Through the Letterbox (12) and reviews
Through the Letterbox explores the contents of my mailbox on a weekly basis. Of course I only mention the really cool things, like books! If you would like to participate and have your own “In My Mailbox” post, you can find more information here. (This post was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.) Thanks The Story Siren for this!
Because my work has been consuming my life, I haven't been able to read as much as I would have liked (usually the hour long train journey is all that I have each day before I slip into my coma every night). But I did get two new books and manage to read and review one of them. I have posted the review after the blurb of the book, so beware if you don't want spoilers.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
I received this book earlier this week from the publisher with a letter gushing about the brilliance of it. Let me tell you right now, that I disagree. I did not think that it was brilliant, or the 'best thing I've read in ages'.
Nora is 'made' to partner Patch, the resident bad-boy (isn't that always the case?) in Biology, during the strangest sex-ed class in the history of the world. My sex-ed classes never required me to get to know the person I was working with (mainly because I never worked with anyone in those classes. They were more of a 'I talk and you listen' type thing). Anyway she and Patch obvioulsy don't like each other. Scrap that - he leers at her a lot and she tries to ignore him.
They are given a questionaire to fill in about each other and he already knows everything about her and in my book that is already screaming stalker. But don't worry, he wasn't stalking her, he was just reading her mind. Makes it all better doesn't it? But her quest/journey/epic snooze fest to discover the answers about him leads Nora to various underground seedy locations where he hangs out. It gives her a great opportunity to see him in his natural habitat with what seem to be all the bad/evil/criminal/at all different people in the whole town. And in his natural habitat he plays pool a lot and fights.
So you know, does the basic bad boy stuff.
In the most boring way possible.
It is only as she delves more into his world that he starts to freak her out some more. Someone is stalking her and she and her best friend Vee (another useless character) suspect that it is him. Does that stop her lusting after him? No.
Why?
Because she is 'vulnerable'. Patch's words, not mine. He finds it an attractive quality. Because all stalkers want to protect their victims love interests. And her vulnerability makes her go to him again and again even though he does try to kill her. Yes, that's right his love for her is so strong that he messes with her mind and tries to kill her. He apologises later, of course. And she forgives him. Of course.
As you can tell I had quite a few problems with this book. The largest one has to be because it was a lot like Twilight. And I didn't enjoy Twilight but that book kept me hooked. There was no denying the fact that I read all 4 eagerly. Hush, Hush didn't do that. At all. Nora, unlike Bella was completely aware of the fact that Patch was a psycho. Not that it made any difference.
Somewhere in between all this mindless rubbish, was a story. As the blurb said an epic battle was supposed to be raging. Wasn't there? I am sure it was mentioned. The problem was that by the time the evil bad man/angel/thing was discovered I couldn't care less. The villian was a pathetic one but even their ability to manipulate Nora showed just how much more inadequate she was.
There was barely any mythology of angels or their fallen or anything. And of course, as old as Patch is he has never been in love before and it was Nora's wild hair and vulnerable whatever that made his emotionless heart thump some more. Or at all. And of course, as intelligent as Nora is (straigh A-student apparently) she can't seem to do anything at all until it is too late or she has fucked it up too much. There was one moment in the book where she tried to defend herself. Patch laughed at her and she forgave him. That really pissed me off.
Why must all the female protagonists be so inept at anything physical? Because of couse P.E. is her worst sport and she can't hit/catch/throw a ball to save her life. Unless someone talks to her with his mind and tells her what to do.
Whcih brings me to that special someone in Nora's life. Patch. I don't care if he is sex on legs. I don't care how hard he is when he presses against her. It does nothing for me. And do you know why? Because his name is Patch. All I can see is Patch Adams played by Robin Williams in that movie with a red fake nose stuck on his nose. That is not a sexy look. Patch is not a sexy name.
And he has to be the most pathetic angle/fallen angel/male in the world.
But you know something? I am completely aware that I am going to be in the minority. I know people (girls) will love it. They will love Patch. They will wish that he had tried to kill them while they were in High School. They will wish that he invaded their minds on a daily basis.
I do not.
2**/5
Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts.
Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel.
But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.
How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns - especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...
Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.
But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.
