Afterworlds and The Sky is Everywhere

These books were total opposites.

Afterworlds had an exciting plot and awful characters, while The Sky is Everywhere had spectacular characters with a going-nowhere plot.

Afterworlds was fun to read - so fun I read it in an afternoon.  Darcy was a slot every YA fangirl could fill, which probably explains why her novel's characters were limited to the first dimension, especially Lizzie.  Nevertheless, the plot of Darcy's Afterworlds was full of excitement and fun, while Darcy's life was lighthearted and easy to breeze right through.  I'm not entirely sure why Westerfield admitted in the novel that Lizzie was devoid of character, but he definitely delivered on that front - exactly none of Lizzy's story focused on the personalities of the characters and their relationships with each other while every page zeroed in on the action.  Maybe it was to make Darcy's debutante writing more believable.  Darcy's Afterworlds definitely improved as it went on, but the story as a whole remains a fangirl's fantasy, which sort of cheapens it.  The plot itself was creative, lighthearted, and fun, but it left me feeling little emotion towards any of the characters.

I loved the voice of Lennie in The Sky is Everywhere.  She is quirky and fun and delightfully synesthetic. Exactly 100% of the book captured some element of Lennie's relationship with her sister, Toby (an extension of the relationship with her sister), her family, or Joe.  The characters were so vividly crafted, and Nelson made sure we knew them all very well by the end.  The plot was much less dramatic - it was basically a silly romance.  At times, I felt certain plot points were repeated/drawn out (like her attempts to be with Joe or her struggle to reacquaint herself with Sarah), but this book really wasn't about the plotline.

Basically, I've realized that character development matters much more than plot (something Darcy's epic girlfriend understands).  I'd have been happy with Nelson's detailing of Lennie's coming of age, even if her sister wasn't dead, while Darcy's action packed fantasy world was nowhere near as satisfying.  I'd suggest both, but then again I'd suggest Code Name Verity more than either (seriously, that book had everything).

Code Name Verity

This is going to be a rave I hope.  The entire post may be a SPOILER though, so be warned.

I literally can't think of anything to say that isn't a spoiler, so, I would just highly encourage anyone to read this book without me telling them anything about it.

Alright, the spoilers are beginning! Look away!!

I really didn't like the character of Queenie in the beginning, she seemed so vain and witless, though now I understand just how wonderful and beautifully crafted she was.  I admire so much how she put her most vulnerable self under von Linden's scrutiny, sacrificing the truth of her love for Maddie to the Gestapo for any information that actually mattered. She also crafted wonderful stories that foreshadowed what was to come, like the great aunt who killed her husband, and, my personal favorite, her narrow escape from the German who brutally damaged her neck.  I love how she basically revealed herself - that she gets in incredibly dangerous situations, but her riskiness is what makes her methods effective, and she always slips out.  However, she always needs Maddie to repair the damage in the end, which she does, both times.  ("Kiss me Hardy!! Kiss me QUICK!"  That line is so emotional).  If Julie is a flame that burns in and out, Maddie is her rock that is steady and there for her "Fly the plane, Maddie."  It's just so beautiful.  (I also shipped them very hard).

Also all of the other characters were so wonderful and complex, like von Linden with Isolde (such a beautiful name), Paul with his creepiness who still died for what was right, and especially Anna Engle who was so smart and brave.  The female protagonists were incredible, especially because none of them were there to fulfill some romance, they were 100% adventure.

Oh man, this book was just wonderful.  I'm so happy I got to read it.

The Scorpio Races

Hello Internet!

I'm going to take a go at this blogging idea again since I have a mostly free summer with little to do but read, exercise, and study electricity and magnetism!

Yesterday, I read The Scorpio Races.  It was probably a bad idea to read the whole book in one day because it lends little time to thinking, but I was pretty bored.

Honestly, I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out where to start.  How about a pro con list?

Pros:

1. My favorite part of this book was the interesting and relevant feminism struggle of a tomboy.  I really appreciated how Puck was not totally devoid of all traditionally feminine characteristics.  I love when Puck is struggling to work out how she wants to be seen by the other riders, and a strong female character responds "All I'm saying is that you're asking them to treat you like a man. And I'm not sure either of you want that."  She hints at the fact that Puck is more complicated than just a man (or just a woman in any case)and should not settle for being seen as such.

2.  The symbolic relationship between the island, the ocean, Puck, Sean, and their capail uische (or however it's spelled) was super cool.  I could tell that the author was trying to justify the risks they take to race using this incredibly deep relationship.  I didn't quite buy it - that Gabe would leave his family and Puck would risk her life and participate in a game full of needless death just because of how much they hate/love the island and the horses- but it was all the same very neat.

Nitpicks:

1.  The language.  Yes, this book was full of symbolic imagery, however I don't think Maggie Stiefvater's writing style lends itself to this.  She doesn't use big fanciful words and creative diction (by this, I mean more that she doesn't choose very unusual language than that she doesn't use the words she has creatively).  This is a valid style that can be complex and symbolic; however, when writing lengthy descriptions, simple diction makes the text not as engaging.  I feel like common-yet-powerful words are better for more minimalist or action packed writing, which wasn't what the author was going for.

2. This is somewhat of an extension on the first point.  The beginning is very long and dragged out where the reader knows that Sean and Puck have to meet eventually and race, but the author won't tell us how this happens for about the first half of the book.  I'd categorize this with the first point because the novel straddles the line between a quick, action packed story and a slow one with lots of nice scenery and character development.

All in all, a really fun, thoughtful read that was thoroughly enjoyable (though slightly slow).

Anyways, not a top-notch post, but hopefully these will improve over the summer!