weird and dreamy Tanith Lee writes her version of a young adult novel; results are weird and dreamy.
synopsis: weird and dreamy Hesta Web (and her "hotweird and dreamy Tanith Lee writes her version of a young adult novel; results are weird and dreamy.
synopsis: weird and dreamy Hesta Web (and her "hot red hair") runs away from her despicable mother to a weird and dreamy seaside town, abandoned by tourists during this off-season. strange things occur and Hesta eventually finds her destiny in this cold and timeless place.
the novel is layered and does surprising things, much like the seaside village and its inhabitants, much like Hesta herself. terrible things happen, but with a certain nonchalance: villagers slaughter an arrogant visitor in the pub, and nothing much is made of it; an apparition drops her crying baby out of a window, and it turns out to be a mercy killing. Hesta's mother, mom's equally loathsome lover, and a sad detective they've hired enter the village to find the girl; one shall be sacrificed, another shall meet a more welcoming death, and the third shall revert to childhood. Hesta herself is welcomed by the village, as a priestess come to minister her flock. a secretive agency keeps careful watch on it all, as this is a place where odd powers manifest, where the different come to visit and find themselves staying on.
Hesta is asexual, perhaps the first such heroine I've ever read about. there is a character who is revealed as trans and that reveal made this already intriguing person all the more so. there is an older gay man; Hesta comes to live in his house as his ally and equal. this is a queer kind of book.
When the Lights Go Out is a slippery thing, hard to grasp at times. it was a sometimes frustrating experience - I would have preferred it concentrate more on Hesta. the inclusion of other perspectives, including her pursuers, made the book feel unfocused. but that was clearly the intent: to have a certain lack of focus, a blurry narrative, prose like watercolours, ambiguous characters, things barely spelled out. in the end, Hesta having embraced her fate has come to understand the logic of this weird, dreamy place that she now calls home, in a way that the reader and all other such interlopers never can....more
REVIEW(S) BY CHATGPT with illustrations by AI Image & DALL-E prompts in italics
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DALL-E: Kristin Cashore's heroine Fire, macro 35mm, 90s grunge
REVIEW(S) BY CHATGPT with illustrations by AI Image & DALL-E prompts in italics
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AI Image: Fire via Botticelli, using Marilyn Monroe as a model
ChatGPT: write a review of Fire by Kristin Cashore in the style of the Goodreads reviewer mark monday, per the following reviews.
Fire by Kristin Cashore is a masterful work of fantasy fiction that delves deep into the psyche of its protagonist, a young woman gifted with extraordinary mental powers. The world-building in this book is simply phenomenal, with every detail meticulously crafted to create a fully-realized and immersive setting that will leave readers breathless.
The characters in Fire are similarly well-drawn and complex, with their motivations and desires driving the plot forward in surprising and unexpected ways. The titular character is especially fascinating, with her inner turmoil and struggle for self-acceptance serving as a powerful metaphor for the human capacity for both good and evil.
Cashore's prose is elegant and lyrical, effortlessly transporting readers to a world that is at once familiar and alien. Though there are moments of violence and tragedy in Fire, the overall tone of the book is one of hope and resilience, making it a truly uplifting and inspiring read.
DALL-E: photo-realistic digital art + nebula
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a review of Fire, written by the protagonist:
I am Fire, and I have never felt more alive than when I read Kristin Cashore's book about my own adventures. The author truly captured my essence as a monster and as a young woman struggling to find her place in the world.
The story follows my journey as a human monster born with the ability to manipulate minds and control others with my thoughts. Despite my extraordinary powers, I am also plagued with intense feelings of loneliness and insecurity, always feeling like an outcast among humans and monsters alike. As the story unfolds, I am thrust into a dangerous world of political intrigue, betrayal, and war. At first, I am hesitant to embrace my role as a warrior and leader, but eventually, I come to understand the importance of fighting for what I believe in and protecting those I love.
What I appreciate most about this book is how accurately it portrays my complex emotions and struggles. Cashore does an excellent job of showing how difficult it can be to navigate the sometimes murky waters of morality and self-discovery.
DALL-E: anime style, using the poster of Baise-moi as a model
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a review by the villain Leck:
I've read this book called Fire and I must say, it was fascinating. Kristin Cashore did an excellent job of portraying my kingdom and the world I created. The plot was engaging and twisted, just how I like stories to be.
The protagonist, Fire, was a captivating character. She possessed immense power, which always intrigues me, and her journey through the story was a delight to watch. However, I could not help but notice her flaws. Her empathy and kindness towards others were quite a problem for me.
The way Cashore portrayed Fire's ability to sense thoughts and emotions was intriguing. It made me wonder how different things would have been for my own kingdom if I too had such powers at my disposal. With that kind of ability, I could manipulate people's minds and rule with ease.
Overall, the book was an excellent read, but it made me realize that my world, my kingdom, was far more superior. If only the author had delved into my life and my story, maybe she would have found a better narrative. Nevertheless, I applaud Cashore's effort in creating such a vivid and interesting world in Fire.
oh, fire! how lovely you do glow in this world so cold and dire
your curves and colors so bright a sight that fills me with delight
but alas, society does not see the beauty that lies within thee
they judge you by your outward form ignoring the strength and warmth you perform
oh, fire! how unfair it seems to be the struggle women face for society's beauty
but fear not, dear flame for your beauty cannot be tamed
it shines from within and out a beauty that cannot be cast out
so let us celebrate your radiance and embrace the beauty within our own essence
oh, fire! you are a reminder of the beauty that lies within us all even in a world so dark and cruel.
DALL-E: digital art + portal to another dimension
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...a review that focuses on the dangers of beauty, attraction, and mind control:
Fire by Kristin Cashore takes place in a fantastical world that mirrors our own in its obsession with physical appearance and power. The main protagonist, named Fire, possesses an extraordinary beauty that causes people to become uncontrollably drawn to her. Though this may seem like a blessing, it proves to be nothing short of a curse as she's repeatedly targeted for her unique ability. Her beauty is also used as a weapon against her, with some individuals seeking to manipulate and control her.
