cutie does as she’s told

Posted 6 October, 2010 by Danny in / 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I posted that I was in a reading rut.
My brain was fried.
My To Read stack overwhelmed me.
And I was in desperate need of someone to tell me what to do.
Sooo… I threw up a list of five books and asked which ones
I should read. Two books stood out as the clear winners.
The following are my thoughts on them.
Enjoy.

Book One:
A description:
Jill Jekel is painfully shy. Her whole life she has avoided the spot light,
preferring her books and her art work to hanging out with others.
But when her father is murdered she is desperate to connect with someone.
Desperate to feel loved, safe, protected… desperate to stop being
plain ole perfect and boring Jill Jekel.
She finds her salvation in Tristen Hyde.
Yet, he’s harboring a deadly secret.
One that might destroy her instead…

My rambling thoughts:
I liked this book a lot.
I loved the premise, however,
I felt something was lacking…
I wish we could have learned a little more about
how the Hyde’s and Jekel’s first got involved.
What caused this mutation in the Hyde’s genes.
Maybe some journal entries from Dr. Henry Jekell?
I don’t know… just something a little more.
I also had a hard time connecting with Jill.
She was too perfect for me (not to mention a tad
judgmental, a little flighty, and dumb as a rock at times).
Tristen’s perspective hooked me from the get go
and kept me from getting completely frustrated with the story.
And for all the negative stuff I just said about Jill,
she did grow on me becoming more likable as the book went on.
Also, the plot twists were interesting and kept the book
moving swiftly toward a satisfying ending
(if not slightly sappy which I happen to LOVE).
Overall, I thought it was a great idea for a novel
I just think it fell a tad bit short. Just a tad.
Which means I’m gonna give this one a solid four.

And I think all of you need to read it just to meet
the very nommy Tristen Hyde… He’s a keeper.


Bonus read:
After reading this novel I grabbed my copy of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories
by Robert Louis Stevenson
off my bookshelf.
Useless FYI: This is the cover of my copy:
I got it at a used book store years ago for 15 cents.
It has that musty old book smell that just kills me.
Plus the pages are all yellow.
Annnyway.
I loved the story. It was not at all what I was expecting,
being that a majority of the short story is told from the
perspective of Dr. Jekyll’s good friend Mr. Utterson.
You do not have to read this story to fully enjoy
Jekel Loves Hyde, but if you are into classics
I think you should give it a go.
Now… where was I?
Oh yeah…
Book Two:
Quick fun facts:
a. This is one of the strangest sized books I’ve read.
Seriously why is it so freakishly tall and thin.
b. This book contains the biggest error
I have EVER read in a novel.
(p. 122 para. 5)
Note to the editors: Proof reading this bad boy
might have been a good idea.
A description:
Katherine Patterson is trying to start a new life.
With a new name. In a new school.
With a dark secret to keep safe.
There she meets the enigmatic Alice.
Boisterous. Magnetic. Fearless Alice.
Who has a few insidious secrets of her own.
My rambling thoughts:
Oh this book….
1. I figured out the huge plot twist in less than 80 pages.
Heck, I pretty much had the whole book figured out by then.
2. Due to #1, I didn’t find the book the least bit suspenseful.
This does not bode well for a suspenseful-psychological-thriller.
Ya know what I’m sayin’?
3. At times I found the story to be incredibly melodramatic
not to mention anticlimactic. The ending was predictable and flat.
All I can say is this: I felt the book was trying too hard.
4. Alice = mentally unhinged? Yes.
BUT I found her more annoying than sinister.
And I never understood the whole “she’s irresistible” thing.
5. *sighs* Yep… that’s what I’ve got.

Sooooo….
Let me say this on the positive side:
1. I really enjoyed reading this novel simply because
I liked Rebecca James style. I thought she took some interesting
risks even though they took me out of the story from time to time.
2. The characters she created were memorable and likable,
even though I didn’t understand the choices they made
(i.e. Why was Robbie in love with Alice again?).
3. I am Team Mick.
4. I would totally read another novel written by James… but I’d rent it first.
5. My favorite moment in the novel can be found on pages 217-221.
The conversation between Katherine and her mother is just beautiful.

My rating?

 Because whilst the story didn’t shock me and
the ending left me seriously wanting
(as in, really? that was the best last sentence for the story?)
I did enjoy reading the novel despite it all.
(No truly I did.)
James is a promising new author
and my belief is she will do great things in the future.

In conclusion:
I’d like to thank the following commenters for helping me get out of my rut!

Danny (my fellow Bookworm!)
Ragan J
  Y’all rock my socks!!
Who wants to play this again?
I know I do!!
Keep a look out for another 
you pick, cutie reads post coming later this month!

Until Next Time–
Yours truly,
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Obsessive Reader by Night - Scientist at Day! You can also find me on goodreads. I'd love to get to know you so, don't be shy and say Hello!

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