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| 1408319462
| 9781408319468
| 1408319462
| 4.07
| 32,113
| May 03, 2012
| May 03, 2012
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it was ok
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2.5 / 5 stars. RTC.
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Notes are private!
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2
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Dec 11, 2020
Mar 07, 2015
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Feb 02, 2021
Mar 12, 2015
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Feb 11, 2021
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Paperback
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| 3.53
| 5,542
| Feb 06, 2020
| Feb 06, 2020
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it was ok
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I was given this book by Mira with the following words: "You have to read this. I would like to know your thoughts on this." Well, dear friends, here's I was given this book by Mira with the following words: "You have to read this. I would like to know your thoughts on this." Well, dear friends, here's what I think in a nutshell: [image] I couldn't have said it better myself. But I'll try anyway: PLOT: 1.5 / 5 When I first read the synposis of this book, I lost my shit - zombies? National parks? Queer boys fighting the zombie apocalypse? Perfect. Wranglestone had all the ingredients for what could have been one of my new favorite reads: gay representation, a gritty tale of survival against the beautiful backdrop of North American national parks, and zombies. I'm such a sucker for zombies, y'all. Sadly, the premise was amazing - the story not so much. While I loved the first half of the book and flew through the pages in one day, I completely lost interest about halfway through. It took me nearly a week to read the last 150 pages alone. Somewhere halfway through, the story became too confusing, too twisted for me. It felt a little like Charlton was trying to do too many things at once, and after one plot-twist too many, I couldn't really follow the story line anymore. I wish Charlton would have stuck with the much simpler, clearer plot that the first 150 pages laid out, instead of going wherever he went with it in the second half. (Don't ask me. I have no clue.) CHARACTERS: 2 / 5 My second big issue with Wranglestone were its characters, because when one of the characters who was mentioned earlier shows up and reveals they're the villain in a tense, emotionally-laden scene, and you have absolutely no idea who this character is, there's a problem. The biggest problem here is that all of the characters, except for Peter, were utterly forgettable. Even COOPER, the love interest, did not stand out to me. He didn't have any character traits, except for having long blond hair that he never washed. Awesome. And so it went with the rest of the characters, too: Charlton introduced a whole cast of characters that, like the premise, seemed more interesting than they ultimately were. They were forgettable, and two-dimensional, and I've already forgotten half of them even though I just finished this book five minutes ago. I'm giving this category two stars solely because Peter, for what it's worth, was a well-rounded protagonist. Sure, he was kind of a useless dumbass a lot of the times, but he was likable enough. (Also, I want more soft boys who crochet even when the world is ending.) WORLD BUILDING: 3 / 5 The world of Wranglestone is a dark, gritty one. Like most zombie stories, this world is trying to survive by keeping away from the so-called Pale Ones. Unlike most zombie stories, there was a clear plan here: US-American national parks were used as refuges for humans. I loved that idea, and I generally enjoyed the setting and the descriptions. They were atmospheric and, had it not been for the confusing latter half of the novel that introduced some rather strange twists, one of the best parts of the book. The one thing I can't stop wondering about, though, is what kind of physical laws operate in this world, because last time I checked, two teenage boys riding full-speed on the same horse for hours wasn't possible and severely detrimental to the horse's health. (In a Western saddle, no less.) I'm confused. WRITING STYLE: 2 / 5 Listen, I wish I could rate this higher, because let me tell you: Darren Charlton writes scary scenes unlike anything I've ever read. Those moments when Peter was fearing for his life got my heart pumping; they were filled with just the right amount of explicitly descriptive body horror and a sense of terrifying vagueness. But all other scenes were absolutely exhausting to get through. I'm not a fan of Charlton's descriptive style; I don't particularly like his voice; and I detested that he used the words "Peter swung round" approximately a million times. He also wrote one of my biggest pet peeves, which is when a character's accent is written phonetically. For that reason, I hated Cooper a little bit more every time he opened his mouth. I've said it before and I'll say it again: stop writing people's accents out because it's not funny, it's annoying. Add to that another one of my pet peeves, which is male authors over-describing random (and kind of weird) actions such as