The novel highlights the insidious nature of attraction and its ability to cloud people's judgment, leading them down dangerous paths. Characters are shown to be driven to acts of madness or violence because of their passions, highlighting how passion can be a destructive force if left unchecked.
In addition to the dangers of attraction, Fire also explores the theme of mind control. The story shows how powerful individuals can use their abilities to control others, manipulating them into doing their bidding. This highlights the inherent danger of giving too much power to one person or group and the potential for that power to corrupt.
Overall, Fire provides a cautionary tale about the dangers lurking beneath the surface of attraction and power. It offers a sobering reminder of the importance of self-control and the need to be aware of the influence others can have over us.
AI Image: in a style combining pointillism and Vermeer
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a review written by the empiricist George Berkeley:
The book revolves around the life of Fire, the last remaining human monster in a world full of magical creatures. What I find fascinating about this novel is how Cashore emphasizes the concept of perception and how it shapes our understanding of reality. For me, the novel is a perfect embodiment of my idea that "to be is to be perceived."
The novel also explores the idea of how our perceptions can be manipulated, and how this can shape our reality. Cashore does an excellent job of showcasing how the characters' perception of Fire shapes their treatment of her, and how this, in turn, affects Fire's own perception of herself.
Fire, Kristin Cashore's sophomore novel, is a bewitching tale of a girl with the power to control minds. Set in a land of sweeping landscapes and intricate politics, the author weaves a mesmerizing narrative of love, sacrifice, and redemption.
Fire is a study in the complexities of human relationships. The eponymous protagonist, a "monster" with the ability to manipulate thoughts and emotions, struggles to come to terms with her place in the world. Her journey is fraught with danger and betrayal, but all the while she stays true to herself and her principles.
In many ways, this novel stands as a companion piece to Cashore's debut Graceling, exploring similar themes of identity, self-discovery, and the struggle to find one's place in the world. However, Fire is a work that stands on its own, a haunting portrait of a young woman coming into her own and searching for love and acceptance in a world that fears and misunderstands her.
DALL-E: digital art + lavish palace setting
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a review written from the perspective of the metaphysical philosopher Henri Bergson; the review should incorporate his ideas re. intuition, identification, and the path to knowledge:
For Bergson, intuition is not some form of mysticism or supernatural force, but rather a more immediate and intuitive means of grasping the essence of things. In his view, the mind operates in two different modes: the analytical, which divides experience into separate parts and then processes them, and the intuitive, which penetrates the surface of things and grasps their inner essence.
Fire's character represents this latter mode, as she relates more to the emotional and intuitive parts of human nature. Her ability to read minds grants her a unique insight into people's personalities and motivations, and her intuition helps her connect with them on a deeper level.
Bergson's philosophical ideas about identification also play a role in Fire. In his view, identification is the process by which a subject can place themselves within an object or experience and come to understand it on a more profound level. This echoes Fire's own journey as she tries to come to terms with her powers and learn to control them.
Finally, Bergson's notion of the path to knowledge looms large in Fire. For him, knowledge was not something that could be achieved all at once, but rather a process of gradual exploration and discovery. Fire's experiences as she navigates her own powers and the complex relationships of those around her reflect this gradual journey of self-discovery.
AI Image: in a style combining Nagel & Klimt
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a review using the theory of "positive disintegration" as described by the psychologist Kazimierz Dąbrowski:
Fire embodies the concept of Positive Disintegration, as we see her character go through a transformation of self-awareness and empathic response to others. Initially, Fire tries to limit all her contact with people, avoiding people altogether to avoid using her powers to manipulate them. However, she slowly begins to recognize the importance of relationships and begins to embrace them. This is an integral part of her character development, which allows her to evolve into a different person. She undergoes a series of inner conflicts, which gradually help her understand who she is and who she wants to be. Eventually, she learns how to control her powers, and her goodness allows her to protect her kingdom from external threats.
In Fire, Dąbrowski’s idea of positive deterioration and reintegration takes place throughout the novel. Fire goes through “disintegration” early on in the novel when she is overwhelmed by her emotions, and it is only when she confronts those emotions that she is able to “integrate” and move forward.
Oh, Fire by Kristen is fire, A passionate tale to inspire, With monsters and magic, And a love so tragic, It's a sexy read that won't tire.
The heroine, Fire, is divine, Her beauty so bright, so refined, She can bend minds to her will, With a voice that could kill, And a heart that's both gentle and kind.
The romance is spicy and hot, With lovers who give it all they've got, They'll fight and they'll strive, To stay alive and thrive, And their love will never be forgot.
The plot is enigmatic and clever, With secrets that no one can measure, The pacing is perfect, The climax, worth it, It's a book you'll love to treasure.
So if you want a story that's steamy, With a world that's both gritty and dreamy, Pick up Fire by Kirsten, And you won't be thirsty again, It's a fantasy that's not too extreme-y!
DALL-E: in a style combining Warhol with psychedelic poster art
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the bullied teen gets his supernatural revenge on his bullies, from beyond the grave. homophobia and self-loathing and ours is not to wonder why, oursthe bullied teen gets his supernatural revenge on his bullies, from beyond the grave. homophobia and self-loathing and ours is not to wonder why, ours is just to kill then die. told from the perspective of the bullies; told in second-person so that You Are The One Getting Punished. a short, spiky, and vicious tale, with some empathy for the closet case in love with the kid he helped kill.
Alyssa Wong is not quite pitiless, not completely, even for those undeserving of pity.
