I don't think Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman like cows very much. And I understand why. I mean, they are murderous beasties. If you don't believe me, tI don't think Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman like cows very much. And I understand why. I mean, they are murderous beasties. If you don't believe me, then believe the fact that they have no natural predators. Why? They killed them all and they're coming for us next.
Still, even knowing how insidiously evil cows are, I'm left after this book with the disquieting thought of:
I usually take my time, and can be quiet erudite when it comes to expressing my love for a book. Today is not that day.
No, you see, you can’t be eloquI usually take my time, and can be quiet erudite when it comes to expressing my love for a book. Today is not that day.
No, you see, you can’t be eloquent and merciful to a book whose main theme is stabbing. Not just other people but stabbing you, in particular, right in the heartsole (Because, at my heart, I am an arsehole – get it? No….?)
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Anyway, before I read this book, I was a deadened husk inside. That book didn’t change that aspect of me much except to poke so many holes in my exterior facade that water leaks in when it rains.
Let’s roll things back.
So I read this book back when it was a glimmer of a book. I loved it then but I LOVE everything about it now. This book is to breaking readers hearts as maestros are to music. Sorry, I’m still so hung up on this book.
I don’t want to say the theme of this book is stabbing. I want to say something more intellectual like it’s theme is revenge and the slow leaking of the humanity in one who has lost so much. But if you said the main theme was stabbing in your SAT test I just don’t frankly think you’d be wrong.
Mia, as our protagonist, drives the story along with three other great supporting characters: Mister Kindly, Tric and our mysterious narrator with their many, many delicious footnotes. Mia, herself is a dry, witty, savage, raw creature who is being moulded into a deadly weapon at a school for assassins. (Think Hogwarts, except if you fail a lesson – you die.) Mister Kindly is her shadow assistant. Acerbic and snarky and part of her special abilities which is all I’ll say about that. Tric – I have no words for. No. Words. Don’t touch me!
As for our narrator, I feel like it’s humour and the many, many world building details included in the footnotes really brings this story to life. What would otherwise be a tense, dramatic story is added a certain levity through the narrator’s wit. It carries it in a way, where the sadness and more depressing aspects of this story might usually bog a reader down – is lifted and given perspective by the narrator.
The writing is outstanding, with the usual Kristoff flair. It was simply stunning, rich bodied and full of flavour. If I sound like I’m describing a coffee then I can only attest to my sleep deprived state. The pacing and the plot, I felt, were fantastic. Right when you started to feel bogged down in world building and such, Kristoff throws in some stabbing or some sex to liven it up. It’s like he’s come across the perfect formula for me, personally. Which, if he has, I ain’t gonna complain.
A word to the wary – this book is graphic. In violence, in sex, in language. It’s definitely for the more mature readers out there. But if drinking the blood of your enemies is your thing, as it is mine – then I highly suggest you give it a try. ...more
Did you know this book is shiny? Just look at its cover! So shiny! Gloriously, gloriously shiny. You know how some people are beautiful on the inside Did you know this book is shiny? Just look at its cover! So shiny! Gloriously, gloriously shiny. You know how some people are beautiful on the inside and the outside? Well the great thing about this ponderously big tome is that it is shiny on the outside and the inside. Rather like a phosphorescent jellyfish, it shines even if you cut it open and play with its splayed tenders.
How is it shiny on the inside, Kat? You ask because you like things to make sense.
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Cat scientists are only marginally more terrifying than real scientists.
Everything inside this book is just so good and pure and awesome. Maggie is one of those unusual YA protagonists who actually moves the storyline along herself. She doesn’t wait for anyone to strike. She’s beautifully flawed, fatally flawed but you just can’t help love her. She has a goal, a job to do and she’ll manoeuvre people into position to do it, even to her own detriment.
The game she plays with Quentin is gripping and the romance between the two characters makes me want to drink a bottle of wine and present a ring to this book if only to keep it with me forever. Maggie’s pro activeness in everything drives the entire book. From plot and pacing to character reveals and the thrilling end.
In fact Maggie stalked me until she found out about that time I killed a old man over half a pickle sandwich.
