Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
44 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Study In Contrasts, 18 Aug 2007
This is a strange book, a study in contrasts. And it's one I've been thinking a lot about how I'll write this review.
It's clearly aimed at mid-teen age, mostly girls. I believe the author started out in fan-fiction, but this is her first published novel, and is set to be one of three in a trilogy. It is very much a cross between Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl, with a pinch of Buffy The Vampire Slayer thrown in for good measure.
I have good and bad things to say about this book. I think I'll start with the bad and get it out the way.
My first comment is that the book is not very well written in parts, although it gets a bit better as it progresses. The first thing that jumped out at me was the use (particularly early in the book) of very cheesy and/or odd metaphors and similes, which reminded me of something one would write in English at school where the teacher has tried to get you to use various similes and metaphors just for the sake of it. They jarred every time, which was unfortunate. For example:
"He turned to follow her, tasting the phantom sizzle of her death on his lips." [pg. 11]
"A small flower of apprehension began to open inside her chest." [pg. 13]
These sort of things crop up not infrequently, more so in the earlier sections of the book.
My second negative point is that there are occasionally inconsistencies from one paragraph to the next, things I would have expected an editor to pick up right away. For example, there's one instance where the sound of someone's heels are described as clacking on a polished wooden floor, but in the next paragraph the person is described as wearing old hiking boots. In another situation, a knife is held to someone's back where it can easily piece their heart, but in the next paragraph it is described how the blade nicks the skin on their throat. These small continuity errors crop up not infrequently.
My third and final negative point is the derivative nature of certain plot and background elements. To my mind, there are some striking similarities to Harry Potter (I won't go into detail here, to avoid spoilers).
But enough of the negative. I have some positive comments too.
Firstly, the book is very addictive. I don't know how or why, but it's something I've noticed with fanfic writing as well (although I admit I've read very little), and perhaps this is not coincidental, since I hear the author comes from a strong fanfic background. I wish I could put my finger on what causes this addictiveness. It's very easy reading - perhaps that's part of it. It requires little or not mental effort, much like a "disengage brain" blockbuster film. The characters and story were bouncing off the inside of my head for about an hour after I went to bed every time I read it last thing at night, wanting to know what happened next, thinking over what had passed. Very annoying, actually, when I'm trying to sleep!
Secondly, the author writes romantic scenes very well, another trait I believe is particularly noticeable in fanfic (perhaps because that is the point of a lot of it...)
Thirdly, there are quite a few decent plot twists that I didn't see coming. It was not a straightforward story in that respect I enjoyed that aspect of it. It is well rounded off, but also well set up for the following two books in the series.
So overall, I'd say with this book you get the good with the bad. The writing quality is not in the same league as most published novels I've read, but it does improve throughout the book. Aspects of the plot are derivative of already existing material, but it is very enjoyable nonetheless, and quite addictive. The world the author has created is interesting and fun to explore.
I don't know if I'll read later books in the series. I won't buy them, but I may borrow them if someone offers.
|
|
|
11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
As disappointing as expected, 27 Aug 2007
I will be the first to admit that I am not impartial in judging Ms. Clare's prose. I know her fandom reputation, and while not in the fandom myself, I have read and ejoyed the Potter books. At the time when the plagiarism scandal blew out, I tried to read the Draco Trilogy, only to give up about half into the fist chapter with the comment 'interesting premises, style needs a lot of work'. So you could say that I was dreading the arrival of that particular book on shelves.
I must also mention that I am a bookseller. As such, I wanted to read the story to give it impartial judgement, as I know that what one wrote in fandom might not be an accurate reflection of one's original writing, although it is often true. I got aproof copy from the editor so I could read it before release date. I am sad to say that I unfortunately didn't manage to go past chapter 5 as of now, for one simple reason : the heroine has to be one of the most unlikeable character I have ever seen. I simply do not care about her. I don't want to know the rest of her story. She's boring, simply put.
Now the first four chapters I read in depth, and with a pencil in my hand so I could jot down comments. Unfortunately, Ms. Clare's writing style retains most of her fanfiction syle's flaws, which is heavy, clumsy writing, sentences that run on and are littered with too much flowery language and unnecessary adjectives that distract the reader rather than engage him. Most remarkable are the use of weird color adjectives for the description of eye and hair color, which have alwayse been seen as a sign of bad writing in fanfiction, and do not look any better in published fiction. The use of italics almost once a page for no discernable reason is hard on the eyes.
Also, many concepts, like a place that ordinary people can't see and that is protected by spells that prevent them from seeing it and/or getting in are clearly ripped off Harry Potter.