scratching one's armpit or butt, and you can probably figure that I'm just not a fan. DIVERSITY: 2.5 / 5 I'm really glad that Darren Charlton tried to tell a diverse story where the struggle was not, for once, found in a character's diversity. There's no tragic coming out story here, no struggling with one's gender or sexuality. Peter and Cooper are two gay boys in love, and that's that - simple as. It was refreshing to read a book with queer characters that just were. However, this book sadly lacked diversity in every other aspect. There were, as far as I could tell, no characters of color, no disabled characters, no neurodiverse characters, and only two LGBTQ+ characters - both gay white boys. Go figure. What really irked me, though, was Wranglestone's absolutely abysmal portrayal of women. The female characters in this novel were wildly outnumbered by the male characters, for starters. There were, like, maybe four women in the entire book. One of these was bitten by a zombie and then executed; another was brutally and graphically murdered by zombies; the third was a traitor. Only one of them turned out half-way okay, and even that only after murdering one of the good guys. Darren Charlton could have, and should have, done much better. OVERALL RATING: 2 / 5 At first I wanted to rate this book three out of five stars, but the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got. It gets its two stars solely for the "gay characters exist and it's cool", and the super-creepy scenes. Other than that, I just did not really care that much about this book, which is a bummer, because I still think us gays deserve an awesome zombie-apocalypse-tale. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 03, 2020
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Jun 15, 2020
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Jun 15, 2020
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Paperback
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| 0525423648
| 9780525423645
| 0525423648
| 3.62
| 792,654
| Nov 30, 2010
| Nov 30, 2010
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liked it
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me, age twelve: man i can't believe cassia loves ky so much and i hope she finds him and they live happily ever after!!!1!1!1!! me, age twenty one: man me, age twelve: man i can't believe cassia loves ky so much and i hope she finds him and they live happily ever after!!!1!1!1!! me, age twenty one: man, i can't believe ally condie single-handedly predicted the issues of late-stage capitalism when she showed the ruling class trying to control the proletariat through hard, mind-numbing work that results in complete exhaustion and inability to organize the fall of the class system! If I'm honest, I did not think I would enjoy this book when I picked it up for a reread this year. I remember pre-teen me loving this series deeply, and I also remember that pre-teen me was very easily excited and had little to critize. This time, it turns out, pre-teen me was right. This is a solid book, an enjoyable book, a book that made me think. It is by no means a perfect book, but it is still a good book nonetheless - one might even suggest it was ahead of its time. PLOT: 3 / 5 If you came looking for an intriguing political plot filled with action and rebellion, Matched is not the book for you. If you came looking for some very solid political commentary, interwoven with a moderately exciting plot line, look no further. Granted, Matched is a long book. In fact, it is so long that at times, you can't help but wonder why they didn't cut some of it. In my opinion, it wouldn't have harmed to make the book a bit shorter, a bit more concise, perhaps a bit more action-packed. But I understand that this is not Matched's style at all. Instead, it follows a storyline that is very straightforward and very polished. We watch as Cassia Reyes, the protagonist, is Matched with her best friend, Xander. We watch as she finds out that Xander wasn't her perfect partner, it was Ky Markham instead. We watch as she slowly but surely falls for Ky and as she begins to question the entire system their lives are built on. There are no uprisings in the conventional sense in this book; every act of rebellion is small, and hidden, and subtle. Ultimately, I wasn't interested that much in the story that took place. What kept me reading were both the characters and the political points Ally Condie was making. I do believe, though, that Matched could have benefitted from a more nuanced plot, or at least exploring the issues that were presented more in-depth. Sometimes, transitions felt a little rushed to me, even after pages upon pages of build-up. Say, for example, (view spoiler)[Cassia no longer endorsing the Society and wishing it wouldn't exist in the first place. While her arrival at this conclusion was hinted at through many little instances over the course of multiple chapters, it still fell a little flat. I would have wanted some more in-depth exploration of each individual instance to make Cassia's 180-degree-transformation more believable. (hide spoiler)] Or the introduction of certain problems (view spoiler)[ - in this case the apparent war that the Society seems to be involved in, which there was absolutely no mention of until the last hundred pages - (hide spoiler)] that could