Then she threatened to expose me unless I wrote a favourable review of this book.
Now she’ll probably discard me once I’ve become useless to her in her grand scheme to bring down a multibillion dollar corporation that controls the world.
I both fear and love her. Part of me respects her and I absolutely can’t wait to see how this series ends.
This review appears on my blog, . I received this book for free from Purchased in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ...more
Adams has written a total psychopath, and sometimes I’m kind of worried because he doesn’t seem to think this character is necessarily a psychopath. OAdams has written a total psychopath, and sometimes I’m kind of worried because he doesn’t seem to think this character is necessarily a psychopath. Or maybe he’s fooling us. See, I interviewed him about this terrifying character and this was his response:
“I loved writing X because he doesn’t see himself as a bad guy at all. And maybe he’s not. What he has is a plan to save the world and the power to put it into action even though his means seem ruthless. But, like he tells Danby, God didn’t say to Noah, “Hey, beardy, get all the animals” – he said get two of each. X thinks it’s important to save people with skills to rebuild the world rather than try to save everyone. I think if you got access to government emergency plans, they’d have similar sort of ideas on the books. If you’re an author, sucked in. If you’re an engineer, we’ve got your Ark berth all made up. X’s point is also that circumstances have allowed him and Danby to create a new world from the ground up. There are no billionaires or politicians or celebrities to get preference over ordinary folk. Being able to explore his complexity – and Danby having to admit that he makes sense – made him feel very real and their relationship a joy to write. Those themes are picked up in the second book. Danby might not be as all-knowing as she can think she is. Or is she? Whaaaaaaaat?”
No, Adams. You’re a tops guy and I can’t wait to chug back beers with you one day (Editors note: OMG. We are so goddamn Australian it hurts), but no. He is eviller than someone who doesn’t like My Little Pony (the worst kind of evil).
I say this because The Last Girl is the best kind of Apocalypse book around. Not only original, but an actual apocalypse. With a lot of apocalypse books, you tend to see things just after the world has gone to shit. The story starts with a survivor, just after most of humanity is lost. The Lost Girl doesn’t shy away from all that, and Danby is in a situation where she has to choose who dies and who lives. Who she can save and who she has to abandon. That’s pretty intense. And that’s also hard work for a writer, thus why a lot skip it over in preference for getting down to the fun carnage bits. Believe it or not, it’s kind of hard to orchestrate a believable end of the world, from a writerly point of view.
Doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Mainly, it’s biggest issue is me. Because I’ve read so many bloody apocalyptic novels that they all tend to blend into each other. However, for someone mostly new to the genre – this would be a good place to start. Think John Marsden meets Pyscho, though I’m not sure Adams meant it to be this way. The concept is original, Danby is cool, but the set up isn’t. Love triangle, psycho boyfriend, only one girl who can save them all. It’s pretty run-of-the-mill stuff in Young Adult Landia. Shatter Me did the psycho boyfriend better, but since The Last Girl doesn’t have the horrible purple prose, it wins on all other accounts. And the setting in Sydney is refreshing to the usual middle America. Writing is pretty good.
It took me a while to get into this book. The love-triangle thinggie didn’t help, but then things get full on scary and that’s when the book gets good. The first half of the book is a 2.5 star read for me, but the second half was a solid 5 star because it gets suspenseful as all hell. The narrative itself feels kind of critical of social media, and Adams seems to be aware of that. Is constant connectivity a good or bad thing? I feel like that’s what The Last Girl is really asking. And it’s answer is that we don’t really want to be connected to everyone at all times, we only think we do. We want everyone to know that we’re eating a cake in the shape of Steampunk Harley Quinn’s face for our birthday party, but not that we think anal beads would be a fun thing to try this weekend. And that’s an interesting distinction, one it pays to wonder if future generations will have to struggle with more than us. The line between our real selves and our online selves becomes increasingly blurred. And what if we stop knowing the difference? The implausibility of the story vehicle aside, The Last Girl asks a lot of questions. Ones I’d be happy to answer as soon as I’m finished looking up pictures of cats who like cheese burgers and can’t spell.
