Sixteen-year-old Jessamine lives with her father, an apothecary, in an abandoned church she calls "the cottage". Her father's obsession is a forbiddenSixteen-year-old Jessamine lives with her father, an apothecary, in an abandoned church she calls "the cottage". Her father's obsession is a forbidden garden where he keeps deadly and poisonous plants from around the world. Jessamine lives a boring life- taking care of her father and the plants, writing in her journal, doing household chores. Until a stranger shows up at her home with a present for her father. The present is Weed, a strange and introverted boy, whom with Jessamine builds a friendship, and later, a romance. Weed has a secret, though: plants communicate with him, and he is especially wary of the Poison Garden. But when Jessamine falls inexplicably ill, its up to Weed to unlock the secret of the dangerous garden in order to save her life.
When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be good. The premise was unique and the writing was lovely. I really liked Jessamine's journal and how her voice fit the time period. Quickly, though, I got sick of it. The writing soon became (pardon the pun) too flowery, and the beginning was incredibly boring. No conflict was introduced until nearly 50 pages in.
And once Weed was introduced, it was too late. I already had a sour taste in my mouth. Jessamine proved herself to be a weak character. All she did was cook, clean, and then become unconcious. I thought we had gotten past the whole Disney Princess concept. I guess not. And Weed and Jessamine's romance was incredibly awkward. I kept wincing and getting embarrassed for them. Weed would have been interesting if his ability wasn't so silly. He talks to plants, or more correctly, plants talk to him. I kept getting these absurd mental images of flowers with lips, and too soon I was past the point of taking this book seriously.
And the ending was pretty horrible. Once Jessamine got deadly ill, she couldn't very well write in her journal, could she? So Weed had to pick it up. From there, things got even weirder. It would shift between Weed's POV (which was eerily similar to Jessamine's), and these weird tripped out visions which Jessamine had of a Plant Prince or something. It was quite difficult to follow. And of course it ended openly because we can't have a stand-alone now, can we?
*sighs* There are just some books that don't need to be written. ...more
I wasn't blown away by Shiver, but that doesn't mean I wasn't eagerly waiting for Linger. I seem to be in the minIt's about time I write this review.
I wasn't blown away by Shiver, but that doesn't mean I wasn't eagerly waiting for Linger. I seem to be in the minority here, but I liked Linger more than I did Shiver.
I still don't understand Sam though. I've decided not call him gay anymore, because he makes it abundantly clear that he loves Grace. So instead, I will just call him feminine. I mean this boy 1. bakes bread 2. reads German poetry 3. writes sappy love songs 4. cooks 5. folds paper 6. is sensitive (aka moody). And not in the sexy-never-know-what-hes gonna-do way, but in the oh-no-hes-crying-again way. Seriously, this boy would get eaten alive in any high school. I still like Grace though. She's neat. Smart and savvy.
But I am glad its not just those two anymore. If I had to read another 350 paged sappy lovefest between those two, I wouldn't be able to take it. So I'm glad for the new POV of Isabel and Cole. I've always liked Isabel. She's ballsy but not invulnerable. I like how she isn't portayed as perfect. And then there's Cole....I won't even try to hide the crush I have on him. *shrugs* I have a thing for damaged rock stars. It was interesting to see the whole situation through their eyes. It kept the story fresh, and I didn't get confused when ever there was a shift in perspective. And I don't care much about Isabel and Cole as a couple. That's not really necessary.
And of course I was pissed at the parents. Not because they did what did in itself, but because they did it without precedent. Its kinda like when my mother let my dog run around the yard just after installing the electric fence. My dog was running around, not a care in the world, unaware that a few feet away was an underground wire that would shock her if she came near it. My dog was not aware that the boundry existed, which is why it was made all the more cruel when she got zapped.
The writing, as usual, was good. There is something so delicate about it that sets the mood for the story. The story would be absolutely suckish if the writing wasn't so good, which is probably why I was able to tolerate the slow pace.
So I liked it, and definitely have a few questions. Forever needs to come NOW. ...more
Nick Ryves and his crippled older brother, Alan, have been running from magicians their whole lives. Magicians are humans who can control limited amouNick Ryves and his crippled older brother, Alan, have been running from magicians their whole lives. Magicians are humans who can control limited amounts power. They get this power from sacrificing innocent people as hosts for demons, who have unimaginable abilities. Alan and Nick's mother used to be an evil magician, and she still owns charm which others would kill to possess. When a brother and sister, Jamie and Mare, come to the Ryves brothers for help, Alan is dead set on taking them in, despite Nick's convictions that they will only bring danger nearer, for Jamie bears a demon's mark, a sign that means certain death for the carrier. Nick is reluctant to have anything to do with saving the boy until Alan is also marked, making Nick desperate for magician's blood which is the only thing that can erase a demon's mark. Now Nick must go after the very thing he was trying to evade, uncovering deep-rooted lies and family deceptions along the way. It turns out Nick might be more dangerous than anyone ever imagined.