Hero was one of the It Books of 2007 (Young Adult subset): an angsty and heartwarming tale of a closeted teen superhero coming to grips with his sexuaHero was one of the It Books of 2007 (Young Adult subset): an angsty and heartwarming tale of a closeted teen superhero coming to grips with his sexuality, his macho dad, his literally invisible mom, his yearning for love and for belonging. It pushed all of the progressive buttons: an innocent ostracized by an othering society, middle class privilege, very pro-women/seniors/immigrants/disabled, very questioning of paternalism, and very prone to catastrophizing the present while ignoring past socio-political strides forward. Perry Moore was also rather an It Guy in those years: producer of the Narnia films and a healthy, horsey, very mainstream representative of gay men (including a moment as People's Sexy Man of the Week, complete with emphasis on his love of surfing).
RIP, Perry Moore! You seemed like a really sweet guy and you left us too soon.
I thought this was a perfectly pleasant book. It hit all the right spots for me. Moore wrote it due to a long-simmering anger at the various deaths bestowed on various gay & lesbian comic book characters - at one point, he even had a website parallel to Women in Refrigerators that listed all of the ways LGBT characters have died in comics. Point well taken. That said, kudos aside, I rolled my eyes a lot in this book because it is super melodramatic. Is that a power? If so, this book's superhero identity would be Drama Queen. Okay, and that said, I still thought this was sweet and kind and also page-turning and amusing, all the good things. There are plenty of plot holes (including an absurd murder mystery) and all the superheroes on display are transparent Justice League archetypes. I think a lot of Goodreads reviewers are holding those flaws against this book. I think a lot of Goodreads reviewers are also sorta missing the point....more
additional star awarded because the apocalyptic alternative lifestyle landscape that our eventually addicted young hero finds himself drawn into, agaiadditional star awarded because the apocalyptic alternative lifestyle landscape that our eventually addicted young hero finds himself drawn into, again and again, is rendered in such a stark and alien way. I like that Andrew Smith resisted any urge towards world-building and instead made this nightmare-world feel like an actual nightmare, with few understandable rules and no end of inexplicable horrors. kudos? yes, kudos!
but the book itself is a drag, and such a severe disappointment after reading a later novel by the author, Grasshopper Jungle, that was full of verve and fun. not that I'm judging, people improve over time. it's interesting though - and by interesting I mean "interesting" - that several of the latter book's hallmarks are present here in what I now recognize to be undiluted form. not that I'm judging, writers often streamline their skeevier or at least less well-regarded tendencies the more they write.
the focus on the low-key homophobia felt by many young men - or at least the use of homophobic language - that was realistic and actually not problematic in Grasshopper is dialed so high in this book that the two best friends sounded like they need mental health help. not that I'm judging, I guess the author was trying to capture the saltiness of that demographic's language as well as the anxiety of being preyed upon by male predators. but then the equally outsized focus in this book on the naked or semi-clothed bodies of boys and young men, something that felt natural and nonchalant in Grasshopper, made that obsession with "I'm not gay, you're gay" feel weirdly, I dunno, closeted when taken alongside the constant description of undressed dudes. not that I'm judging, because hey a person's sexual inclinations and their decisions on what they want to write about are none of my business; people shouldn't obsess over what other people may think about them or the subjects they choose to write on.
but the capper is the author's inability to write interesting let alone three-dimensional female characters, which was also present in Grasshopper with its lack of focus on women. but at least there it seemed intentional. here that lack was annoying and unnerving and distancing, because the girlfriends in this book should be important people. (same goes for the grandparents.) not that I'm judging, because I guess there are some male authors who are pretty much clueless about how to write successful female characters, or grandparents. so they don't even bother trying.
Don't let them live in your head! Don’t view yourself through their eyes! Don’t copy their mannerisms, habits, styles, or ways of communicating! Don’t befriend them! Don’t make it all about them! Young woman, you are an individual! Think for yourself!
Lesson #2: Don't Be Afraid To Be You
Don’t mope around waiting to be noticed! Don't be a shrinking violet, a wallflower, or any other kind of garden variety girl! Don’t let society define you and don’t obsess over anyone else’s opinions! Don’t rely on boys to tell you who you are! Unleash yourself!
Well, unless you are killing some asshole who’s like over a hundred years old and who totally led you on and who wants to rule the world with dark magic – he deserves it!
Don't pile on! Don't be a bully! Get off of Twitter! Don't let the buzz of social media and the buzzing noises of all the voices in the world, from the news, from your peers' mouths, from your community's mouth... don't let that noise turn you into an automaton! Young man, you are an individual! Think for yourself!
Lesson #2: Don't Take Up So Much Space
Don't assume everyone wants to hear your loud male voice! Don't assume all of your thoughts, feelings, questions, and opinions need to be vocalized! And don't assume everyone wants to deal with all of your limbs spread out all over the place! Control yourself!
Of course this is trash, but it was so creepy and absurd at times that I feel like I should give it more than 1 star. The so bad it's good-ness of it Of course this is trash, but it was so creepy and absurd at times that I feel like I should give it more than 1 star. The so bad it's good-ness of it all was kinda fascinating. This was a top YA novel a decade ago? Wow, that's wild.
synopsis: what happens when a boy stalker finally "reaches out" to the girl he's stalking, and also wants to kill, and it turns out she can be a stalker too, and then a third stalker tries to get between them and then all of a sudden there's a fourth stalker who's been there all along?
one of them is a fallen angel, another is a death angel, a third is a descendant of angels, and the fourth is having what's known as "trouble with angels". you figure out who is who, no spoilers allowed!
NEXT WILL BE SPOILERS but honestly who cares - if this is your kind of book, you should have read it already. and if you haven't by now, that doesn't matter either because the book is 10 years old and Young Adult years are like dog years so it has basically been around for what feels like 70 years and so you know all about it anyway.
