A Teen Vampire “Romance” That Doesn’t Bite: Uninvited

Bear with me, I know this is the second young adult book in a row, but I promise I will get to the older stuff soon. Besides, sometimes it does a person good to read something a little below their age level—you’ll find they’re quicker to get through, they can be more relaxing because they’re an easier read, and they may remind you of something you should have learned a long time ago.

For example, I recently read Uninvited, by Amanda Marrone. Though I made a comment earlier this week about Twilight and vampire books, I’m still, at my core, a fantasy girl. I’ve always loved supernatural themed stories, and I’m willing to wade through a few bad ones to find some favorites (check in with me next week for my review of Tithe). Since Twilight though there’s been a flood of cookie-cutter supernatural love stories. So, I read this book expecting another bucket of water but instead I got a life-preserver.

Now, the writing itself was nothing too fancy—it was appropriate for a young adult book, especially when you consider how few adolescents are heavy readers these days. What kept me reading was the story. The main character, Jordan, is not a role model by any means—especially when the book begins. She’s a slacker, an alcoholic, and she engages in a good amount of swearing, sexual acts, and recreational drug use. She’s also being stalked by her ex-boyfriend…who’s a vampire (talk about high school drama).

Anyway, what’s so compelling about this book isn’t the vampire. Where Marrone really drew me in was her depiction of the psychological and emotional struggles of a teenage girl. Honestly I don’t even think vampires needed to be involved, nor were they the main focus of the book. Marrone just cleverly uses them to enhance the books exploration of Jordan’s insecurity.

Even when Michael (her vamp ex-boyfriend) was alive, their relationship wasn’t really a good one. You can see that in the way he manipulates her—trying to coax her to open her window with talk about their future together. The reader begins to see, especially during Michael’s occasional frustrated and violent outbursts, that he doesn’t really care for her—he has his own selfish reasons for any affection he shows her. But the reader can also see, and even relate to (especially if ever they were a teenage girl) why this shy and reclusive girl is drawn to promises of eternal love, even though she knows on some level that he’s out to get her.

By complicating the issue further with the supernatural, Marrone highlights the problems and confusion that arise from young love. The reader witnesses Jordan’s indecision—her back and forth feelings for Michael and her the difficult feelings she has for her life in general. Although at first glance Jordan may not be a role model, it’s her choice to be better than Michael, to choose herself instead of choosing to succumb to someone else (no matter how good he makes it sound) that makes this book worth reading.

Marrone and Jordan send a strong message about the importance of paying attention to how being in a relationship can change you. Jordan figures out that a relationship shouldn’t make you less than the other person—if you’re with someone who’s good for you, they should enhance you, not diminish you. They shouldn’t tell you that your other friends are weird and discourage you from hanging out with them. And, though it sounds cliché, you shouldn’t have to change who you are (change your whole species in this case) for someone to love you. And that’s what’s so great about this book—instead of trying to tell girls the kind of cheesy messages that may sound silly but are still so important, Marrone shows the reader why they’re important. I mean yeah, it’s not like most of us are being propositioned by bloodsucking fiends on a daily basis, but we are often seduced by people who are much more subtle.

Now for the box or bookshelf verdict: I personally put this book in the box because I probably just won’t read it again. I have to save shelf space for truly epic books that I’ll read forever and ever. But I’m glad I read it and I’d definitely encourage everyone else, especially adolescent girls, to read it. This book definitely deserves at least some time on your shelf.

Still Hungry: The Hunger Games (whole series)

So, a while ago I decided to jump on The Hunger Games bandwagon and I read all three books in the matter of a week--I even went and saw the movie. And I have one thing in particular to say that should sum up how I felt about the books:
I liked the movie better.

Now for those of you, like me, to whom reading is almost like a religion, the fact that I just uttered those words is akin to blasphemy. If you read the book first, it’s basically a rule that you’ll like the book better than any movie they ever make. But this was not so for me and The Hunger Games, and I’ll tell you why—they’re just not that good.

Now before you set me on fire (and not just the pretty fake kind that gets you noticed, but real fire) just let me explain. The first book I could get behind. The story was interesting, well thought out, and pretty original (though I’ve heard people complain it wasn’t the first time they’ve seen this type of story)—at least it wasn’t the same old vampire romance clinging onto the coat-tails of the Twilight craze (don’t get me started on those books). The writing was also solid--it was appropriate for the age group and though it wasn’t the best written word I’ve ever read, it certainly got the job done. There were even moments where it stood out as above average. It was definitely a page-turner and I enjoyed the strong female main character. Furthermore I thought Suzanne Collins depicted Katniss’ adolescent feelings about rebellion in a very believable way throughout all three books. She’s sort of this reluctant hero, which I found appropriate for a young adult—seriously, what teenage girl wants to be the symbol for a violent uprising pretty much before she even hits puberty. And last but not least there were some great quoatable lines--I mean, come on who hasn't read the books then told someone "May the odds be ever in your favor." So, the first book could have made its way onto my shelf but…

