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Teardrop #1
Teardrop
Never, ever cry...
Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean. And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away?
Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean. And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away?
441 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2013
About the author
Lauren Kate
28 books26.2k followersLauren Kate is the author of novels for adults, teens, and children, including the rom-com BY ANY OTHER NAME and the young adult series, FALLEN. She lives in Laurel Canyon with her family.
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June 25, 2013
EDITED 06/19/2013: James Dashner has apologized via Twitter. Thank you for all your support, everyone. <3 /edit
EDITED 06/18/2013:
O_o /edit
This book is bad. Hence, my review is very long. *thumbs-up*
I have included as many quotes as possible to illustrate my points.
Characters:
Eureka (that name -__-;) is so utterly passive she even remarks on it herself: “Trust was mutual, and that was the problem with her and Ander. He held all the cards. Eureka’s role in the relationship seemed merely to be alarmed.” (p. 311) She also goes through long internal monologues like this one:
All the negative sides of her character (being a sucky all-around friend to Cat and Brooks, withdrawing from every type of social contact except with Cat, Ander, Brooks and Madame Blavatsky, stereotyping practically every single female character she encounters) could’ve been redeemed were it not for the fact that she shows no growth. Even when she has a fight with Brooks and he tells her everything you as the reader are dying to tell her (“‘You keep Cat around because she doesn’t notice when you tune her out. You can’t stand anyone in your family. You’re certain every therapist you go to is an idiot. You’ve pushed away all of Evangeline [their school] because there’s no way anyone could ever understand what you’ve been through.’” p. 161), his words are written off because later it’s explained that he was being possessed by an evil Atlantean, so she doesn’t have to change!
There are a lot of female characters.
Cat is Eureka’s best friend the way the protag of Jodi Picoult’s Between the Lines had a best friend: they make for warm fuzzy scenes together, but in the end, Cat is really not essential to the story.
Rhoda is Eureka’s father’s new wife who is so evil and unloving that she is a completely unrealistic caricature. Here, a quote of the type of things she says to Eureka:
Maya Cayce is the girl who wants to get with Brooks. Eureka says Maya hates her: “She was a senior, a roller skater, a rumored Wiccan, a transcender of all cliques, a contralto in the choir, a state-champion equestrian (ed note: omg, jealous. I want to be a state-champion equestrian), and she hated Eureka Boudreaux." (p. 68) Is that enough reason for Eureka to hate her back? Guess so if you’re intent on making every other female character in your book seem like they’re out to destroy your protag. But personally, all the aforementioned description sounds like she would make a fabulous friend.
The female-hating goes on: we get a description of “arduously identical cheerleaders” (p. 169), and girls described thusly: “never has she ever considered wearing pants that didn’t show her thong… never has she ever left the house without a pound of makeup.” (p. 277) Eureka’s therapist says: “‘You will wake up at forty with no husband, no children and no career if you don’t learn to engage with the world” (p. 193), giving Eureka even more reason to dismiss her (“The only person who understood Eureka was scattered across the sea.” p. 193). Does a therapist actually speak like that and retain her job? Does a stepmother sound as evil as Rhoda, for that matter?
Even BFF Cat gets slammed: “‘You think everything is about sex.’” (p. 167) Never mind Maya Cayce—she’s portrayed as a slut with every breath she takes: “She was also the only person whose Evangeline slacks fit her body like an obscene glove.” And later on the same page: “He [Brooks] caught Maya when she flung her body at his in an X-rated hug.” (p. 207)
And here’s Eureka commenting on the one woman who she believes is genuine: “Aileen was the sweetest woman in New Iberia—and the only woman Eureka knew whose sweetness wasn’t saccharine.” (p. 231) SNARK: Really, Eureka? The only woman in the whole state who is genuinely sweet? /SNARK
Another commonly recurring descriptor is the focus on people’s looks, and women’s in particular in relation to their worth. Eureka has an aunt named Maureen, who she compares to her mother Diana: “Diana had inherited a truckload more class; Maureen got Sugar’s ample breasts and wore dangerously low-cut blouses to show her heirlooms off.” (p. 107) Eureka actually thinks that the biggest difference between her mother and her aunt is that her mother is beautiful. Not her personality. Not her loving nature or generous character or anything else: “Studying her aunt across the table, Eureka realized that the main difference between the sisters was that Eureka’s mother was beautiful. You could look at Maureen and see Diana gone wrong. She was a cruel parody.” (p. 109)
No mention of Rhoda is complete without talking about her faded beauty:
Even her father is gorgeous: “His name was Trenton Michel Boudreaux the Third. He had a defining slimness that he’d passed onto all three of his kids. He was tall with a wiry, dark blond hair and a smile that could charm a copperhead. You’d have to be blind not to notice how women flirted with him. Maybe Dad was trying to be blind to it—he always closed his eyes when he laughed off their advances.” (p. 79)
And Anders is the hottest guy Eureka has ever seen. She actually says this guys. “He was the hottest guy she’d ever yelled at. He might have been the hottest boy she’d ever seen.” (p. 34) Dear authors: it’s possible to swoon over a less-than-average-looking guy, you know.
The romance. Brooks and Eureka I was okay with; the confusion after their first kiss was well-done, especially when taking into account the fact that he was possessed by an Atlantean. (This doesn’t excuse the fact that this basically allows Eureka to not grow as a character, of course.) But with Anders, Eureka goes from feeling understandable butterflies in his presence to rightfully feeling weirded out by their lopsided relationship and his stalker-ish behaviour to abruptly loving him because suddenly they hug, he spills all these secrets and everything’s intimate:
So… should we dissect that last quote there? (WARNING: SNARK.) “She loved the sound it made.” Every heartbeat sounds the same. “Their closed eyes cast a heavy silence on the room.” No, your silence cast a heavy silence on the room. “…the kind of depth she’d felt with only a few people.” Yeah, that’s normal. It’s called love, and most people do not experience profound love with more than a few people, so that’s not anything special. “She knew she had been wrong about him.” What, because he hugs you nicely? No.
/snark
The sudden intimacy is abrupt and makes the kissing supremely unromantic, though Lauren Kate’s kiss scenes are pretty good. And Ander says: “‘Every moment of your life, I have fallen more deeply in love with you.’” (p. 394) Eureka responds by trying “to transmit the words she couldn’t find with a kiss” (p. 394), which smacks of the dangerous message “If he loves you, then that’s a good enough reason to love him.”
ALSO, this is how Eureka describes his eyes: "... his eyes were turquoise, like the ocean in Miami, and thus made her think of Diana. She sensed sadness in their depths, like shadows in the sea." (p.33)
She "sensed" sadness. Like "shadows in the sea".
*insert jawdrop GIF here*
Pacing
With every paranormal novel in which the protag discovers new powers/worlds/secrets in a contemporary setting, there must inevitably be an adjustment period where everyone related to this discovery goes through the process of “holy shit, what?” Acceptance doesn’t happen overnight.
However, this book spends a bloated amount of time setting up its secrets, and not enough time revealing it. Eureka meets Anders in at least five different locations in short, choppy scenes when three fully fleshed scenes would’ve been fine. We see Eureka in normal locales like school parties and track meets, but these do nothing to advance the story; they seem intended to develop character. Yeah, no. (Sorry, no quote to back this point up; I’d have to quote an entire chapter + context.) Overall, this 440 page novel doesn’t distribute the passing of time evenly or even with coherence. This means we’ve guessed everything before Eureka, but then the pace is forced to move far too rapidly after the grand reveal; Ander talks about going to Turkey, the country, as if that’s feasible with Eureka’s parental situation???:
In the confrontation between Ander and the Seedbearers (I’m sorry, that name just reminds me of a sperm bank), there was so much potential for themes of loyalty and family and choice. (“‘We raised you to be smarter than this. Did you not memorize the Chronicles? Do thousands years [sic] of history mean nothing to you? …Love has blinded you to your heritage.’” p. 418) No substance isn’t necessarily a bad thing, of course, so I’m not going to treat this as a knock against the book. More of a huge missed opportunity to add depth.
Setting
The setting is quite interesting (yay, three cheers for positive things!): it is set in New Iberia (as a Canadian I have no clue where that is, but didn’t hamper me from enjoying it) in a well-described bayou climate. The swamps, hurricanes and general wetness of the area translates well through the description-heavy scenes and also serve as a relatively realistic backdrop to the dramatic events of the climax.
Writing
Some decent showing, but LOTS of telling. Paragraphs upon paragraphs, occasionally. Flashbacks are also awkwardly inserted into the middle of conversations and real-time scenes. Transitions from one locale to another happen with no segue and often with a load of time passing in between.
Miscellaneous
Two women die in this novel—major characters whose deaths add shock value but little else. Why? Because they do not change the stakes of the story.
Madame Blavatsky is the stereotypical mystical psychic woman, ability to talk to her Abyssinian lovebirds and all. A few quotes:
I know I already said this, but Eureka goes through a LOT of angst. Have some more quotes:
EDITED 06/18/2013:
O_o /editThis book is bad. Hence, my review is very long. *thumbs-up*
I have included as many quotes as possible to illustrate my points.
Characters:
Eureka (that name -__-;) is so utterly passive she even remarks on it herself: “Trust was mutual, and that was the problem with her and Ander. He held all the cards. Eureka’s role in the relationship seemed merely to be alarmed.” (p. 311) She also goes through long internal monologues like this one:
“Eureka’s life was in chaos. She was on the brink of being kicked out of the house she hated living in. She hadn’t been going to school. She was alienated from all her friends and was following birds through the predawn bayou to meet elderly psychics. How was she supposed to know if now was Diana’s mystical when?” (p. 314)
All the negative sides of her character (being a sucky all-around friend to Cat and Brooks, withdrawing from every type of social contact except with Cat, Ander, Brooks and Madame Blavatsky, stereotyping practically every single female character she encounters) could’ve been redeemed were it not for the fact that she shows no growth. Even when she has a fight with Brooks and he tells her everything you as the reader are dying to tell her (“‘You keep Cat around because she doesn’t notice when you tune her out. You can’t stand anyone in your family. You’re certain every therapist you go to is an idiot. You’ve pushed away all of Evangeline [their school] because there’s no way anyone could ever understand what you’ve been through.’” p. 161), his words are written off because later it’s explained that he was being possessed by an evil Atlantean, so she doesn’t have to change!
There are a lot of female characters.
Cat is Eureka’s best friend the way the protag of Jodi Picoult’s Between the Lines had a best friend: they make for warm fuzzy scenes together, but in the end, Cat is really not essential to the story.
Rhoda is Eureka’s father’s new wife who is so evil and unloving that she is a completely unrealistic caricature. Here, a quote of the type of things she says to Eureka:
“‘It looks like you were just bumming around with Brooks. You know it’s a school night. What happened with the therapist? I hope you didn’t do anything to embarrass me.” (p. 102)
“‘As long as you live in my house, you follow my rules.’” (p.187)
“‘Don’t tell me you forgot you were watching the twins? Your dad’s at work and I’m delivering the keynote at the dean’s luncheon.”
“I made plans with Brooks.”
“Rearrange them.” Rhoda tilted her head and frowned. “We were doing so well.” (p. 336)
Maya Cayce is the girl who wants to get with Brooks. Eureka says Maya hates her: “She was a senior, a roller skater, a rumored Wiccan, a transcender of all cliques, a contralto in the choir, a state-champion equestrian (ed note: omg, jealous. I want to be a state-champion equestrian), and she hated Eureka Boudreaux." (p. 68) Is that enough reason for Eureka to hate her back? Guess so if you’re intent on making every other female character in your book seem like they’re out to destroy your protag. But personally, all the aforementioned description sounds like she would make a fabulous friend.
The female-hating goes on: we get a description of “arduously identical cheerleaders” (p. 169), and girls described thusly: “never has she ever considered wearing pants that didn’t show her thong… never has she ever left the house without a pound of makeup.” (p. 277) Eureka’s therapist says: “‘You will wake up at forty with no husband, no children and no career if you don’t learn to engage with the world” (p. 193), giving Eureka even more reason to dismiss her (“The only person who understood Eureka was scattered across the sea.” p. 193). Does a therapist actually speak like that and retain her job? Does a stepmother sound as evil as Rhoda, for that matter?