I have so many parts of this book lodged up in my mind that I'm still dumbfounded by, I just don't know if I can list them all. I could go on and on about the worst best friend ever - I mean this girl doesn't just continually humiliate our heroine in public, she calls in a bomb threat to the high school to enable her buddy's stalking, and later tries to force her to go camping with some dude that just physically assaulted her (not the hero this time, and not even a stalker, just the third point on the love triangle) by excusing it as "he was just drunk" because LOL isn't that a great excuse! but I not only can't stand that character, she's not even a stalker either, so I'm not going to waste more time on Worst Best Friend. although I think I just wasted a lot of time on her.
instead I will just treasure the memory of that one stalking scene (so many to choose from) where the heroine goes from a booth in a restaurant to the bathroom to change into what appears to be a hooker outfit so that she can question a bartender at the same restaurant. that was definitely some creative stalking investigating and the hooker outfit was um completely necessary.
the hero has - in addition to chiseled abs, dangerous eyes that you can get lost in, and apparently a body that smells like a combination of mint and cigars (not joking) - quite a lot of mysterious powers. these powers include telepathy, which allows him to cheekily and sometimes sexily enter her mind to read her thoughts and sexually harass her and of course eventually save her life and - in another moment I will always treasure - help her do better at baseball.
I know that the other big controversy about this book besides the stalking is the hero's tendency to invade the heroine's personal space and get super handsy and say dirty things to her, often in the middle of class with the teacher egging him on, but I'm not going to critique that, because even though the heroine says she doesn't want him to do that she often realizes she loves it and then she often realizes she hates it because he's scary except that she actually loves it, he's so hot, except no she actually hates it, he's a predator, no he's her protector, except that he literally said he planned on killing her, except she thinks he can't possibly mean it, so she loves it, except she actually feels she hates it, except she actually loves it, no she hates how he chases her around the parking garage, well she may as well get a ride home from him after that, go ahead and invite yourself in and there are some knives you can wave around at me that's not threatening at all because he's just making tacos, no she hates it no she loves it no she actually doesn't appreciate being locked in a motel room with him, no she loves it, oops all of her clothes are soaked and there's only a towel to wear, oops his t-shirt is soaked better take it off, no she hates it, no, really, she loves it, so I guess it's all okay and consensual, and after all, he does love her! love wins!
fun fact: did you know there is a whole subgenre of erotic fiction devoted to "mind control"?
well everyone has their kinks, so I'm not judging. oh yes I am. Becca Fitzgerald clearly loves this subgenre. poor weak-minded Stalker #2 (our heroine) gets mind-controlled so hard and so long by Stalker #1 (hero) & Stalker #4 (final boss) that it goes from weird to confusing to uh oh am I reading about a fetish that the author accidentally decided to tell the world about? at first, it's relatively harmless mind control, like making you think your seat belt flew off and causing you to almost fall out of a roller coaster but you don't, LOL he's just messing with you, he doesn't really want to kill you, except he does. but at the *cough* climax, it's no longer just illusions anymore, boyfriend psychically enters girlfriend's body to literally control how her body moves, and it's just so literal I was like Author! c'mon! and of course it's to save her life so no harm no foul, that's kind of an assumed consent, right? make that body move bro, she loves it. oops, now she's dead. but don't worry - he also has the power to raise that hot teen body from the dead!
a happy ending: of course all's well that ends well because our hero levels up into a "guardian angel" (for real) and so now he gets to literally stalk her forever. and maybe a little mind control too, to keep things fresh?
Sometime in late 2011, after my great experience reading Catching Fire, I went on a giant Young Adult buying binge because I realized I had fallen wildly in love with the genre. Although that love eventually turned into more of an earnest and realistic friendship, I am still very fond of YA.
Anyway, here's what I've read and what I still need to read:
3 stars because every book starts out as 3 stars to me. I'm prepared to like but not necessarily to love.
4 stars for a ripping opening! I wasn't sure 3 stars because every book starts out as 3 stars to me. I'm prepared to like but not necessarily to love.
4 stars for a ripping opening! I wasn't sure what was happening nor who the male protagonist was going to be. although I probably should have realized that the shirtless cover dude will probably be the protagonist. anyway, slaughter in an alley!
3 stars for urban fantasy world building that was familiar but did not get on my nerves
2 stars for typical YA snark and typical Urban Fantasy snark. snark, snark, snark. too much snark.
1 star because THESE CHARACTERS SUCK
4 stars for naming the lead villain "Valentine". that's great!
4 stars for preferring adorable werewolves over played-out vampires. dogs > bats
1 star because LOVE TRIANGLES SUCK
4 stars for an interesting surprise turncoat
3 stars for a reasonably exciting finale
? stars for SURPRISE INCEST. wait does making out even count as incest? eh, let's say yes, because that's a good way to stop an annoying love triangle. but my money is on this being temporary incest because c'mon, this is clearly the series' couple. ain't no YA Lannisters happening here.