All in all, this was about as bad as I expected it to be, if not worse. I will try, for the sake of fair judgement, ti finish the book, but I do not see it as a pleasant reading experience.
|
|
|
24 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. , 20 Jul 2008
I read this book when it first came out as I was at a phase where Urban fantasy was the only type of book I would read. I saw this on the shelf, read the blurb and thought it was interesting. I went home and read it in approximately four, five hours and about two hours into the story I felt the huge urge to throw this book at the wall. It was that bad. Before I began, this review is going to be talking about the story, (I.e SPOILERS) so those who haven't yet read the book and still wish to should stop reading. Right? Right.
Purple Prose. Purple-freaking-prose was my first problem. take these quotes as examples,
'he had electric-blue dyed hair that stuck up around his head like the tendrils of a startled octopus.'
What the Hell does this line want to say? That his hair was floppy? Or that it was sticking out in all directions? The image that this, among many, many other descriptions created was one the stopped the flow of the paragraph, as it disrupted my thought-process. I don't mind some colorful descriptions and, contrary to popular belief, I think that a little purple prose actually helps the story with imagery, and a few odd similes actually add substance and originality but this book was so full of them that I could not appreciate it. Purple-ness is good in small amounts.
The dialogue was incredibly cliche, and quite frankly, I was surprised and irritated with the way this supposed 'teens' were speaking. Now, I am considered a Nerd, a 'boffin' by definition, and I consider myself rather well-versed in vocabulary yet even I do not talk like these kids. In fact, I am certain that a university lecturer in Oxford doesn't speak as they do. I know that Cassandra Clare was probably trying to make them all look intelligent but when every other word consisted of a fourteen-lettered adjective that average, every day people cannot understand-heck, even I had some trouble with one or two words and I'm clearly not dumb- it interrupted the flow of the story. There were so many parts that consisted of witty repartees and responses that made me roll my eyes. They were not funny. They were not amusing. They were a big red sign that flashed 'I'm trying too hard to make my teenagers look intelligent'. I am in no way being derogatory to teenagers since I am one, but instead of letting them talk how they would realistically talk , she makes them unrealistic. And realism in an urban fantasy is crucial to make the story work.
I am going to give my biggest problem at the end, and I am sure that those who have read the book know what I am talking about. But back to the characters; there was every single freaking cliche:
Beautiful, but unaware girl with super, hidden powers? Check.
Mysterious, sexy guy who falls for her? Check.
Best friend who is in love with her? Check.
Sexy girl who is threatened by her beauty? check.
Old mentor who is hiding something? check.
crazy villain linked to pretty, new girl? check.
Check. Check. Check!
God! Clary was the most irritating character I have met in a long time. She is beautiful, thinks she's ugly, draws really well, has great-wow-super-powers and is the epitome of feisty-yet shy. Mary Sue. That is a Mary Sue if I ever saw one. She is annoyingly perfect, and her only flaw is that she doesn't know to choose between the hot guy or her best friend. Wow. What a huge, heart-breaking problem. She really annoyed me, because her character was, again, unrealistic. I know, I am repeating myself but it really annoyed me. Nobody can ever relate to somebody like that. Then there's Jace. Poor, tortured, handsome, witty Jace. Yet another text book example of a love interest. His character could have worked, had he not been so incredibly shallow. He had no substance what so ever and it felt like I was reading a 2D version of Fandom Draco Malfoy. It was pathetic. Throw in the cackling evil guy and the bumbling best friend and you have a story that gives nothing new to the YA genre, but simply recycles old concepts and ideas.
*THE ENDING*
That was the worst attempt at a plot twist I have ever, in my entire time of reading, ever read. Where in her mind did the author think that making Jace and Clary RELATED would add to the plot in any way? The only reason she did it was to add angst-bucket loads of angst- into the story in an effort to make her characters seem more real. The only thing it actually achieved was me throwing up in my mouth. That was disgusting, and even though I had lost any semblance of hope for the story, I still kept reading further, hoping that she would salvage the horrible twist with *something* credible. As you might have guessed, she didn't. And the way she wrote it was so superficial and void of any real emotion I laughed out loud.
I am not going to be reading any of the sequels and hope that other people will see reason, rather than see only a sexy man who they can day dream about. I am horrified that this is the type of books that dominate the YA genre. Surely these authors see their mistake? I think the fundamental problem is that the authors are writing for the screaming fan girls who don't know great literature if it bit them on the nose, and are all following the trend that is in the 21st century with regards to urban fantasy. I am very disappointed with this book.
*By the way, I don't care if these flying motorcycles were powered by 'demon energy', they were a clear rip-off of Jk Rowling's flying motorcycle with Hagrid. Truly pathetic.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Cassandra Clare
by Melissa Marr
by Melissa Marr
by Alyson Noel