I have no complaints, people. I’m putting this on my Christmas List Recommendation Guide Thinggie for Teenagers. I guess I’m just waiting for book #2 to come out to see if it can really deviate into amazing territory, and if Adams can keep up the momentum from the second half of the book. It seems to me, his strength lies in the psychological thriller side, which the second book seems to promise a lot of.
Until then, peanut butter jelly time! (Because I’m shallow and all moral quandaries result in the celebration of useless memes.)
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This book was provided to me for review purposes. Nobody paid me for it and I received no favours or gifts for it. This is a problem. Where's my goddamn pony?! I was promised a pony! Can someone get back to me asap with my pony?!
Kristoff has said, many times, that he doesn’t believe in happy endings. For the sake of all his readers, I once took him out for drinks and tried to Kristoff has said, many times, that he doesn’t believe in happy endings. For the sake of all his readers, I once took him out for drinks and tried to get him terribly drunk. The one flaw in my plan being that I am 5’8 and he is 7′monster. My intention was to discover his true plans for the Stormdancer trilogy, and his earnestness about causing angst and heartbreak to his readers.
Alas, good folks, I can only surmise that Kristoff truly believes in neither happy endings or sparing his readers pain. Kinslayer backs this up and more. It is a brilliantly written, emotionally-packed book. But I must warn you, it’s going to break your heart. Kristoff pulls no punches and spares no pain. Here is a visualization of my agony while reading.
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The only thing I can imagine harder than readers needing extreme therapy for the pain this book will cause, is coping with the multiple view shifts. Kinslayer has so many characters and interaction storylines that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you’re not used to tracking that much angst at once.
I just can’t help but feel like all my feelings have been used up. Kristoff is an evil bastard.
The writing is, of course, beautiful. Just stunning. I can’t even with this writing. I wish I could quote some of it for you, but the second I finished reading this book, everyone I know turned up at my house and flogged the ARC from me. I haven’t seen it since. No, really. They all worked out a reading schedule between them. I’m told that I won’t see it again until 2014.
Of course, predictably, the Yukiko and Buruu dynamic is magic – and it really needed to be. Because Yukiko has the hardest time ever, and I doubt she would have made it through without Buruu. And no matter what else happens in this series, no matter what else shapes it, the relationship that Buruu and Yukiko have seems to be foundational. Rather like Spock and Kirk.
In other news, Kin should die.
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And Michi is so badass. I mean, omg. I wasn’t sure I’d get a girl crush even harder than the ones I have for both Captain Corsair from the Iron Seas Trilogy and Veronica Rossi. But if Michi ever beckoned her finger at me, good lord I’d come running. Even if it was just so that she could murder the hell out of me.
As I went through my notes of reading this book, I notice how often I said things like, “OMG! They’re going to bone, aren’t they?” I don’t know what that either says about the novel or me. Maybe it just says that my love for this series is highly inappropriate but true and eternal.
If you haven’t read it yet – read it. READ IT NOW OR FACE MY WRATH!
Okay, at page 156 this crossed over from boring to painful to read.
And it's not that I don't understand what the author is trying to do here. Low selOkay, at page 156 this crossed over from boring to painful to read.
And it's not that I don't understand what the author is trying to do here. Low self-esteem country girl, bully misogynistic husband, starting a new life and all that. It's probably mostly realistic. I've met enough couples like this - particularly country lads who couldn't wipe their asses without a woman around to help them with it. It's just that nothing happens. It's such a long, drawn out boring tale of lunch meeting after lunch meeting after coffee meet up and then a dinner meeting thrown in to round it off.
And whilst I understood why the main character was so painfully, ridiculously, annoyingly dumb, and even felt that her actions were in line with the character - this simply made that novel horrible to read.
But I'm nothing, if not, all about the edumacation, folks. So I'm going to provide a list of things to do, that this character definitely should have done, in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Things you should do if you're leaving your partner:
1. Make copies of all financial papers. Bank statements, recent sales, deeds, debts, assets, superannuation details, payslips etc. (If you quit work to stay at home for your partner/family - remember to consider the superannuation that you've lost out on when calculating your financial worth.)