the book is a fascinating experience full of mystery, emotion, memorable scenes, and real world relevance. the book is a disappointing experience thatthe book is a fascinating experience full of mystery, emotion, memorable scenes, and real world relevance. the book is a disappointing experience that has somehow lost the magic of its predecessor, let alone the original trilogy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
while remaining true to his basic belief system that organized religion - Christianity, in prior books - is at the root of much of the evils of the world, in Secret Commonwealth the author widens his net to catch the fanatical side of Islam as well. I appreciated that because I think all major religions have done and continue to do majorly problematic things. and also I didn't appreciate it. mainly because it is actually fun for me to read about the villainous intrigues and politicking of the Magisterium while it was distinctly un-fun for me to read about the bloodthirsty soldiers who come down from their mountain to rant incoherently, slaughter families, decimate villages, and create a refugee crisis all across the world with their vicious deeds. not sure why I can find enjoyment in one but only weariness and palpable repulsion in the other. I mean, both sorts of religions have no problem murdering people, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
there is another evil abroad in the world: young people are losing their imagination! "Young people don't believe in the secret commonwealth ... It's all chemistry and measuring things, as far as they're concerned. They got an explanation for everything, and they're all wrong." this is mainly due to the pernicious influence of a philosopher turned bestselling author and a gadfly turned darling of the ivory tower - two very intriguing new villains to the series who parallel each other in interesting ways. and yet this was also unconvincing. there is now an existential threat to the minds and creative spirits of young people... due to two bestselling books? really? well I suppose this is definitely a fantasy series! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
there were other things I found unconvincing, or frustrating. or just annoying. and I don't think I've felt annoyed by any other Pullman book. first of all, I hated the whole logic behind Pan leaving Lyra. I know that it inspires Lyra's entire journey, internally and externally... but the reasons behind it are so irritating. he leaves her because she's now a bitch with no imagination and so he takes off in search of... her imagination? for real? does Pan not realize how corny he's being? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ second on my list of annoyances: apparently this happens to other people in the world now - people and daemons just separate from each other because reasons? Pullman supplies many reasons, but none of them really landed with me in a way that felt genuine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ third: Mal falling in love with Lyra was ugh. fourth: this new villain Olivier Bonneville is laughable - especially compared to his genuinely creepy and threatening father from the last book. and fifth on the annoyance list: those gay priest characters were over the top in a way that felt like a cheap potshot on the Catholic Church and some of its issues with predatory priests. so that's five big annoyances. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
fortunately there were things that I really enjoyed in the book as well. I did like the whirlwind tour of a Europe that felt somehow under siege by forces beyond anyone's understanding. the visit to an iconoclastic author's house was fascinating and very disconcerting. the visit to an ancient aristocrat's mansion was also fascinating - she was a fabulous character! the machinations of new villain Marcel Delamare were absorbing. my jury is still out on his family backstory, and why it was necessary to link him that way to Lyra, but his mother was a great one-scene villain. and as much as Lyra bothered me in this book, what she is going through is reflective of what a lot of people her age actually go through, so kudos to Pullman for successfully making the transition from the children's world of the prior books to the young adult world of this book. so yeah, despite my complaints, there were still many things that I enjoyed about this book sitting side by side with the things that gave me no enjoyment. and the first couple hundred pages were riveting. Pullman is an often amazing writer and storyteller. I just wish he had written another perfect book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯...more
R is for Replacement, The. An okay book with interesting ideas by a skilled author but overall an uninvolving experience.
E (#1) is for Entropy. This bR is for Replacement, The. An okay book with interesting ideas by a skilled author but overall an uninvolving experience.
E (#1) is for Entropy. This book is full of it; the protagonist and the town he lives in and the supernatural creatures he is dealing with all battle against it.
P is for Prejudice. I liked this novel’s engagement with prejudice and how it literalizes othering. Always an important topic, especially so with young adult novels.
L is for Limp. This is a good description for the final confrontation. Quite disappointing.
A is for Atmosphere. The author knows how to create a strange and often bleak atmosphere when it comes to slag heaps and when it comes to dark, gothic underground lairs. Unfortunately, skills at creating atmosphere aren’t much there in bringing the town where these places are set to life.
C is for Creepy. The author also knows how to create creepy images and even creepier supporting characters. Kudos!
E (#2) is for Energy. Or in this case, a striking lack of energy. It’s hard to put in words, but there is an oddly lifeless quality to the narrative and characterization. This was the opposite of an exciting reading experience.
M is for Music. A key part of the book, and the most interesting thing happening in the story. Music enthralls; those responsible for that music live off of that enthrallment. Temporary as that spellbinding may be.
E (#3) is for Escape. I’m not sure why the obvious solution to living in a town where faerie regularly kidnap children was not more forcefully examined: get the hell out of there! It was mentioned but dropped pretty quickly. That bugged.
N is for Nice Try. I like what the author was trying to go for here: kitchen sink realism wedded to dark tales of changelings and faerie. Unfortunately, the result was half-baked as the supernatural elements and the realism of what makes this town a special place were unconvincing.
T is for Time To End This So-Called Review....more
about six times a year, I facilitate a weekend training on being a peer support volunteer. our volunteers are often very, very different from our clieabout six times a year, I facilitate a weekend training on being a peer support volunteer. our volunteers are often very, very different from our clients, so our training often focuses on how to bridge those differences and build a empathetic and supportive relationship. we go over many topics, include what we call "Cultural Awareness". this is a catch-all phrase and not simply about culture per se - although of course everyone hails from a particular culture, one that helps form who that person is, and that culture is a part of their personal context. but we like to move beyond that, using the concept of "Cultural Humility": approach another person's identity with the intention of learning and in the spirit of humility; a person should define their own identity because that person is the one who is most familiar with their own reality; an individual should not automatically be seen as emblematic of their culture or race or ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation or class or age or whatever. a person's perception of who they are may not parallel what other people automatically perceive about them, based on their appearance or casual, passing interactions. that difference in perception can be annoying and painful. I like to have trainees go through an exercise where they consider who they are and then consider how they have been incorrectly perceived. I use myself as an example before having them do the exercise, like so:
what I loved most about this book is that it is all about this idea. this is a young adult novel, and even though this issue of perception versus reality is something that everyone at every age can wrestle with, it is of special importance to young adults because that's a particular time period of self-searching, figuring out your identity, and reacting to whatever box you may be in or whatever box others may be trying to put you in. like so:
I really appreciated Cashore's message. it's so simple and yet so important. and that message is woven throughout the book, through most of its characters, from its protagonists to the two probably-gay characters to the foolish guy who loves Katsa to the fascinating and horrendous villain. Cashore hits that message again and again; it's a message worth hitting hard. everyone has to deal with being put in a box despite knowing that their reality is not simply that box. reality is so much more than boxes and other people's perceptions of who and why you are. like so:
the story itself is fun and the book was pure pleasure to read. the writing was clean and efficient. the emotions on display were resonant. the love story was actually pretty cool and not annoying. I was impressed with how Cashore illustrated her message not just with Katsa's experiences, but with what eventually happens to Po (i.e. it's not all about what you see; there's more to see than what's right in front of you). I didn't mind the unimaginative place names because it gave the book a rather timeless quality. the three powers most on display were very interesting; I particularly liked how the villain's power parallels the power many politicians have over people who just automatically buy their bullshit messages, and who then deliver that fake message to others as if it were actually the truth.