The second and third books are slow, repetitive, and sloppy! Now, responsibility for the letdown that was the rest of the series does not fall solely on the shoulders of the author. In one of my writing classes, my professor explained this pattern very well: most second and third books just suck. And here’s why—the author writes the first book and it’s a huge hit, it gets picked up by a publishing company and sells thousands, if not millions of copies. Then, the publishing company sees an opportunity—they push the author to finish his or her next book (or the rest of the series) as soon as possible so they can ride the high of the first book and sell another million books. The problem with this is, most authors don’t just have the next book lying around, nor can they produce legendary writing at lightning speed (though here I’d just like to give credit to J.K. Rowling for never losing her attention to detail and preemptive planning). I don’t know if this is what happened with Catching Fire and Mockingjay, but that’s certainly what it felt like. These books felt as though she had the outline set up, but she didn’t have the time to pay attention to detail or develop her ideas to the same level as the first one. And that’s a shame because I think this series could have been something I’d read over and over, but instead I read them just to be done.

Catching Fire and Mockingjay definitely had their moments—I really appreciated the author showing Coin and the other rebellion leaders as problematic leaders, perhaps worse than President Snow himself, because I feel that’s something writers may shy away from in fiction (though it’s often true in real life). I loved that the stylists and people in the capital were shown not necessarily as active "bad guys," but simply ignorant masses. And, though it made me incredibly sad, I think it was appropriate for there to be a sacrifice of a key character in the end (not going to mention names and spoil it for those who haven’t finished it—those of you who read it know who I’m talking about)--in war people die and as a writer you shouldn't save a character just because it sucks to kill them. But, in both books there were times where there was too much summary, too much waiting around, and I was just bored. As a series, these books left me unsatisfied, so I have to say that these books get the Box.

(Though, I will admit that since I bought them on my nook, I’m actually keeping them…think of that what you will).

To Keep or Not to Keep: a little bit about this blog

About 6 months ago I graduated with a Bachelors degree in English and a grand plan of all the things I thought I would do with it: I'd be a writer, obviously, and get some glamorous job at a publishing company where my only task would be to read. Of course, pretty soon reality set in and I realized I might not be able to find a job, much less one that could be described as "glamorous." I searched and I searched for employment, but even just plain decent jobs seemed out of my reach. Finally I took a part time job just to make some money and its been relatively smooth, albeit disappointing and mind-numbingly boring, sailing from there.

But there was a reason I became an English major in the first place: to read. I mean, yes I want to write too, but where do you think that desire came from? I've always been a reader--while many people my age can remember childhoods full of Nickelodeon, what I remember are the shelves and shelves of books I went through. As I kid I was usually reading four or five books at once, not wanting to limit myself to only one adventure at a time. To me, books were (and still are) best friends--not in a creepy way where they're my only friends (though I do remember a few times telling my real friends that I couldn't hang out because I had to get home and finish the book I was reading). Books will take you places where you may never be able to go. They're the escape from those problems and mind-numbing jobs you have to take to make ends meet. They keep you creative, they keep you sharp and they keep you sane.

So now to explain the concept of Box or Bookshelf. In case you haven't gotten the hint yet, I don't have a lot of money. So the places I've been able to live aren't exactly sprawling mansions--my designated space for books and bookshelves has gotten pretty small as of late. So, though it breaks my heart to do it, I have to give up on my dream of having my own personal library. It's time to start going through all the books I've been saving up since I learned to read and get rid of as many as I can bear to part with--and that includes new books I read too. Like my mother keeps reminding me, "You can't keep them all." So, out of this necessary sorting process came an idea: why not satisfy my need for space and my desire to read and write all at the same time. Why not write book reviews about the books I've read letting people know whether they're worth keeping to read over and over again, or whether they should be boxed up and donated the next time there's a book drive.

So here you are. On this blog you'll find my opinions of the books I've read, and will continue to read (and trust me, there's a lot of them). Not all books are created equal--some are awesome, mind-blowing creations, some are fun, some make you think and some are just plain awful (or they can be a combination of these). I try not to be a book snob, I read pretty much anything I can get my hands on--young adult, nonfiction, literature, plays, romance novels, you name it. And I won't claim I'm a certified literary book critic with an expensive degree and an ego to match the pricetag (though my degree in English has certainly given me four years of academic experience reading and talking about books). What I offer here are simply my opinions of what I've read. One of the most important things college taught me (that I couldn't have learned just reading on my own) is the importance of discussing what you read. Sharing with others what you've read and what you think about it, and even arguing about it, is what brings your understanding of what you've read to a whole new level.

So feel free pick and choose which posts to read, agree or disagree with me, but no matter what, I hope you maintain the desire to read.