Even BFF Cat gets slammed: “‘You think everything is about sex.’” (p. 167) Never mind Maya Cayce—she’s portrayed as a slut with every breath she takes: “She was also the only person whose Evangeline slacks fit her body like an obscene glove.” And later on the same page: “He [Brooks] caught Maya when she flung her body at his in an X-rated hug.” (p. 207)
And here’s Eureka commenting on the one woman who she believes is genuine: “Aileen was the sweetest woman in New Iberia—and the only woman Eureka knew whose sweetness wasn’t saccharine.” (p. 231) SNARK: Really, Eureka? The only woman in the whole state who is genuinely sweet? /SNARK
Another commonly recurring descriptor is the focus on people’s looks, and women’s in particular in relation to their worth. Eureka has an aunt named Maureen, who she compares to her mother Diana: “Diana had inherited a truckload more class; Maureen got Sugar’s ample breasts and wore dangerously low-cut blouses to show her heirlooms off.” (p. 107) Eureka actually thinks that the biggest difference between her mother and her aunt is that her mother is beautiful. Not her personality. Not her loving nature or generous character or anything else: “Studying her aunt across the table, Eureka realized that the main difference between the sisters was that Eureka’s mother was beautiful. You could look at Maureen and see Diana gone wrong. She was a cruel parody.” (p. 109)
No mention of Rhoda is complete without talking about her faded beauty:
“She was really pretty, and sometimes Eureka could even see it—when Rhoda was sleeping, or in the trance of watching her children, the rare moments when her face relaxed. But most of the time, Rhoda just looked late for something. She wore this orangey lipstick, which had worn off while she was instructing tonight’s business class at the university. Little tributaries of faded orange ran down the creases of her lips.” (p. 101)
Even her father is gorgeous: “His name was Trenton Michel Boudreaux the Third. He had a defining slimness that he’d passed onto all three of his kids. He was tall with a wiry, dark blond hair and a smile that could charm a copperhead. You’d have to be blind not to notice how women flirted with him. Maybe Dad was trying to be blind to it—he always closed his eyes when he laughed off their advances.” (p. 79)
And Anders is the hottest guy Eureka has ever seen. She actually says this guys. “He was the hottest guy she’d ever yelled at. He might have been the hottest boy she’d ever seen.” (p. 34) Dear authors: it’s possible to swoon over a less-than-average-looking guy, you know.
The romance. Brooks and Eureka I was okay with; the confusion after their first kiss was well-done, especially when taking into account the fact that he was possessed by an Atlantean. (This doesn’t excuse the fact that this basically allows Eureka to not grow as a character, of course.) But with Anders, Eureka goes from feeling understandable butterflies in his presence to rightfully feeling weirded out by their lopsided relationship and his stalker-ish behaviour to abruptly loving him because suddenly they hug, he spills all these secrets and everything’s intimate:
”Ander’s hold on her had the kind of depth she’d felt with only a few people before. Diana, Dad, Brooks, Cat—Eureka could count them. It was a depth that suggested profound affection, a depth that bordered on love. She expected to want to pull away, but she leaned closer.
His open hands came to rest against her back. His shoulders spanned hers like a protective shield, which made her think of the thunderstone. He tilted his head to cradle hers against his chest. Through his T-shirt, she could hear his heart throbbing. She loved the sound it made.
She closed her eyes and knew that Ander’s eyes were closed, too. Their closed eyes cast a heavy silence on the room. Eureka suddenly felt she was in the safest place on the earth and she knew she had been wrong about him.” (p. 369 – 370)
So… should we dissect that last quote there? (WARNING: SNARK.) “She loved the sound it made.” Every heartbeat sounds the same. “Their closed eyes cast a heavy silence on the room.” No, your silence cast a heavy silence on the room. “…the kind of depth she’d felt with only a few people.” Yeah, that’s normal. It’s called love, and most people do not experience profound love with more than a few people, so that’s not anything special. “She knew she had been wrong about him.” What, because he hugs you nicely? No.
/snark
The sudden intimacy is abrupt and makes the kissing supremely unromantic, though Lauren Kate’s kiss scenes are pretty good. And Ander says: “‘Every moment of your life, I have fallen more deeply in love with you.’” (p. 394) Eureka responds by trying “to transmit the words she couldn’t find with a kiss” (p. 394), which smacks of the dangerous message “If he loves you, then that’s a good enough reason to love him.”
ALSO, this is how Eureka describes his eyes: "... his eyes were turquoise, like the ocean in Miami, and thus made her think of Diana. She sensed sadness in their depths, like shadows in the sea." (p.33)
She "sensed" sadness. Like "shadows in the sea".
*insert jawdrop GIF here*
Pacing
With every paranormal novel in which the protag discovers new powers/worlds/secrets in a contemporary setting, there must inevitably be an adjustment period where everyone related to this discovery goes through the process of “holy shit, what?” Acceptance doesn’t happen overnight.
However, this book spends a bloated amount of time setting up its secrets, and not enough time revealing it. Eureka meets Anders in at least five different locations in short, choppy scenes when three fully fleshed scenes would’ve been fine. We see Eureka in normal locales like school parties and track meets, but these do nothing to advance the story; they seem intended to develop character. Yeah, no. (Sorry, no quote to back this point up; I’d have to quote an entire chapter + context.) Overall, this 440 page novel doesn’t distribute the passing of time evenly or even with coherence. This means we’ve guessed everything before Eureka, but then the pace is forced to move far too rapidly after the grand reveal; Ander talks about going to Turkey, the country, as if that’s feasible with Eureka’s parental situation???:
“‘The last I heard, he [Solon, a Seedbearer] was in Turkey.’ He [Ander] spun to face Eureka, eyes suddenly bright. ‘We could go there and track him down.’
Eureka laughed. ‘I doubt my Dad is going to let me up and go to Turkey.’
‘They’ll have to come with us,’ Ander said quickly. ‘All of your loved ones will. Otherwise my family would use your family to drag you back.’
Eureka stiffened. ‘You mean—’
He nodded. ‘They can justify killing a few in order to save many.’” (p. 395 – 396)
In the confrontation between Ander and the Seedbearers (I’m sorry, that name just reminds me of a sperm bank), there was so much potential for themes of loyalty and family and choice. (“‘We raised you to be smarter than this. Did you not memorize the Chronicles? Do thousands years [sic] of history mean nothing to you? …Love has blinded you to your heritage.’” p. 418) No substance isn’t necessarily a bad thing, of course, so I’m not going to treat this as a knock against the book. More of a huge missed opportunity to add depth.
Setting
The setting is quite interesting (yay, three cheers for positive things!): it is set in New Iberia (as a Canadian I have no clue where that is, but didn’t hamper me from enjoying it) in a well-described bayou climate. The swamps, hurricanes and general wetness of the area translates well through the description-heavy scenes and also serve as a relatively realistic backdrop to the dramatic events of the climax.
Writing
Some decent showing, but LOTS of telling. Paragraphs upon paragraphs, occasionally. Flashbacks are also awkwardly inserted into the middle of conversations and real-time scenes. Transitions from one locale to another happen with no segue and often with a load of time passing in between.
Miscellaneous
Two women die in this novel—major characters whose deaths add shock value but little else. Why? Because they do not change the stakes of the story.
Madame Blavatsky is the stereotypical mystical psychic woman, ability to talk to her Abyssinian lovebirds and all. A few quotes:
“‘There is no death, no life, either. Only congregation and dispersal.’” (p. 175)
“‘It might be dangerous,’ Blavatsky continued. ‘Knowledge is power; power corrupts. Corruption brings shame and ruin. Ignorance may not be bliss, but it is perhaps preferable to a life lived in shame. Do you agree?’” (p. 179)
“‘Nothing is real. There is only what we believe in and what we reject.’” (p. 293)
“‘Curiosity is a cunning paramour,’ the woman said. ‘He has me seduced as well.’” (p. 295)
“‘We believe is your destiny to go [sic],’ Madame Blavatsky said. ‘What happens once you’re there is up to you.’” (p. 297)
I know I already said this, but Eureka goes through a LOT of angst. Have some more quotes:
“Nothing Eureka could say would change the cruel rules of this house, which only ever applied to her. Her mind was on fire, but her eyes stayed downturned. She had better things to do than fight with the monsters across the table.” (p. 309)
“She heard Brooks buzzing something nasty in her ear about how Eureka was convinced all her therapists were stupid. This one really was!” (p. 191)
July 19, 2014
ROUNDING UP TO 1.5 STARS.
*I won Teardrop through a goodreads giveaway.*
When i first saw the cover
i was a bit like this....
Isn't that one of the most beautiful and breathtaking covers ever?!
However, the actual book couldn't be more different.
17 year old Eureka never cries, not even at her own beloved mum's funeral, who died at a freak accident. Eureka was with her in that car when it happened, but the next thing she knows she's laying in the hospital bed. Why did she survive and not her mum? How?
The things she used to love hold no meaning anymore. She wants to escape. But then she meet Ander: The mysterious boy who is everywhere she goes, whose eyes take her breath away.
Then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance, heartbreak and a city waiting beneath the waves. Will it rise again?
Is Eureka the key to restoration....or destruction?
First impressions are sometimes fetal in the book world, in my occasion almost always. For those who don't know, or have yet to realize, Teardrop is the 1st book in Lauren Kate's new trilogy (she is the author of the 'best selling' Fallen series).
I have not read the Fallen series yet, so this was my first encounter with Mrs Kate, and i am NOT IMPRESSED to put it kindly.
There were so many bad things about Teardrop. I don't even know where to start.
From the beginning it's the guy's POV (Ander), and we can see that he has some serious stalker issues with Eureka. To me he seemed kinda...obsessed.
'He has been watching her since before he or she could speak. They have never spoke.
She was his life.
He had to kill her.'
So Ander also has to choose between saving the world, or saving the girl. Guess what he chooses? The.Girl. Naturally.
That happens a lot in YA books, but i don't think the authors realize that if the dude chooses the girl over the world, SHE WILL DIE ANYWAY? Because if the world will be gone or something, she and everyone else will go down with it?
The Characters
Eureka: I thought i'll very much connect with her, it seemed we had quite a bit in common. But nope. Truth be told i didn't care if she died the next page. I didn't like her. I could not connect with her.
I thought she was a shallow and very undeveloped protagonist.
Ander: Excuse me - i still don't know who the fuck you are?? WHAT IS THE POINT OF YOUR EXISTENCE? Like...
I didn't really learn anything about Ander. I didn't like him, though at times i admit he could be rather...sweet.
Brooks : I think he is my favorite character. Brooks is Eureka's oldest and bestest friend. He was supportive, very charming, fun and just lovable! I wouldn't mind if someone put him in a box, wrapped him up and gave to me as a present *cough*.
The Romance
One of what seems like many reasons this book was a 1 star read.
This definitely makes the top 5 most cliche, unrealistic and ridiculous love triangles/romance books i have read.
'His tongue traced the tip of her tongue. (...) She arched her back.
"This feels-" he said.
She nodded "so right".
*TINY SPOILER ALERT (nothing important)*
That quote is when Eureka and Brooks had their 'first kiss'.
They 'feel' its right, yeah? But guess what. Like a day or 2 later Eureka is all like 'it didn't feel right anyway' when Ander is near by.
And then she changes again to the 'feels right' mood.
The romance was EXTREMELY rushed. She went from one guy to the next before i could even say 'Knife and your head bitch'. I could not feel ANY chemistry either between her and Ander or Brooks.
I HATE when the authors think their audience isn't as smart as they are. It created an impression like this was the case with Teardrop, as i had, like, 95% of the twist/plot figured out from the middle half of the book.
IT WAS PREDICTABLE!
I felt like the author either thought no one would be as smart as her to figure it out, or she really thought it was unpredictable and had some real 'twists' in the story that would shock her readers to the bones.