I really, really liked how Katsa's antipathy to marriage and having children, and Po's willingness to meet her halfway, were portrayed in a positive light. I am by no means anti-marriage (and neither is this story), but it was such a different sort of message for young adults that was being conveyed here. a girl (or a boy) doesn't actually have to settle down in a traditional way. a relationship does not have to be sanctified by a title to be real; you can connect deeply with someone, love someone, without being married to them. you can be your own person and that includes not being with another person for the rest of your life. you are who you are; being different and having a different kind of relationship and not subscribing to cultural norms that you aren't feeling is perfectly okay. great message... great book!...more
(1) recently I went on vacation with a guy who is one of my very best friends (was a best man at his wedding!) and his charming wife. one intense even(1) recently I went on vacation with a guy who is one of my very best friends (was a best man at his wedding!) and his charming wife. one intense evening he let me know that he thinks I'm a real asshole - condescending, mean-spirited, always trying to be clever at the expense of my friends' feelings - and that most of our mutual friends felt the same way: I was someone "people had to deal with". (2) last week saw one of my staff moving on to another program; she had a tear-filled meeting with me where she talked about how much she valued my emotional support during some hard times in her life and how much she was going to miss my kindness; later that night, I had a long conversation with my mom and she ended the call by saying how I was the only person she felt comfortable talking with about spirituality, God, and acceptance. (3) last weekend I had an awesome date: I introduced her to this secret bar in Japantown and I got rambunctious and talked too loud; later on in the street I got into a physical altercation with some drunk jerk, defending her honor as a trans woman (jerk got shoved, then tripped & fell into a gutter, haha); we ended the evening having a wild time back at my place. later she texted me and said that I was probably too crazy for her, but we could keep it casual and see each other in a couple weeks, maybe.
it's funny to think on the different sides we all have and the different sides other people see - and yet all those sides are one person. we hold many selves.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD... maybe?
this wonderful novel knows the idea of "many selves" is true, even as we may try to ignore that truth. it divides its so-called Trickster into three selves: mind, heart, body. the Mind is clever, entertaining, manipulative, cruel. the Heart is the best self yet sometimes the weakest; he shows his face the least, bullied into a corner by his brothers. and the Body has a kind of charisma, sure, but is also basically an animal, or a human who gets off on animalistic things. one of the many smart things that Margaret Mahy does is have the boy who is the Heart look identical to the boy who is the Body. I think we all know that sometimes we mix those two things up. the Mind looks nothing like them and is clearly top dog. or at least he thinks he is!
this is one of those coming of age tales that has a prickly-endearing protagonist who is both isolated and creative, an outsider looking in, sardonic perspective and all. it adds unsettling moments of dark fantasy and horror to its everyday wonders and realities, its sweet and its bitter. for a person like me - and probably a person like you, because you're a reader too - middle daughter Harry was frustrating and also instantly recognizable, relatable, lovable. she lives in her books and her writing and her fantasy version of a world, one that is all her own. she is surrounded by family and yet feels alone, not recognized, put in a box. not an outcast, just different. and so she summons this Trickster, this ghost split into three parts; she summons him - them - unwillingly and unwittingly, in a way that defies logic but with a result that also makes perfect sense. of course she summons an angry-sad, lonely, misunderstood boy. and of course that boy is misunderstood because he is composed of different parts, different selves. people see the wrong sides of him, and of her too. she's misunderstood; he's misunderstood; we're all misunderstood. The Tricksters makes it clear that all of us are many things and all of us will never be fully understood. it makes that lack of understanding sad, even tragic. and it makes it okay. it's what happens to you and me and everyone. and it also makes it clear that, in the end, our best self, our Heart, is the self that counts. it's the one that should win - and in this case, it does. the heart of the novel The Tricksters is a hopeful one, and full of love.
An exploration of a first and perhaps enduring love, conveyed in often microscopic detail. Malerman is a superb writer and his teen lovers are endeariAn exploration of a first and perhaps enduring love, conveyed in often microscopic detail. Malerman is a superb writer and his teen lovers are endearing creations. I was consistently impressed by their complete realism in terms of personality, inner monologue, affect, and dialogue. Surprisingly enough, I was reminded of a benevolent Robert Aickman when reading this surreal novella: like Aickman's many strange mansions and landscapes, the house at the bottom of a lake makes no rational sense; it could not exist in a natural or logical world, and is best approached as metaphor and inexplicable mystery. Indeed many of the actions of the thoroughly real couple are also inexplicable and unrealistic, except when looking at the story through a symbolic dream lens (and please forgive that pretentious phrase - but it fits). Sadly it appears that many reviewers have taken the wrong approach to the story, and became frustrated and confused by a work that contains little horror and even less that is recognizably rational. I think this is partly due to expectations created by the author's last major novel, as well as the publisher's name ("This Is Horror" - ugh). But it may also be due to a desire to approach A House as a linear and logical work, when it is anything but that, and so hopes of predictable horror thrills became frustrated......more
the novel has at its center a fascinating idea, one gleaming with potential: a school full of children cast out of their various Narnias, longing to gthe novel has at its center a fascinating idea, one gleaming with potential: a school full of children cast out of their various Narnias, longing to go back (oh and there's a serial killer on the prowl). too bad that potential was squandered on a predictable and often inept narrative, gruelingly repetitious dialogue and ham-handed exposition, and characters who are trying awfully hard to entertain with their snarky dialogue while fitting themselves into the most au courant of demographics. I feel like I should be awarding points to the book for including both an asexual character and a trans character, not to mention a Manic Pixie Asian character, but. I. just. can't. I love diversity and that of course includes individuals (like me) who identify as something outside of the straight white norm, and frequently resent that norm... but these characters didn't resonate and actually felt more like boxes being checked than actual people. it's bizarre how overrated this book is.