2. Seek legal advice. Make sure this lawyer or firm is not representing your partner. If you can't afford a lawyer and don't qualify for legal aid, investigate a mediator.
3. Make note of the date of separation.
4. Close any joint accounts.
5. Get your name off utilities as soon as you leave.
6. Don't sign anything without having it viewed by your lawyer.
7. Fuck everyone else. Seriously, just fuck them. Do what you need to do for yourself....more
There was a reason that Melina Marchetta launched this book. I think I can safely put up a big sign over Pip Harry’s name that says, “Watch This SpThere was a reason that Melina Marchetta launched this book. I think I can safely put up a big sign over Pip Harry’s name that says, “Watch This Space.”
And because Pip Harry is Australian – instead of being lauded as brilliant and fantasmazeballs, she just gets put in that neat little category of Great Australian Writers like Melina Marchetta, Kirsty Eagar, Markus Zusak, Garth Nix, Shirley Marr, Lucy Christopher and Laura Buzo. I’m sure at least a couple of them aren’t really Australian but we have a tendency of just claiming people as our own – so just go with it.
This was the story of socially awkward Goth girl, Kate, dealing with being kicked out of home, relating to a bunch of boarders and rectifying her home situation whilst dealing with her own crushing insecurities.
It’s about being fifteen and stupid, and lucky, and angry, and confused and frustrated.
What really spoke to me was the brash reality of Kate’s life. Things aren’t just glossed over or purified through a decency filter for the reader. This isn’t about teens hanging out in designer clothes and playing baseball with their parents on a Sunday afternoon. This is about a girl who drinks, who wants to have sex, who has an uncontrollable temper and a difficult personality. And since Harry embraces that truth and rawness of narration, she’s able to induce strong emotional moments between the characters of the novel.
My biggest concern was on the Goth thing. I was concerned that the book would be full of bad poetry and musings about the futileness of happiness. And in the interest of full disclosure, everything I learned about Goths came from Southpark.
[image] It's where I learn most things, to be honest.
But it turns out, like with most things, the label is just a window dressing for an otherwise normal girl dealing with otherwise normal teenage things. She just happens to be Goth while she’s doing it. And even though I still don’t know what that means, I learned a very valuable lesson… don’t piss off Goth people or your intestines will become their floss! Okay, maybe not the lesson you’re supposed to learn, but, whatever.
I enjoyed Pip Harry’s style of narration and the book flows well for the first three quarters. Right up until the last quarter I would have said it was a five star novel. In the last quarter, the narration really slips into denouement mode and becomes very telling and to be honest, both myself and the story weren’t quite ready for that. It’s like when you’re still colouring and your parent/teacher comes along and starts asking you to pack up and you’re like, “Hold it! I’m still going here! THE FOOT ISN’T FINISHED!”
There was still some story left to go but the edge had gone from the novel because we were in the nice, comforting wrap-up phase of storytelling.
If you’re a fan of Aussie novels, Melina Marchetta, heart-warming tales or good times, then I highly suggest you give this one a go.
This is the good thing about Goodreads. When you start reading, the mediocre fare doesn't seem so bad, maybe even enjoyable. But after reading your huThis is the good thing about Goodreads. When you start reading, the mediocre fare doesn't seem so bad, maybe even enjoyable. But after reading your hundredth YA paranormal romance with Mary Sue, Miss Goody-two-shoes, virginal blob, it starts to leave a sour taste in your mouth and a dissatisfying sickness in your gut.
But on Goodreads, you get to learn about books like this. Books you might never have discovered if a friend hadn't reviewed it or someone hadn't recommended it to you.
After all those same books with the same themes and same stories and same characters, I started looking for different books. Amazing books with excellent writing and brilliant execution. Books that shine or burn or blaze their way through your mind. That's what this book was for me.
Marr's writing is raw and spartan, but her imagery is complex and her characters are deeply flawed, interesting and vivid.
