totally defined my childhood. I read and re-read it until it literally fell apart. Her other books -- the Fudge series, Freckle Juice, Blubber, and Then Again, Maybe I Won't, to name just a few -- sat on my grandma's bookshelf waiting for me whenever I visited. So when I saw that she'd written a new book (finally! after all these years!) and it was available for request on ŷ, I jumped at the chance. Imagine my excitement when I actually won! I ran through the halls of my office telling everyone I'd just won a free advance copy of Judy Blume's new book. (Nobody knew who she was, but that's a sad story for another day.)
I have to admit, it took me awhile to get into in this one. There are an awful lot of characters, and there's an awful lot going on. We start with a plane crash in Elizabeth, NJ. A horrible event, but not one that's likely repeated, right? Wrong -- it happens twice more in the same town over the next few months. Three plane crashes, all changing the characters in different ways.
In the midst of it all, we have Miri's coming of age story. This is where the book shines, as expected, since this is what Judy Blume is known for. Out of all the characters, Miri stands out as the best developed, the most interesting, and the most relatable. Even while dealing with the aftermath of three local plane crashes, Miri also has to navigate her first love, her best friend's mental health issues, and her single mother jumping back into the dating pool.
Although it takes awhile to gain momentum, it's worth it to slog through the first few chapters for another glimpse into Judy Blume's mind. After all, the book is based on true events from her childhood. Knowing that there's probably a lot of Judy Blume's own experiences in Miri makes the book that much more touching.
I'd highly recommend In the Unlikely Event, because even after all these years, Judy Blume's still got it....more
I've liked a lot of books lately, but The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things hit me on a totally different level. Sage and Shane are completely awesome,I've liked a lot of books lately, but The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things hit me on a totally different level. Sage and Shane are completely awesome, beautifully flawed characters who defy pretty much every teenage stereotype that exists in young adult novels.
Sage prides herself on leaving her dark past behind her and moving on to a cheerful future. She makes a point to leave a compliment on a random student's locker every day (written on hot pink sticky notes in sparkly purple pen, no less). She helps out so much at home that her friends think she's crazy. She volunteers. She tries her best to get good grades. All this so that maybe she can forget what an awful person she used to be. Shane is trying to lay low and make it through high school without ending up in juvie. He made a lot of mistakes at his old school, so he just wants to keep to himself, avoid conflict, and make it through the next few months. Sage and Shane weren't counting on finding each other, but maybe they're just what each other needs.
The first thing that I noticed about The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things was the beautiful writing. Each sentence flowed so well, and the dialogue felt natural. Actually, everything felt really natural, from the personalities of the characters to the conflicts to the pacing. It was pretty near perfect, and I had a tough time putting it down at night!
I felt like the characters were really well-developed, from the main characters to their friends and the minor characters who have their own little lives on the sidelines. I think it's rare, particularly in young adult novels, to have minor characters whose personalities are so developed that we understand the rationale for their actions. I was surprised at the amount of attention given to the main antagonist in the story, and the fact that small offhand comments from the beginning of the book were followed up on throughout.
The only semi-negative comment I can make has to do with the language used in the book. Yes, it is 100% natural for RIGHT NOW. But in five or ten years, I'm wondering if the people who read it will be thinking, "She can't even? She can't even what? That's not a full sentence!" or "Why do these characters keep saying 'forever alone' and what does that mean?!" Aguirre does a great job of not dating the book through its use of pop culture (for example, when Sage watches Crazy Stupid Love, she mentions that it came out years ago but she'd never seen it), but as a total linguistics nerd, I wonder how today's slang is going to hold up in the future.
Aside from that totally minor complaint, everything in this book is amazing, and you should probably preorder it right now.
Thanks to ŷ First Reads and the publisher for the free copy!
Here's some background information: I initially won a free copy of All Fall Down on November 8, 2014. (Easy to remember because it's my mom's birthdayHere's some background information: I initially won a free copy of All Fall Down on November 8, 2014. (Easy to remember because it's my mom's birthday.) Evidently my copy got lost in the mail, and after thoroughly annoying the people at Scholastic with my incessant questions about its whereabouts (it was actually like three questions spaced over two months), I had given up all hope that I would actually get it. And then... one day, a full six months after I won, a sort of battered package showed up in my mailbox. Addressed just to "Sara." It's amazing that it actually got delivered. This book was inside, and I was so happy.
I woke up early one Saturday morning, completely unable to fall back asleep. (I'm always asking myself why that never happens when I have to be to work.) There's not much you can do early on a Saturday morning that wouldn't wake everyone else up, so I snuck downstairs and curled up with All Fall Down. A couple hours later, I was finished.
