Damn, kids. This second round of the HDC isn't going well for me. First TY totally sinks my battleship, and then the first HD I pick up isn't even that H! I mean, it's not great by any means, but it isn't laughably, VC Andrewsedly awful either. It's even funny in parts.You are all, I believe, familiar with the drill. Teen girl meets paranormal boy; love at first sight is a thing that exists; there are complications due to his paranormality; everyone kisses at the end.
In this particular iteration, Sam is a werewolf and Grace is the girl who loves him. He has to stay where it's warm (i.e. GRACE'S BED! Oh the salaciousness!) because the cold turns him into a wolf, and in a slash of pure tragedy this'll be his last summer as a person before he is a wolf fo evah! Also, some jackass kid got himself bitten and is running around all new-wolf like (new wolves are ferocious like baby vampires, for those of you who only speak Twilight), giving Grace and Sam a Thing To Do while they hold hands and banter.
And, ok, total honesty time? It's kind of sweet. It's light, and almost flippant, this super-breezy romance where one of them happens to be a wolf. Are parts of it idiotic? Sure! There's a boy-shaped wolf in my bed! And this, after 16 years of total prudity wherein I'm uncomfortable even talking about boys! I'll just flirt and giggle, how about. Lean in to kiss him, how about. Be oddly unperturbed when he doesn't actually kiss me, despite my blatant kiss-me face. <- totally natural reaction of a girl who's never been kissed.
And I am extremely eyebrow-raisey in the face of 'I can't live without this' after, eyeunno, two days, and also I hate for my characters to have too much unexplained intuition. That ten-year-old girl! She is going to be my future love, so I should save her from these wolves. That wolf! It has similar eyes to my schoolmate who I never knew that well and who is now ostensibly dead but whose eyes I totally remember flawlessly, ergo that wolf must be my schoolmate, however improbable that may seem since I don't yet know about werewolves. I get that wolves, you know, sense things, but on the whole I think it's a lazy way of not having to make up an external reason for all the shit you want to happen. On the other hand, love at first sight = no painfully awkward set-up where they stare at each other hate-lovingly from across biology class.
Perhaps the biggest let-down of the book is the dedication 'For Kate, because she cried.' If that doesn't say h'melodrama then I'm a mermaid, but Shiver is SUPER-LOW KEY ON THE MELODRAMA!! There's, like, an eighth of a misunderstanding, Grace has a quick fight with one of her besties, the new wolf's sister is a bitch (but a funny bitch). Where is my simpering, TSTL heroine? Where is my domineering anti-hero?
So! All that sparkles is not cheap-ass jewelry. Lesson learned. This is unprecedented in the HDC but I...would probably read Linger if it were forced into my hands and I had nothing else to do. Six caterpillars?
Other Dare-Takers
The Lit Connection
"That wolf! It has similar eyes to my schoolmate who I never knew that well and who is now ostensibly dead but whose eyes I totally remember flawlessly, ergo that wolf must be my schoolmate, however improbable that may seem since I don't yet know about werewolves."
ReplyDeleteThis part made me die laughing. The book has been raved about on a few book blogs I read, but I was dubious. I'm glad that you reviewed it.
Hurray I am glad to hear it is not a waste (because I spent money on it and have yet to read it). I love the authors blog, she seems super sensible and the love at firt, long lasty relationship I think is part of her reality (at least I know she married her husband quite young and they are still in love)so it's not suprprising.
ReplyDeleteOk I had beer this afternoon so - y'know I can type.
ReplyDeleteWas this book recently released or something because it's everywhere, spilling it's YA-ness on my computer screen. I'm glad it didn't suck the big one- while I love the idea behind reading awful books, my Austen-like affection for you makes me sad to see you in pain. Sometimes, you just need a literary palate cleanse.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I sit still undecided on whether to read this one or now. Perhaps if I come upon it freely.
ReplyDeleteTHis book is all the rage with my daughter's 12 year old friends. I use that as a barometer as to whether I should read it or not. I think I would just to share something with that generation!
ReplyDeleteI need to recommend to you some good YA romance then - truly, madly, deeply good. Have you read Jennifer Echols' GOING TOO FAR? Or Laini Taylor's BLACKBRINGER? Good, good stuff.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, not the worst book for HDC, but this book reeks of 'eh.' Been there, done that---kind of like watching the next adaptation of Oliver Twist.
ReplyDeleteThat's too funny. I listened to some of the audio book and gave up. Maybe it's different when it's an audio book. Maybe it's the Sam's voice guy doing an impression of Grace that just cracked me up. Or maybe it was the first part where Grace was obsessed with her wolf and I thought, isn't that illegal in most states? Or maybe it's better if I read the book instead of listened to it and was sixteen instead of almost thirty. Loved your review though as usual :)
ReplyDeletejust wait til you get to l.a. candy.
ReplyDeleteI simultaneously love and shudder at your challenge; but, hey, if you are willing, I will read about it. Great review. It does not make me want to run out and grab this one, but finally I know what all the hype is about (presumably: young love).
ReplyDeleteI"m so glad you weren't horribly mean to this one, because I liked it! Mind you, I sort of love melodrama though. :P
ReplyDeleteI'm about to start L.A. Candy as my first selection for HDC. Wish me luck! I've got Dante's Purgatorio for detox.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I was rather surprised by the selection of this book. It just sounds like standard YA fantasy romance to me. (I initially thought the same about Hush, Hush but then I heard about all the Twilight parallels.) Maybe I'll be able to recommend it to my 15-year-old sister?
Oh phew. I really loved this one. It is sweet. I'd have been sad if you were mean to it. Me? I can't wait for Linger!
ReplyDelete