Apparently it's now necessary to pre-emptively address holier than thou trolls who conveniently leave out important words in quoting my own text back Apparently it's now necessary to pre-emptively address holier than thou trolls who conveniently leave out important words in quoting my own text back at me as they're scolding me for my apparent lack of judgment, or those who leave criticisms in their own reviews of this one.
I don't know whether it's a lack of comprehension skills or just willful misreading of words, but let me spell this out very clearly:
Feminism = GOOD.
Hammering points exhaustively into a narrative = BAD.
Or at least not to my taste, while it may obviously cause great celebrating in others.
Whether an author is writing about women's rights or saving kicked puppies or the need for universal healthcare, these things need to fit seamlessly into the narrative of a novel, not create a situation in which those who AGREE with the cause to be annoyed.
And if a woman is behaving outside the norms of the societal norms of historical period, her defiance needs to be written in a convincing way. See Sarah Waters, Anne Perry, and countless other authors who have written strongly feminist books in which the odds were very much against the women depicted in them, but also respect history enough not to entirely rewrite it. Lady Julia, in her pampered, earnest life, doesn't even come close in her circumstance, actions, or character to convince me that she's worthy of being representative of the real women in history who did the real work for women's equality that we all benefit from.
And yes, I probably could have been more tactful in the way I wrote the quickie reaction below, but I also have neither the time nor the inclination to interact with people who are only interested in being outraged/chiding strangers over what is, in this case, not even a difference in opinion.
Original review (edited only to delete the breeches observation corrected by Melissa below):
Dear me. This book puts me in a quite a predicament, because I'm not quite sure what to make of it.
First off, the good stuff:
I liked the Victorian world that the author created. Dress, customs, and attitudes are meticulously detailed in the beginning and the book is very well-written. I'm partial to books set in this time period, so it's always a pleasant surprise when the world-building feels authentic to me.
The not so good stuff:
* the mystery is a snooze. It's very easy to guess why Lady Julia's husband has been murdered, so it's rather tiresome that the characters aren't catching on sooner. * sometimes the turn of a page means that a whole year has passed. * there is far too much heavy-handed feminism presented in this book. It didn't bother me in the beginning, but after awhile, there was just too much of it, and most of it is inserted rather clumsily. I'm all for feminism, obviously, but not when it's inserted so ham-handedly. * you'd think that with so much raging femininity going on, Lady Julia would play a more pivotal role in uncovering the mystery. She does eventually pursue clues (after a long period of being pretty clueless), but there is a certain lack of urgency and intellectual reasoning about the way she went about it. * Julia herself is interesting...but not quite compelling just yet. * our hero is a Nancy Drew! Nicholas Brisbane can do it all: he is a detective, a prizefighter, a violinist, a (view spoiler)[half Rom (hide spoiler)], a (view spoiler)[psychic (hide spoiler)] (for no apparent reason), and a delectable morsel of a man all in one. At one point our fair damsel actually thinks about dessert while she's looking at him.
The most important thing, however, is that there is just far too much going on in this book. There are murders, an excessive amount of siblings, interactions with prostitutes and mistresses, pretty boxes full of secret (view spoiler)[condoms (hide spoiler)], feminist agendas, gypsies, fully out lesbians, and (view spoiler)[secret homosexual affairs (hide spoiler)] all cobbled together in a rather haphazard fashion. I also didn't realize when I purchased the 3-book bundle from Amazon that this is published by Mira, which is an imprint of Harlequin--which means that there is both more swooning than I expected, but also less of it, as the romantic angle really doesn't go anywhere. I suppose this will be developed in the later books, but the tone this first book strikes for Julia and Nicholas' relationship is very confusing.
Overall, I was fairly entertained, but the enjoyment is very nearly outweighed by puzzlement and disappointment. I'm going with 3 stars because the author did do a really great job with building Victorian London--but I do hope that all the other elements, particularly the mystery, will be better presented in future installments of the series. ...more
Believe it or not, this is actually a really funny book. You wouldn't think so based on the title and the subject, but 15-year-old Jeff will have you Believe it or not, this is actually a really funny book. You wouldn't think so based on the title and the subject, but 15-year-old Jeff will have you laughing out loud throughout his story. He's in a mental hospital because he tried to slit his wrists on New Year's Eve, he's surrounded by kids who are clearly crazier than he is, and his doctor (nicknamed "Cat Poop") doesn't seem to understand that there's nothing wrong with him and won't leave him alone. Neither will the various patients who come and go who keep wanting to fool around with him in the wee hours of the night.