So, what did I think? I had built it up a lot in my mind. I mean, as a teenager, I loved Ally Carter's books, but it's probably been a good eight or so years since I picked one up. Still, it was pretty good.
The story is pretty unique -- Grace, a teenage army brat, is sent to live with her grandfather, an ambassador, at the US Embassy in Adria. She spent her childhood summers there, hopping between Canada, Russia, Germany, and the US on Embassy Row. Always avoiding the now-abandoned Iran. As a child, she was a bit of a daredevil, climbing trees, ignoring rules, jumping off the walls between embassies, breaking just about every bone in her body over the years. So when she arrives at the embassy as teenager, the staff is understandably wary of her.
Grace is kind of the anti-YA heroine. Her mother was killed three years ago, and she's still dealing with the emotional aftermath. She has flashbacks to that night, to the fire and the gunshots. She has moments of crushing anxiety, where she can barely breathe because the memories of that night are just too much. She sees her mother everywhere, but that's impossible, because her mother's dead. She watched it happen. Her family tells her that it was an accident, no foul play was involved, but Grace knows that's not true. And she's determined to get to the bottom of it.
But given her location, given the fact that she's the granddaughter of a US ambassador, one wrong move could end in an international incident. And Grace isn't exactly known for her poise and restraint. Luckily, she finds friends in the children of other ambassadors who help her learn to be less noticeable, and a little more ninja-like.
Overall, I did really enjoy All Fall Down. I mean, I must have, to read straight through like I did. But there were some things that just didn't sit right with me.
Like Alexei. He's Grace's brother's best friend, tasked with protecting Grace while her brother is training at West Point. But then he's sort of a love interest too, fleetingly, as he and Grace share some moments. But then he disappears, and it's like he never existed. I could never decide what exactly Alexei's role was supposed to be. It will probably be expanded upon in the next book, but it was frustrating nonetheless.
And also the ending, which was clearly designed to have me waiting with bated breath for the next installment. Which I might be, but I was also so annoyed by the cliffhanger that I'm not totally sure I even want to read the next book. In fact, I subtracted a star for it. Don't build up to some huge reveal only to stop there!
In the end, All Fall Down is both really great and really frustrating. I feel like it is a really great introduction to a series, but not such a great book on its own. For me, it would be one of those that I'd read once the whole series is out.
Thanks to ŷ First Reads and the publisher for the free copy!
In Make Up, Michelle Phan, beauty blogger and creator of the make up subscription service ipsy, discusses everything from the basics of a good skin caIn Make Up, Michelle Phan, beauty blogger and creator of the make up subscription service ipsy, discusses everything from the basics of a good skin care regimen to how to dress for a job interview to how to conduct yourself on social media.
The book is, honestly, a little disjointed. It hops from one topic to the next with little to no transition. But it means well. Michelle Phan means well. It's admirable that she's set out to create a modern guide to living your best life.
At 24 years old, having held the same steady job for over two years, and never really having been a social media oversharer, I don't think I was the target audience for her book. I did read all of it, including the tips on how to get a job, the importance of an internship, and entrepreneurial tips. Her endlessly positive attitude is a little grating, but, again, she means well. The best parts were definitely at the beginning, when she discusses her background and how she went from being denied a job at the Lancome counter to being one of the best known names in make up. I also have to admit that she taught me how to properly apply retinol, which is only slightly embarrassing, seeing that I work for a dermatologist.
In my mid-twenties, this book didn't do it for me, but I would have loved it as a young teen.
Thanks to ŷ and the publisher for the free copy....more
Let me preface this review by saying that you should not believe anybody who tries to tell you that The Abyss Beyond Dreams is a standalone novel. WhiLet me preface this review by saying that you should not believe anybody who tries to tell you that The Abyss Beyond Dreams is a standalone novel. While yes, I suppose that you could read it without any prior knowledge of the Commonwealth or Void, I can't imagine that you would enjoy it very much. Once I received the notification that I'd won a free advance copy of the novel (thanks, ŷ!), I went back and borrowed the Void trilogy from my boyfriend for a little background information. (Just a little, at nearly 2000 pages.) As I said in my reviews of those three books, I probably should have gone further back and read the Commonwealth books for an even stronger foundation. Hamilton really does weave together a lot of elements from his previous works.
In The Abyss Beyond Dreams, Nigel Sheldon, the infamous founder of the Commonwealth, is asked by the Raiel to enter the Void and search for lost ships. Upon his entry, he finds himself on Bienvenido, which is both similar to and different from Querencia, the part of the Void that we came to know in Hamilton's previous books. In Bienvenido, telekenesis is still possible. Animals can be modified to assist with everyday tasks. But while Querencia's citizens lead relatively safe lives, concerned mainly with political rivals, Bienvenido's residents must deal with Fallers crashing down from the sky.