Eliza Boans, sixteen year old rich brat and school socialite is in for murder. Why? From the very first page Eliza flashes you her bratty, shallow, vicious personality - daring you to contradict her. But the tale that unfolds shows a different person. She is often unlikeable but never unreadable and this is the distinction that so many authors miss out on.
The tale is gripping, pulled through by the beautiful tapestry of characters and relationships and mystery that surrounds Eliza's fall from grace.
My favourite thing about this book is Marr's ability to translate Eliza's emotions and personality to the reader. She's able to help the reader feel Eliza's rage, her frustration, her loneliness and helplessness.
Also, you get TOTAL hipster points from reading this book - great for trolling.
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*Also, we have an interview with Marr and a giveaway for this book and her new release, Preloved up on our blog....more
There is something ineffably magical about Marillier’s novels. There are precious few authors, in my opinion, who create as earnest a fantasThere is something ineffably magical about Marillier’s novels. There are precious few authors, in my opinion, who create as earnest a fantasy environment replete with mysticism and magic as Marillier does.
I feel a little embarrassed and ashamed. I was desperate for this book. After loving Wildwood Dancing and Heart’s Blood with a fiery passion, I was sure I’d adore this one too.
The first thing that you should know about Shadowfell is that it’s not as much the same ilk as Wildwood Dancing and Heart’s Blood. It’s closer to her Daughter of the Forest series in tone and story telling though less adult. The second thing you should know is that the pace and story telling of this novel is even slower than that of Daughter of the Forest. If you’re not familiar with Marillier’s prior work then you will need to consider where the aspects of Lord of the Rings series in which Sam and Frodo were walking to Mordor were something you enjoyed as a reader. If they weren’t then I would highly advise you give this a skip. In fact, if you’re not a fan of walking in general then give this book a skip – there was a lot of damn walking in this book. A LOT.
Whilst the prose and characters and suspense made up for a lot of the stagnation in plot – it didn’t always feel enough to carry the novel enough for me to give it four stars. Neryn’s character in particular gave me great pause. Marillier’s female protagonists are often strong, capable, wise and dignified. That’s just the way she writes them and I love her for that. But Neryn lacked the spark of personality, of substance that I usually enjoy. She has no real flaws – unless you count not being able to trust a man who she has no reason to trust (I call that common sense). Perhaps she has a whole breadth of character that we haven’t seen yet. I don’t know. This novel doesn’t afford her to show much since she lives in a constant state of survival mode.
Over all, I would still pick this novel up over a whole host of novels, but for a Marillier novel, I felt a tad let down. I’m hoping the next in the series shall rectify that and contain a great deal less walking.
*This book was provided to me by the publisher....more
My first inclination upon finishing Night Beach is to flood my review with several happy, dancing gifs. [image] Yeah, that will do.
That would be a helluMy first inclination upon finishing Night Beach is to flood my review with several happy, dancing gifs. [image] Yeah, that will do.
That would be a helluva lot easier than trying to express why and how I loved this book so much.
However, allow me to give you some very valid reasons to read this book:
1. Eagar is an extremely promising Australian author. 2. This book is blurbed by Melina Marchetta for a reason. 3. I told you to.
Not everyone is going to completely get Night Beach. Eagar's style is both raw and brutal, showing no mercy. Her characters, so real, tangible and lovingly created, are stripped bare for her audience. Nothing is hidden or glossed over. No emotion is withheld and no reality is too stark to express.
At first Abbie seems an unlikable character, but her self-awareness and patheticness lends her a touch of palatability. But there is a depth and strength to Abbie that becomes increasingly evident as the book progresses. At first you think Abbie's obsession is like Call of Duty Nazi Zombies - endless and a little pointless but you can't stop yourself. But Abbie has so much growth, so much passion and so much heroism that she was almost addicting.
Kane was... Kane. Kane was many young, stupid Australian boys that I've met and Eagar's ability to capture the young, male Australian specimen for display here is almost a feat of genius. I think the brilliance of Eagar's writing for Night Beach is her ability to mirror a longing in the audience that is reminiscent of Abbie's own feelings and obsession. Those brief flashes of something worthwhile and lovable in Kane which are briefly littered through out the novel. It keeps you hoping that maybe, just maybe he'll be good enough for Abbie. Maybe one day he'll be all she wants and needs from him.