note #1: people don't start nonchalantly boxing up a friend's possessions a scant couple hours after finding that friend's dismembered corpse and a small school would probably not just be moving on and getting back to classes in less than a day because, you know, GRIEF IS A THING.
note #2: having a second victim be alive while her eyes were pulled out of their sockets seems, I dunno, rather ridiculously sadistic maybe? I mean I get that the author didn't like this character and so for some reason had to punish her, but isn't that a bit fucking unnecessary for a young adult novel?
note #3: identifying a character as "Latino" and having their Narnia be some fantasy Day of the Dead Land only makes the author seem like a well-intentioned but basically clueless white liberal, checking off some demographic box, while not understanding that noting someone as "Latino" could mean they look like any shade of white, brown, or black... and it is certainly no equivalent to the generous physical descriptions given to every other character.
note #4: it doesn't help a story when the already glaringly obvious idea that is driving that story is stated explicitly and repeatedly because uh yeah, I actually do understand that these diverse fantasy lands are an analogy to the diverse and very personalized worlds that children and teens live in, because that's already pretty damn transparent. C.S. Lewis gets railed on because his Narnia adventures are such an obvious Christian allegory, but I don't recall any moment when a character from one of his books decides to say something along the lines of "hey everyone, did you realize that we are all living in some sort of Christan allegory OMG!"
note #5: strangely enough, I think this could have been much improved if it was twice its current length. at the very least there would have been room for the characters to deepen and grow and for the story to not feel like such a rush job (and checklist). Every Heart a Doorway is full of interesting ideas but those ideas are all delivered with an excruciating shallowness.
I should feel guilty liking something so straightforward and uncomplicated, so full of testosterone, but alas I don't. it was pure pleasure to read.
it is a virile book.
vir·ile /ˈvirəl/ adjective (of a man) having strength, energy, and (view spoiler)["a strong sex drive"... I put this in a spoiler because that part of the definition is not really relevant to this second book in the series. Golden Son belongs on the Young Adult shelf - which many people seem not to realize - and it is a particularly chaste example of the genre.(hide spoiler)] synonyms: manly, masculine, male; having or characterized by strength and energy. "a strong, virile performance"
normally I'd feel some hesitancy getting completely on-board with a book so resolutely, chest-poundingly masculine. but when that book is as pure-hearted in its revolutionary spirit as this one, as full of empathy, and as committed to everything that I'm committed to... well, I am all in! Golden Son despises the lows that ruling classes can sink to and the moral relativity and even social darwinism used to rationalize those lows. Golden Son has a commitment to accepting all who are different and all who are downtrodden, regardless of class or race or gender or sexual orientation or age or level of education or whatever. I am glad to embrace it with open arms.
plus Pierce Brown knows how to write. as this is basically Heinlein-level space opera in form and angsty YA in content, I wasn't particularly expecting creative prose or characters of fascinating depth or a narrative that played games with me. none of those things were present. but the author has a message that I am 100% down with and he places it within an exciting, often moving package. its protagonist seethes and grieves, seethes and reflects, seethes and regrets; he longs to smash his enemies but still forgives his betrayers - even attempting to understand their context and motivations. Golden Son has a strong pulse and a big heart, despite its rage and violence and defeats. it throbs. Brown knows pacing and he knows emotions. he knows how to surprise me; he knows how to get me worked up and excited from the first page to the last. he knows how to tell a story!...more
Austin is a 16-year-old living in Ealing, Iowa. he's in love with his girlfriend Shann; he's in love with his best friend Robbie. author Andrew Smith Austin is a 16-year-old living in Ealing, Iowa. he's in love with his girlfriend Shann; he's in love with his best friend Robbie. author Andrew Smith inhaled a lot of Kurt Vonnegut Jr, or something, before writing this decidedly quirky take on teenage hormones, the cyclical nature of history, how and why we define ourselves, and the joy of creating a whole new world out of what came before. the prose is loose; the tone is light; the narrative is haphazard. because Austin is a realistically depicted American teenage male, the book also includes angst, anxiety, intense friendships, secrets, cigarettes, skateboarding, people stripping down, a whole lot of balls & sperm & pissing, more "uh"s and "um"s than you can count, and the undeniable and frequently stated fact that Austin is incredibly horny about 100% of the time. oh and this book also includes giant praying mantises that burst out of plague victims' bodies and are about to take over the world - but they are a somewhat minor part, all things considered.
much as with actual human beings, many novels' flaws are intrinsically tied to their virtues. it is hard to have one without the other because they are two sides of the same coin. Andrew Smith makes some quirky writing decisions that are very Vonnegut-y, which is great because I love the off-kilter writing style and how the book manages to be simultaneously sunny & sweet and morbid & melancholy. what is not so great is that Smith takes that eccentricity to a place that is less than delightful: namely, in the intentional repetitiveness that started off as amusingly playful but eventually became mind-numbingly tedious.
that said, I still found this to be a thoroughly charming and fun experience. I'm a bi guy who realized in high school that I was attracted to both my girlfriend and a couple of my guy friends, so it was particularly wonderful to read about Austin's indecision regarding Shann and Robbie. (although honestly Austin reads more as straight-but-curious to me.) this is definitely a book for boys, and all that implies, so I can't imagine many women enjoying it without at least some negative reaction to the novel's disinterest in the inner life of its female characters and its protagonist's intense focus on himself and his various sexual fantasies. that stuff should have bothered me too, but hey I was a teenage guy once so it just came across as pretty realistic to me....more
lack of affect can be a compelling thing to witness in a character. from Hitchcock's cool blondes to Bret Easton Ellis' hollow men to Fassbinder's gallack of affect can be a compelling thing to witness in a character. from Hitchcock's cool blondes to Bret Easton Ellis' hollow men to Fassbinder's gallery of life's victims to probably every character that has ever sprung from the mind of Marguerite Duras, lack of affect rarely fails to fascinate. and now that I've done my due diligence in trying to sound as high-brow and intellectual as I possibly can, please meet affect-less Daphne, daughter of Lilith and Lucifer, protagonist of the entrancingly eerie but deeply flawed Young Adult novel The Space Between.