Fallers are enormous eggs that can absorb and morph into both humans and large animals. The Fallers then lure in unsuspecting humans, creating well-hidden nests within cities. Oh, and they're also cannibals. So far, Bienvenido has been fairly lucky in resisting the Fallers, but there have been a few nests discovered, and a few close calls. Lieutenant Slvasta is one of the new humans lucky enough to escape a Fall -- a team of Marines found him in time, and he only lost an arm, though he did have to watch his best friend be consumed by an egg. Now Slvasta is consumed by a desire to end Fallers, and his dedication helps him quickly move up the ranks... until his supervisors no longer approve of his actions and he's put into an administrative position in the capital.
Meanwhile, Nigel takes a young woman named Kysandra under his wing as he researches the Void. Nigel and his ANAdroids rebuild Kysandra's family farm (and her life) as he attempts to find a way to make Commonwealth machinery work inside the Void, which notoriously messes with any and all technology. In the process of studying the Void, Nigel is mistaken for a Faller by Slvasta, and their paths intertwine on many occasions.
I did really enjoy this book, and I think I devoured it faster than any of Hamilton's other novels. Nigel's sections were my favorite, as I found Slvasta's to sometimes drag and be repetitive. (This is my only qualm with the book.) I liked that the Void was so similar to what Hamilton had written in his previous books, but also so different, in both the language and the society. What residents of Querencia call a "third hand," Bienvenido refers to as "teekay." Those sculptable eggs are known in Querencia as "default genistars," but in Bienvenido, they're "neuts." "Longtalk" becomes "'path." Even that dark red nebula that everyone's so afraid of ending up in has a different name -- Querencia's "Honious" is Bienvenido's "Uracus." And while Querencia lives in a fairly simple society (albeit with complex politics), Bienvenido seems much more advanced. Even with all the changes, the Void is still recognizable.
The Abyss Beyond Dreams includes many twists and turns, including one pretty big one at the end. I was satisfied with the ending of the novel, but I'll be happy once the second installment comes out!...more
In Scratch, Casey is a college senior with a traumatic past. To escape the nightmares and memories, she turns to music, and passes many nights DJing aIn Scratch, Casey is a college senior with a traumatic past. To escape the nightmares and memories, she turns to music, and passes many nights DJing at a local club. When she's not DJing, she's locked in her room, studying alone, afraid to let people in -- that is, until Daniel from her philosophy class starts chipping away at the walls she's built up.
The award for least relatable heroine goes to Casey. I could not stand this girl throughout the book. Why must everything be an argument with her? Daniel kisses her. She runs away. Daniel takes her on a date. She throws a fit. Daniel tries to help her get past the events of her childhood. She all but breaks up with him. Daniel tries to tell her that he's sick of fighting and just wants to make her happy, and she throws her tortured past in his face.
Casey is perfectly happy going somewhere with Daniel after class, perfectly comfortable talking to him at a party, but her danger bells go off when he offers to take her out at night. Casey's danger alarm goes off constantly. I think her favorite word is "dangerous." As in, "This was dangerous, to let myself even be this close to him." Everything is dangerous to Casey, not because there's actually a sense of danger, but because she may develop feelings for someone, and we can't have that.
Casey is also an idiot. She refuses to discuss her music with anyone, or tell anyone that she makes her own songs. Yet, somehow, of course, she's able to tell Daniel. She says, "I couldn't believe I was talking so openly about music with him. But I got the feeling that he would understand."
Casey, sweetie, 99% of people would understand. Music is this universal thing. Most people like it. Most people would think it's cool that you're creating your own songs. Have you never spoken to a human before?
It was exhausting to read about this girl.
Add to that the fact that these girls talked like they're from the late 90's:
"You look like you're about to devour someone," I replied drolly. She giggled. "Oh yes! I totally am. Ta-ta for now!"
I have not heard anyone say "ta-ta for now" since I was in elementary school. This is supposed to be a contemporary novel. The girls have cell phones and discuss Facebook, yet they talk and dress like they're out of the 90's.
Actually, the whole book is rather poorly written. It's hard to write a believable story in the first person, especially when it's a romance like this. Characters describing the things that are happening to them is just uncomfortable -- I much prefer third person. Some examples of the awkward writing:
My core tightened; my belly fluttered. The thumb on his right hand brushed against my thigh then moved up my leg, to the crease between my thigh and torso.
Ugh. So unattractive.