All Jeff wants to do is to do his time and to get home--partly because his sister Amanda might call dibs on his vacant room. And he does not want to talk about what happened with his best friend Allie, and how their relationship changed after she started dating her boyfriend Burke.
The novel is set up so that each chapter follows a single day in Jeff's 45-day treatment program. As the narrator, Jeff is hilariously dead-pan, self-deprecating, and easy to listen to. He is also kind, curious, confused, and sad beneath the typical teenage guy "I'm fine" attitude, but this takes a little while to come out. What's really interesting about the book being from Jeff's point of view is that the author reveals Jeff's avoidance and self-delusion without our main character really being aware of it, which is a pretty neat trick. And it's all all done with a deft hand and an unerring eye for genuine emotion.
I'm still undecided as to whether I should go into detail about what this book is actually about, but I will say that it's pretty important that readers who go into this story are fairly open-minded. In the middle of the drama involving the various patients at the hospital, there are frank discussions about (and depictions of) suicide, abuse, identity, sexuality, and self-loathing that are realistically and honestly portrayed. I did, however, appreciate the author's choice to make Jeff's secret both more complex and less of an extreme situation (view spoiler)[i.e., it was not abuse in his case that led to his suicide attempt (hide spoiler)], as I think it's important that we see more stories from this standpoint. The confusion and embarrassment and hurt and fear can sometimes be enough.
Maybe I can convince my parents to move to France. No one in France cares if you tried to kill yourself. In fact, I think they like you better because you're all tragic.
It's not like I've never jacked off. I'm fifteen years old. Of course I do it. Any guy who says he doesn't is lying. That would be like having the coolest video game ever and never playing it. No one's that stupid.
The humor and the depth in this exceptionally well-written novel felt incredibly true to life and poignant. I worried about this boy and his denial about himself and I was anxious about whether the people in his life would accept him. We don't get to read stories like this nearly often enough, but they are such an important part of the human experience and I hope we'll see more of them.
I also really appreciated the hopeful and optimistic tone that this novel takes, however. It's nice to be reminded not only that there are kids out there who are hurting, but also that there are people out there who care. ...more
I never really got into the rest of the series (or the Monk ones), but I really like this book. Rereading it now, there's a definite modern feminist sI never really got into the rest of the series (or the Monk ones), but I really like this book. Rereading it now, there's a definite modern feminist slant, but it's never to the detriment of the plot, and is a big part of shaping Charlotte's characterization. The mystery is well-plotted and engaging, and you can practically hear the gas lamps sputtering......more
Have you ever pictured yourself wandering among the tombs at Westminster Abbey, marveling at the sheer wonder of being among the greatest literary figHave you ever pictured yourself wandering among the tombs at Westminster Abbey, marveling at the sheer wonder of being among the greatest literary figures in history? Sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray is taken to Poets' Corner by someone who understands exactly what such an experience will mean to her, and this lovely little moment in the sequel to Clockwork Angel perfectly encapsulates everything I love about the Infernal Devices series. Tessa is a shapeshifting Shadowhunter who is becoming accustomed to her powers, but in the middle of all the magic and mystery in Victorian England, the relationships between Tessa, the enigmatic Will, and the thoughtful, sensitive Jem remain the very heart of the story.
Following a rather, ahem, provocative prologue, the story really begins as the London Institute of Shadowhunters is given two weeks to find the evil Magister, who is still determined to gain control of Tessa’s powers and bring down the Enclave. Tessa and the Shadowhunters must battle dreadful clockwork creatures, demons, and even treachery within their own ranks before everything around them is forever altered. Readers who agonized over the last book will be happy to know that we see the beginnings of the ties between the Lightwood and Herondale families, find out what the initials "JTS" mean, and spend more time getting to know all the characters, including Magnus, Jessamine, Henry, Charlotte, and Sophie.
Here are the other important elements that I loved from this story:
Tessa, Will, and Jem
Tessa becomes more sure of her unique position and powers, and her relationships with both the boys in her life deepen in a life-changing way. Jem unexpectedly reveals an incredibly alluring side to him that we’ve never seen before, and we finally discover the devastating secret in handsome Will’s tragic past. This is one of the most well-written love triangles I’ve ever read, with a strong girl torn between two very attractive and honorable boys; there are good reasons for Tessa to love them both, but also excellent reasons for her to give her heart to neither. It is nothing short of torture to feel Tessa’s deep pull towards Jem and Will, both of whom have swooningly romantic and wildly sensual moments with our heroine. Believe me, the infamous Dirty Sexy Balcony Scene more than lives up to its promise, and I clutched my pearls more than once while reading this book!
