Spoiler-Free! The Sun Is Also a Star tugs at the heart strings upon the first page. And I loved it. This story is not a light one, as it covers many hSpoiler-Free! The Sun Is Also a Star tugs at the heart strings upon the first page. And I loved it. This story is not a light one, as it covers many heavy topics such as immigration, deportation, love, loss, tradition, race, and many more. That fact alone is why this book deserves its props. Yoon singlehandedly took a hodgepodge of topics, melded them into one story, and told it well. The main gripe I have come across while reading reviews is the one that we all know well; insta-love. Albeit a tired trope, the insta-love was all but spelled out as something to be expected upon reading the synopsis. So, all of the hate regarding that facet of the book is, well, pretty much baseless. You have been warned! The insta-love is the basic premise for the entire story, so there isn't much room to be upset! Props to Yoon for taking this frowned upon aspect of many books flooding the shelves, staring it in the face, and putting it in ours. You honestly can't even try to hate on that. Any-who, back to the review. After a long reading slump, I stared at my shelves looking for something to shout back at me and pull me out of it. Something light and airy; a quick read. This story reads quickly, what with the alternating POV's, rapid character development, insta-love, and talk of fate. Which ultimately leads to some info-dumping and rushed explanations that appeal to laymen such as myself who are not super well-versed in the realm of the universe and its many perplexities. Fate, however, is something that I have always been interested in, as I'm sure many of us are. The little decisions that we make on a daily basis that ultimately trigger a chain of events, big or small, that change the course of our lives. Something so intangible possibly being the explanation for a ton of phenomena. This being the focal point from page one, left room for a discussion to be had, and I enjoyed that. Our main character(s), Natasha and Daniel had a date with destiny one fateful day that brought them together. They literally fell in love in a day. And this was the cutest darn thing I've read in a while. So, haters? Keep it moving, please!! This book explored so many touchy topics and turned them into something that even I, a very logical thinker, (which caused me to inevitably relate to Natasha who is very similar) took heed and listened to. I feel that this book appeals to the young adult audience that it is mostly geared towards, however, if you're feeling up to a challenge and wish to genre hop and read a sappy, cute romance story that includes science-based arguments and a refreshing take on what makes us different and how that, in turn, makes us the same? Give this a try....more
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender completely sold me in regards to the fact that magical realism can be"Love makes us such fools."
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender completely sold me in regards to the fact that magical realism can be so subtle and yet right in front of your face. Ava Lavender was born with wings and her twin brother Henry was born a selective mute. Doesn't that just sound so sad? Not necessarily sad with pity, but sad because damnit, one can only take so much misfortune and it's another thing when misfortune and woe run throughout your entire family.
There was a beautiful family tree in the beginning of the book, and I was not expecting the author to give us the backstory and history of Ava's family. But sorrow is very appropriate and I'm glad that it's in the title because all of the sorrows and woes of Ava and her family just accumulated into this big gray cloud that hung over my head the entire time I read the story. And I honestly loved every minute of it. It seems like such a special feat, in my opinion, when you formulate a story that readers don't need to relate to at all that will stick with them for a long long while.
I fell in love with the characters, and it didn't take much for that to happen. And to add more praise to the character development aspect: they initially weren't all that likable. Everyone had problems, and I mean everyone. Some worse than others, but everyone was dealing with their own issues and each and every one was recognizable, even in the supporting characters that didn't necessarily have the spotlight on them. The supporting characters for once were not there just to have random conversations with the MC that weren't important to the plot, and they weren't there to just fill pages. They were important.
The author made me care about each and every character in the book, and damn her for it. Some authors really need to take notes when it comes to this. I really could not find anything wrong with this book, and if it was longer I wouldn't mind. If there was a sequel, I wouldn't mind.
I shelved this book under romance also because romance was extremely prevalent in this book, and upon a little deep thinking after I finished reading, I realized that it was the root of everything that happened in the plot, good or bad.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is my first favorite of the year, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I can tell that the author had an idea, knew exactly what she wanted to write about, and she went for it.