The premise of the book was good, but the writing was very formulaic (I could almost predict each conflict, what it would be, and where in the book it would occur), it was much too angsty, and very poorly executed. Typically, the books I receive from Netgalley are uncorrected proofs. There's no indication either way about whether this is an uncorrected or final copy. I hope that it's uncorrected and that an editor will be able to go in and polish the awkward writing, at least. In the end, I give Scratch 1.5/5 stars, rounded up to 2.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy....more
In the interest of full disclosure, let me start this by saying that I did not read Anatomy of a Boyfriend. I don't think that this had too much of anIn the interest of full disclosure, let me start this by saying that I did not read Anatomy of a Boyfriend. I don't think that this had too much of an effect on my opinion of the book, though, because no prior knowledge is really necessary.
In Anatomy of a Single Girl, Dom is still reeling from the breakup with her high school sweetheart. Now in the summer after her first year of college, she's completely sworn off guys -- that is, until she meets a really hot guy while she's volunteering at the local hospital. Guy (that's his name) turns out to be really smart, too, and he and Dom have some great conversations about science and medicine. Their relationship is the greatest when they've first met, before they let anything else get in the way of their friendship. They have a great friendship -- watching movies, trying new foods, hanging out on the beach -- until they ruin it by getting their hormones involved.
Dom decides that after her serious relationship failed, she wants to see what it's like to hook up with a guy with no strings attached, so she and Guy begin an exclusive friends-with-benefits relationship. At this point, the serious, studious Dom disappears. Dom had previously said that she wouldn't let any guy distract her from her carefully planned pre-med major, but after knowing Guy for approximately two days, she's already forgotten that promise. Dom says that she won't let anything get in the way of spending time with her parents, but there she is again, hanging out with Guy and blatantly lying to them about it. Guy makes it clear from the beginning that he's not looking for a relationship, he definitely doesn't want to get married, he doesn't want to have children, and this thing isn't going to go past the summer. Dom agrees, and then repeatedly throws tantrums when she realizes that she and Guy aren't building anything long-term.
Dom throws a lot of tantrums, and she's a very unlikable character. I found it really tedious to try to keep up with her emotions -- one minute, she's thrilled, the next she's angry, then she's okay again, then she's breaking up with Guy. Then they're back together, only to repeat the cycle again. If I were Guy, I wouldn't put up with her. I thought that he behaved really admirably for a teenage boy, being upfront with what he wanted even when he knew that it wasn't what Dom wanted to hear.
I was pretty happy with the first half of the book - it was a solid three stars. But then Dom became downright annoying and I struggled to keep reading. Luckily, the book is just over 200 pages, so I was able to finish it in a couple hours. Overall, it's not bad, just not particularly good. I'm left feeling more or less indifferent to it.
Thanks to ŷ and the publisher for the free copy....more
Many months ago, I received a free copy of Never Eat Alone through the ŷ First Reads program. I took the book to work with me, reading a page Many months ago, I received a free copy of Never Eat Alone through the ŷ First Reads program. I took the book to work with me, reading a page or section or chapter each day with my co-workers, sharing the valuable insights I was gaining by reading Mr. Ferrazzi's advice.
The very beginning of the book was helpful. The very end off the book was helpful. The middle 200 or so pages? Not so much.
I honestly hope that I never have to work with someone who thinks that what Mr. Ferrazzi promotes in this book is acceptable behavior. It is not. Much of what he discusses is creepy, annoying, rude, or just downright inappropriate.
He suggests thoroughly researching the person you're looking to meet with, so that you can discuss your shared interests. I'm sorry, but if I've just met you three seconds ago, please do not let on that you know where I went to high school, the names of my pets, and that I enjoy reading and reviewing young adult novels, despite being in my mid-twenties. I will politely excuse myself from this potential stalker before things get out of hand.
He suggests throwing dinner parties with two waves of friends - one wave which is only invited to come after dinner, but that wouldn't be offended by not being good enough to attend your actual event. If you don't want them there for the full event, why are you bothering inviting them at all?
He suggests ranking your friends and contacts from 1-3, signifying how often you need to contact them. What if they films out that they're a 3 for you (meaning you contact them once a year), but to them, you're a 1 (frequent contact)? Feelings are bound to get hurt, and then that relationship you've spent so long curating goes right out the window.
There is some good advice in here, don't get me wrong. I particularly liked the advice on building your brand. But overall, the advice is questionable - I think only very specific personality types in very specific industries could pull off everything that's been suggested here - and a lot of the chapters seem to solely consist of Mr. Ferrazzi patting himself on the back for being successful, or firing off a string of people he considers friends.
Never Eat Alone isn't exactly a waste of time, but I wouldn't suggest running out to immediately buy a copy, either.
Managing Projects is a very, very quick read summarizing what you need to know about starting, working on, and completing a project. Much of the book Managing Projects is a very, very quick read summarizing what you need to know about starting, working on, and completing a project. Much of the book is presented in bullet points with diagrams and samples of organizational charts and flowsheets that you can use to plan out projects.