have been foreshadowed more in order to make the reveal understandable. All in all, I think Ally Condie played it a little safe with her plot in this novel. It wasn't anything outstanding, it wasn't overly complicated. It wasn't bad, either, but deeply average. CHARACTERS: 4 / 5 Where this novel really shines is its characters, and each individual development. CASSIA REYES, the novel's protagonist, is a solid main character. She is likable enough to care about what happens to her, yet still makes some royally bad decisions. She has some likes, which are constantly shown throughout the story. She even has a bit of spine, which causes her to rebel in her own little ways. The only thing Cassia does not have is an agenda. Sure, this book was written in 2010, at the height of the paranormal/dystopian-love triangle epidemic, but compared to other novels in its genre - the likes of which include The Hunger Games or Divergent - the main protagonist falls short. I understood her desire for freedom, her wish to choose her own life and not be restricted by a totalitarian government in every single decision down to whom she'll marry and how much she'll eat. I just wish that there had been something else, something from within Cassia herself, that had sparked her whole development. In my opinion, falling in love with Ky was a lazy and easy catalyst that robbed Cassia of any personal goals she might have had. I would have preferred her to be a girl, enraged by the orchestrated death of her grandfather, or a girl whose desire to write her own story transcended the metaphorical sense. A girl risking her life for the power of creative writing would have been that extra bit of badass that Cassia lacks. KY MARKHAM, on the other hand, had quite a lot of his own agenda, working for his optimized survival constantly. He appeared quite stoic and quiet at times, yet I still thought he was a very likable character, and I enjoyed all of his scenes. His fire and his passion were admirable, and his tragic backstory did break my heart a little. Overall, he was a well-written character that I enjoyed reading about, and also a solid choice as Cassia's love interest. XANDER CARROW is my baby and I will protect him with my life. Xander is my favorite type of character: warm, good, kind. From the very first page, he had the best interests of those he cares for in mind, first and foremost Cassia's. He wasn't a total pushover, either, but quite able to stand his ground and protect those he loves. Totally my favorite from the novel so far, and, for the record: he deserves way better. [image] The side characters, such as BRAM or CASSIA'S PARENTS were also well-constructed. Even if they didn't get a lot of pagetime, due to the fact that the novel follows Cassia's internal process closely all along, I still felt like I could get a good grasp of who they were and what they cared for. My favorite side character, even if he only had a very short lifespan in the book, was for sure CASSIA'S GRANDFATHER. He was a badass old man who lived and died on his own terms, and I felt real sorrow when Cassia bid him farewell. In general, Ally Condie's characters are both likable and believable. What I can't help but wonder is whether they would have had a little stronger characterization had they not been raised in a system as restrictive and clean-cut as the Society. WORLD BUILDING: 4/5 While Condie's world did lack some atmosphere, I still think it was solidly crafted. The system she has come up with is absolutely fucked up. The longer you think about it, the scarier it gets: a Society in which you are paired up with the love of your life based on variables such as genes and the highest probability of a successful marriage and healthy offspring; a Society in which nobody knows how to create art; a Society in which there are only 100 poems, 100 songs, 100 history lessons. A Society where you only see what you are told to see, and inevitably die on your eightieth birthday. Reading about Cassia's world felt claustrophobic. It was too clean, too polished, too perfect for comfort. The absolute restriction of freedom and personal choice didn't become apparent immediately, but was revealed over time, in little tidbits of information. It was absolutely chilling, and Condie's commentary on the importance of personal choice and the freedom of choosing one's own life is spot-on. WRITING STYLE: 4 / 5 I don't feel like the best judge for this category since I read the book in its German translation. What I could gather from that was quite solid: the style reflects the world Cassia lives in, clean, polished, perhaps a little heavy on the inner monologue. The translation, to anyone who is considering reading it, is very well done and flows nicely. Definitely one of the best German translations I have read, which is why I'd like to give kudos to the translator, Stefanie Schäfer. German readers, this translation is a very good choice if you can't get ahold of the English original. DIVERSITY: 0 / 5 This is where Matched falls spectacularly short. There is absolutely no diversity in this novel. Race is never mentioned or discussed, which may mean that some of the characters could be people of color - but could be doesn't count as actual representation. (Looking at you, J. K. Rowling.) Same with the sexuality: absolutely no mentions of anyone who