[YAY! I really enjoyed Airhead so hopefully this one will be brilliant too!]
And that's it!
What did you all get?
Live Long and Prosper
xoxo
Because my work has been consuming my life, I haven't been able to read as much as I would have liked (usually the hour long train journey is all that I have each day before I slip into my coma every night). But I did get two new books and manage to read and review one of them. I have posted the review after the blurb of the book, so beware if you don't want spoilers.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
I received this book earlier this week from the publisher with a letter gushing about the brilliance of it. Let me tell you right now, that I disagree. I did not think that it was brilliant, or the 'best thing I've read in ages'.
Nora is 'made' to partner Patch, the resident bad-boy (isn't that always the case?) in Biology, during the strangest sex-ed class in the history of the world. My sex-ed classes never required me to get to know the person I was working with (mainly because I never worked with anyone in those classes. They were more of a 'I talk and you listen' type thing). Anyway she and Patch obvioulsy don't like each other. Scrap that - he leers at her a lot and she tries to ignore him.
They are given a questionaire to fill in about each other and he already knows everything about her and in my book that is already screaming stalker. But don't worry, he wasn't stalking her, he was just reading her mind. Makes it all better doesn't it? But her quest/journey/epic snooze fest to discover the answers about him leads Nora to various underground seedy locations where he hangs out. It gives her a great opportunity to see him in his natural habitat with what seem to be all the bad/evil/criminal/at all different people in the whole town. And in his natural habitat he plays pool a lot and fights.
So you know, does the basic bad boy stuff.
In the most boring way possible.
It is only as she delves more into his world that he starts to freak her out some more. Someone is stalking her and she and her best friend Vee (another useless character) suspect that it is him. Does that stop her lusting after him? No.
Why?
Because she is 'vulnerable'. Patch's words, not mine. He finds it an attractive quality. Because all stalkers want to protect their victims love interests. And her vulnerability makes her go to him again and again even though he does try to kill her. Yes, that's right his love for her is so strong that he messes with her mind and tries to kill her. He apologises later, of course. And she forgives him. Of course.
As you can tell I had quite a few problems with this book. The largest one has to be because it was a lot like Twilight. And I didn't enjoy Twilight but that book kept me hooked. There was no denying the fact that I read all 4 eagerly. Hush, Hush didn't do that. At all. Nora, unlike Bella was completely aware of the fact that Patch was a psycho. Not that it made any difference.
Somewhere in between all this mindless rubbish, was a story. As the blurb said an epic battle was supposed to be raging. Wasn't there? I am sure it was mentioned. The problem was that by the time the evil bad man/angel/thing was discovered I couldn't care less. The villian was a pathetic one but even their ability to manipulate Nora showed just how much more inadequate she was.
There was barely any mythology of angels or their fallen or anything. And of course, as old as Patch is he has never been in love before and it was Nora's wild hair and vulnerable whatever that made his emotionless heart thump some more. Or at all. And of course, as intelligent as Nora is (straigh A-student apparently) she can't seem to do anything at all until it is too late or she has fucked it up too much. There was one moment in the book where she tried to defend herself. Patch laughed at her and she forgave him. That really pissed me off.
Why must all the female protagonists be so inept at anything physical? Because of couse P.E. is her worst sport and she can't hit/catch/throw a ball to save her life. Unless someone talks to her with his mind and tells her what to do.
Whcih brings me to that special someone in Nora's life. Patch. I don't care if he is sex on legs. I don't care how hard he is when he presses against her. It does nothing for me. And do you know why? Because his name is Patch. All I can see is Patch Adams played by Robin Williams in that movie with a red fake nose stuck on his nose. That is not a sexy look. Patch is not a sexy name.
And he has to be the most pathetic angle/fallen angel/male in the world.
But you know something? I am completely aware that I am going to be in the minority. I know people (girls) will love it. They will love Patch. They will wish that he had tried to kill them while they were in High School. They will wish that he invaded their minds on a daily basis.
I do not.
2**/5
Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts.
Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel.
But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.
How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns - especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...
Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.
But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.
[YAY! I really enjoyed Airhead so hopefully this one will be brilliant too!]
And that's it!
What did you all get?
Live Long and Prosper
xoxo