Yovanoff did a sterling job with this character. poor, demonic Daphne! born and raised in Pandemonium, Daphne has dead-white skin, gothic-black hair, and sharp gray dog incisors. her wardrobe comes from across time so when she enters our world, her outfits apparently look stylishly retro. most importantly, her lack of affect manages to be charming, creepy, disturbing, and always utterly fascinating. it makes for some amusing moments, such as when Daphne is in our world, trying to figure things out like party etiquette and what to do when a person is trying to rob you. it also makes for many absorbing and even rather heartbreaking moments, in particular when Daphne "reacts" to the death of a sister or when she blandly notes the lack of love she receives from her mother. her lack of affect also becomes a perfect way to chart her increasing love for extreme loser Truman. The Space Between's romance is one of the few I've read in a novel geared towards teens that did not leave me nauseated. it was genuinely emotional, in a decidedly non-dramatic way. I love that. too bad Truman's such a loser though.
so Daphne must journey to our world in search of her lost brother and in the process becomes closely entwined with Truman and his fate. he's a sad half-breed unaware of his demonic parentage and prone to extreme fits of moping and suicidal ideation, but since Daphne doesn't hold that against him, I won't either. Yovanoff's depiction of Pandemonium is superb, and her description of Daphne experiencing non-demonic reality is also very well-done. Lilith communicating with her daughter through any reflective surface (from mirrors to fenders to bird eyes) was a highly original touch. a demon infant was another highlight. plus the Lord of the Flies himself, the dashing Beelzebub!
The Space Between's villain, the death-angel Azrael, is a surprising failure. perhaps the author just can't relate to angels because all of the care she put in characterizing Daphne and her demonic family is absent in Azrael. he's stridently, monotonously one-note and I resented his every appearance. the climax of the novel felt rushed and was perhaps especially weak because of too much Azrael. that blasted angel also ruins what could have been an interesting trip to Heaven. alas.
despite those flaws, Yovanoff really excels at creating a strange and melancholy atmosphere with intriguing characters and a moving romance. I loved the spare elegance of her prose. the whole book was wonderfully original. perfect for the teen goth in your life!...more
I thought I'd read a chapter or two before going to bed last night. now it's after 7 am; oops I forgot to go to sleep. it was worth it.
anyway.
so I metI thought I'd read a chapter or two before going to bed last night. now it's after 7 am; oops I forgot to go to sleep. it was worth it.
anyway.
so I met this kid named Red Rising by Pierce Brown. right off the bat there was a lot about him that I liked. he enjoyed the game of imagining a society stratified into different groupings based on profession and figuring out how that stratified society would look; he chose the color method as the way he'd group people together. I'm a Virgo so I'm all about compartmentalization and I liked his color idea because I've thought of that idea too (but who hasn't, it's a popular idea). he was really into mythology, specifically Greek and Roman mythology, and hey so am I. we really saw eye to eye on what a lame rip-off Roman mythology actually is, and we spent some time mocking how the Romans pretty much just stole and then watered down Greek gods to turn into their own. Roman mythology, what a joke! but despite their weak mythology, we both agreed that Roman society itself is fascinating because seeing how autocratic societies rationalize their toxic existence is always compelling. he also clearly loved the Hunger Games and Battle Royale and all of those books and movies about kids being forced to face off against each other because they lived in a world controlled by fucked up adults. so as far as our interests go, we had a lot in common.
I had my doubts about him, at least at first. the way he talked about people made me wonder if maybe his outlook was a little simplistic. but the more he talked, the more my doubts crumbled away. sure, he was a little one-note in how he saw the world and the people in it, but what I thought was a shallow perspective was actually a bit more nuanced - mainly because not only did he recognize the potential for change (at least in some), the understanding that ideals and goals must change or at least adjust in the face of reality was central to his entire world view. what I thought was static was actually dynamic, in its own way.
he had a thing or two to say about love and sex: they are central to life and so they should always be included in any kind of story - but it's boring to him when those things are entirely what the story is about. I definitely agreed with that. then he started talking about conflict and battle and he began getting worked up in a way that made me a little uncomfortable. but eventually I saw his point: namely, that stories about war - especially stories written for teenagers like himself - often leave out the sheer ugliness of it all, the rapes and brutality and senseless violence and the meaninglessness, all of that. he wanted to combine those ugly things with the idea that violent conflict is often created for the most base of reasons - because specific individuals and the people they represent simply want more money, more power, better jobs, increased status - and they don't care how they get it or who dies in the process. these ideas are nothing new but I have to say that it was exciting hearing them spelled out in such a passionate way, from someone who felt so strongly about them that he wanted everyone to hear these ideas as if they hadn't heard them before. I've lived a whole life and so I guess that can make me rather cynical, but I'm not embarrassed to admit that the pure enthusiasm he displayed really won me over.
I asked him about how he was going to accomplish his goals. he smiled and said "Look at this face, who can resist it?" then he pulled up his t-shirt and smacked his abs. "And you don't get this kind of a six-pack from steroids, you get it from killing yourself at the gym. I'm there every day man! That's how you accomplish goals - burn off the fat and build up what's useful. Muscle!" I wasn't sure if that was really answering my question but I laughed anyway because that kind of attitude is naive and cocky and amusing all at the same time. It's a fun attitude. I like that kind of energy, especially when it's combined with some thoughtfulness and some anger, and a driving need to show everyone what he thought about the world. I was a bit worried that a person like him would eventually burn out and turn predictable, that his rhetoric would become strident rather than exciting. but for now I'll put those worries aside. I'm on his team....more
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