isn't cis and hetero. One might argue that the Society is built around couples who produce the healthiest offspring, therefore eliminating same-sex couples - if one wanted to be punched in the face. Bisexuality is a thing, people, and there's other LGBT couples who could have biological children. Besides, there is an entire culture of singles mentioned - people who choose not to enter a partnership, therefore being allowed to date other singles of their choosing, but also being banned from marriage. It wouldn't have been hard to mention someone who wasn't straight here. Lastly, the Society in which Cassia lives is largely ableist: producing the healthiest offspring is code for nothing more but erasing disabilities. I mourn for the opportunities this book could have had if it had included a group of underground rebels with disabilites, for example. Overall, Ally Condie didn't include any kind of diversity, which may be due to the world-building. In the end, world building is always a choice, and choosing not to make your world diverse is also a statement. I hope this changes in the next two books. OVERALL RATING: 3.5 / 5 Contrary to what I expected, I still enjoyed reading this book eight years after I first read it. What it lacked in plot and diversity, it almost made up for in style, characters, and world building. I had some minor issues with the characters, including Cassia's lack of an own agenda, and the plot, which seemed to skip to important events at points, but overall, I did like this book and had a great reading experience. Whether this was fueled by late nights rewatching the The Hunger Games- and The Maze Runner-trilogies with Mira and a thereupon rekindled love for dystopian young adult fiction remains a mystery. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 12, 2019
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Nov 23, 2019
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Oct 12, 2019
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0330519484
| 9780330519489
| 0330519484
| 4.17
| 10,433
| Jan 01, 2010
| Aug 05, 2011
|
liked it
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As with the first book, I absolutely detest the synopsis. Seriously, it doesn't do the book justice at all and just makes it sound cheap. The only acc
As with the first book, I absolutely detest the synopsis. Seriously, it doesn't do the book justice at all and just makes it sound cheap. The only accurate thing in there is probably calling Beck a grouchy granddad. Bad synopsis and less-than-impressive cover aside, this is a solid continuation of the story Jana Oliver began telling in Forsaken and makes for an enjoyable, quick read. Not quite as strong as the first novel, I still found myself intrigued by Oliver's world and her characters even though I found the plot rather lacking this time around. I believe this is just part of the infamous Second Book Slouch that pretty much no author seems immune to. But let's take a closer look: PLOT: 1.5 / 5 As much as I love Riley and her adventures, the series' second instalment definitely lacks the first book's fast-paced, high-stakes plot. It picks up right where the first book left off (view spoiler)[- after the battle at the Tabernacle - (hide spoiler)] which makes it quite easy to delve into in case you just finished the first book and open the next one right away, like I did. I imagine the transition may be a little more difficult for readers who don't continue with the series right away, though, and find themselves wondering where the hell Riley is and why there's so much police around. This plays straight into what I've already criticized in the first book: a run-on plot that stretches over the course of four books instead of four separate plots that form a cohesive story in the end, like little puzzle pieces coming together. (See also: the Divergent series. Veronica Roth pulled off a big story that was built from three separate, shorter stories beautifully.) I prefer having series that keep me interested over the course of many books, but deal with different problems in each book, instead of having the same problem be the foundation for the plot of six books. (view spoiler)[Granted, Riley is no longer protecting her dad's corpse, because her dad's corpse has been resurrected and is currently strolling around Atlanta. Instead, she has to find out who resurrected her father, all while trying not to be killed by a Grade-5-demon. There weren't enough high-stakes involved to form a solid plot by itself, though. (hide spoiler)] Overall, I just feel like the plot wasn't tied up properly in the first book, leaving me vaguely unsettled, like when you leave the house and have to check five hundred times whether you locked the door or not. That same little asshole voice that keeps telling me "But did you really lock it?" is the voice that kept telling me that the first book wasn't quite complete, which probably also ended up costing the second book precious scenes that could have been invested in a different, more interesting story line instead of having to clean up the mess that book #1 made. Another problem I had with this story was that it moved leisurely, to put it nicely, and nothing really happened for a long time. It was a little like watching Riley do her grocery shopping and hoping not to be mauled by a demon in the