The Lovely Bones: Alice Sebold

" "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her--her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy."

Well...right off the bat, any of you who has seen any of my other blog posts knows that this is so not the typical book that I read and review. First off, this is a teen novel. Second, it's one of those book-turned-film type deals (though The Time Traveler's Wife doesn't count...I read the book before the movie came out). I'm actually reading this book because a friend and I decided to begin reading the same books so we could go out to lunch once a month and have little discussion-thingys.

I haven't seen the film that was made from this book, but I know for a fact that there are some huge differences. Obviously, the plot really had to be simplified because there was just so much information and passage of time in the novel that they couldn't possibly fit it all in the movie. Not to mention, (and I don't want to give too much away) is that I have a feeling that the ending is slightly different because not many would be satisfied by the finish of the novel. It's not quite "neat" enough.

I devoured the first part of this book. I couldn't get enough. However, this was not the case when I got about three-quarters of the way through. Everything got so routine (for lack of a better word). I enjoyed the plot (and I'm not sure if that actually makes me a bad person) and the writing was enjoyable.

***Slight spoiler.

I was more than a little disappointed at the fact that Harvey is taken care of in a way that echoes a Gray's Anatomy episode I saw. Call me sick, but I wanted him to suffer...greatly...like in a way that is way too graphic on to write on here...

***Spoiler over.

Anyway, this book was good, if the ending wasn't quite as satisfying as I wanted it to be (though I guess it made it more realistic). I recommend this book, but maybe for a slightly older teen. I was surprised at the sexual tones this contained. However, don't let this sway you from this book. I still liked it a good deal.

Frankenstein: Mary Shelley

Well...the title should just about say it all. This book was on my list of "to reads" and it just so happened that we were required to complete it for my Fiction course this semester in college. Though I was not allowed to read this for pure enjoyment, I think the structure helped me finish it in a timely manner. This book isn't exactly light reading because of its language and drama.

Frankenstein is very much so a "Romantic Hero" from the era in which Shelley wrote her famous tale. He's SO dramatic and melencholy that it can sometimes be overwhelming. Most of the male characters seemed to be pulled from the same stock (uneducated men who find some form of knowledge and fall apart because of it). I wrote an essay on such a topic... That was a little annoying, but the interesting quotes from works like Milton's Paradise Lost made up for that a little.

The writing style of this work (where it goes from letters to Frankenstien's view, to the monster's view, back to Frankenstein, and then the letters once more) is an interesting one. I think it's varied style made the piece more interesting.

One thing that I want people to know is that the BOOK IS NOT THE SAME AS ANY OF THE FRANKENSTEIN MOVIES YOU'VE SEEN! Don't come to this book with a bunch of preconceived notions because then you will be sorrily disappointed. Fair warning...

I will not say that this book was one of my favorites, but I am glad that I read it. If you gain nothing else, at least you can say that you read a classic work that heavily impacted an era.

Duke of Sin (Duke Trilogy, Book One): Adele Ashworth

"He is called the "DUKE OF SIN..."

"...a notorious rogue and recluse whose reputation in as black as the Cornish night. They speak of his conquests, his past, and his mysteries in breathless whispers. And now lovely and desperate Vivian Real-Lamont has no choice but to enter William Raleigh's lair.

"Vivian prayed that the scandal that drove her from London would neved be revealed--but now she will be exposed to the world...unless William can protect her. She has heard the rumors about the infamous Duke of Sin, yet she is unprepared for the man's raw, sensuous power...or for the tratorous response of her own body. Surrender, however, could prove most dangerous indeed--for both of them. For while the duke is intrigued by the guarded, intoxicating lady who has invaded his solitude--and fully intends to discern her every secret through sweet, unhurried seduction--it is his own heart that will be imperiled when passion takes them further than he ever intended."

This was the first book by Adele Ashworth that I've read and it was different. To be honest, I could tell that this was one of her earlier books... Not to be mean, but there was just something that was off with the writing style. Some of the sentences were way, way too long. Though the plot was fun and interesting and I loved the bit of Shakespeare involved, this was just not one of my favorite works. I really appreciate all of the work that so obviously went into this book. However, there was this one part in particular that bothered me a bit. Not to give too much away, but it's where Will was meeting with his friends at a crucial point in the plot. I was SO lost! I must have gotten turned around somehow because something just didn't make sense while I was reading it. Granted, it was all explained later, but it just wasn't very much fun to read. I actually went and checked to see if I was missing a page or two!

Oh, that and the fact that Vivian and Will call one another by their first names. I totally understand what the author was trying to do with this--creating the whole atmosphere of intimacy--but it was not very natural. Titled couples in this period would very rarely use their first names in any situation and the fact that Will nearly immediately insists that she call him "Will" was a little off. At the least, he would have given her permission to call him "Trent" instead of "Your Grace" or some other similar address for a Duke.

Overall, I really enjoyed the plot and story of this book, but the writing was not all there for me. The characters were good, but fell slightly flat sometimes. I will probably end up reading the next two books in this trilogy, but not right away.

Everlasting Kiss: Amanda Ashley, Madeline Baker

"DESIRE NEVER DIES

"Daisy O'Donnell doesn't get the attraction some women feel for vampires. She likes her men with a heartbeat. And she's just met one who's full of life: Erik Delacourt, the unreasonably sexy man she keeps meeting at a popular L.A. nightclub called the Crypt. She barely knows him, but there's no resisting the connection she feels...

"There's one important detail Erik hasn't gotten around to telling her yet. He's a powerful vampire out to hunt the Blood Thief who's draining young vampires all over the city--and who has just raised the stakes by destroying one of Erik's friends. To Erik, Daisy is a bright spot of innocence in a world of darkness and menace. He'll do anything--even lie to her--to keep her safe and pure.

"If only he knew that Daisy has something of her own to hide..."

Okay...well, I think I really need to start this review off with a very sincere apology. I was given this book to review months ago and only just finished it yesterday... I have no good excuses except for the real fact that I allowed my personal life to get in the way of my reviewing. If one looks at the past reviews, it's pretty obvious how much my reviewing tapered off. I have been reading this book on and off since I got it, but school and other things really got in the way of something that I love to do and there are no real excuses for that.

Now that I've said my sorries; this book was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. Daisy's brother--Alex--was expecially fun to watch as he interacted with Erik (maybe moreso becase I have a brother--also named Alex--who's got a similar personality). The setting of the story was interesting too. I've not really read a book where vampires are known to the world and the government actually encouraged the hunting of their kind. Not to say that the vampires walked freely among humans, but there was a cool flavor to the setting that I haven't really seen before.

Overall, I really liked Erik as a character. He wasn't simply a "stock vampire" that I've seen in many other similar novels among other authors. I liked him almost as much as I liked Rhys--which probably wasn't the author's intent, but what can I say? I like 'em bad :)

Daisy--on the other hand--was a nice character, but that was it. I didn't feel much for her other than when she was with Erik. Her encounters with Erik made me care about her, but that was about it. Not to give too much away, but he lifestyle was pretty cool and her family was interesting, but it was Daisy, herself, the didn't quite do it for me.

However, I still enjoyed this book a lot (though it took me FOREVER to finish...). It wasn't my favorite of Ashley's, but I would still recommend it nonetheless.