I was expecting a little more information, but it is a good starting point and brings up topics that I hadn't previously thought about. Recommended for anyone who is just starting to get into project management. Anybody who's done it previously would probably find this book a waste of time.
Thanks to Harvard Business Review for the free copy....more
Little-known fact about me: I used to be a Pilates fanatic. We're talking like an hour, hour and a half every day of contorting myself into crazy posiLittle-known fact about me: I used to be a Pilates fanatic. We're talking like an hour, hour and a half every day of contorting myself into crazy positions to improve my strength, flexibility, and posture. I stopped when I started working full time and because I realized that I was getting a little too obsessive about it.
Flipping through this book, I found a lot of my old favorite positions and some new ones that look really fun. I'm hoping that this trip down memory lane will inspire me to start back up with Pilates. Isacowitz provides photos of each position from start to finish, along with detailed descriptions of what muscles it works, what to visualize to ensure correct posture, and variations for those with joint problems or previous injuries. In addition to mat work, there are sections on how to use the apparatuses -- I've never used anything but my mat, but I was really intrigued by what's possible if I were to do a Pilates class at a gym.
All in all, it's a really great, descriptive book that I'd recommend to anyone interested in Pilates.
Thank you to ŷ and the publisher for the free copy....more
Hard to Handle is a short, sweet romance in which nothing really happens and everything is wrong.
You know, I initially wrote out this review with detaHard to Handle is a short, sweet romance in which nothing really happens and everything is wrong.
You know, I initially wrote out this review with detailed descriptions of every single problem I had with this book, but I wasn't even half done and the review was practically a full-length novel, so I decided maybe bullet points are better. I will be happy to provide more examples (and more things I didn't like) if necessary.
� THE TIMELINE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. First and foremost, I cannot for the life of me figure out when things are supposed to be happening. Everything seemed horribly rushed and contrived, but maybe that's because I didn't read book one. (Of course, I didn't know there was a book one until this little guy showed up at my door saying it was book two!) According to my fellow reviewers, not reading book one should have little impact on the understanding of book two, but I still wonder if having that background information would have made the story flow better.
� THE WHOLE DIVORCE/HIDING SADIE THING MADE NO SENSE AT ALL. From what I understand, Aiden and Sadie dated briefly and then broke up because his mom got sick and he had to take care of her, and also he didn't want his mom to know he was divorced and dating a new woman? I don't know, that part didn't make sense to me. Did his mom really like his ex-wife? Would she really have been devastated to find out they'd split? She'd rather live her last days believing a lie than know that her son was happy with a new woman? I mean, it sounds like Aiden and Harmony had a pretty toxic relationship, and it sounds like his mom was a reasonable woman... so from the beginning, the whole relationship drama didn't make much sense to me.
� BE TOGETHER OR DON'T. STOP WITH THE NONSENSE. I'm not sure whether or not I can call this instalove, seeing how Aiden and Sadie dated for some indeterminate amount of time some indeterminate number of months/years ago. Aiden never stopped loving Sadie, and Sadie absolutely despises Aiden. Except when she doesn't. But then she does again. But then she loves him. And then she wants to break up, even though she won't admit they're dating. She can't get enough of him. She wants him to just LEAVE HER ALONE. This is one of my pet peeves in romance novels. If your relationship goes through that many ups and downs and you can't decide whether you love or hate your partner, you probably shouldn't be dating. It's as simple as that.
� SADIE WAS ACTUALLY AWFUL. Yes, Aiden dumped her. It was probably awful, most breakups are. But Aiden had a good reason, and as her best friend actually points out, she needs to stop using it as an excuse to be terrible to him. She feels that she can justify every snide remark or rude action because he left her to take care of his mom. As if it was the worst possible thing he could've done. I think she hates Aiden more for moving away than she hates her ex-fiance for sleeping with her sister.
� AIDEN WAS ACTUALLY AWFUL TOO. Aiden is the worst kind of awful, because he hides in such a sweet persona. I wonder if the author even realizes that she created such an awful character. You see, Aiden wants what he wants. And what he wants is (view spoiler)[marriage. So he's going to pressure Sadie into at every turn. Even though she doesn't want a serious relationship. Even though she's said many times that she's not looking for marriage. He's just going to propose over and over again until she says yes, and mope and sulk around every time she says no. And the worst part is, he eventually wears her down. There's no other explanation for why Sadie, so adamantly against marriage for the first 250 pages, would acquiesce so easily at the end. (hide spoiler)]
� WHY IS EVERYTHING ABOUT MARRIAGE? Why does marriage dominate the lives of these men and women? Everything is about a proposal, a dead wife, a ring, did she say yes yet?, wow they're engaged, a fiance... I think that every woman who is mentioned in more than one scene actually has a marriage plot in this book. It is absolutely ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with marriage, or with wanting to have a family, but it almost comes across like the author of this ROMANCE NOVEL is uncomfortable with the idea of unmarried people being together!