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This book is also the only book I don't mind typing out the whole title for. An abbreviation would be a crime! Blasphemy, even....more
Honestly, I think I am at the point of no return here. I did not fully enjoy and fall"I'll love you forever. Even when I can't."
Well, this is awkward.
Honestly, I think I am at the point of no return here. I did not fully enjoy and fall head over heels in love with Confess like everyone and their mother. I am disappointed, guys. But at least now I know Ms.Hoover's books will always be either a hit or miss with me; there is no in between.
Now onto what you guys love me for!
I felt that Confess was extremely rushed. Either that, or there just wasn't much time or thought put into the story itself. I did like the characters, and the premise was spectacular. But while reading, I didn't get the usual Colleen Hoover vibe that always holds its own with her books. This caught me off guard in a good way in the beginning, but then I became bored and found this book to be just like any other NA novel I've read.
I appreciated the taste of originality that was displayed in Confess. It ran along the lines of her having songs recorded to go with her book Maybe Someday. She takes time to connect the readers to the stories she weaves, and I love that so much. Owen Gentry uses anonymous confessions as inspiration for his paintings. They were gorgeous. And this started to be such a tease for me, because I was waiting for the writing to catch up with what the story was trying to tell. I mean, come on, a story about two people dealing with their own obstacles life throws at them, and somehow finding themselves in each other. It's beautiful.
I loved the art and I enjoyed the characters enough to give them a chance. But I couldn't shake the feeling that Colleen Hoover was relying too much on pretty pictures and that one good idea that she had. And that would've been all well and good, had things been better executed.
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I mean, look at that.
But then the fire that was burning behind my eyes from staring at this one of many beautiful paintings, was completely doused with salt water by the use of lines like this.
"His initials are very appropriate for the way he's making me feel right now. I want to whisper, "OMG," over and over."
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Now that we're on the topic of Auburn Mason Reed, I must mention that she is the most frustrating character ever. Every other line, she's self-doubting or being completely and irrationally conflicted. Life is about decisions, and she annoyed me thoroughly with the ones she made and the way she made them.
I know we have a book to read here, people, but I don't believe in things being sped up just for the sake of moving what little plot we have along. It just doesn't work. And since this book was a very quick read for me, I wouldn't have minded if things were prolonged for the sake of a more seamless story. This is where I feel the New Adult genre is being more and more repetitive.
"There are people you meet that you get to know, and then there are people you meet that you already know."
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And just when you think there's going to be a John Green moment, but it slips through the cracks.
Colleen's attempts at being "cute" or "deep" are more often than not, lost on me. They just seem cheesy and out of place most of the time. The insta like, the extreme overdramatics where it wasn't appropriate or needed...it was just such a turn off and it made the story seem like a Romeo & Juliet-esque soap opera almost. These things made Confess, in my opinion, fall short when it didn't have to.
I can see how Confess can hold most people's hearts and take the crown as one of Colleen's "best books yet". But I just couldn't see it. I like to finish a book and take something, anything from it, no matter what it is. I don't like reading and finishing a story, and hardly remembering what I read, thus making me feel my time was a bit wasted.
But when I'm in a book, I'm in it for the long haul, baby.
The only spoiler here is that you could easily read this book in it's entirety if you shave off about 85% of it.
I'm still trying to recover from how iThe only spoiler here is that you could easily read this book in it's entirety if you shave off about 85% of it.
I'm still trying to recover from how insufferably boring the vast majority of this book was.
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As an avid reader, there's no greater offense (in my opinion) than having my time wasted when there are many other pressing reads to attend to. And also being taken for a fool. Mare Barrow managed to do both of these things and I did not take this lightly. Allow me to explain!
I am all in when it comes to a strong main character and his/her journey and struggle fighting the powers that be. But! It is a very difficult mess when I can't connect with or even get behind the main character, the life force of the entire book. Mare proved to be one of the most impulsive and cowardly characters I've read about to date. I mean, how can you be both? Her naivety also reared its ugly head and got her and others into some deep shit. I just don't think that I do well with characters from the "wrong side of the tracks" or what have you, that are then thrust into a situation where they have to buck up and save the world. That's a huge responsibility, I think. And Mare was nowhere near suited for it. Her character lacked in all areas of...everything. She had little to no sound judgement or common sense and sometimes she just seemed...dumb? Clueless? What's the word? Mare's credibility took hit after hit due to the terrible decisions she made on a whim.