Teardrop is a big book, guys. Possesses over 400 pages. And i promise you - NEARLY. NOTHING. HAPPENED!
It was just dragging on insignificantly. I was FIGHTING with my self to keep on reading and not DNF it so i was put out of my misery. But i finished. Skipped most of the last couple of pages...but finished nonetheless.
Do you know what the book was the ENTIRE way? CONFUSING.
I did not, and still don't understand about 80% of what happened and about 90% of it all in general.
It was WEIRD!
Every chapter i'm all like...
Overall...
I'm disappointed.
The only good thing about this book were the ever so tiny glimpses of mythology (which i LOVED with all my heart).
I expected everything opposite what i really got.
However, i must give Mrs Kate some credit, as it is hard to write a very good book.
BUT...
Sincerely - The Critic.
October 28, 2013
I'm grateful for many things in life, including the fact that most of YA fiction is in fact, fiction. Because thankfully, my fate and that of the world will never rest in the hands of a teenaged boy who thinks with his dick.
This book was not bad. It was simply generic. The premise behind it is one of the lost island of Atlantis, and honestly, that wasn't even a major part of the story. The mythology and what was supposed to be the major plotline in the book---that of Eureka and her mysterious destiny---was simply overshadowed by a large amount of angst, drama, and copious amounts of insta-love, love triangles, and stalking.
This book just blends in with every other YA contemporary fantasy/paranormal works out there. The plot behind it is a little different, more refreshing than that of your generic angel/fairies/vampires/werewolves/witches/whatever, but the premise behind it is the same. As are the characters. Simply put, I could not pick Eureka out of a lineup of 100 other YA PNRs heroines out there. She is a heroine made from a cookie cutter.
The Plot: We start off knowing a boy, Ander, has been watching over Eureka her whole life. She and her mother are driving across a bridge, they should be dead before crossing it. Against his family's wishes, against common sense...Ander saves the girl. Her mother, Diana dies. Over a year later, Eureka is still in mourning, recovering from a suicide attempt, all the while pushing away everyone she loves. She meets Ander as he rear-ends her, leaving no insurance information, getting her in trouble (nice). All of a sudden, Ander starts popping up all over the damn place. Her best friend Brooks is acting strange. Her mother leaves her some mysterious objects and a notebook in an indecipherable language. What is the mystery behind Ander? What does the notebook say? Will Eureka ever stop sulking? Who will turn out to be Eureka's love of her life?
Oh, and there's something about Atlantis.
The setting & the writing: No complaints with either. I loved the Louisiana setting, and the writing is solidly in line with the story. It is not spectacular, and it tends towards the overdramatic where Eureka is concerned, but it was easy to read, and never overly purple prosy. The writing made the book an easy, quick read.
The characters: Underwhelming.
Eureka: I'm glad she is not special in an "Why, little ole me? Pshaw!" sort of way. I'm glad she doesn't mention how ordinary she is only to have half the school fall in love with her. I'm glad she is an average, sullen teenager. I'm glad she has her flaws, but there is nothing in her personality, that makes me empathize with her, that makes me like her, that makes her stand out. Eureka is bland. The only thing that distinguishes her from other heroines I've read is her name. A book can be made or broken based on the strengths of the characters and their development, their complexity, and Eureka is dull and stereotypical.
I understand her sullenness. I understand her grief. I wanted her to grow from it. I wanted her to grow beyond that. I wanted her to become extraordinary, to distinguish herself, to reach out from beyond her grief and anger. Eureka does not reach any sort of high standards for me. She is Bella Swan, comatose with sorrow after Edward leaves. She does not grow. She gives up before she even tries.
The only thing that makes her feel anything is a boy she can barely remember meeting. That angers me so much. It doesn't bother me that Eureka tries to commit suicide, I understand it, I sympathize with it. It bothers me that she finds nothing in life worthwhile, not her friends, not her old hobbies, not her family...until she meets a boy. That is so utterly foolish to me. Eureka is an atrocious friend. She is a terrible daughter. I just about stood up in my chair and cheered when her best friend finally confronted Eureka about all her bullshittery.
Ander: Your typical teenaged stalker. Ander makes Edward Cullen seem like a nice, personable young man who gives the woman he loves such a thing as "personal space." Ander is a fucking stalker, man. He even refers to himself as one. What do you call someone who's been watching Eureka for her entire life, literally since the moment she was born. What do you call someone who shows up EVERYWHERE Eureka happens to be?
The other prominent females in the book are whores against the virginal goodness of sweet, innocent hardly-been-kissed Eureka. We have Cat, the awesome token black best friend, who is---duh---hypersexual, because black girls aren't already sexualized enough in the media these days. Cat slips onto a minidress that she keeps in her trunk to walk across a track field. She flirts with anything that has a penis. Cat sexualizes everything, despite her prowess on the track, despite her 2390 SAT scores. I am so sick of the oversexualized best friend. And then we have Maya, a roller derby Amazon of a goddess, who is a whore and a bitch, who hangs onto Brooks (like he's completely virginal), who hates Eureka for no reason at all. Of course, Maya is the ho, and Brooks is just simply the poor unwilling lad whose leg she just happens to be leg-humping. Brooks is completely innocent in all of this. Fucking please.
The Romance: Insta-love. Love Triangle. Adultery.
The love triangle & cheating is considerably less annoying than the head-bashing instances of insta-love. Eureka falls so fucking hard for Anders, despite the fact that she knows she shouldn't. Despite the fact that he lies to her. Despite the fact that he stalks her. The second time she meets Ander, he pretty much tackles her poor best friend out of no fucking where.
There are so many instances of stalking, of irrational, dangerous, threatening behavior. Eureka questions why she's so in love with this guy who lies to her. He is suspicious. He is weird. Eureka tells her instincts to shut the fuck up and leave her alone.
I really would not recommend this book unless you don't mind reading something you've probably read 100 times over. There is nothing to distinguish this book from any other YA PNR out there. Nothing. Go reread Twilight, I mean it.
The choice was simpler than that:Guess which choice the boy makes? Ding ding ding, winner winner chicken dinner. Because pussy will win out against humanity and common sense every single time.
Save the world, or save the girl.
This book was not bad. It was simply generic. The premise behind it is one of the lost island of Atlantis, and honestly, that wasn't even a major part of the story. The mythology and what was supposed to be the major plotline in the book---that of Eureka and her mysterious destiny---was simply overshadowed by a large amount of angst, drama, and copious amounts of insta-love, love triangles, and stalking.
This book just blends in with every other YA contemporary fantasy/paranormal works out there. The plot behind it is a little different, more refreshing than that of your generic angel/fairies/vampires/werewolves/witches/whatever, but the premise behind it is the same. As are the characters. Simply put, I could not pick Eureka out of a lineup of 100 other YA PNRs heroines out there. She is a heroine made from a cookie cutter.
The Plot: We start off knowing a boy, Ander, has been watching over Eureka her whole life. She and her mother are driving across a bridge, they should be dead before crossing it. Against his family's wishes, against common sense...Ander saves the girl. Her mother, Diana dies. Over a year later, Eureka is still in mourning, recovering from a suicide attempt, all the while pushing away everyone she loves. She meets Ander as he rear-ends her, leaving no insurance information, getting her in trouble (nice). All of a sudden, Ander starts popping up all over the damn place. Her best friend Brooks is acting strange. Her mother leaves her some mysterious objects and a notebook in an indecipherable language. What is the mystery behind Ander? What does the notebook say? Will Eureka ever stop sulking? Who will turn out to be Eureka's love of her life?
Oh, and there's something about Atlantis.
The setting & the writing: No complaints with either. I loved the Louisiana setting, and the writing is solidly in line with the story. It is not spectacular, and it tends towards the overdramatic where Eureka is concerned, but it was easy to read, and never overly purple prosy. The writing made the book an easy, quick read.
The characters: Underwhelming.
Eureka: I'm glad she is not special in an "Why, little ole me? Pshaw!" sort of way. I'm glad she doesn't mention how ordinary she is only to have half the school fall in love with her. I'm glad she is an average, sullen teenager. I'm glad she has her flaws, but there is nothing in her personality, that makes me empathize with her, that makes me like her, that makes her stand out. Eureka is bland. The only thing that distinguishes her from other heroines I've read is her name. A book can be made or broken based on the strengths of the characters and their development, their complexity, and Eureka is dull and stereotypical.
I understand her sullenness. I understand her grief. I wanted her to grow from it. I wanted her to grow beyond that. I wanted her to become extraordinary, to distinguish herself, to reach out from beyond her grief and anger. Eureka does not reach any sort of high standards for me. She is Bella Swan, comatose with sorrow after Edward leaves. She does not grow. She gives up before she even tries.
The only thing that makes her feel anything is a boy she can barely remember meeting. That angers me so much. It doesn't bother me that Eureka tries to commit suicide, I understand it, I sympathize with it. It bothers me that she finds nothing in life worthwhile, not her friends, not her old hobbies, not her family...until she meets a boy. That is so utterly foolish to me. Eureka is an atrocious friend. She is a terrible daughter. I just about stood up in my chair and cheered when her best friend finally confronted Eureka about all her bullshittery.
“You keep Cat around because she doesn’t notice when you tune her out. You can’t stand anyone in your family...You’re certain every therapist you go to is an idiot. You’ve pushed away all of Evangeline because there’s no way anyone could ever understand what you’ve been through.” He stopped pacing and looked straight at her. “Then there’s me.”I really could not have analyzed Eureka and her apathy towards life any better than her best friend, Brooks, did. Needless to say, Brooks is my favorite character in the book, by far.
Eureka’s chest ached as if he’d punched her in the heart. “What about you?”
“You use me.”
“No.”
“I’m not your friend. I’m a sounding board for your anxiety and depression.”
Ander: Your typical teenaged stalker. Ander makes Edward Cullen seem like a nice, personable young man who gives the woman he loves such a thing as "personal space." Ander is a fucking stalker, man. He even refers to himself as one. What do you call someone who's been watching Eureka for her entire life, literally since the moment she was born. What do you call someone who shows up EVERYWHERE Eureka happens to be?
“That’s why you never knew about me. I have watched you since you were born, but you never saw me until I wanted you to—the day I hit your car. I’ve been with you every day for the past seventeen years. I watched you learn to walk, to tie your shoes, to play the guitar”—he swallowed—“to kiss. I watched you get your ears pierced, fail your driver’s test, and win your first cross-country race.”The rest of the characters are tropes. We have the bitter, past-her-prime bitch of a stepmother who is out to get Eureka every chance she gets. If you look up "evil stepmother," in the dictionary, you will find Rhoda's picture. There is no redeeming quality for her, none. Rhoda is so pure one-dimensional bitchiness that it is unbelievable. I have more sympathy for her father, who redefines "spineless." He cannot stand up to his first wife, Diana. He can barely hold his own with his second wife, Rhoda. Forget about dealing with his teenaged daughter...Eureka's dad is a spineless shell of a man. I find him a sad, tragic character.
The other prominent females in the book are whores against the virginal goodness of sweet, innocent hardly-been-kissed Eureka. We have Cat, the awesome token black best friend, who is---duh---hypersexual, because black girls aren't already sexualized enough in the media these days. Cat slips onto a minidress that she keeps in her trunk to walk across a track field. She flirts with anything that has a penis. Cat sexualizes everything, despite her prowess on the track, despite her 2390 SAT scores. I am so sick of the oversexualized best friend. And then we have Maya, a roller derby Amazon of a goddess, who is a whore and a bitch, who hangs onto Brooks (like he's completely virginal), who hates Eureka for no reason at all. Of course, Maya is the ho, and Brooks is just simply the poor unwilling lad whose leg she just happens to be leg-humping. Brooks is completely innocent in all of this. Fucking please.
The Romance: Insta-love. Love Triangle. Adultery.
The love triangle & cheating is considerably less annoying than the head-bashing instances of insta-love. Eureka falls so fucking hard for Anders, despite the fact that she knows she shouldn't. Despite the fact that he lies to her. Despite the fact that he stalks her. The second time she meets Ander, he pretty much tackles her poor best friend out of no fucking where.
