I liked Life As We Knew It ~ but if you're not into it by now you are prob not going to feel any different by the end of the book. I did think the book would be better marketed as MG than YA (in fact, here in Australia the series are shelved in the kids section, not the teens). It has a very MG vibe.
I just finished Wither and I'm so aggravated. It was such a beautifully written, compulsively readable book, BUT...
The premise where people die right at a certain age was shaky to begin with, and the world building didn't do much to strengthen it. This would have been a truly great book if she had made it a present-day alternate history instead of jumping on the futuristic dystopia bandwagon, because she just didn't have the attention to detail to pull it off. And if it were present day then at least her casual references to Dorothy's Oz and Rubik's cubes and contact lenses still being a thing almost two hundred years into the future (I'm guessing based on vague clues) -- despite the fact that cancer has been cured -- wouldn't have been as jarring. Well, okay, the contact lenses would have been, because that made absolutely no sense. There were several things like that in the book, hence the aggravation. Because it really was wonderful to read *if* I pretended it was a present-day alternate history.
Reading Graceling now. I like it, but it's so freaking long. And too much time is spent travelling. I mean, yes, she has to travel. But do so many pages have to be dedicated to it?
The story's interesting... I just want to get back to the good stuff.
Actually, I ended up enjoying it (but def as MG, did not buy the MC as 16 for a minute, and I thought the book as a diary entry was therefore a bad choice). The 'nobody predicted THIS' inciting incident still stuck in my craw, but I thought she did a good job of depicting the gradual decline of their quality of life (except who only keeps aspirin in their house in the way of medication these days? ). I am glad I stuck with it, though.
I just finished Wither and I'm so aggravated. It was such a beautifully written, compulsively readable book, BUT...
The premise where people die right at a certain age was shaky to begin with, and the world building didn't do much to strengthen it. This would have been a truly great book if she had made it a present-day alternate history instead of jumping on the futuristic dystopia bandwagon, because she just didn't have the attention to detail to pull it off. And if it were present day then at least her casual references to Dorothy's Oz and Rubik's cubes and contact lenses still being a thing almost two hundred years into the future (I'm guessing based on vague clues) -- despite the fact that cancer has been cured -- wouldn't have been as jarring. Well, okay, the contact lenses would have been, because that made absolutely no sense. There were several things like that in the book, hence the aggravation. Because it really was wonderful to read *if* I pretended it was a present-day alternate history.
I had this on my nightstand so I picked it up. I fully agree that the worldbuilding is not tight/consistent enough. I liked the relationships between the girls but other characters were not drawn fully enough for me to invest (Rhine/Gabriel). Other things, like Rhine's unconsumated marriage, and Linden being in the dark about the circumstances of his brides were completely unrealistic.
I enjoyed parts of it but overall, it seemed to be the wrong kind of book for the premise... if that makes sense.
I was a little unconvinced by W1THER as well. I think I was frustrated that the protagonist spent the entire time cooped up in a house. I'm dying for a truly epic dystopian like THE HUNGER G4MES, with huge battles and governments getting overthrown and the fate of civilisation hanging in the balance, and all I'm getting are tiny little people-stories with a dystopian backdrop. Is Katniss the only protagonist in YA dystopian fiction who changes the world?
(except who only keeps aspirin in their house in the way of medication these days? ).
I finished Dreamland today by Sarah Dessen (it was a short read and finished in two sittings)
I liked it, alot but you know what, the ending just could have had more closure and punch (no pun intended lol) if the character got a chance to confront in some way her ex-boyfriend... I was really dissapointed that didn't happen. Not to mention the situation the MC is in really could have had more impact to readers facing similar life experiences if she had that experience... seeing how she's grown from it, and of course seeing how her ex-boyfriend has changed or not from the exprience...
I reviewed the book and I had such fundamental issues with the world that I just couldn't get past it. DeStefano threw in destructive phrases to set the tone to the world but didn't for a second think on the repercussions of what those statements did. For instance the world Rhine lives in doesn't have either polar ice caps. They were vaporized by war. Yet Florida and Manhattan still exist. There are so many issues with that single statement is made my brain melt. I just felt it was a poorly thought-out world with a weak love triangle thrown in. But I am in an expansive minority here. Everyone seems to love the hell out of it and quite frankly, it disappoints me. It's just a poorly developed world that I think it gives dystopian a bad name.
My thoughts exactly! That was a fantastic review. Los Angeles and Seattle still exist in her world too -- in fact, I noticed every city she mentioned was on the coast. That drove me NUTS! There were so many little illogical things that detracted from her world... like the end, where they go to an all-night zombie movie marathon, but neither knows what a zombie is. Okay. Whatever.
@PollyAnna I loved the relationship between the girls too, thought it was the book's main strength. And I also found the relationships with the boys unbelievable -- especially Linden. I really think in a world where people die so young, sex isn't going to be as big of an issue. I think this was a case of the author applying her modern morals and sensibilities to some other time without taking into account how those morals would realistically change based on human nature.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought this book was lacking, because everyone I know who's read it loved it.
P.S. I love your website, DonnaDuck. The header is too cute!