I actually enjoyed this book at the beginning. I knew that it wouldn't be one of my favorites, but it was a good way to pass the time. A quick, easy read. But then Aiden got all weird and clingy, and Sadie did a complete 180. I would have liked it better if they'd ended up apart because I just felt like Sadie was shoved into a life she didn't want, a life that she had been insisting that she wasn't interested in.
Final rating: a generous 2/5.
Thank you to the publisher and ŷ First Reads for the free copy....more
Rachel Wiltshire used to have a pretty good life. She had a great group of friends, she was headed to her dream school to study journalism, and she waRachel Wiltshire used to have a pretty good life. She had a great group of friends, she was headed to her dream school to study journalism, and she was dating the guy that everybody wanted to be with. Then, one fateful night, a car crashed through a window of the restaurant she and her friends were eating in and changed everything.
Fast forward five years, and Rachel is still recovering from the injuries sustained from the devastating accident. Her best friend is dead, she broke things off with her boyfriend, and her dad is dying of cancer. With the stress of her injuries, her hospitalizations, and the resultant side effects, she was forced to abandon her dreams of going to university. She lost contact with nearly all of her former friends, took a job as a secretary at an engineering company, and lives alone in a dreary flat over a laundromat. Or does she?
As Rachel heads back home to attend her friend's wedding, she finds that her symptoms are becoming increasingly worse. She decides to ignore them for the time being and make an appointment with her doctor once the weekend's festivities are over, but soon she can't overlook the searing pain from the headaches. Thinking that a walk might clear her head and the fresh air might help her headache, she takes a stroll through the cemetery to visit her friend Jimmy's grave. Soon after, she begins losing her vision and collapses on the sidewalk. When she wakes up in the hospital, everything is wrong. She's engaged to Matt, her high school boyfriend, who she hasn't seen in five years. Her dad is perfectly healthy. She has none of the side effects or scars that resulted from the car crash. She has her dream job of writing for a magazine. And most shockingly, Jimmy is standing at the foot of her bed as if nothing has happened.
Rachel must piece together what's true and what's an illusion. Has she sustained brain damage from a head injury? Does she have amnesia? Has she developed schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder? Has she traveled to some parallel universe where everything worked out perfectly? And, if so, why does she want so desperately to go back to the way things should be, even if how things should be is worse than how they are?
Then and Always surprised me. I read a few pages here and there over a few days, but then really set aside a few hours to see how everything would unravel. I could not put this book down. I was rooting for Rachel on every page, waiting for her to find out what really happened and knowing that she wasn't crazy. I wanted to file a formal complaint against those doctors who dealt with her confusion by sedating her! The completely unexpected ending broke my heart while simultaneously giving me hope that Rachel would end up happy.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for an unconventional love story.
Thank you to the author and Ballantine Books for the advance copy....more
Brady, the younger Wilson sister by a whole eleven months, is known for her artsy ways. Sabine, her older sister, is perfect. She's a cheerleader. SheBrady, the younger Wilson sister by a whole eleven months, is known for her artsy ways. Sabine, her older sister, is perfect. She's a cheerleader. She's part of a power couple. Everyone loves her. And then she dies in a freak cheering accident. Everyone blames Connor, Sabine's stunt partner, for failing to catch her. He did fail a drug test that day, after all. But Brady doesn't quite buy it. She wants to get to the bottom of this whole death thing so she can move on with her life.
Let's just get one thing straight. From the very first mention of Sabine, I didn't trust her. Nobody is that perfect. It's hard to sympathize with a family, no, an entire community, losing its star when you don't believe that star was who she pretended to be. I'm not sure whether I was supposed to like or dislike Sabine. I'm not actually sure how I was supposed to feel about most of the characters.
So, the good. Suzy Vitello handles the grief of the family very well. Dad starts drinking too much and pushes his family away. Mom gets all secretive. Is she having an affair? Brady, formerly a good student (or that's what I got out of it, at least), begins neglecting her studies. Everything falls apart.
The indifferent. I both liked and disliked Brady's relationship with Connor. Why did it have to happen so quickly? One minute Brady hated him with a fiery passion, and the next she was falling all over him. They made a cute (though weird) couple, but was the relationship really necessary? Did it add anything to the story? Aside from injecting some romance when the plot slowed down, not really.