I've read many books and it's only natural to have a moment where you try and pinpoint exactly where you've "read this" before. Repetition in literature is a sad tale, but usually there is a unique twist that sets this story from that one. Red Queen was a revamped The Selection in almost every sense. The caste system and the prejudice against those lower than you and the hatred for the upper echelon, but the visceral want to be them. Hopefully I explained that well, because I'm still trying to figure it all out!
If you've read The Selection you've read this one. Truly. The political intrigue was nonexistent, but the premise was undeniably interesting. Truthfully, there was a little too much going on, however. A world divided by blood is somewhat interesting enough, but the addition of superheroes/ individuals with "powers" was not handled well and seemed very sloppy on top of everything else. There were just too many things being juggled at once and it was a severe turn-off for me. The author definitely did a disservice to the idea behind this story because this could have been a hit, I can even see why it was to so many. I just can't let poor storytelling slide anymore.
It was truly difficult to enjoy the little things in this story because of the issue of Mare being an idiot. Forgive me for speaking plain, but I have no sympathy towards cowering in the shadows in the midst of a civil and human rights rebellion/push for change. All in all, this book was terrible but the ending was somewhat enjoyable but mostly because it was the end. This book was entirely too long and drawn out to be humane.
West Ashby is this supposed "way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god," and I cannot recall what he even looks like. 1.5 stars!
Okay, here we go.
West Ashby is this supposed "way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god," and I cannot recall what he even looks like. And there was hardly any football in this book. I mean, look at the cover! But then again, this is textbook Abbi Glines because she likes to get right to the meat and potatoes of all her stories and while this can be fine at times, I was very disappointed with her direction she took the story in from the very beginning.
From the very beginning of the story, when Maggie moved in with her Aunt, Uncle, and cousin Brady I was completely invested in liking this story because it was a buddy read with my BB Group, and honestly I was ready and willing to love a Glines book. It's just upsetting when I always seem to have a problem with every book of hers that I read, but clearly this is for good reason.
Here's one:
"Shit, this ain't gonna be easy. You're-" He paused and let out a laugh that didn't sound like he meant it. "This shit is gonna be worse than I thought. Least you could have helped out and been ugly." -Brady Higgens, the cousin of our main female protagonist.
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Moving on. West's character really bugged me in more ways than one, primarily because he was very demeaning at times and blamed others often for his moody behavior and what he did while in his moods. He was very impulsive which annoyed me because Abbi likes to make her characters using this same formula every single time. No one never talks out their feelings about things, so they then use what they've conjured up in their heads themselves, and once they're convinced then they do stupid things that attempt to create a plot where there never really is one.
And all that is ever really created is drama on top of more drama.
The girls in Lawton High are all the same. And as a fellow high school girl, I can promise that girls are typically not like this. Raleigh was completely far-fetched and I hated her character because she was just...horrible. And this is another incident like one I've encountered with Colleen Hoover's Hopeless. I think women around Abbi and Colleen's ages need to reevaluate their stories about teenagers. The way they portray teens is just purely inaccurate, albeit Abbi tends to use a little less cliches than Colleen. These characters are simply something I would watch on shitty TV, and I swear every book I read by Abbi is the same one, just with different characters.
I also have noticed that Abbi always introduces characters in her books that are not relevant to the story at all as a whole, and she does this to leave an opening for another book that she can write about them. Or she'll have them say something to the main character that they would not normally have said, because again, they're just flat characters with no other purpose but to sometimes say some witty banter or to move the poor plot along. All the characters are just always so...empty.
The chemistry between West and Maggie was close to nonexistent and Maggie caused more trouble than she was worth, if you ask me. These boys are supposed to have been friends for the longest, and then someone new comes along and they all fight over her like a pack of animals. That's not cute. And Maggie knew exactly what she was doing when a fight amongst West and one of his friends would start. Because of her.
But she would just stand there and watch them fight, without intervening at all and then say, "Hey, what's wrong?"