Then Ander lurched forward, his arm shooting over Eureka’s head. He grabbed Brooks by the neck of his T-shirt. “How long have you been with her? How long?”Totally normal behavior. And whose fault is it that Ander attacks Brooks unprovoked? Why, all Brooks, of course.
Eureka shrank between them, startled by the outburst. What was Ander talking about? She should do something to defuse the situation. But what?
Eureka pivoted to look him in the eye. “Why were you so hostile to him?”WHAT? NO! Get your head on straight, girl!!!!
“Me?” Brooks flattened a hand against his chest. “Are you serious? He—I—”
“You were standing over me like some possessive older brother. You could have introduced yourself.”
There are so many instances of stalking, of irrational, dangerous, threatening behavior. Eureka questions why she's so in love with this guy who lies to her. He is suspicious. He is weird. Eureka tells her instincts to shut the fuck up and leave her alone.
She didn’t know why she was defending Ander. He’d lied about Brooks, admitted to spying on her, made vague threats about her being in danger. It might be enough to press charges, but it seemed wrong. What Ander had said wasn’t what was dangerous about him. What was dangerous about him was the way he made her feel … emotionally out of control.Get your fucking priorities straight.
I really would not recommend this book unless you don't mind reading something you've probably read 100 times over. There is nothing to distinguish this book from any other YA PNR out there. Nothing. Go reread Twilight, I mean it.
January 31, 2023
3.75 Stars
Want to read
March 1, 2013I'm giving a chance to like Lauren Kate books.
I disliked her fallen series, I did't even finished it....
so I hope that I can enjoy this new series
I disliked her fallen series, I did't even finished it....
so I hope that I can enjoy this new series
November 24, 2016
I wrote a really nice review about this in the past. But you know what? I HATE THIS PILE OF SHIT.
0/5 stars for this garbage
Every character is the most dull piece of shit that I've ever had to read and it was honestly a struggle to get through this. The plot was pathetic, the world building was pathetic, everything about this pile of crap is pathetic. The writing style was 200% not for me and honestly I'd sooner shoot myself than read this again. Does that sound horrible? Probably. But honestly I don't care because this is the worst book I've ever had to read and it deserves a really bad review. I wouldn't recommend this book to my worst enemy and I hate it every single time I see it in a bookstore. This cover is beautiful BUT misleading for the pile of shit that is inside.
0/5 stars for this garbage
Every character is the most dull piece of shit that I've ever had to read and it was honestly a struggle to get through this. The plot was pathetic, the world building was pathetic, everything about this pile of crap is pathetic. The writing style was 200% not for me and honestly I'd sooner shoot myself than read this again. Does that sound horrible? Probably. But honestly I don't care because this is the worst book I've ever had to read and it deserves a really bad review. I wouldn't recommend this book to my worst enemy and I hate it every single time I see it in a bookstore. This cover is beautiful BUT misleading for the pile of shit that is inside.
July 18, 2017
What a pathetic excuse of a book. Let me just say that I sold it back to half-priced-books for credit towards actual honest-to-god good book.
Damn this pretty cover for sucking me in.... No Bueno.
Not impressed.
Damn this pretty cover for sucking me in.... No Bueno.
Not impressed.
November 3, 2017
Review also at:
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....
To put it straight this book is as dull as dirt. So... what a boring book. I was intrigued by the idea of someone having the power to cry a whole land into the sea. Then I pictured them crying all our continents in the sea due to global warming..
The trouble for me about this book was the fact that it started off so strong. I mean opening it from Anders point of view and giving a hint to more mysterious elements was pretty exciting. But things just went down from there. The style of writing and plot was just so uneventful and tedious, it was quite a struggle to get through this book. Most of this book up until about 100 pages from the end is just about Eureka's daily life. Even when things start happening and answers are revealed, it's still boring and unexciting. For me this just read like a long cheesy average everyday romance.
That gets me onto the characters.. yeah bottom line I hated them all. I mean Ander was as annoying and infuriating as fuck just everything about him from his insta love with eureka and his mysterious dismissive attitude just annoyed the hell out of me. But any annoyance I have for ander is minuscule compared to Eureka. I really dislike these naive love struck submissive YA heroines who refuse to properly stand up for themselves. Eureka hardly stood up to anyone who pushed her around or was unreasonable to her I mean come on girl you must have some spark of pride inside you? No? I guess the author didn't grant you even a sliver of dignity *sigh* which is the reason these characters didn't feel real to me and why I couldn't connect to them.
I would recommend this book to those who prefer their romances on the cheesy side coz did I mention that this book had some of the most cheesiest romance lines I've ever read?
https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....
To put it straight this book is as dull as dirt. So... what a boring book. I was intrigued by the idea of someone having the power to cry a whole land into the sea. Then I pictured them crying all our continents in the sea due to global warming..
The trouble for me about this book was the fact that it started off so strong. I mean opening it from Anders point of view and giving a hint to more mysterious elements was pretty exciting. But things just went down from there. The style of writing and plot was just so uneventful and tedious, it was quite a struggle to get through this book. Most of this book up until about 100 pages from the end is just about Eureka's daily life. Even when things start happening and answers are revealed, it's still boring and unexciting. For me this just read like a long cheesy average everyday romance.
That gets me onto the characters.. yeah bottom line I hated them all. I mean Ander was as annoying and infuriating as fuck just everything about him from his insta love with eureka and his mysterious dismissive attitude just annoyed the hell out of me. But any annoyance I have for ander is minuscule compared to Eureka. I really dislike these naive love struck submissive YA heroines who refuse to properly stand up for themselves. Eureka hardly stood up to anyone who pushed her around or was unreasonable to her I mean come on girl you must have some spark of pride inside you? No? I guess the author didn't grant you even a sliver of dignity *sigh* which is the reason these characters didn't feel real to me and why I couldn't connect to them.
I would recommend this book to those who prefer their romances on the cheesy side coz did I mention that this book had some of the most cheesiest romance lines I've ever read?
October 30, 2013
(Source: I own a copy of this book – why, oh why, oh why?)
Eureka doesn’t cry, not ever, even when her mother dies. But she’s about to find out that she’s something awesome!
So I didn’t really like ‘Fallen’, but since I’ve had some luck with sequels recently, I decided to give Lauren Kate another chance and read Teardrop. I really shouldn’t have bothered.
Eureka was such a whiny character. I got so sick of her moaning so quickly. She was just irritating, and whiny, and couldn’t seem to make up her mind about anything. I really wanted her to just quit her moaning and shut the hell up.
The storyline was just dull. I will say that this is possibly more to do with wrong book wrong person, but this book seriously tested my resolve to finish this book. I was bored, really bored, right from the beginning, and nothing about this book really captured my attention.
When things were revealed within the plot I didn’t find them exciting or impressing, the characters came out with the cheesiest lines, and the whole thing was predictable and unbelievable. Then when we found out some of the biggest secrets, they were just pants.
The ending was also just as bad. I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading, and I really didn’t like it. We were also left with a dreaded cliff hanger. Needless to say that I won’t be reading the next book in the series.
Overall; boring and cheesy.
2.5 out of 10.
Eureka doesn’t cry, not ever, even when her mother dies. But she’s about to find out that she’s something awesome!
So I didn’t really like ‘Fallen’, but since I’ve had some luck with sequels recently, I decided to give Lauren Kate another chance and read Teardrop. I really shouldn’t have bothered.
Eureka was such a whiny character. I got so sick of her moaning so quickly. She was just irritating, and whiny, and couldn’t seem to make up her mind about anything. I really wanted her to just quit her moaning and shut the hell up.
The storyline was just dull. I will say that this is possibly more to do with wrong book wrong person, but this book seriously tested my resolve to finish this book. I was bored, really bored, right from the beginning, and nothing about this book really captured my attention.
When things were revealed within the plot I didn’t find them exciting or impressing, the characters came out with the cheesiest lines, and the whole thing was predictable and unbelievable. Then when we found out some of the biggest secrets, they were just pants.
The ending was also just as bad. I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading, and I really didn’t like it. We were also left with a dreaded cliff hanger. Needless to say that I won’t be reading the next book in the series.
Overall; boring and cheesy.
2.5 out of 10.
September 15, 2016
Με εκνευρίζουν οι αψυχολόγητες emo ηρωίδες που φιλιούνται με τον ένα και με τον άλλον! Άμα ήταν πιο νορμάλ η Γιουρίκα (μα τι όνομα είναι αυτό;;;;) θα μου άρεσε περισσότερο σαν βιβλίο.
September 12, 2022
The description of the setting was overly done, especially from the beginning till midway through the book. It kept interrupting the forward movement of the scenes.
I stuck with it because I fell in love with the character, love the story idea, and was fascinated, almost obsessed with wanting to know what will happen when Eureka finally breaks down and cry.
I was not happy about some needless deaths in the book; it also appeared to target a particular age-group and gender.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing, and I am invested in the characters and want to find out more in the next book in the series. 4 stars.
I stuck with it because I fell in love with the character, love the story idea, and was fascinated, almost obsessed with wanting to know what will happen when Eureka finally breaks down and cry.
I was not happy about some needless deaths in the book; it also appeared to target a particular age-group and gender.
Overall, I enjoyed the writing, and I am invested in the characters and want to find out more in the next book in the series. 4 stars.
July 5, 2015
Terribile.
Ho comprato questo libro dal Libraccio perché me lo vendevano ad un prezzo veramente basso e io ho sempre apprezzato molto lo stile di scrittura della Kate, lo trovo molto fluido e i suoi romanzi particolarmente piacevoli da leggere nonostante le trame poco ricercate. Avevo aspettative pari a zero (e forse anche meno) riguardanti questo libro, dunque ho iniziato a leggerlo con una valigia piena di pregiudizi poco rassicuranti. Finito il primo capitolo mi sono stupita. Dei santissimi, ma mi sta piacendo sul serio? L'incantesimo però non è durato perché il romanzo ha cominciato a diventare sempre più brutto fino a raggiungere dei livelli assolutamente imbarazzanti.
La trama è banale, vuota. Completamente piatta. Non vedo nemmeno uno sprazzo di fantasia nel mondo creato dalla Kate, è stata davvero deludente.
Lo stile di scrittura era lento, tremendamente lento. Insopportabile, quasi. Molto spesso mi sono ritrovata a fare skimming nel tentativo di arrivare prima a fine capitolo. Era pesante, ampolloso, ricco di descrizioni INUTILI e pieno, strapieno di viaggi mentali della protagonista che hanno rischiato di farmi uscire di testa.
Ecco, parlando di lei. Eureka. No, purtroppo non scherzo, la protagonista si chiama proprio così. Eureka, in poche parole, è una ragazzina viziata, cretina e inetta. E' completamente passiva per tutto il corso del romanzo, si lascia scivolare addosso gli eventi senza nemmeno tentare di reagire. Si fa manipolare dai suoi amici e da qualunque altra persona presente nel romanzo, è lamentosa fino alla nausea e la sua mancanza di spina dorsale mi fa letteralmente rabbrividire. E' una delle protagoniste più idiote e incompetenti di cui abbia mai letto, non è assolutamente capace di fare due più due o di prendere in mano la situazione. Non fa altro che lanciare pregiudizi poco infondati su tutte le persone che incontra, specialmente le ragazze, stereotipandole senza nemmeno interessarsi di conoscerle un attimo e, cosa ancora peggiore, accetta in maniera assolutamente PASSIVA e RACCAPRICCIANTE le manie di protagonismo e di totale STALKER di Ander, il suo interesse amoroso di cui, tra le altre cose, si innamora praticamente a prima vista.
Dopo questo piccolo riassunto della "meravigliosa" personalità di Eureka, forse non vi stupirete così tanto del mio impellente bisogno fisico di prenderla costantemente a schiaffi. Con una sedia. IN PIENA FACCIA!