cereal aisle. Don't get me wrong, I love domestic scenes filled with peace and happiness, (God knows Riley deserves those after everything that's happened!) but they shouldn't make up two thirds of the plot. Last but not least, I felt like the Ori-storyline was unnecessary and unbelievable. A random freelancer who keeps watch over (read: stalks) Riley in search of the demon who is threatening her, but doesn't seem to do a very good job at finding it? Good-looking, super sketchy, never answers questions? And Riley just feels attracted to him because - he has a vaguely hot, smoldering bad-boy look? Yeah, right. (view spoiler)[When it turned out Ori was actually a fallen angel on a quest to get Riley's soul, I just sort of lost it. I mean, it's not the worst premise in the world, but I didn't feel like there was enough depth and realness to Ori and his story, detracting immensely from the credibility of his storyline. (hide spoiler)] Um, no, thanks. I'll take Beck being annoying and denying his feelings for twenty chapters straight over that any day, thank you very much. (view spoiler)[Also, how much do you want to bet that it was Riley he saw when that Grade Four demon attacked him at the bar? My heart. He's in so deep. (hide spoiler)] Even after 400 pages, Riley's attraction to Ori - whom I perceived as quite unlikable and untrustworthy - seems a little ridiculous and far-fetched. I didn't hate the story line, but I sure as hell didn't love it either. What I did love were the various insights into Beck's backstory and his true feelings, which were incorporated into the plot in a clever, interesting way and added to my mountain of love for that boy. (I would willingly let some Grade Three demon chew off my legs if it meant Beck gets a happy ending.) I also tremendously enjoyed how Riley dove into the magical world and the different realms of magic a little more in this book. The feud between witches and necromancers was well-thought out and fun to read; I enjoyed the rituals and the interesting take on different types of magic that Jana Oliver has taken. CHARACTERS: 4 / 5 There's not much to say here that I haven't said before: I adore Jana Oliver's ability to craft believable characters. They have both good and bad traits, they have good and not-so-good moments, they delight or frustrate you, they make the smartest decision in the world one moment and try to stab a demon in the ass two seconds later. It's delightful. RILEY, as in the first novel, continues being an honest portrayal of a seventeen-year-old girl who struggles both with being the only girl in a male-dominated job and coping with losing her dad. She grieves, she experiences repercussions from having a front row seat to the slaughter, she gets angry and stubborn and frustrated, but she's also caring and empathetic and brave. What I love most about Riley is the fact that on one page, you just admire her, and the next, you want to kick her really hard for making a stupid decision. Despite all of her inner tumult and her more or less smart choices, what she does is always understandable. That's all I ask for in a protagonist. The gold star for favorite character goes, as in the first novel, to BECK who continues being lovable, aggravating, and cool all at once. To me he's the most interesting character in the series and his tremendous development is beautiful to witness. There are some new characters that are introduced in Atlanta, such as the freelance Demon Hunter ORI. I must admit that I was not a fan of Ori's; he was just too sketchy, too good-looking, too casually cool, too much of everything for me. (view spoiler)[I understand why Riley would flee from her short-lived romance with Simon Adler, which came to a horrible end, into a good-looking charming guy's arms, though, even if my distrust regarding Ori outweighed my admiration for him by far. (Which proved to be the right hunch.) At the end of the novel, it's revealed that Ori is, in fact, not a freelance Demon Hunter, but a fallen angel on a quest to rob Riley of her soul. That wasn't that surprising to me, since I'd harbored a bad feeling about Ori from page one, but still a cool enough twist. I would have loved to delve deeper into his background and the why and how of being a fallen angel, though, instead of him just being hot and an incredibly douchy lover. (hide spoiler)] I'm not quite sure why his character was necessary to the story, either, so he has to be the first Jana Oliver character I'm not a fan of because he just wasn't as well-written as the others. On a different note, the relationships between the characters (Riley's and Ori's unconvincing romance aside) were just as enjoyable and complicated as they were in the first book. Oliver portrays both good and bad moments between friends without going overboard or adding too much drama. I loved Simon's character development, (view spoiler)[who turns from pious and lovable goody-two-shoes to a bitter, haunted boy who can't let the past go and blames his (now ex-)girlfriend (hide spoiler)]. I adored when Beck began opening up to Riley (view spoiler)[about his dyslexia, (hide spoiler)] and I enjoyed getting to know Peter King, Riley's best friend, better. The mutual pining between Beck and Riley continues and intensifies, so I'm just about ready to bribe Jana Oliver for a kissing scene by now. Get it