Nick is a dark main character, one that is hard to sympathize with, as he sympathizes with no one else. He is a real bad boy. One with no regrets and quick to draw his sword (hehee, dirty). He really cares for no one except Alan, who he is devoutly loyal to. I didn't like him much. I like characters who have more vulnerability and a wider-span of emotion. I won't really complain about it though, seem as it is necessary for him to be so. But, I still didn't like the other characters, although Alan was certainly interesting.
I did think the fantasy aspects were imaginative, but I never got sucked into the plot. I was completely indifferent towards the book until the last fifty pages. There were plenty of twists and turns towards the end, but the only one that really surprised me was the biggest one of all.
For some reason, I didn't like the writing. I had a little trouble reading it. This might be because I am distracted by the anticipation of reading Mockingjay, and no book will ever seem right until I have it in my hands.
This also is trivial, but I don't like the covers of this book. Every edition I see just has a dumb cover, no offense to anyone who likes them. ...more
I have to get something off my chest. *takes deep breath* I bought this book for it's cover. I didn't even read the description first.
This book takes I have to get something off my chest. *takes deep breath* I bought this book for it's cover. I didn't even read the description first.
This book takes place entirely in an enchanted theater ran by The Book. The Book is what bounds the Players to the roles they were born to play, and it domineers over the magical scene changes. 17 yr old Bertie is not a Player nor a crew member, but has called the Theater her home for the past 10 years, not knowing where she came from. Bertie and her companions, the four mischievous fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream and Nate, a minor pirate from The Little Mermaid, have been known to get into trouble. After a particularly bad incident, it looks like Bertie's time in the Theater has finally come to pass. But Bertie has one final chance to prove that she can contribute: become a Director and sell out a performance. Of course, not everything goes smoothly as the Players become more and more unsettled with their given roles.
Bertie, while kind of immature for a 17 year old, is strong and funny in her own right. How can you expect a girl who grows up with the most dramatic characters ever to grace the stage not to be colorful? And I love her choice of hair color. The fairies that follow Bertie around and join her in her antics are some of the funnest and funniest characters I have ever experienced. I want one for myself. I'll just have to remember to hide my Twinkies. Nate is a little dry, but sweet enough. I just hope Mantchev fleshes him out more. Ariel's name bothers me. I think of a red-haired mermaid. This made things difficult for me when the romantic tension was being built.
The setting was easily the best part of the book, even though some times I had no idea what was going on. It's not a point of pride for me, but sometimes I couldn't follow the action. It seemed to jump from one point to the other without much of a bridge in between.
I liked the book. Not as much as I could have, but I'm definitely glad that lush cover pulled me in. And the cover also helped in my visualization of Bertie and the fairies. Alexa, I agree with you. This book would be awesome as a animated film by Mr. Miyazaki.
I will read the sequel when I have the chance. I'm looking forward to being drawn into such an imaginative world again. ...more
As a horribles storm rages outside their home, Dinah, her brother, Zeke, and their little sister Rebecca Ruth, listen to their older cousin Gage as hiAs a horribles storm rages outside their home, Dinah, her brother, Zeke, and their little sister Rebecca Ruth, listen to their older cousin Gage as his tells them a story. The story is about What-the-Dickens, an orphaned toothfairy (or skibberee, as they like to be called) tries to find his place in the world. On his journey, he falls in love with a cat, does dental surgery on a tiger, convinces an old lady he is the Angel of Death, and finally encounters others of his own kind.
This book was very thought-out and imaginative, but it failed to be all that interesting to me. The story arc of Gage and the children became a distraction when it came to What-the-Dickens's adventures. I thought What-the-Dickens's story was creative, but it was never thrilling for me. I could always put the book down and forced myself a bit to finish it.
Also, the target audience is a little confusing. On the outside, the tooth fairy's adventures seem light and charming, but there were definitely darker undertones. A sort of creepiness exuded through-out the book, especially with Gage and the children. And there were many references a kid wouldn't get, political and literary. What-the-Dickens was a creative free-thinker in an otherwise oppresive and strict government. Even issues such as animal cruelty were brought up. The literary references ranged from the childrens book "Are you my mother?" to Gone with the Wind. Also there was a sort of humor and tone about the whole thing a younger reader wouldn't get.
I don't mean to be condescending to kids though, because I am still one myself. It took me forever to get some of this stuff, and it wasn't until I put the book down that I thought the terrible storm just might be Hurricane Katrina.
So this is a multi-layered novel. Imaginative and unique, but not necessarily wholly entertaining. And as with all Gregory Maguire books, not for everyone. ...more
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