What Tessa never forgets, however, is that as confused as she is about her feelings for Jem and Will, there is also a lifelong friendship between them that she must honor. Jem’s illness, Will’s love for and dependence upon him, and her own need for self-respect all contribute to an intensely difficult situation, and one that made me hurt for everyone involved.
Victorian Details
The Victorian details in this novel make me quite ill with pleasure. That's right, ill with pleasure. I'm not even speaking solely of catnip such as the clothes and carriages and the like, but of a finer, deeper authenticity that has to do with a way of truly immersive thinking, rather than just trifling details. It seems to be so difficult for many YA historical fiction authors to refrain from projecting anachronistic modern attitudes onto period characters, but Tessa Gray stands out as a true Victorian heroine. She shows courage and spirit, but it's within the appropriate behaviors and thinking patterns for a girl living in the 19th century; if she breaks tradition, she thinks about it (and we know it's unusual) before she does so.
Even while she's being trained for self-defense by other Shadowhunters, Tessa spends a great deal of her time struggling to reconcile her magical powers and responsibilities with her upbringing and social decorum. The role of women in oppressive circumstances has always interested me, and Tessa’s internal dialogue and conduct (along with Sophie’s) are notably in keeping with all the other spot-on period details, which are meticulously researched and beautifully woven into the story. Before she began writing this series, the author rather famously moved to England for six months and read nothing but books written or set in the Victorian era, and even walked all the streets that her characters might have traveled. There is a certain mood and style that is decidedly steeped in the foundations of this research, and the dexterous language and witty dialogue feel pretty nearly perfect and true to the time—with allowances for fantasy and magic, of course. Tessa transcends the thinking of the time and uses clever magic and thinking to outwit her adversaries at every turn.
A Love of Literature
Another thing I also adore about this series is how much appreciation all the characters have for literature. I still remember the awe I felt the first time I went to Westminster Abbey, and it struck a chord to hear Tessa say, “I can’t explain it. It’s like being among friends, being among these names.” Upon traveling to the countryside for the first time, she also says, "I feel as though I have seen it before. In books. I keep imagining I’ll see Thornfield Hall rising up beyond the trees, or Wuthering Heights perched on a stony crag.“ It is nearly impossible for any lover of books, particularly those with an unruly bit of romance in her soul, to fail to thrill when reading words like this. Tessa is a kindred spirit for me, and I think she would be for many other thinking, dreaming readers as well.
If you were dying for this second installment in the Infernal Devices series, rest assured that it has been more than worth the wait. It's full of great action scenes, a clever use of magic, and the hilarious dialogue that we've come to expect from these characters. It is, however, also an intensely emotional read for those invested in the characters, so be prepared with tissues—I cried several times near the heartbreaking end and it's going to be so hard to wait another whole year for Clockwork Princess. Was the book satisfying? Yes. Was it agonizing? A thousand times, yes. But it was painful in the most exquisite and emotionally truthful of ways.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
Still heaps of fun! I love a good paranormal book as much as the next person, but sometimes they take themselves too seriously. I'm happy to report thStill heaps of fun! I love a good paranormal book as much as the next person, but sometimes they take themselves too seriously. I'm happy to report that Demonglass retains the same sarcastic humor and a snappy, action-packed plot that is just as entertaining as the one in Hex Hall.
Sophie is spending some time on her father's estate to figure out whether she's going to keep her awesome but pesky powers, and she's still secretly pining for her missing demon-hunter crush, Archer Cross. Complicating matters is the revelation that cute-as-heck Cal has been betrothed to her for years (hey, they do things differently in the otherworld) and the afore-mentioned crush is part of The Eye, a group hell-bent on wiping out all of Sophie's kind. Kinda puts a damper on the relationship.
The politics and power struggles within the Prodigium (witches, shapeshifters, and fairies) and with the demon hunters is growing steadily more complicated, and Sophie and her father must develop her gifts before time runs out. It would be interesting to see more of the plotting ladies within the Prodigium and to have the tension ratcheted up with The Eye, but hopefully these will be further explored in future books.
The author does a fabulous job of moving the story along with cheeky attitude, however, while taking time out for real connections between Sophie and her BFF Jenna and between her and her dad. There are also some brief but swoon-worthy moments with her guy, and you really breeze through this thing rooting for everyone to be happy. I'm really enjoying Sophie and her smart and snappy banter, and this series has fast turned into one of my fluffy and fun favorites.