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But wait. There's more.
It took Brady, Maggie's cousin, to find out about West's father being terminally ill to have him then allow West and Maggie to be friends. What? Where? Why? To me, this just isn't acceptable behavior from a cousin. I think there is more to Brady's character, but naturally we won't get to see what that is. I mean, who has an overprotective cousin honestly?
If anyone can take anything from this book and other books like this, it is that communication is key. If there had been more communication rather than a random burst of words showing affection at inopportune times, then about 80% of the problems in these people's lives wouldn't come to pass. West wouldn't have done the stupid things he did to push Maggie away and then sit there wondering what happened.
I felt that Abbi sort of captured the looming sense that loss can have on someone and their family and I appreciated that, because if she managed to mess that up too, I probably would have just rated this 1 star. It was just so lackluster and the story had no substance to it, and I'm already starting to forget what I read and that is just sad and disappointing.
"They fell in love in THREE WEEKS!" -Naudia...more
3.75 Stars *And spoiler-free!* Everything, Everything is one of those stories that can resonate with anyone. I feel like reading about a young girl su3.75 Stars *And spoiler-free!* Everything, Everything is one of those stories that can resonate with anyone. I feel like reading about a young girl such as Madeline with her whole life ahead of her (while not being able to leave the confines of her house) is so sickly paradoxical.
The boy she loves and cares about? Outside. The life she wants for herself? Outside. Everything....,well, Everything? Outside!
So, as you can see, the angst is there with a side of curiosity. Such as, could you or I be friends or be able to have a lasting relationship with someone like Madeline, someone with SCID? Or would you go out and live your life like expected of you and tell her all about life on the outside? It does not take a rocket scientist to recognize that it would be taxing. Madeline lives in her house, and has lived in her house with the air locked front door and the re-filtered-every-four-hours-air, for so long. This is what I attribute the somewhat insta-love between her and Olly where insta-love is almost never justifiable. But...can you blame her? She sets eyes on him and he's the very typical 'perfect' guy that helps her find that lust for life she never knew she had, or was even allowed to have.
Now, moving on to where things started to get a little shaky.
"Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes it's impossible to tell the difference." If I could sum up the story in its entirety with a quote, it would be this one simply because it acknowledges that completely selfish choices were made here. If you've seen the trailer before you've read it, you already know one; if you've read it, you know them all. So, in a way, this was slightly distasteful, and only because the story had one clear target, and in my opinion that was to establish that good old Conflict. What was the Conflict? Madeline cannot leave the house. Olly can. Madeline is allergic to the world. Olly is not.
Notice how every sentence is about Olly and Madeline, because they quickly became the sole recipient of the plot, which is understandable. But, Olly and Madeline's relationship, even in its beginning stages had its issues. For example, Madeline would skip out on planned game and movie nights with her mother to IM Olly. I didn't want to take her first love away from her, so I let her acting out that resulted from it go, but it eventually became an annoyance because the plot did not move. But I was able to appreciate the good pacing of Olly and Maddy's romance through IM, miming to each other through the window, etc.
So to summarize: If you are looking for a story with depth and layers, this is not for you. However, if you're looking for a quick read that definitely has the emotions of a book like the former-pick this one up. Everything, Everything is one of those books that captures you with the odd complexity that accompanies having a story about a main character with a health issue. In my opinion, more questionable topics such as mental health, severe illnesses, and just things that aren't so run of the mill need to be written about. It's hard not to enjoy a book such as this that comes along and is not apart of the mass produced clones in YA and even Adult literature. Be unique. Be different. I feel that Yoon achieved that in her novel, Everything, Everything....more
"For me, she would always be the light in my darkness."
When I started this, I knew that I would like it more than I liked the first book. I was so hap"For me, she would always be the light in my darkness."
When I started this, I knew that I would like it more than I liked the first book. I was so happy when I was proved right, but this could have been a 5 star book.
Here's why it wasn't:
It really bugged me how nosy some of the characters could be. Someone was always in someone else's business. But I also think that bothered me because that's an actual thing I can't stand in real life.
I felt like there were a million different sides to Tenley and she was hardly ever consistent. I liked her more this time around though, and I'm glad she evened out by the end.