together, you two! WORLD BUILDING: 5 / 5 I have nothing to add to my absolutely delighted review of Oliver's world-building for book one, except that she continues giving vivid and believable images in a well-thought out world that doesn't appear too alien. She truly deserves all the stars for this one. DIVERSITY: 3 / 5 As in the first volume, there's a lot left to be desired from this series diversity-wise. Few people of color dot the story, and there is one gay character who is almost never around. A delightful silver lining was Ori, who revealed himself to be quite open to sexual relations with both men and women (though he never specified his sexuality, it sounded a lot like bi- or panexual.) What does get represented quite well are struggles with old injuries, such as Stewart's mangled leg; dyslexia; and post-traumatic stress disorder. Riley frequently suffers from nightmares and panic attacks after the events at the Tabernacle, which I felt was realistic and portrayed in a respectful way. (view spoiler)[A major plot point is Beck's struggle with reading and writing, which I also felt was well written. Beck's shame and fear of being made fun of became tangible in the moments he confessed to Riley, and his continous efforts to become better at reading and writing were endearing, without painting him as some tragic boy who has to overcome his struggles to find peace. (hide spoiler)] All in all, the second book delved into some more diverse topics, if only briefly in some instances. WRITING STYLE: 5 / 5 Simple, light-hearted, with a good balance between humor and description and a knack for awesome fighting scenes. Everything I like in a book. OVERALL RATING: 3 / 5 While the plot and Ori's character didn't really do anything for me, I enjoyed Riley's quest (view spoiler)[to find her dad (hide spoiler)] and the daily struggles that she dealt with. I adore the characters - Beck especially - and find it a quick and enjoyable read that I finished way quicker than I anticipated. Time really flies while reading this book, which is everything I ask for. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 16, 2018
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Sep 06, 2018
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Aug 16, 2018
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0330519476
| 9780330519472
| 0330519476
| 3.99
| 18,536
| Sep 2011
| Feb 07, 2011
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really liked it
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Four years later, and I'm still surprised this series isn't better known. I read the first two books from Jana Oliver's Demon Trappers series in 2013/2 Four years later, and I'm still surprised this series isn't better known. I read the first two books from Jana Oliver's Demon Trappers series in 2013/2014, and years later, I'm still very much in love with it. There are few books nineteen-year-old me loves as fiercely as fourteen-year-old me did, but Forsaken is definitely one of them. Rereading it has been so much fun, because even now, I still perceive these books as something new, something fresh, and something well-written. This is YA-fantasy entertainment how I want it to be. PLOT: 3 / 5 Since the blurb doesn't do a very good job at summarizing what this book is about, I'll do a quick recap: Riley Blackthorne, 17, wants to become a Demon Trapper, just like her father, Paul, who is successful and well-known in his profession. Then Riley's dad is killed by a Grade Five demon, and Riley is stuck watching his grave until the next full moon so necromancers won't get a chance to resurrect Paul Blackthorne's body and sell him as an undead employee to rich people. (No joke: zombies are used as people's employees here. How badass/creepy is that?) Basically, everything goes to hell when the demon that murdered her father starts looking for Riley next. The plot is simple enough, but I honestly enjoyed the way the events are all linked to one another and ultimately, every scene seems to matter in the grand scheme of things. Jana Oliver manages to make a story about demons and necromancy as realistic as can be, with solid reasoning behind the characters' actions and a relatable character arch. Even if Riley camping out at the cemetery makes up the majority of the first book's plot, Oliver manages to throw in subplots - such as Riley and Beck's strained friendship, or the holy water that is being tampered with - that tie into the story neatly and add the appropriate amount of excitement. She definitely keeps the reader interested throughout the entirety of the book. Another big fat plus for me is that Oliver - unlike many other authors - doesn't forget characters' injuries: when Riley's leg is injured by a Grade Three demon, she feels the repercussions until the very last chapter. She cannot run as fast as her fellow Demon Trappers, for example, or is in intense pain after taking the stairs and putting strain on her leg. Since a lot of authors tend to injure the characters, then forget about it two pages later, I was super thrilled with Oliver's consistent and cohesive portrayal of injuries. Or that Riley - realistically - keeps grieving her father throughout the story instead of crying about him once and then moving on within a day to become the Tragic Hero like a lot of YA-heroes do. Realistic timing