E gli altri personaggi, mi chiederete? Inutili. La Kate li ha inseriti nel romanzo solo per creare un piccolo contorno ai mille viaggi mentali di Eureka. I suoi amici non sono suoi amici, sono due manipolatori che non si preoccupano per niente di lei tranne quando possono avere un tornaconto. Sono due persone completamente inette (questo aspetto sembra una caratteristica base di ogni singolo personaggio di questo libro!), idiote e potrebbero essere paragonate a due tavole di legno grezzo. Non sono interessanti, non sono piacevoli da vedere e da conoscere, non sono niente. Sono stati caratterizzati malissimo, sono stati vestiti di stereotipi visti e rivisti che non hanno potuto fare a meno di annoiarmi.
E poi c'è Ander, il figo da paura di turno che, OVVIAMENTE, è innamorato cotto di lei fin dal primo istante in cui la vista. L'ha osservata per tutta la sua vita (non solo per amore dello stalking, il suo hobby preferito) e l'ha amata fin da quando ne aveva memoria. Ora, io mi chiedo: so che l'amore è cieco e che al cuor non si comanda, ma proprio di questa deficiente ti dovevi innamorare Ander? Vi chiederete se è stupido come sembra. Beh, lo è. Eccome se lo è! Dall'inizio del romanzo Ander non fa altro che ripetersi che vuole proteggere Eureka e che senza di lei non potrebbe mai vivere. Bellissimo, congratulazioni ai futuri sposi, la piantiamo con queste stronzate da prima elementare? Purtroppo no. Il punto è che Ander si ripromesso di proteggerla e, nonostante la conosca come le sue tasche, non ha trovato modo migliore di parlarle se non tamponarla con la sua macchina. Avete capito bene. Questo adone greco mozzafiato ha distrutto il suo paraurti solo per il piacere di parlarle e di invadere il suo spazio vitale. Che approccio meraviglioso, non trovate?
Ma l'orrore non finisce qui. Ander è ovunque. La pedina in continuazione, è sempre dove non dovrebbe essere e, ciliegina sulla torta, si presenta addirittura a casa sua. Non fa altro che confonderla con domande e frasi criptiche, aggredisce i suoi amici, le dice di non fidarsi di nessuno e MAI UNA VOLTA le da una spiegazione plausibile dei suoi comportamenti enigmatici. Questa è una delle cose che odio di più degli YA: la mancanza di comunicazione. Se ti interessa tanto di Eureka come continui a ripetere fino alla nausea, adone greco, perché non gliele dici in faccia le cose? Perché non le parli di quello che sta succedendo invece di fare il tormentato e di spaventarla a morte con le tue apparizioni improvvise? Evidentemente questo concetto è troppo elevato per le sue capacità mentali.
Ma ad Eureka sembra non importare. Come ci si può non innamorare del pazzo che ti ha tamponata, che chiaramente ti stalkera e che non fa altro che mentirti e confonderti? D'altronde, dal momento che è un figo da paura, gli si può perdonare tutto. NO, EUREKA, NO! Io dico basta! Non ne posso più di leggere libri dove la protagonista NON SI RISPETTA e accetta tutti questi abusi INACCETTABILI con la scusa che lui potrebbe essere il tuo vero amore. No, non esiste. Una persona che ti stalkera non ti vuole una proteggere. Se ti avesse voluta davvero proteggere, cara la mia Eureka, ti avrebbe parlato fin da subito. Avrebbe cercato di guadagnare la tua fiducia COME UNA PERSONA NORMALE e ti avrebbe raccontato ogni cosa così da non mettere in pericolo la tua salute mentale, te stessa e la tua famiglia. E' questo che vogliamo insegnare ai ragazzi? Che lo stalking è una cosa normale? Che chi ti ama ti protegge in modo OSSESSIVO? E poi ci stupiamo delle ragazze che corrono dietro a persone del genere e che si fanno trattare in questo modo.
Sono stanca di vedere personaggi del genere idealizzati così.
LO STALKING NON E' UNA FORMA DI AFFETTO O DI PROTEZIONE. Se un ragazzo ti dice cosa devi o non devi fare, non tiene a te, vuole solo controllarti. Se un ragazzo non ti parla e non fa altro che scombussolarti le idee con la scusa di volerti proteggere, NON LO STA FACENDO DAVVERO!
Questo è il mio problema maggiore con questo libro. Questo è un problema che non ho intenzione di sorvolare perché è uno schifo. Sono davvero stanca di libri che divinizzano situazioni del genere, che razza di insegnamento stanno cercando di dare?
Detesto questo libro.
Ho comprato questo libro dal Libraccio perché me lo vendevano ad un prezzo veramente basso e io ho sempre apprezzato molto lo stile di scrittura della Kate, lo trovo molto fluido e i suoi romanzi particolarmente piacevoli da leggere nonostante le trame poco ricercate. Avevo aspettative pari a zero (e forse anche meno) riguardanti questo libro, dunque ho iniziato a leggerlo con una valigia piena di pregiudizi poco rassicuranti. Finito il primo capitolo mi sono stupita. Dei santissimi, ma mi sta piacendo sul serio? L'incantesimo però non è durato perché il romanzo ha cominciato a diventare sempre più brutto fino a raggiungere dei livelli assolutamente imbarazzanti.
La trama è banale, vuota. Completamente piatta. Non vedo nemmeno uno sprazzo di fantasia nel mondo creato dalla Kate, è stata davvero deludente.
Lo stile di scrittura era lento, tremendamente lento. Insopportabile, quasi. Molto spesso mi sono ritrovata a fare skimming nel tentativo di arrivare prima a fine capitolo. Era pesante, ampolloso, ricco di descrizioni INUTILI e pieno, strapieno di viaggi mentali della protagonista che hanno rischiato di farmi uscire di testa.
Ecco, parlando di lei. Eureka. No, purtroppo non scherzo, la protagonista si chiama proprio così. Eureka, in poche parole, è una ragazzina viziata, cretina e inetta. E' completamente passiva per tutto il corso del romanzo, si lascia scivolare addosso gli eventi senza nemmeno tentare di reagire. Si fa manipolare dai suoi amici e da qualunque altra persona presente nel romanzo, è lamentosa fino alla nausea e la sua mancanza di spina dorsale mi fa letteralmente rabbrividire. E' una delle protagoniste più idiote e incompetenti di cui abbia mai letto, non è assolutamente capace di fare due più due o di prendere in mano la situazione. Non fa altro che lanciare pregiudizi poco infondati su tutte le persone che incontra, specialmente le ragazze, stereotipandole senza nemmeno interessarsi di conoscerle un attimo e, cosa ancora peggiore, accetta in maniera assolutamente PASSIVA e RACCAPRICCIANTE le manie di protagonismo e di totale STALKER di Ander, il suo interesse amoroso di cui, tra le altre cose, si innamora praticamente a prima vista.
Dopo questo piccolo riassunto della "meravigliosa" personalità di Eureka, forse non vi stupirete così tanto del mio impellente bisogno fisico di prenderla costantemente a schiaffi. Con una sedia. IN PIENA FACCIA!
E gli altri personaggi, mi chiederete? Inutili. La Kate li ha inseriti nel romanzo solo per creare un piccolo contorno ai mille viaggi mentali di Eureka. I suoi amici non sono suoi amici, sono due manipolatori che non si preoccupano per niente di lei tranne quando possono avere un tornaconto. Sono due persone completamente inette (questo aspetto sembra una caratteristica base di ogni singolo personaggio di questo libro!), idiote e potrebbero essere paragonate a due tavole di legno grezzo. Non sono interessanti, non sono piacevoli da vedere e da conoscere, non sono niente. Sono stati caratterizzati malissimo, sono stati vestiti di stereotipi visti e rivisti che non hanno potuto fare a meno di annoiarmi.
E poi c'è Ander, il figo da paura di turno che, OVVIAMENTE, è innamorato cotto di lei fin dal primo istante in cui la vista. L'ha osservata per tutta la sua vita (non solo per amore dello stalking, il suo hobby preferito) e l'ha amata fin da quando ne aveva memoria. Ora, io mi chiedo: so che l'amore è cieco e che al cuor non si comanda, ma proprio di questa deficiente ti dovevi innamorare Ander? Vi chiederete se è stupido come sembra. Beh, lo è. Eccome se lo è! Dall'inizio del romanzo Ander non fa altro che ripetersi che vuole proteggere Eureka e che senza di lei non potrebbe mai vivere. Bellissimo, congratulazioni ai futuri sposi, la piantiamo con queste stronzate da prima elementare? Purtroppo no. Il punto è che Ander si ripromesso di proteggerla e, nonostante la conosca come le sue tasche, non ha trovato modo migliore di parlarle se non tamponarla con la sua macchina. Avete capito bene. Questo adone greco mozzafiato ha distrutto il suo paraurti solo per il piacere di parlarle e di invadere il suo spazio vitale. Che approccio meraviglioso, non trovate?
Ma l'orrore non finisce qui. Ander è ovunque. La pedina in continuazione, è sempre dove non dovrebbe essere e, ciliegina sulla torta, si presenta addirittura a casa sua. Non fa altro che confonderla con domande e frasi criptiche, aggredisce i suoi amici, le dice di non fidarsi di nessuno e MAI UNA VOLTA le da una spiegazione plausibile dei suoi comportamenti enigmatici. Questa è una delle cose che odio di più degli YA: la mancanza di comunicazione. Se ti interessa tanto di Eureka come continui a ripetere fino alla nausea, adone greco, perché non gliele dici in faccia le cose? Perché non le parli di quello che sta succedendo invece di fare il tormentato e di spaventarla a morte con le tue apparizioni improvvise? Evidentemente questo concetto è troppo elevato per le sue capacità mentali.
Ma ad Eureka sembra non importare. Come ci si può non innamorare del pazzo che ti ha tamponata, che chiaramente ti stalkera e che non fa altro che mentirti e confonderti? D'altronde, dal momento che è un figo da paura, gli si può perdonare tutto. NO, EUREKA, NO! Io dico basta! Non ne posso più di leggere libri dove la protagonista NON SI RISPETTA e accetta tutti questi abusi INACCETTABILI con la scusa che lui potrebbe essere il tuo vero amore. No, non esiste. Una persona che ti stalkera non ti vuole una proteggere. Se ti avesse voluta davvero proteggere, cara la mia Eureka, ti avrebbe parlato fin da subito. Avrebbe cercato di guadagnare la tua fiducia COME UNA PERSONA NORMALE e ti avrebbe raccontato ogni cosa così da non mettere in pericolo la tua salute mentale, te stessa e la tua famiglia. E' questo che vogliamo insegnare ai ragazzi? Che lo stalking è una cosa normale? Che chi ti ama ti protegge in modo OSSESSIVO? E poi ci stupiamo delle ragazze che corrono dietro a persone del genere e che si fanno trattare in questo modo.
Sono stanca di vedere personaggi del genere idealizzati così.
LO STALKING NON E' UNA FORMA DI AFFETTO O DI PROTEZIONE. Se un ragazzo ti dice cosa devi o non devi fare, non tiene a te, vuole solo controllarti. Se un ragazzo non ti parla e non fa altro che scombussolarti le idee con la scusa di volerti proteggere, NON LO STA FACENDO DAVVERO!
Questo è il mio problema maggiore con questo libro. Questo è un problema che non ho intenzione di sorvolare perché è uno schifo. Sono davvero stanca di libri che divinizzano situazioni del genere, che razza di insegnamento stanno cercando di dare?
Detesto questo libro.
May 20, 2013
I have to say that Teardrop is a GREAT book! I have been on the fence about reading this because I loved The Fallen Series and no one can take the place of Daniel and Cam but in Teardrop we have Ander and Brooks and whole lot of mythology going on. I love reading stories about Atlantis and the underwater world. This books prehistory prologue started out strong and the book for me got stronger. The ending had me screaming because I needed more I needed about three chapters more but I will have to wait to see what happens.