The chemistry between Hayden and Tenley was hardly believable and a bit forced, but it was always swept under the rug with sexual situations. So if I didn't put a note in my phone about this once it hit me, I would have completely forgotten.
A lot of problems with Hayden and Tenley's relationship stemmed from Tenley herself almost every single time. And the two of them never really bothered to try and solve any of their problems head on, and Tenley's anxiety only ever surfaced when she actually needed to be level-headed to keep the plot moving. I found that annoying, but I do understand anxiety so I just took it into consideration anyway since we hardly saw any more examples of it.
It took all the way until the last two pages for me to say to myself, "Aww, see now this is why I like NA. This is definitely a four star book." I realized that if the author would have treated the story like she did in the end throughout, it would have been perfect.
All in all, this was a really nice and satisfying follow up to the debut novel Clipped Wings and I felt that the story wrapped up in a good way, without any holes or confusion. I would be happy with maybe a novella about Hayden and Tenley to see where their future heads. ...more
I feel that I must first give credit where credit is due and give Charlaine Harris her props. Dead Until Dark is the first of the Sookie Stac3.5 Stars
I feel that I must first give credit where credit is due and give Charlaine Harris her props. Dead Until Dark is the first of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and it is a cocktail of various themes in literature from the supernatural to plain old girl problems. Which brings me to my few points that made this book what it was:
Sookie Stackhouse: Sookie was a very odd ball of a character and I took that as it was, simply because I've seen the show and I have a good feel for what she's like and why she is the way she is. She's ditzy and some may call her stupid, but I think that she fell victim to a few stereotypes, honestly. I liked how unpredictable she was, but this could prove irritating for some, showing inconsistecy. I, however, did not like how Sookie suffered from random spurs of bad assery (like randomly kicking people's asses with no qualms) and then did nothing to sway the rumors about her around her small town of Bon Temps. It just didn't seem realistic in the slightest, especially since you can hear the thoughts of anyone and everyone.
The plot: The plot was a very fragile little thing and anyone can see that it was poorly constructed and just odd, but again, I think that added to the ambiance of the book. Being inside of Sookie's jumbled head and apart of her jumbled life was entertaining to say the least.
The romance: I took the romance with a grain of salt and I am going to say something I've never said before: The show was better
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Now, hear me out. I strongly believe that this book was a wounded bird the directors and writers of the True Blood tv series nursed back to health. The book wasn't good, but it was addicting and somewhat interesting, although scattered, and it at least had that going for it. The show did a better job crafting the romance between Bill and Sookie because although there was insta-love, there were levels to it, whereas in the book, their relationship seemed much darker and codependent and lackluster.
The world: I loved the small town, hive-mind of Bon Temps, Louisiana. It's a completely fictional town that you can probably associate with a real one you've been to. The story takes place during the time that the vampires are "coming out of the coffin", and I think that the phrase is genius. I thoroughly enjoyed that the vampires were very much victims of prejudice and racism. It was pure genius to have the story set in the south where, like it or not, has a certain reputation for being racy but spin it to a group of individuals who come with questions. Are they human or not? They walk and talk just like us, they once lived like we did. Just brilliant. The use of derogatory names like "fang-banger" to belittle vampire sympathizers and the stigma that came with being romantic with one and dating outside of your species. In that regard, I feel that this book was ahead of its time.
Now let me touch on what's missing: 1. There was very little Lafayette, and if you've seen the show, you know that that is a problem. I'm glad that the show's writers realized his character's importance and gave him more of a voice.
2. There was no Tara at all, and I'm wondering if she shows up in later books because in the show she is a very important part of Sookie's life, being her childhood friend. I was very surprised that she was not mentioned once.
All in all, this book wasn't terrible, but the show was better, in my opinion. It just touched on all the elements of the story better than the book did. I recommend it if you're looking for something light and fun, especially to get you out of a reading slump like it did for me....more
Where She Went definitely takes the cake over If I Stay. Hands down. I loved Adam and I loved how all of the queFantastic. Heart-breaking. I loved it.