and development is a thing Jana Oliver does exceptionally well. The plot isn't the driving force in the book - the characters make up more than 70 % of its motor - but it's solid enough. There are only two problems that occurred to me in regards to the plot: sometimes, the transitions between scenes don't feel quite realistic, but rather like an abrupt "Okay! Next plot point!". I just wish Oliver had invested a little more time and effort in moving the plot along its different destinations more smoothly, which would have improved the quality of the reading experience immensely. (Somehow like that: "Road work ahead? I sure hope it does!" but, like, we're referring to a slightly bumpy road that could have some of its pot holes fixed here.) The second problem is that by the end of the first book, nothing is resolved. There is no resolution, no denouement, nothing that says "this could have ended here." I like my series to be cohesive and exciting over the course of many books, but I also find it important that each instalment in a series is resolved in one way or another, as in: separate little stories that later build a bigger picture. I prefer short stories that form one giant story when put together to one long, run-on story that is cut into different books. Sadly, The Demon Trappers seems to be the latter rather than the former, which is the main reason for losing two stars in this category. Other than that, Jana Oliver's book is exciting and fun to read, with a plot that's easy to follow but not overly cliché. It makes for lovely bedtime reading, for sure. CHARACTERS: 5 / 5 My God, I don't even know where to start! With Riley, who's cool and casual and a realistic 17-year-old girl? Or with Beck, the tortured but lovable guy who works with Riley's dad? Simon, the pious love interest? Harper, whom you just want to kick repeatedly because he's so delightfully horrible? As diverse and unique as Oliver's characters are, there's one thing they all have in common: they're believable. This is especially important since the book is very character-driven, with the focus on the characters' development and emotions and how their respective personalities and decisions impact the plot. All of her characters appear to be very realistic and more or less likable people.. RILEY BLACKTHORNE, for example, is an honest, hilarious, and likable portrayal of a teenage girl. She can kick some serious ass - like when she kills a Grade Three demon - but she's certainly not overpowered and fails as often as she succeeds. She's funny, but not mean; smart, but not a genius; and brave, but experiences fear. To me, she's an extremely well-crafted heroine with many positive and negative traits whose decisions might not always be the smartest, but are always understandable. There's a very clear standpoint that Riley is coming from, and it is prominent in every single one of her actions. Then there's DENVER BECK, referred to as "Beck" by everyone, five years Riley's senior and her childhood crush. Beck, a former Trapper apprentice, works with Riley's father, Paul, and has spent time serving in the army. He's a bit of a Southern cliché with his accent, farmboy background, and his love for beer and women, but he's the most lovable cliché I've ever encountered. My favorite part about Beck is how he's one of those "I don't care whether I live or die as long as everyone else is safe"-character types, the tough ones with the softest hearts (see also: Tony Stark) that I'm a sucker for. I'm also a sucker for mutual pining and unrequited love, and Jana Oliver pulls it off perfectly. The backstory between them(view spoiler)[ - when Riley was fifteen, she was deeply in love with then twenty-year-old Beck, who rejected her due to the obvious age difference - (hide spoiler)]makes everything all the more complicated and explains why neither Beck nor Riley is interested in making the first move for something that will most likely end in heartbreak and complicated work relationships. (view spoiler)[Now, at almost eighteen, Riley is much more mature and Beck begins seeing her as more than just his mentor's daughter eventually. (Not that he'd ever admit that. He'd rather snog a Grade Three demon, tongue and all.) (hide spoiler)] I love that Jana Oliver touches on age differences in relationships in a mature and sensible way: the characters are five years apart, which isn't too much so that it would become awkward and dangerous, and they only stand a chance once they're both adults. It's a very sensitive topic that can go wrong in so many ways (see also: Riverdale's creepy pedo-apologist plotline with Grundy and Archie Andrews) but Oliver made the right decisions for her characters at the right time. I ship Riley and Beck with all my heart - whenever those two idiots interact awkwardly, and a little begrudgedly, it makes me ache in the best kind of way. They're definitely a slow-burn type of romance, which is the best type of romance if you ask me - and as much as I like Riley's boyfriend, Simon, I'll never love him with Riley as much as I love Beck. (Sorry, Si.) WOLRD BUILDING: 5 / 5 Oliver's novel is set in Atlanta, Georgia in 2018, which is sort of funny now - but she still manages to make the setting believable enough that I find myself wondering every now and then how Atlanta is holding up after the recent massive demon