Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

[paigehasissues]

Oh, if I've ever had a bookfail, this was definitely one. I don't know what I was expecting when I started reading Once in a Full Moon. I know Ellen Schreiber is not a good author due to my fangirling of her other series, Vampire Kisses, for reasons I do not care to explain here. It's a pretty bad series that gets to "so bad, it's good" levels

Comments

[tabular_rasa]

In fairness, there are a fair few teens out there who live a life like Celeste's, in which personal/social prejudices regarding popularity and gender roles are as fixed as the physical properties of the universe, and coping strategies don't include changing anything but simply whining about what cannot be changed.

But I agree it doesn't make for very interesting reading (I could find the same thing on Xanga or MySpace for free?) or present a particularly positive role model. I guess my only hope is in those last 140 pages or so the author does a decent job of reforming her or something, though good luck.

[paigehasissues]

I understand that and if the status quo couldn't be changed, then I would be less irritated about it. The problem was that while reading, I got the feeling that it could be changed. All it takes is the smallest effort on her part--talking with Westsiders and making friends with them--but she isn't willing to put any effort into it. She would rather fuss about it. Then her friends laugh her off like, "Oh Celeste, you and your attempts to make us all get along." They act like she's doing something about it when she isn't. Her own prejudice is her only obstacle. No one is threatening to hurt her for trying to change things like what might happen in the real world (and has happened in the past). All she faces is some disapproval and she isn't willing to handle that much. I regret that I didn't make this clearer and hope I explained myself understandably

[tabular_rasa]

I regret that I didn't make this clearer and hope I explained myself understandably.
I do understand the issue you had with it; my point is just that some real people do throw up their own obstacles in their way and believe they can't change them even though they obviously can, even if you wouldn't, and who believe "making a difference" is just desire and talk, not action. (For example, just how many "awareness" memes go around Facebook statuses each year by people who never volunteer or donate to anything?). Celeste is not unrealistic in this way. Frustrating, and unrelatable for some of us (you and I both), but not unrealistic.

But I still totally sympathize with you not wanting to finish it. I mean, I'm not about to pick it up and read it myself XD

[paigehasissues]

Now that you and the other commenter have made it much clearer for me (I couldn't see it through my dislike), I realize now that Celeste is a realistic character in how she puts up obstacles like that. Despite this, I still dislike her. Part of that is my personal preference for heroines that are willing to take some risks and the other part is is her bad characterization as it is shown she's one way and then we're told she's the opposite way.

I also felt she was aware that it took action to make a difference; she just wasn't willing to take action. That may turn out to be untrue because that was my conclusion based on her narration and I won't keep reading to confirm it.

[paigehasissues]

I must be pessimistic too because I agree that a lot of people are like that.

Her traits may be realistic after all. I'm too biased by my dislike of how we're told she's one kind of person (friendly with everyone, tries to get everyone to get along) and shown she's an entirely different person (friendly only within her group, doesn't actually try to make everyone get along) to see if she's realistic. Consistent characterization--where is it?

In that respect, I think that Once in a Full Moon (I keep trying to type Full as Dull, silly me) is worse than Twilight. Twilight wasn't trying so hard to be anti-human and the only human that really looks bad is Bella for treating her nice fellow humans like crap. In this book, all humans look bad, but Celeste is slightly less bad and that's why she's the heroine. I hate that comparison plot device so much.

A little bit of "FAIL" for that, yeah. Also fail for taking about ninety different things I don't like seeing in books and dumping them all together.