If I were to describe Eagar's prose as ambitious and artistic, some readers may have horrifying Shatter Me flashbacks. This is a different kind of ambitious and artistic. Phoebe North, I believe, said it best in her review when she wrote:
"I believe that the onus is on the writer to earn our trust in their mastery over prose. I never was quite convinced that Mafi was the master here; her writing was just too imprecise, connoting all the wrong things (and clearly not intentionally) entirely too often."
[image] In other words: your language seems pretty but, on reflection, is stupid, painful and nonsensical.
This sentiment, and her entire review, I completely agree with. Happily, it is not the case with Night Beach. Eagar's language is descriptive and powerful, but it is also precise and Eagar wields it with precision and great skill. I wanted to find an example of Eagar's skill and the tightness of her prose. But her language is so understated and appropriate for the narrative that excerpts simply don't do it as much justice. The plot issues I had with Raw Blue were nonexistent here. The book felt complete and entirely satisfactory in its ending. What's more is that it made sense and was true to the themes and the characters.
Perhaps the best part of all this? Kirsty Eagar has joined with Melina Marchetta and they are both now my favouritest authors ever. They both live in Sydney. Guess where I live and what I'll be doing now?
I need to take a moment to do something before beginning this review.
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Stormdancer is a fantasy nerdgasm, written by a fantasy nerd, for tI need to take a moment to do something before beginning this review.
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Stormdancer is a fantasy nerdgasm, written by a fantasy nerd, for the fantasy nerds – and if it sounds like I just pilfered some of the Gettysburg address then that’s because Abraham Lincoln riding a grizzly bear was just about the only damn thing missing from this book.
[image] Image by Rando
Subsequently my life is now complete.
Stormdancer is a world one step removed from our own. Imagined as a Japan with Steampunk technology and alternate history, choking the life out of itself by growing and harvesting the Blood Lotus – which fuels all their mechanical marvels. And then there’s Yukiko. Daughter of the Hunt Master, subject of the terrifying and cruel Shogun, impure yokai-kin sent on an impossible mission to find the mythical griffin and capture it for the Shogun.
Things I liked about Stormdancer:
Buruu
The Writing
Yukiko
World-Building
Buruu
Michii
Kasumi
Buruu
Buruu
and
Buruu
Obviously the scene stealer of this novel is Buruu. Proud, funny, vicious, blood-thirsty and beautiful. But characters aren’t enough to breath life into a novel. What Stormdanver has is the near-perfectly constructed prose which transform this beautiful narrative into a sprawling epic. Kristoff’s style is rich, whimsical and near lyrical in his form and structure. Novice’s to fantasy may either get swept away or drown if it’s too deep for their skill level.
Clearly a great deal of tender loving care has gone into Kristoff’s stunning debut, as visible from every single page labored with meaty lore, obsessive detail and great imagination. Some may enjoy the subtle, or not so subtle, nods to other fantasy and science fiction that litter this book. The plot and pacing keep up a steady stream of interest and enthusiasm, I felt. Making this book exceptionally readable and enjoyable.
And now that I have gotten all the obligatory serious discussion and annoying stuff that I have to do to be taken seriously as book blogger out of the way, may I just mention one, juvenile thing that I rather enjoyed:
[image] Original picture by Cory Doctorow – alteration based on Darkstarz
All the jizzworthy toys. Yes! Great characters, writing, world-building, plot, pacing, blah-blah-blah… GIVE ME MY CHAINSAW KATANA, KRISTOFF!
The mechanized armor and sky ships and CHAINSAW FUCKING KATANAS and tattoos and the hundred other little Steampunk-y ideas that filled this novel up and made it stand out above the rest! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!
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Ah… erm, that is all…
Buy this book. Buy it and read it and love it. Then make me a chainsaw Katana.
Quintana of Charyn is a masterful novel. Hauntingly beautiful, powerfully written and the perfect end to this brilliant fantasy series.