Fun! This book really grew on me. It took several tries to get past the first couple of chapters, but once Sophie finally gets settled in at Hex Hall Fun! This book really grew on me. It took several tries to get past the first couple of chapters, but once Sophie finally gets settled in at Hex Hall things start moving along. The witchy battles are pretty cool, there's good build-up of the mystique behind the school and behind Sophie's past and powers, and the author does a nice job with creating a variety of different characters with distinctive voices. I especially liked BFF Jenna and the super cute and witty Archer, and Sophie herself turns out to be a pretty kick-ass heroine.
It did take me a little while to get used to the author's voice, but the humor actually gets to be really good as the story develops and I've gone back to giggle over certain passages again. Overally, this is a really terrific debut and a fast-paced, entertaining read. It's always a plus when a YA author manages to surprise her audience with twists and turns in the plot too, and there are a couple of really good ones here that will leave readers on the edge for more.
Besides...you can't not love a girl who tries to stop an attacking werewolf by yelling, "BAD DOG!"...more
*Clary really comes into her own in Fallen Angels. She seemed a little young and unsure of herself in the earlier books3.5 stars
What I liked about it:
*Clary really comes into her own in Fallen Angels. She seemed a little young and unsure of herself in the earlier books, and even when she played a huge role in earth-shattering events, she never really seemed to be growing up emotionally to me. That's definitely changed in COFA, both as she trains in the fine art of Shadowhunting and as she deals with Jace, who is being distant and uncommunicative.
*Jace is entertaining as always! The two of them are cute together, and it was nice to see their chemistry as a couple.
*This book had more of the "urban" to balance the "fantasy" part. Because I'm not a big traditional fantasy person, it's always more interesting to me when a book has just as much of the life on earth stuff as the battling demons stuff.
*The ending battle scenes are pretty great. Clare knows how to write an epic action sequence, and the big showdown with the villain--and the subsequent 1:1 showdown--are terrific.
*The game-changing ending flips everything on its head again, which is an exciting way to greet the next installment in the series. Still, I hope there won't be too much unforgivable evil in you-know-who, because that would be too much too stomach, especially after his being emotionally MIA throughout so much of this last book.
What I wish were different:
*There are too many shifting POVs and subplots. The series is strongest when it focuses on Clary and Jace and the bigger overall story, and to have random anecdotes with Isabelle and Alec and Maia and Kyle didn't really add much to the story; if it was really necessary to have their substories, seeing them through the main character's POVs might've worked better. I did like the anecdotes with Magnus, however, but he is an interesting character and plays an important role throughout both TMI and ID. (Plus he's referring to Infernal Devices events, which is always welcomed.)
*I would have liked a little less time spent on Simon. I like Simon, I do, but there's a huge shift between the geeky boy with deadpan humor to the sexy vampire boy with two girlfriends--and in spending so much time in his head, I think this story arc becomes less convincing. The triangle wasn't altogether all that riveting either, and dragged out for far too long. It would have been less irritating to have Simon turn into this vamp with jerky behavior if there was more time spent on why he liked both girls, and especially why the brittle and unlikely Isabelle is someone he would admire. The strongest Simon scenes were the ones where he's struggling to tell his mother about his new state of being, as well as the ones that define his relationship with Clary.
*I was surprised that Camille's role was so big in this book, and that it wasn't more...dramatic? She's always causing trouble, but none of what she did here was altogether that surprising.
Overall, I like COFA as much as I did the first three books in TMI, maybe a little more. But they still don't thrill me or touch me as much as Clockwork Angel does, and I think it's in large part because CA has characters that are more mature, it's more firmly grounded in a convincing reality, the clockwork army is amazing, and the emotional scenes feel more genuinely wrenching. My ears kept perking up at the little mentions of Will Herondale here and there, though it was a little bit of a let-down not to hear more about Tessa. After reading COFA I really just want to hunt down Cassandra Clare and demand a copy of Clockwork Prince now. Still, The Mortal Instrument series is a fun one, and I continue to marvel at Clare's incredibly intricate plotting, intelligent prose, and cheery wit.
Really 3.5 stars. The writing is great, set-up is convincing and engrossing..just wish there had been less talky courtroom droning at the end and bettReally 3.5 stars. The writing is great, set-up is convincing and engrossing..just wish there had been less talky courtroom droning at the end and better closure. (Also: icky situation.)...more
Yeah, yeah, it's a little over the top in parts, but who cares? :D Yum
Merged review:
I don't give many 5 star reviews, but this one is definitely a 5 star book for me. While I liked Mortal Instruments, I wasn't as rabid a fan as I know many people are, so I read Clockwork Angel out of curiosity more than anything else...and I'm so glad I did!