attack. It's rather clever, really, to place the story in a setting that is familiar to the author and to many readers, then tweak that setting here and there. In this slightly dystopian Atlanta, for example, there's no metal in the streets because it's a valuable and expensive resource that people steal, then sell. There are demons that crawl through the streets like rats, and abandoned coffeeshops have been turned into schools, which sounds disturbingly surreal and uncomfortably possible. Oliver throws in enough detail to make you feel like you're right next to Riley, studying American History in an old Starbucks, or following Beck through the streets of Little Five Points to catch some demons, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. Her very simple descriptions still leave a vivid image. This gritty, run-down, struggling version of Atlanta is very believable and an ideal location for the Demon Trappers that I very much enjoy visiting. What I also liked is that Riley, having grown up with demons and the Trappers' Guild, is familiar with most of the rules, but still has a lot to learn since she's only an apprentice. It's an effective way of revealing information to the reader without info-dumping or pulling the old "main character discovers secret magic world and knows nothing"-trick. The clear structures and guidelines of the Trappers' Guild are another aspect I enjoyed tremendously, since I dislike almost nothing as much as unclear magic/fictional systems. The categories of demons aren't ever explained in detail, but it becomes clear right away that First Grade demons are the smallest, least dangerous examples of hellspawn, while the Grade Five ones are the real bad boys. The weaponry - glass balls filled with holy water, among other things - is unconventional, but makes sense and provides a refreshing break from the beloved YA-accessory, the bow and arrow. DIVERSITY: 2 / 5 There are a couple of black characters, one gay character, and a lot of characters whose ethnicity remains unknown in the first volume of the Demon Trappers-series, but diversity-wise, there's room for a lot more. However, the lack of diversity in Riley's environment, which consists almost exclusively of straight white men, is well-explained: the Trappers' Guild is a little backwards in their ways. There aren't a lot of black members, they're not overly fond of Jack, a gay man who buys and sells demons, and women as Trappers have been unheard of until now. That is why Riley wanting to become a Trapper is such a big deal: she'd be the first girl ever. I love that Oliver mentions the struggles that Riley faces not just because she hunts demons, but because of her gender, and how the Guild is structured in a very conservative way. I can only hope that Riley breaks the mold and opens the doors for a more diverse cast of Guild members in the next few books. WRITING STYLE: 4 / 5 Jana Oliver's style is simple, but very enjoyable: she uses a lot of descriptions that are humorous and fun to read, adding a little light-heartedness to the rather gritty setting and the sad situation Riley is in. I don't want to say more about her style, though, because I read the German translation instead of the English original, so I don't feel like the best judge in this category. (Fellow Germans: the translation is marvelous and one of the few German translations I can whole-heartedly recommend.) EDIT: I've read online a couple of times that Beck is always speaking with a Southern accent, which Jana Oliver chose not only to mention, but accentuate via spelling, and that that's rather annoying to follow for 4oo pages. A stylistic flaw the German translator - thank God - chose not to incorporate. OVERALL RATING: 4 / 5 Even years after reading this book for the first time, I can whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA-urban fantasy stories, especially those mixed with dystopian fiction without having the main focus being a love story. (There is some romance, but it's not a major focus point of the plot, and there's no classic love triangle, which is worth mentioning.) EDIT: Yes, there is a love triangle, but it's rather unconventional. (view spoiler)[Riley is dating Simon, who's the only boy she has feelings for, while Beck is secretly in love with her, but doesn't want to make any moves (or admit he's hardcore crushing on her.) It's one of the few love triangles I've actually found well-written, realistic, and enjoyable. (hide spoiler)] Plus, the romance advances much further in the following books, but doesn't take up a lot of plot in the first. Jana Oliver's novel is a well-written story in a delicately crafted world with characters that are so realistic you almost expect them to jump off the page, and Forsaken has definitely laid a solid foundation for the rest of the series. Though it doesn't tie up loose ends and there's some things that need some work - such as the diversity of the characters or the plot in itself - it's a very good, very enjoyable start to a series I'm excited to continue. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Aug 12, 2018
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Aug 14, 2018
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Aug 16, 2018
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Paperback
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