Can you imagine being told all your life you could not cry? Man I think I would die because crying is a natural part of life but for Eureka she can't cry because her mother told her she couldn't. Then an accident takes Eurekas mother and she is left all alone except for her best friend Brooks and a few trinkets her mother has left behind. Plus Eureka has Ander who is a little weird because he tells her things and she just doesn't believe them. But in all Ander's weirdness what he has told Eureka so far has been the truth and she is learning to trust him.
Armed with what her mother left her which was a locket, letter, stone, and ancient book Eureka must figure out why her mother left her all this stuff. She will have to figure out what these things do but she will learn that everyone around her is not who they are and things are definitely about to get strange for Eureka and she will have to follow her heart. Who will she love? Who will be there for her? She will see just how much Brooks loves her and how much they mean to one another. She will also learn how much Ander loves her and how much he is willing to sacrifice to save her from the evil that lurks below.
Can you imagine being told all your life you could not cry? Man I think I would die because crying is a natural part of life but for Eureka she can't cry because her mother told her she couldn't. Then an accident takes Eurekas mother and she is left all alone except for her best friend Brooks and a few trinkets her mother has left behind. Plus Eureka has Ander who is a little weird because he tells her things and she just doesn't believe them. But in all Ander's weirdness what he has told Eureka so far has been the truth and she is learning to trust him.
Armed with what her mother left her which was a locket, letter, stone, and ancient book Eureka must figure out why her mother left her all this stuff. She will have to figure out what these things do but she will learn that everyone around her is not who they are and things are definitely about to get strange for Eureka and she will have to follow her heart. Who will she love? Who will be there for her? She will see just how much Brooks loves her and how much they mean to one another. She will also learn how much Ander loves her and how much he is willing to sacrifice to save her from the evil that lurks below.
Shelved as 'because-i-have-no-self-control'
February 20, 2013Edit 2/2/2013: This sounds just like Fallen.
Eh, we'll see. I'm kind of scared to touch anymore Lauren Kate books, but if it sounds good, I'll give it a chance.
Eh, we'll see. I'm kind of scared to touch anymore Lauren Kate books, but if it sounds good, I'll give it a chance.
October 30, 2013
(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review)
Actual rating: 0.5 (Because i loved it that much)
Why did i request this?
I really don't know.
"Never, ever cry..."
Unfortunately, this is all i felt like doing while i was reading this book.
It wasn't due to sad scenes, it was because i was bored to tears.
Honestly, Teardrop was dull. There is no other word i can use to describe it.
All the characters were annoying, but Eureka was defiantly the worst.
For a girl that couldn't cry, she certainly made up for it with her constant whining.
Seriously, Eureka.
A lot of the things that happened were really predictable, so nothing was very shocking.
I read this with Sarah, and when we finished, i just imagined us to be like
Overall, dull, dull, dull. I will not be reading any more Lauren Kate books in the future.
Actual rating: 0.5 (Because i loved it that much)
Why did i request this?
I really don't know.
"Never, ever cry..."
Unfortunately, this is all i felt like doing while i was reading this book.
It wasn't due to sad scenes, it was because i was bored to tears.
Honestly, Teardrop was dull. There is no other word i can use to describe it.
All the characters were annoying, but Eureka was defiantly the worst.
For a girl that couldn't cry, she certainly made up for it with her constant whining.
Seriously, Eureka.
A lot of the things that happened were really predictable, so nothing was very shocking.
I read this with Sarah, and when we finished, i just imagined us to be like
Overall, dull, dull, dull. I will not be reading any more Lauren Kate books in the future.
November 19, 2013
I give up. DNF. I haven't thrown a book across the room in a long time.
August 21, 2014
Why oh why must Lauren Kate's books always have such pretty covers? I really should stop judging a book by its cover, but after this one. Just look at that waterfall dress thing and the blue and purple swirly city. So, so mesmerizing.
The synopsis sounds rather intriguing, yet also a bit incomprehensible.
I just hope this won't be Fallen #2. Please...
The synopsis sounds rather intriguing, yet also a bit incomprehensible.
I just hope this won't be Fallen #2. Please...
October 24, 2013
OH MY GOD. YES. IT SOUNDS AWESOME. I NEED IT.
To bad it comes out the same day as the last Divergent book, the 22nd of October.
I love the Fallen novels, I can't wait for Teardrop. I'm sure Lauren Kate will wow us with her new book.
6/4/13
I just heard they were selling Teardrop arcs at BEA 2013 AND I MISSED IT UGH WHY
Okay. Okay.
*deep breath*
I am so 500% DONE with every single reviewer of this book saying that it's "dumb" or "not well written" , etc.
You know what? I'm not even going to get into it yet. YET. Just wait you bunch of "dumb" bitches.
To bad it comes out the same day as the last Divergent book, the 22nd of October.
I love the Fallen novels, I can't wait for Teardrop. I'm sure Lauren Kate will wow us with her new book.
6/4/13
I just heard they were selling Teardrop arcs at BEA 2013 AND I MISSED IT UGH WHY
Okay. Okay.
*deep breath*
I am so 500% DONE with every single reviewer of this book saying that it's "dumb" or "not well written" , etc.
You know what? I'm not even going to get into it yet. YET. Just wait you bunch of "dumb" bitches.
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 29, 2013Yeah, no. DNF after skimming just the first chapter.
Want to read
February 23, 2013Dear Lauren Kate, you always have the most amazing covers... and I'm going to read this just because of it.
January 31, 2015
I'm thoroughly disappointed..
I'm surprised I didn't give this an one-star rating but thought "let's save it for the next book" because I'm sure the next one will be even worse. After 2 hours of writing the review the idea of changing the rating got a hold on me. So, here I am giving it 1 star. Oops.
While in this book the plot is really intriguing, or it could be, if it had the right author, it gets very annoying and boring several times. I'm not a huge fan of Lauren Kate's writing. Her writing in 'Fallen' varied from 'mediocre' to 'good' but in this one it's like while writing this she forgot to use her skills.
The characters were annoying, all of them, most of all Eureka.. What kind of name is this? Eureka is the typical headstrong, independent girl who just can't help getting on your nerves. She is a complete fetus. She acts like the entire universe is in an orbit around her. She also cannot cry, not now, not ever. Well, that could have been interesting but I figured out why by the first 50 pages so it ruined the entire book because I had nothing to anticipate for.
Mrs. Kate also tried to play her love-triangle card again but failed altogether. And something tells me that she's not done with the love-triangle thingy and in the second book there'll be more of it.
Now, for the male leads. They both are the epitome of beauty.. That's a first. LOL. If I were to say who I liked best, I'd answer Ander because he's kind of mysterious and more down-to-earth but then again we didn't see the real Brooks at all so I can't tell for sure.
Can we take a minute to applause for the fact that Mrs. Kate tried to pull many similar cards she had pulled in the 'Fallen' series?
Thanks for reading my review! Will I be reading the second book? Probably yes because I'm a masochist. Do I recommend this to you? Hell to the no.
I'm surprised I didn't give this an one-star rating but thought "let's save it for the next book" because I'm sure the next one will be even worse. After 2 hours of writing the review the idea of changing the rating got a hold on me. So, here I am giving it 1 star. Oops.
While in this book the plot is really intriguing, or it could be, if it had the right author, it gets very annoying and boring several times. I'm not a huge fan of Lauren Kate's writing. Her writing in 'Fallen' varied from 'mediocre' to 'good' but in this one it's like while writing this she forgot to use her skills.
The characters were annoying, all of them, most of all Eureka.. What kind of name is this? Eureka is the typical headstrong, independent girl who just can't help getting on your nerves. She is a complete fetus. She acts like the entire universe is in an orbit around her. She also cannot cry, not now, not ever. Well, that could have been interesting but I figured out why by the first 50 pages so it ruined the entire book because I had nothing to anticipate for.
Mrs. Kate also tried to play her love-triangle card again but failed altogether. And something tells me that she's not done with the love-triangle thingy and in the second book there'll be more of it.
Now, for the male leads. They both are the epitome of beauty.. That's a first. LOL. If I were to say who I liked best, I'd answer Ander because he's kind of mysterious and more down-to-earth but then again we didn't see the real Brooks at all so I can't tell for sure.
Can we take a minute to applause for the fact that Mrs. Kate tried to pull many similar cards she had pulled in the 'Fallen' series?
Thanks for reading my review! Will I be reading the second book? Probably yes because I'm a masochist. Do I recommend this to you? Hell to the no.
June 8, 2014
I'll be honest: I picked this book up solely because of the cover. LOOK AT HER WATER DRESS. I couldn't not find out what that was all about. I also knew of Lauren Kate's previous works and figured it would be an interesting read.
The premise is unique. Lost underwater civilizations and romance? Count me in. Kate possesses a creative style and confidently weaves vivid images. However, I will say that some of her descriptions go a little too far. Jammed packed with metaphors and adjectives, her phrases often left me a little winded.
Each of the characters has a defined personality. Eureka is the confused, deep girl who no one understands. Cat is the spunky flirt of a friend girls wish they had. Then there are the two boys... Honestly, a bit of an eye roll there. One is the best friend, one is the mysterious stranger who Eureka can't help but be attracted to. Gee, never seen that before. The whole I've-known-you-your-whole-life thing is getting just a little old. I've never been a fan of insta-romance.
It's not that I didn't enjoy Teardrop. I just hoped for more originality. The plot was a little drawn out and could easily have been so much more. Love triangles aren't as entertaining as they used to be. Not sure if I'll check out the sequels. Maybe I'll give the second one a chance if the cover is as cool... (I'm shallow, I know).
The premise is unique. Lost underwater civilizations and romance? Count me in. Kate possesses a creative style and confidently weaves vivid images. However, I will say that some of her descriptions go a little too far. Jammed packed with metaphors and adjectives, her phrases often left me a little winded.
Each of the characters has a defined personality. Eureka is the confused, deep girl who no one understands. Cat is the spunky flirt of a friend girls wish they had. Then there are the two boys... Honestly, a bit of an eye roll there. One is the best friend, one is the mysterious stranger who Eureka can't help but be attracted to. Gee, never seen that before. The whole I've-known-you-your-whole-life thing is getting just a little old. I've never been a fan of insta-romance.
It's not that I didn't enjoy Teardrop. I just hoped for more originality. The plot was a little drawn out and could easily have been so much more. Love triangles aren't as entertaining as they used to be. Not sure if I'll check out the sequels. Maybe I'll give the second one a chance if the cover is as cool... (I'm shallow, I know).
March 7, 2019
Sprachen haben komplizierte Stammbäume, müsst ihr wissen- Mischehen, Stiefkinder, sogar Bastarde. Es gibt zahllose Skandale in der Sprachgeschichte, viele Morde, viel Inzest.
Eureka ist bis zum Ende eine Figur geblieben, die sich mir nicht ganz erschlossen hat. Ich hatte zwischendurch das Gefühl, mehr über Diana zu wissen als über ihre noch lebende Tochter. Trotzdem habe ich das Buch nur schwer aus der Hand legen können, auch wenn der Schreibstil stellenweise ziemlich platt daherkam.
Ich mochte das Buch, mochte es wirklich gerne. Ich wollte eigentlich vier Sterne geben, aber habe dann festegestellt, dass ich leider zehn Minuten nachdem ich das Buch zuklappte, nicht mehr wusste, wie die beiden Hauptpersonen hießen. Ich musste es nachschlagen. Leider wenig einprägsam. Trotzdem bin ich gespannt auf den nächsten Teil.
May 1, 2022
If you can believe this, I bought Teardrop when it came out... And it's been sitting on my shelf ever since. I kept looking at the book and I wanted to pick it up, but I just never did. It kind of breaks my heart, since this is totally the book I would have loved way back when... But I did finally manage to grab in when I decided it was nostalgia time! And, thankfully, I wasn't disappointed!
