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).
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).
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