Where She Went definitely takes the cake over If I Stay. Hands down. I loved Adam and I loved how all of the questions I had from the first book were answered in this sequel. This was a very satisfying sequel and the first time I've come across a sequel being better than the book that came before it....more
This was amazing. I'm just going to leave it there. Nothing I can say can do this any type of justice. I loved the songs, I loved Ridge, I loved everyThis was amazing. I'm just going to leave it there. Nothing I can say can do this any type of justice. I loved the songs, I loved Ridge, I loved everything about this book....more
So, let me say this. Ugly Love had all the potential in the world to be a 5-star book.
To make what could be a long ass review short, I'll be quick andSo, let me say this. Ugly Love had all the potential in the world to be a 5-star book.
To make what could be a long ass review short, I'll be quick and to the point, unlike the events in this story.
Tate? Annoyed me. That's the problem I have with every single one of Colleen Hoover's books. I always have issues with the love interests, which on every single occasion, has been the girl. Seriously. After all of the "'Colleen Hoover is Queen!'", and other various forms of ass kissing I've read and have seen, I've failed over and over again at trying to find out the why.
Perhaps it's her addictive writing style? Yes, it's addicting. And Colleen can write a kick-ass book with major feels and a relatable, deep character, and I'll give her that. But she only manages to make me love the guys in her books. All of the females are either too annoying, too whiny, too bitchy, too emo, or simply too flat like Tate was.
That is not okay.
When I read fiction, I like to be whisked away and forget I'm reading a book about fake people in a fake environment surrounded by fake things that would never happen to real people. This book reminded me over and over that this was a book filled with all things fake and so unrealistic, it hurt.
In every single one of the four books I've read by Colleen Hoover, I've only rated one of them four stars. She is definitely a hit-or-miss author for me. I suppose I should be okay with that, but I can't be. I feel like she goes wrong in the same exact place every single time, and I don't feel that that's acceptable. Especially with all of the potential she displays in all of her books.
If Ugly Love had been written in Miles's point of view throughout, or at least had 99.9% less ten-thousand page long Tate chapters, this would have been a much easier pill to swallow. I wanted more Miles. Tate was just flat, and she had no substance or attributes to her, so it must have just been some out of this world vagina with magical mind-controlling powers.
Because other than that, Miles would have had no reason at all to even want to speak to her. She was boring, she was weird, and she was very insensitive, self-absorbed, and oddly naive for her age. Tate was like Sky from Hopeless (Another example of a book brought down by poorly handled sensitive subject matter, and a horrible female love interest.)
Don't get me wrong, this book got to me, but did not make me cry, which I wanted to, as weird as that may seem. I was ready to be destroyed and then brought back together again by the love of two strong characters, but that wasn't the case here. The chemistry between Miles and Tate was extremely mediocre and hard to buy.
Nice try, but no. Just...no.
The three stars are purely 100% for Miles. I liked him. I felt like he was cheated by only getting small chapters, when he deserved a much larger voice throughout the story.
All in all, if you are going to read this, don't expect a strong female character with substance; you simply won't get it. Although, Tate had me going in the beginning, I quickly got hip to her one-sided personality and got bored with it.
Every once in a while, more often than not, a book comes into a reader's life that makes them really question things. Like where their loya 3.75 Stars
Every once in a while, more often than not, a book comes into a reader's life that makes them really question things. Like where their loyalties lie.Twilight is a book that has started many wars. Whether it be the Team Jacob vs. Team Edward Cavalry fighting for the good of all readers worldwide! (You just have to pick a team) Or whether it be the "Oh, this is nothing but a knock-off Fifty Shades of Grey!" (Although Twilight came first) Or simply just...haters, would you say?
So buckle up, ladies and gents. I am coming at you with a hot and ready...
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Wait for it...
UNPOPULAR OPINION!
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Oh, no she didn't. But indeed, I did. And of course, as per usual, I will hit you guys with nothing but facts. So let's dive right in.
I'm going to come right out and say that people who negatively and even positively judge Twilight need to have their reasons. This is a book that I could easily discuss and/or debate about for hours, because let's face it - the Twilight Saga is something that is going to stick with everyone no matter what, and there is no denying that. And that secretly makes a lot of people upset. This is when the "haters" come out to play.