Was this my favourite book in the world? No. It was kind of whiny at times, and I know I was supposed to feel bad for the main character... but at times, Eureka was unbearable. A fair amount of the characters frustrated me, but I let that slide since this is a YA fantasy where everything doesn't have to make perfect sense. She acts like how I expect a teenager to act - they are all self centred and their world DOES revolve around them. She was depressed and needed help, and honestly her family could be a bit of a nightmare. Her friends were also very stereotypical, and not in a good way. An African-American friend who was just into sex and a good time? Eh... Felt like a bad stereotype, but high school girls can act like that... A best friend who's into her but also kind of seeing another girl and totally leading them both on? What a jerk! Typical? Totally was at my house school. Boys sucked! So, I'll give it to Lauren Kate... Sadly, it the drama was fairly realistic (sadly, meaning my high school was stereotypical like this one... and I wish that wasn't the sad part).
The plot itself? Eureka being "the chosen one" that will somehow help (or hinder) finding Atlantis? Super cool plot wise! It's a different mythology that I'm pumped to see brought forward in the YA world. Getting to the plot? TOOK FOREVER. It was painful how long it took to getting to the lore, which is why it took many attempts to jump back into this book. I seriously wanted to love it, and at times I did... but at other times, it was too slow (and the unbearable characters made that so much worse).
The book leaves off on a horrible cliffhanger that frustrates me. The book didn't end with some sort of fulfilling statement, it just left lots of unanswered questions. I don't want to come to the end of the book and feel forced to read the sequels. I should have some sort of conclusion that allows me to continue if I want to. Sure, at book two keep the cliffhangers, but not at the intro book. That annoyed me and I just... don't want to keep reading? If I stumble upon the book, sure, but I won't go out of my way.
Overall, this book was not my favourite. There is a lot of positives - the cover is GORGEOUS, the lore is super cool, and I think Lauren Kate's writing is very addicting. The slow pace, annoying characters, and slow to start lore is what is steering me away from these books.
Two out of five stars.
Was this my favourite book in the world? No. It was kind of whiny at times, and I know I was supposed to feel bad for the main character... but at times, Eureka was unbearable. A fair amount of the characters frustrated me, but I let that slide since this is a YA fantasy where everything doesn't have to make perfect sense. She acts like how I expect a teenager to act - they are all self centred and their world DOES revolve around them. She was depressed and needed help, and honestly her family could be a bit of a nightmare. Her friends were also very stereotypical, and not in a good way. An African-American friend who was just into sex and a good time? Eh... Felt like a bad stereotype, but high school girls can act like that... A best friend who's into her but also kind of seeing another girl and totally leading them both on? What a jerk! Typical? Totally was at my house school. Boys sucked! So, I'll give it to Lauren Kate... Sadly, it the drama was fairly realistic (sadly, meaning my high school was stereotypical like this one... and I wish that wasn't the sad part).
The plot itself? Eureka being "the chosen one" that will somehow help (or hinder) finding Atlantis? Super cool plot wise! It's a different mythology that I'm pumped to see brought forward in the YA world. Getting to the plot? TOOK FOREVER. It was painful how long it took to getting to the lore, which is why it took many attempts to jump back into this book. I seriously wanted to love it, and at times I did... but at other times, it was too slow (and the unbearable characters made that so much worse).
The book leaves off on a horrible cliffhanger that frustrates me. The book didn't end with some sort of fulfilling statement, it just left lots of unanswered questions. I don't want to come to the end of the book and feel forced to read the sequels. I should have some sort of conclusion that allows me to continue if I want to. Sure, at book two keep the cliffhangers, but not at the intro book. That annoyed me and I just... don't want to keep reading? If I stumble upon the book, sure, but I won't go out of my way.
Overall, this book was not my favourite. There is a lot of positives - the cover is GORGEOUS, the lore is super cool, and I think Lauren Kate's writing is very addicting. The slow pace, annoying characters, and slow to start lore is what is steering me away from these books.
Two out of five stars.
August 17, 2014
Right away the warning bell in my head goes off:
"They could do things, these women."
"The boy raised his index finger, reached toward her, and caught the tear on his fingertip. Very slowly, as if he held something precious, he carried the salty drop away from her, toward his own face. He pressed it into the corner of his right eye. Then he blinked and it was gone."
“You might not be crazy about sharing your daddy with someone else,” he’d said. “But a man needs taking care of, and Trenton’s been alone a long time.”
Oh, is that what wives are for?
Water-related commentary:
"Part the seas..."
"You had a mosquito on your scalp. You know they carry diseases, flock to standing water."
"Brooks smelled like rain and Eureka’s entire childhood; Ander smelled like an ocean she’d never seen."
“Hurricane Claire strikes again.”
"That was before he’d exploded like a levee in a flood."
"...only to make the content as clear as water for your reading ease."
"Her clearing mind was like an ocean." No, that analogy holds no weight.
Words inappropriately abused:
Foxhole, ocean.
It was so painful to read this book. If Maya turns out to be Delphine, I could predict the next part of the story for everyone to save them the time. The plot is like a piece of cheap paper cut into shreds and disguised as a puzzle. Ill-suited and disposable.
"They could do things, these women."
"The boy raised his index finger, reached toward her, and caught the tear on his fingertip. Very slowly, as if he held something precious, he carried the salty drop away from her, toward his own face. He pressed it into the corner of his right eye. Then he blinked and it was gone."
“You might not be crazy about sharing your daddy with someone else,” he’d said. “But a man needs taking care of, and Trenton’s been alone a long time.”
Oh, is that what wives are for?
Water-related commentary:
"Part the seas..."
"You had a mosquito on your scalp. You know they carry diseases, flock to standing water."
"Brooks smelled like rain and Eureka’s entire childhood; Ander smelled like an ocean she’d never seen."
“Hurricane Claire strikes again.”
"That was before he’d exploded like a levee in a flood."
"...only to make the content as clear as water for your reading ease."
"Her clearing mind was like an ocean." No, that analogy holds no weight.
Words inappropriately abused:
Foxhole, ocean.
It was so painful to read this book. If Maya turns out to be Delphine, I could predict the next part of the story for everyone to save them the time. The plot is like a piece of cheap paper cut into shreds and disguised as a puzzle. Ill-suited and disposable.
July 1, 2015
WTF did I just read?
This is by far THE WORST book I read this year. There are so many things that I hate about it so I don't even know where to start.
Let's just start from the fact that it took me five days to read it , which would also make it my longest read this year , so I can't even think of the time I waisted on it , when I could of read something else. It makes me very angry , specially because I was warned about this book and that I won't like it , but I didn't listen.
So the first thing that makes this book SO BAD is... I just can't actually decide between the characters and "the plot". I really don't know what is worse.
The plot: It was dull , already seen , unbelivably predictible ( funny story: I actually figured it out almost at the beginning , which is very sad) . Overall nothing original or interesting .
Then we've got the characters who I wanted to kill throughout the hall book. They were all so annoying and badly developed. I just can't even count how many times I rolled my eyes while reading it. Relationships between the characters were absoulutly ridiculess and their conversation were just ugh.
I don't even want to start on the insta love - I feel like I've known you my entire life- I just got one look at you and I already love you - you're obviously my soulmate thing. NO , NO and NO . Why do people do that??? I hate it from the bottom of my heart. Is it supposed to be cute , am I supose to ship them now?? No way. I just don't understand how can you love someone or feel like you can trust them after you bearly have spoken few times. Specially if that person seems like a creepy stalkeer who happens to know all about your life. I mean Ander and Eureka were just the worst couple ever.
Than there's this hall love triangle thing . *Rolling my eyes* I don't really hate love triangles , but they can pass only if they are convicible , which was so not the case in this book.
One of the main problems with this book is of course how BORING to death it was. It has like about 400 hundred pages of literally nothing happening. No plot , no fun , no action , just main character whining about how awful her life is , how nobody understands her , how her family is terrible and how evil her stepmother is. BORING.
I actually skipped a lot of pages because I saw nothing was happening which I never do or did . I wanted to read Lauren Kate's Fallen series , but I don't think I'll do it . Although it seemed nice .
I'm definitly not reading second part.
This is by far THE WORST book I read this year. There are so many things that I hate about it so I don't even know where to start.
Let's just start from the fact that it took me five days to read it , which would also make it my longest read this year , so I can't even think of the time I waisted on it , when I could of read something else. It makes me very angry , specially because I was warned about this book and that I won't like it , but I didn't listen.
So the first thing that makes this book SO BAD is... I just can't actually decide between the characters and "the plot". I really don't know what is worse.
The plot: It was dull , already seen , unbelivably predictible ( funny story: I actually figured it out almost at the beginning , which is very sad) . Overall nothing original or interesting .
Then we've got the characters who I wanted to kill throughout the hall book. They were all so annoying and badly developed. I just can't even count how many times I rolled my eyes while reading it. Relationships between the characters were absoulutly ridiculess and their conversation were just ugh.
I don't even want to start on the insta love - I feel like I've known you my entire life- I just got one look at you and I already love you - you're obviously my soulmate thing. NO , NO and NO . Why do people do that??? I hate it from the bottom of my heart. Is it supposed to be cute , am I supose to ship them now?? No way. I just don't understand how can you love someone or feel like you can trust them after you bearly have spoken few times. Specially if that person seems like a creepy stalkeer who happens to know all about your life. I mean Ander and Eureka were just the worst couple ever.
Than there's this hall love triangle thing . *Rolling my eyes* I don't really hate love triangles , but they can pass only if they are convicible , which was so not the case in this book.
One of the main problems with this book is of course how BORING to death it was. It has like about 400 hundred pages of literally nothing happening. No plot , no fun , no action , just main character whining about how awful her life is , how nobody understands her , how her family is terrible and how evil her stepmother is. BORING.
I actually skipped a lot of pages because I saw nothing was happening which I never do or did . I wanted to read Lauren Kate's Fallen series , but I don't think I'll do it . Although it seemed nice .
I'm definitly not reading second part.
August 10, 2015
Well, well, well. What do we have here? Why, it is yet another vague and tedious romance by Lauren Kate. Surprise, surprise. Who would've guessed right?
Teardrop is about- well, I'm sure you've already guessed. A 'special' girl, who apparently is destined to do great things. A 'mysterious' stalker whom she feels 'strangely attracted' to. Her funny and understanding best friend. Stalker dude's family who wants to kill her but then stalker dude daringly defies his family *sarcastic gasp* to save his true love. Sound familiar?
Half of the plot was so stereotypical and clichéd that I wasn't even bothered to roll my eyes. The other half sounded half-promising but was completely ambiguous, in true Lauren Kate style. The characters were incessantly annoying and I was constantly being bored to tears.
Eureka Boudreaux's (that name...) mother is killed by a rogue wave as the daughter and mother are driving on a bridge. Miraculously, (yeah, right) she is left alive, with only broken wrists and a deaf left ear. Eureka is left devastated and even attempts suicide. Her suicide attempt is totally unintentional of course, because there is no way there can be a protagonist who is genuinely of an unstable mind. Of course not.
Eureka is left mourning only with a compelling mystery and aching heart and her best friend is acting strange. She has a 'beautiful stalker' and must deal with her adolescent life. How tragic. NOT.
Eureka: (Am I the only one who doesn't understand the story of how she got her name?) I can't make up my mind about her. I can try and emphatize with her loss but her personality isn't very appealing. I hope nobody looks to her as a heroine or role model. Eureka was overly whiny, ungrateful and just plain irritating. What I mean, is that if I wanted to read petulant complaints from a hormonal teenager, I would simply read my own diary entries or conversed with that whinging girl from school.
Ander: He was supposed to be the main male protagonist but he was hardly in the book at all. He was all shadowy and dodgy yet Eureka kissed him like, two minutes after he entered her bedroom- without permission, 'cause apparently he's a badass rebel like that.
Ugh, writing this review is evoking violent fits of annoyance and rage or maybe it's just me. I am in urgent need of a kilo of chocolate or a litre of ice-cream.
Teardrop is about- well, I'm sure you've already guessed. A 'special' girl, who apparently is destined to do great things. A 'mysterious' stalker whom she feels 'strangely attracted' to. Her funny and understanding best friend. Stalker dude's family who wants to kill her but then stalker dude daringly defies his family *sarcastic gasp* to save his true love. Sound familiar?