This book is spectacular, with everything I'd wanted in the TMI series and more. The magic and mysteries are compelling and Victorian London is a fantastic backdrop to this steampunk tale about a girl who discovers she has incredible powers...and an incredible past. Tessa is a vibrant, fascinating heroine and all the secondary characters, including Will and Jem and Charlotte, are engaging and sympathetic. I thought this book was much more mature than the TMI series, so I'm very much looking forward to reading the next two Infernal Devices installments. I *loved* the clockwork army and the clever way Tessa learns to use her powers to overcome her enemies.
Jem is really great, but I LOVE Will. I have theories about his deep, dark secret...and I think he's being cruel to Tessa for a very good reason. Can't wait for Clockwork Prince!...more
Read the short story on Cassandra Clare's website. As with all the shorts, a fun glimpse behind the scenes, and especially great for fans of Magnus. (Read the short story on Cassandra Clare's website. As with all the shorts, a fun glimpse behind the scenes, and especially great for fans of Magnus. (And who isn't?)...more
In reading the gothic psychological novel Affinity, it is nearly impossible to shake off an overwhelming feeling of gloom and pervasive dread. FollowiIn reading the gothic psychological novel Affinity, it is nearly impossible to shake off an overwhelming feeling of gloom and pervasive dread. Following a failed suicide attempt, a young "lady visitor" named Margaret Prior develops a relationship with an inmate named Selina Dawes in a Victorian women's prison, and both their lives are forever changed by their acquaintance.
Narrated in alternating chapters by the two very different women, this dark, moody story incites fear, melancholy, and terrible pity. As always, with this author's work comes a thoroughly researched story and a compelling look at women in oppressive circumstances, as well as how their limited choices often lead to desperate attempts to control their own destinies. There's also an erotic undercurrent of forbidden attraction running deep in this novel as Margaret finds herself increasingly drawn to the mysterious Selina Dawes, who has been imprisoned for a spiritualist reading gone horribly wrong. Their subtly blooming attraction is heightened by the misery of the contrast with Selina's living conditions at Millbank Prison (an actual London prison, by the way), and it's a certainty that in Margaret's desire to save Selina, she is also desperate to save herself.
And what will your sister do if her husband should die, and she should take another? Who will she fly to then, when she has crossed the spheres? For she will fly to someone, we will all fly to someone, we will all return to that piece of shining matter from which our souls are torn with another, two halves of the same. It may be that the husband your sister has now has that other soul, that has affinity with her soul--I hope it is. But it maybe the next man she takes, or it may be neither. It may be someone she would never think to look to on the earth, someone kept from her by some false boundary...
Sarah Waters writes in dense, elegant prose and tells stories that unfold with exquisite deliberation. Affinity is similar to The Little Stranger, in that there are such evocative, spine-chilling moments (including a particularly vivid one involving (view spoiler)[dripping wax and a dimpled baby's arm :-O (hide spoiler)]) that I literally had to put the book down and step away from it. She masterfully creates an atmosphere of suffocating melancholy and builds the tension to an almost unbearable point, so that when the characters finally break, there is a blessed emotional release and relief in the confusion and madness that follows.
As with all of the authors' novels, it's important not to read too many reviews or interviews lest important surprises are spoiled. I've read enough of her books to know that I needed to pay attention to every word that is uttered, but she still kept me guessing until the devastating end. If you decide to read this, try to save it for a day when it's cold and dreary and drizzling; I did, and my imagination nearly went wild over the awful conditions of the prison, as well as the evocative seances I could picture perfectly in my mind. Affinity isn't the typical jump-out-of-the-closet horror novel, but for the reader who appreciates subtlety and who might feel a fine shiver when things don't feel quite right in the house, it can offer an incredibly suspenseful and terrifying read....more
Absorbing and complex. I loved the descriptions of Nan's early life as an "oyster girl" and how she gradually discovers who she is and how she fits inAbsorbing and complex. I loved the descriptions of Nan's early life as an "oyster girl" and how she gradually discovers who she is and how she fits into her Victorian world....more
A superbly written novel, full of great twists and turns. You may be able to guess someReread December 2016 after seeing THE HANDMAIDEN.
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A superbly written novel, full of great twists and turns. You may be able to guess some of what's going on, but the author will still surprise you with daring prose and unexpected red herrings. If you've never read the author before (as I had not) I'd recommend not reading ANY reviews about the book, not even the Amazon general description. The book jacket and this http://orangeprizeproject.blogspot.co... should whet your appetite enough. Trust in the author to do the rest....more
Wendy Darling
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