But this is notQuintana of Charyn is a masterful novel. Hauntingly beautiful, powerfully written and the perfect end to this brilliant fantasy series.
But this is nothing different. Marchetta's novels only come in shades of amazing. By far her strongest and most compelling ability as a writer, is the way in which she crafts her characters and their struggles in the context of the world they live in.
If you have read Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles than fear not. Quintana of Charyn will not disappoint.
What sets the Lumatere series apart from many other fantasy novels is it's focus on people and relationships. It's easy, when constructing fantasy worlds, foreign mythology and ensuring you've described the elves' ears right, to forget the heart and soul of fantasy - and that is the people in it. Who are they? what are their struggles? What do they hope for? What do they fear? Often societies and races get boiled down to the language lexicon and dress code that the author painstakingly put aside for them.
There is a rich, imaginative fantasy mythos going on here, but world-building is like movie special-effects. It's usually doing it's job best when you can't tell it's there. When it's so native and natural to the storytelling, that the audience is able to completely forget that it's all made up.
But you guys don't really want to read my wax poetic about how much I love and respect Marchetta. Wait, you do? Okay. Here goes.
Reading this book was like looking at a rainbow - beautiful, something for everyone, filling our hearts with joy, and you assume at least one Unicorn was involved in the making of it.
Reading this book is like being under a spell. It doesn't seem possible, there's magic in the air, and Marchetta eats your heart with how lovely and sad it is.
Reading this book is like having all the fun of sex without pregnancy or STDs. It'll make you cry out, beg and pray to a deity - whether you believe in one or not.
The complaint I hear most often is that Marchetta's books are expensive - especially for non Australians. But look at it this way: Marchetta is like Hipster gold. Brilliant, obscure and hard to get. Do yourself a favour. If you've not read her books before, get them. See for yourself what all the raving is about. Fall in love again, and again. Grow up and learn, live, cry, make a bunch of life-long friends, and then do it all again with the next book.
Sometimes I feel like Marchetta books should come with a public health warning.
"Marchetta Fever," it would say.
"Symptoms include: pain, aching or burSometimes I feel like Marchetta books should come with a public health warning.
"Marchetta Fever," it would say.
"Symptoms include: pain, aching or burning in the chest region indicating a broken heart.
Uncontrollable weeping, both happy and sad, may occur frequently. More serious cases run the risk of having their mind blown.
This condition has no known cure."
That's me. That's me with every single one of these books.
I went into my local bookstore to order me some Marchetta this year. Let me explain the community I live in. The largest shopping center has, I kid you not, FIVE lingerie stores. Stores entirely devoted to selling ladies underwear and such accessories. It has one tiny bookstore. A bookstore that is going out of business. A bookstore that had no fewer than ten copies of A Shore Thing and Confessions of a Guidette. Did they have any Marchetta or Laini Taylor? No. One paperback copy of Froi of the Exiles was tucked away somewhere. This is a travesty. This should be considered a Federal Crime. The Unicorn Squad needs to get on that shit and put someone away in the Candy Cane House of Pain for violating awesomeness.
Marchetta's books are more than just readable, well-written, well-characterized novels of great spirit and imagination. There is a beauty to them, a magic to them which wafts through every sentence of every page. It's not just finely crafted writing, though it is that too. It's a living, beating heart and beautiful but broken soul.
Does it matter that this book was 600 pages long? Not to me. Not when every page was breath-takingly spectacular. The themes are almost always the same. Loss, pain, healing, family, loyalty. I love the complication and depth of her characterization.
Whatever it is that Marchetta does, it speaks to me. It touches me in parts of my heart that I had locked away and worked hard to forget. Sometimes it hurts but she always, always remembers to patch me up again when she's finished.
So, if you're feeling a little lacklustre about your reading selection, why don't you try getting yourself a case of Marchetta fever? It just might be what cures you.
You know, I wish Melina Marchetta would be more considerate of my mind - it's exhausting, having it blown all the time.You know, I wish Melina Marchetta would be more considerate of my mind - it's exhausting, having it blown all the time....more
Kat Kennedy
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australian-writer
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