Twilight has its faults, but the not so secret secret behind its success is simple. It has the entire package. The angst? It's there. The love triangle, however not as existent in this first book, is also there. Now many people have issues with Bella, and rightfully so. She's an odd character and very much unlike any other I've read about. She purposely looks danger in the face and she just doesn't care. Some may say she has a death wish. But if you think about it, Bella's life is boring. Bella is boring. Maybe she was miscast in the movie, but if you ask me, Kristen Stewart got the part down. Not much acting was needed because for lack of a better word, Bella was just weird. But that doesn't mean people's verdicts on the Saga should come from the movies, let alone the first one.
Honestly, don't even talk to me if you haven't at least read the books or gave them a try.
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And that's just the way it is. The reason I feel so strongly about this is because I firmly believe in the 'Dont judge a book by its cover' deal. But in this case, don't judge a book by it's hype and/or preconceived stigmas and critiques. It's all about your own opinion you gained from actually giving it a go. And that goes for all books, especially if it has its own film adaptation. Plus if you see the movie before reading the book like I did, you'll have something to compare it to. And believe me, I did a ton of comparing.
The movie easily shaved off about 100-150 pages from the book itself and this made me a little upset because the book was unnecessarily lengthy and repetitive. This book was hysterical in some parts by its almost Shakespearean-esque dramatics and unrealistic situations. But this is a book about vampires after all, so just how much realism can you expect? There wasn't much of a plot, just a bunch of fluff thrown into the pot to finish up the recipe to get to the point where it's "acceptable" to drop the L bomb. This is a major aspect in which Meyer failed.
The L bomb was dropped entirely too early and that's what we all call insta-love. I've had an ongoing theory for a long time that the term insta-love more than likely came from this very Saga. It makes perfect sense. The Twilight Saga has set the stage for many many books of its kind that came after it, and that's just a fact. Everyone knows Twilight's story even if they haven't read it.
The book was slow, but Meyer would plant little morsels of intrigue in certain parts that made the story addicting despite its very boring start. Like the Cullens. I will always stand by my love for them. The Blacks, too! The Reservation sounded so interesting along with the legends that surrounded La Push and the Cold Ones. Meyer had an idea and she went with it - she knew what she wanted to write, and it might not have been good but it definitely wasn't something I would use as a fire starter. Granted, I can see how the story would've been hard to have faith in when it doesn't grab you right from the start and sort of drags on until the middle/end where things get good.
I honestly think that Meyer wanted to get past all the pleasantries and get right to the meat and potatoes so she just gave us a little fluff then BAM, the Love bomb and a couple edge of your seat action scenes that remind you that we are not in Forks anymore. But...I was oddly accepting of that. Plus, this book was published in 2006. That in itself is cause enough for a little slack.
As for the characters, I accepted them all with open arms. I had issues with Bella but I decided to take it one step further and think about it. Her awkward development throughout the book left room for a little creative thinking as to what was going on with her. The fact that she didn't really question anything regarding her learning of vampires' existence is because she was very open-minded and had a danger kink, what of it? She accepted it for what it was because she found a hot boyfriend that tickled her fancy. I accept it.
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Yeah, Bella might've been an emo mess with a slight death complex, but she wasn't as bad as some other YA characters. Trust me, I could give you a list.
Edward's amazing, and so is Jacob. I refuse to pick a side quite yet. I mean, Edward can sparkle in the sun, and if anyone has a problem with that I'd like to state that that's a refreshing contrast to the popular vampire lore. "Oh, vampires can't be out in the sun! What is this garbage!" Imagine you being written as a human that can't go out during the day and you have to sleep in coffins and only leave the house at dusk. You wouldn't like that. Vampires have feelings too! And don't let me mention the fact that The Vampire Diaries came up with 'daylight rings'. Same concept, sparkles are just prettier.
So, as you see Twilight isn't something you can just put into the category of being its own red headed step child or pariah because it brings things to the table, believe it or not. Many other vampire stories and TV shows have many of the same concepts, just spicy enough that you can't even tell you've tasted it before.
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