And the bad. For a book of a mere 200-ish pages, there is an awful lot going on. Every character has at least two or three side plots in addition to the main dead Sabine thing. I couldn't bring myself to care about whether Martha, the girls' best friend, won her pageant thing. The whole art award nonsense was never really resolved. Sabine's secret drama/trauma doesn't really go anywhere. The teachers ask the right questions but never follow up. And then there were the weird references to St. Agatha and moths. While The Moment Before started out with a good premise, I feel like the author tried to tackle too many ideas.
In the end, I really can't give it more than two stars. Maybe, had the plot been more focused and the characters been more relatable, I could give it three or four. The premise was good, as I said. There was just so much going on that no single plot, including the main one, got the attention it deserved.
In the interest of full disclosure: I received a free copy of The Moment Before from the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
I found it really difficult to review this book. On the one hand, I was happy to see a list of what to do and what not to do in terms of healthy eatinI found it really difficult to review this book. On the one hand, I was happy to see a list of what to do and what not to do in terms of healthy eating, but I also felt like a lot of her advice was questionable and even condescending at times. Let me just say, I'm happy I got this book for free (thanks, Perigee, for the ARC) because I would not have been happy if I'd paid for a book that took this attitude, and I certainly would not pay an RD to talk to me like this or to tell me I'm no longer allowed to even think about eating many foods with good nutritional value.
I'd really like to break down all the issues I had with the book, but then I'd be basically giving away all of Ms. Slayton's advice for free. So let me just discuss my few biggest issues. I want to preface this by saying that at one point, I thought about becoming a dietitian, and I did take a few introductory classes in college, including a seminar on how careful you need to be when giving nutritional advice. I am by no means an expert, just someone who is extremely interested in the field of nutrition.
1. Ms. Slayton advises that we avoid fruit nearly altogether. I'm sorry, but I have difficulty taking anybody seriously if they think fruit is the enemy. Let me tell you, nobody ever got fat eating apples and oranges. Maybe apple pies and Orange Julius, but not pure, unadulterated fruit. 2. She suggests that we bore ourselves thin by limiting ourselves to one or two choices per week. I don't know about you, but if every lunch is a kale salad, every snack is 12 walnut halves, and every dinner is poached salmon, I'm going to boycott that diet on about day three. 3. She states that it's important to plan for what we're going to eat at our friends' parties. "What if your friend serves risotto," she asks, as if ingesting a reasonable portion of carbs is going to suddenly make you gain twenty pounds. Parties should not be stressful. Eat what you want for that one night. Eat well the next day. You'll live. If you become that person who constantly turns their nose up at everything their friends cook, you'll soon have no friends. I guess then at least you won't have to worry about what you're going to eat at parties.
Those aren't all my concerns. I don't really want to get started on the questionable pre-vacation advice or the sometimes condescending tone she takes. Instead, I'll move on to what I did like.
1. Meal planning has gotten me through some intense takeout cravings. On Saturday, I make a list of everything I'm going to cook the next week. On Sunday, I shop and prep. There's no excuse for ordering out when you have all that fresh food in the fridge waiting to be cooked. I did appreciate that planning is at the forefront of her advice. 2. Finally, someone agrees that we don't need to worry about how many calories we're getting from veggies. In this plan, non-starchy veggies are basically a free-for-all. Go ahead and eat all the celery, broccoli, carrots, and asparagus you want. (Good, because I already do!) 3. The holidays chapter was really nice. Sometimes we do need to be reminded that we don't need to stuff our faces with two pounds of butter on Thanksgiving and Christmas just because it's traditional. And if we do, we just need to dust ourselves off, put in some cardio, and do better tomorrow.
So all in all, I'm kind of ambivalent about The Little Book of Thin. It's far from the best nutritional advice I've been given, but it's also far from the worst. I think the important thing with any diet plan or nutritional guide is to customize it to your specific situation. No diet is one size fits all. If it sounds questionable, don't do it. If it sounds like it will work for you, give it a try. You're not locked into one plan for the rest of your life, either. I'm taking some of Ms. Slayton's advice this week when I do my grocery shopping. If it works and I feel healthier, great. If not, there's no harm in trying. There's always next week....more
So first things first, Stella is a lot like Mean Girls. I mean a lot. The first half or so is so similar that I was sure the book was going to end witSo first things first, Stella is a lot like Mean Girls. I mean a lot. The first half or so is so similar that I was sure the book was going to end with Caitlin breaking up a tiara into tiny pieces and distributing it to a crowd. (Spoiler: Unfortunately, that doesn't happen.) The problem with Stella is that when it finally veers off of its obviously Mean Girls-inspired track, it becomes really boring.
A little background -
Stella is, as she tells us on page two, incredibly beautiful. But not only that! No, she's also incredibly smart and she has the most incredibly perfect life. You should want to be her. Everybody else does. Stella's main goal is to follow in her dead sister's footsteps and become the new Head Girl of her boarding school in the end-of-year elections. She's going to use her beauty and wealth and power and cruelty... and the influence of her sister to do it.