Half of the plot was so stereotypical and clichéd that I wasn't even bothered to roll my eyes. The other half sounded half-promising but was completely ambiguous, in true Lauren Kate style. The characters were incessantly annoying and I was constantly being bored to tears.
Eureka Boudreaux's (that name...) mother is killed by a rogue wave as the daughter and mother are driving on a bridge. Miraculously, (yeah, right) she is left alive, with only broken wrists and a deaf left ear. Eureka is left devastated and even attempts suicide. Her suicide attempt is totally unintentional of course, because there is no way there can be a protagonist who is genuinely of an unstable mind. Of course not.
Eureka is left mourning only with a compelling mystery and aching heart and her best friend is acting strange. She has a 'beautiful stalker' and must deal with her adolescent life. How tragic. NOT.
Eureka: (Am I the only one who doesn't understand the story of how she got her name?) I can't make up my mind about her. I can try and emphatize with her loss but her personality isn't very appealing. I hope nobody looks to her as a heroine or role model. Eureka was overly whiny, ungrateful and just plain irritating. What I mean, is that if I wanted to read petulant complaints from a hormonal teenager, I would simply read my own diary entries or conversed with that whinging girl from school.
Ander: He was supposed to be the main male protagonist but he was hardly in the book at all. He was all shadowy and dodgy yet Eureka kissed him like, two minutes after he entered her bedroom- without permission, 'cause apparently he's a badass rebel like that.
Ugh, writing this review is evoking violent fits of annoyance and rage or maybe it's just me. I am in urgent need of a kilo of chocolate or a litre of ice-cream.
May 13, 2022
Sad and lyrical, although I did not really enjoy this book, as the plot became quite uninteresting in the middle, and it was quite predictable, hence I will not pick up book 2 in the Teardrop series.
2/5 May not pick it up again
-----
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2/5 May not pick it up again
-----
Like my post to be mentioned ;) (and get a shoutout if you follow my bookstagram, wattpad and pinterest
I am usually found here: https://beacons.ai/chevreads
Find me on:
Instagram: @chevreads
Wattpad: @writerthursday
Pinterest: @thursdayfrappe
Youtube: @chevreads
P.S. Add me as a friend :) I like to read romance novels and mystery stories
December 13, 2013
Being I have never read any of Lauren Kate’s books I was very excited to give this book a whirl. I was not disappointed one bit. I am now a true fan of Lauren’s writing. The book had a magnificent flow to it.
We start off with the prologue, and it kind of gives us a hint of what happened to Miss Eureka Boudreaux’s past. It’s too bad she doesn’t remember any of it. Eureka Boudreaux is quite a mess. Her mother was killed in what everyone thought as an accident. A freak wave swept the car Eureka and her mother was in, right off of a bridge. Eureka lived but unfortunately her mother did not. They never recovered her mother’s body. Ever since the accident Eureka had been in a downward spiral. Who could blame her? I can’t imagine the loss of my mother. Eureka’s parents split when she was young; she remembers that night so well. She remembers crying and her mother slapped her so hard and told her to never cry. It was a vivid memory she remembered so well and ever since she has never cried. She has kept her sorrow, pain and fears all bottled up inside. Eureka now has a step-mother and two younger siblings. She doesn’t like her step-mother much but these days there is not much Eureka does like. She has been to numerous shrinks but always doesn’t respond well to them. The only friends that have stuck to Eureka’s side were Brooks and Cat. Everyone else thought of Eureka as a freak since the accident.
On her way to a track meet Eureka was at a stop sign and was rear-ended by a very mysterious boy, this is where we meet Ander. Eureka is from a small town where everybody knows everybody and nothing is really kept a secret but she has never seen Ander before. He was a beautiful sight; tall, muscular and had the most beautiful blue eyes Eureka has ever seen. But why hasn’t Eureka ever seen this boy around town? Surely she would remember him. Ander was the kind of boy you wouldn’t ever forget.
Before she knew it, it was time for the reading of her mother’s will. She left Eureka a locket that she wore every day and a book that was ancient, so ancient it was in a different language she had never seen before. Eureka found a physic to help her translate what the book says. In the meantime Eureka seems to be seeing Ander more and more and his appearances are making her very nervous. Was he stalking her? If so, why? When he was around Ander she felt this weird pull to him. What was going on??
In all, this book was amazing. I haven’t read something this exciting and brilliant in a while. It’s a long book but it never felt long while reading it. The mystery was captivating and kept me coming back for more. I am truly excited for the next in the series!!! I must now read every one of Lauren’s books. I loved her style and the flow of the book was perfection. Go on and pre-order this book, before you know it, October is upon us.
We start off with the prologue, and it kind of gives us a hint of what happened to Miss Eureka Boudreaux’s past. It’s too bad she doesn’t remember any of it. Eureka Boudreaux is quite a mess. Her mother was killed in what everyone thought as an accident. A freak wave swept the car Eureka and her mother was in, right off of a bridge. Eureka lived but unfortunately her mother did not. They never recovered her mother’s body. Ever since the accident Eureka had been in a downward spiral. Who could blame her? I can’t imagine the loss of my mother. Eureka’s parents split when she was young; she remembers that night so well. She remembers crying and her mother slapped her so hard and told her to never cry. It was a vivid memory she remembered so well and ever since she has never cried. She has kept her sorrow, pain and fears all bottled up inside. Eureka now has a step-mother and two younger siblings. She doesn’t like her step-mother much but these days there is not much Eureka does like. She has been to numerous shrinks but always doesn’t respond well to them. The only friends that have stuck to Eureka’s side were Brooks and Cat. Everyone else thought of Eureka as a freak since the accident.
On her way to a track meet Eureka was at a stop sign and was rear-ended by a very mysterious boy, this is where we meet Ander. Eureka is from a small town where everybody knows everybody and nothing is really kept a secret but she has never seen Ander before. He was a beautiful sight; tall, muscular and had the most beautiful blue eyes Eureka has ever seen. But why hasn’t Eureka ever seen this boy around town? Surely she would remember him. Ander was the kind of boy you wouldn’t ever forget.
Before she knew it, it was time for the reading of her mother’s will. She left Eureka a locket that she wore every day and a book that was ancient, so ancient it was in a different language she had never seen before. Eureka found a physic to help her translate what the book says. In the meantime Eureka seems to be seeing Ander more and more and his appearances are making her very nervous. Was he stalking her? If so, why? When he was around Ander she felt this weird pull to him. What was going on??
In all, this book was amazing. I haven’t read something this exciting and brilliant in a while. It’s a long book but it never felt long while reading it. The mystery was captivating and kept me coming back for more. I am truly excited for the next in the series!!! I must now read every one of Lauren’s books. I loved her style and the flow of the book was perfection. Go on and pre-order this book, before you know it, October is upon us.
May 17, 2018
✫✬⭐️ 2,2/5 STARS ⭐️✭✫
Genre: Young Adult> Fantasy > (Romance?)
POV: 1ST-POV > One POV >Girl
EW: The slow buildup, the focus on the romance.
WOW: The Ending, the whole concept.
ROMANCE: Yess....
INSTA LOVE: Yes.
DO I SHIP IT: Nooo, i think Eureka is better and stronger on her own :)
__________________
✎Review:
I may give this book 2,2 star, but it's not bad.
The writing is good, and the characters are also very well written. But it's all just a bit too slow for me. I really wanted thinks to pick up. Because i already knew a lot what was coming, because sometimes it was that obvious. I also really didn't give a thing about the romance. I did liked the friendships, and the love between Father, mother and daughter.
The world is very interesting. And not like something i have heard of read before.
The ending is really nice, and a awesome set-up for the second book. Which i started the day after. The ending is worth it all for me, but if you a person who DNF books easily, then this is nothing for you. I, will always finish a book, and almost always finish a series.
What it also helped a lot was the fact that i read this over a few days. I read this in little bits. Like, in the train, before school, in the bus, before work and any another moment were i didn't really had time to sit down, and really go into the book. Also, i am on the half of the second and last book of the series, and it already so much better. Much is happening. SOOO YEAH.
__________________
♥The Characters:
Eureka:
The main-character, she grows a lot over the series. It's nice to see :)
Brooks:
The best friend, I liked him! He may be my favorite guy from the book!
Cat:
Best girlfriend, I love this girl. She is kinda stupid, but she knows it. I love having her around!
Ander:
The love interest. I really don't have any feeling for him. I don't hate him, but it just don't care for him. I would have loved for Lauren Kate to make this series without a love interest. That would have been soo coooll.
--
In general:
Not my favorite cast of characters, and for sure not many i like. But now im reading book 2, and they all grow a lot.
_____________________________
❀TV-SHOW OR MOVIE?
Rights for this have not been picked up. Al tho i would like this to be a movie, i think it would never happen. TV-series can't happen, because this needs a big budget (which you know what i am talking about if you have read the book). BUT WHO KNOWS? Lauren's kate Fallen series is getting a reboot, and if that is successful, who knows,,,,,,,
_____________________________
✧Beste Quotes:
“The last thing we expect others to do, its the last thing they do before we learn we cannot trust them.”
_____________________________
✗Little notes:
-I heard many people say Lauren kate's books are slow. So i think if you liked Fallen, you would like this one.
-This world is really fresh.
-The second book is much better already.
_____________________________
❖REST OF THE SERIES:
Teardrop Series (2 books):
Teardrop (Teardrop, #1) <<
Waterfall (Teardrop, #2)
Thanks for reading!
Genre: Young Adult> Fantasy > (Romance?)
POV: 1ST-POV > One POV >Girl
EW: The slow buildup, the focus on the romance.
WOW: The Ending, the whole concept.
ROMANCE: Yess....
INSTA LOVE: Yes.
DO I SHIP IT: Nooo, i think Eureka is better and stronger on her own :)
__________________
✎Review:
I may give this book 2,2 star, but it's not bad.
The writing is good, and the characters are also very well written. But it's all just a bit too slow for me. I really wanted thinks to pick up. Because i already knew a lot what was coming, because sometimes it was that obvious. I also really didn't give a thing about the romance. I did liked the friendships, and the love between Father, mother and daughter.
The world is very interesting. And not like something i have heard of read before.
The ending is really nice, and a awesome set-up for the second book. Which i started the day after. The ending is worth it all for me, but if you a person who DNF books easily, then this is nothing for you. I, will always finish a book, and almost always finish a series.
What it also helped a lot was the fact that i read this over a few days. I read this in little bits. Like, in the train, before school, in the bus, before work and any another moment were i didn't really had time to sit down, and really go into the book. Also, i am on the half of the second and last book of the series, and it already so much better. Much is happening. SOOO YEAH.
__________________
♥The Characters:
Eureka:
The main-character, she grows a lot over the series. It's nice to see :)
Brooks:
The best friend, I liked him! He may be my favorite guy from the book!
Cat:
Best girlfriend, I love this girl. She is kinda stupid, but she knows it. I love having her around!
Ander:
The love interest. I really don't have any feeling for him. I don't hate him, but it just don't care for him. I would have loved for Lauren Kate to make this series without a love interest. That would have been soo coooll.
--
In general:
Not my favorite cast of characters, and for sure not many i like. But now im reading book 2, and they all grow a lot.
_____________________________
❀TV-SHOW OR MOVIE?
Rights for this have not been picked up. Al tho i would like this to be a movie, i think it would never happen. TV-series can't happen, because this needs a big budget (which you know what i am talking about if you have read the book). BUT WHO KNOWS? Lauren's kate Fallen series is getting a reboot, and if that is successful, who knows,,,,,,,
_____________________________
✧Beste Quotes:
“The last thing we expect others to do, its the last thing they do before we learn we cannot trust them.”
_____________________________
✗Little notes:
-I heard many people say Lauren kate's books are slow. So i think if you liked Fallen, you would like this one.
-This world is really fresh.
-The second book is much better already.
_____________________________
❖REST OF THE SERIES:
Teardrop Series (2 books):
Teardrop (Teardrop, #1) <<
Waterfall (Teardrop, #2)
Thanks for reading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,648 reviews