Caitlin is the new girl, entering Temperley because her parents are getting divorced and her father wants to give her a fresh start in England because she's too introverted at her Manhattan prep school. (Talk about a terrible father.) In reality, he just wants to hook up with lots of ladies in a new country and he doesn't want to have to deal with his soon to be ex-wife or young son. Caitlin shows up at Temperley thinking she's really plain and boring and stuff, but soon learns that she's actually gorgeous and everybody wants to be friends with her.
Stella brings Caitlin into her group - the Stars - and Caitlin is introduced to a world totally unlike anything she's ever known. The Stars are cruel. They get exactly what they want, when they want it. They're the royalty of Temperley and the girls are all dying to be a member of their clique, and all the boys are dying to date them. After hanging out with the Stars for a few weeks, Caitlin goes from a normal teenage girl to a power hungry crazypants. When she finds out that not everybody is happy under Stella's rule, she realizes that she can use her new power and influence to take over the school.
The problems I had with this book, aside from the obvious borrowings from Mean Girls:
1. The writing is incredibly childish. The author is lauded as graduating with honors from a master's program in creative writing, but I feel like I could have written a better book. Stella and Caitlin have the exact same voice, despite the fact that they're from entirely different countries. The writing would have been much more credible if Caitlin had been written in American English. Am I really supposed to believe that Caitlin has started using British spelling and grammar after being there for one school year? I don't think so.
2. None of the characters were particularly distinctive. All of the other Stars just blended together, and the boys were almost indistinguishable.
3. I thought the ending was ridiculous. Was I supposed to feel something? I didn't, other than gratefulness that the book was done.
To avoid spoiling the few unpredictable plot points, I'll refrain from saying anything else. I do want to highlight at least something positive, though, so I will say that it's an incredibly quick read. I read the majority of it over about two hours on a Friday afternoon. It almost reads like a movie, although not a very good one. My guess, given the wildly varying reviews that this book has, is that I am not the target demographic.
Thank you to ŷ First Reads and the publisher for the ARC....more
I received a free copy of The Biology of Luck via ŷ First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I finished this book last night and I'm stillI received a free copy of The Biology of Luck via ŷ First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I finished this book last night and I'm still not entirely sure how I felt about it. I absolutely hated it, with a fiery burning passion, while I was reading it. Starshine and Larry are obnoxious, pretentious people who embody the worst characteristics of my generation. I could not stand to read about them and literally had to force myself to keep going. That said, the book is very well-written. Appel has a way with words and was able to paint a very vivid picture of New York City to someone like me, who has never been there before.
But how many stars can you really give a book you hated?
I have to deal with a lot of people, and a lot of nonsense, every day. When I come home and curl up with a book, I don't want to deal with more nonsense. I want likable characters.
I don't want Starshine, who in one breath says that men are harmless and in another is saying how she's afraid to be alone with a florist because men are only out to molest her. I don't want to hear about how she uses her good looks to con lonely bankers into giving her their own money, or how she doesn't want to work for any business that forces her to wear shoes. I don't want to hear her complaining about her aunt because it's no longer pleasant to visit her. I don't want to read about how she wants to, but doesn't want to, break up with her two... lovers? Boyfriends? I don't need to read about how the entire world is in love with Starshine - literally EVERYONE IN HER LIFE.
I don't want Larry, who hates himself and seriously contemplates suicide several times over the course of a walking tour. I don't want to hear him rolling around in self-pity because he's not good-looking, not rich, not good in bed. I don't want to read about his pretentious friends and their meetings at an upscale McDonalds. Larry seems to almost stalk Starshine, at least through his book, writing about her travels through the city, her encounters with her lovers, all building up to her date with him that same evening. Larry, and his book, were very creepy.
I don't want to read about unpleasant people. I kept waiting for some revelation that would make them more likable, something that would shed some light on why they act the way they do. It didn't come. I was both happy to finish this book, and unhappy, because the ending of the book was so entirely disappointing. (view spoiler)[When the entirety of your book builds up to an answer, please don't give a half-hearted non-answer as the last line of your book. How is "Yes, and no," the response received from a literary agency? Or is that not the response? Is that Starshine's response? The book will be published but she doesn't love him? After muddling my way through this book for literally three weeks because I could only manage to sit through about ten pages a day, I want a small reward. I want to know whether Larry got his book published. I couldn't care less whether he'll end up with Starshine, but I want to know about his book. And I don't know what's happening with his book, so I feel cheated. Why did I waste my time with this book when I could have read something enjoyable? (hide spoiler)]
In the end, I think I can safely award The Biology of Luck two stars - one for the writing and one for making me care about the status of Larry's book....more
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