[contains spoilers]
First of all, let me just say that I applaud anyone who can sit down, write a novel, and have the courage to get it published and send it out into the world, knowing that some people will love it while others will hate it. It takes a very brave person to do that.
However, that being said, I didn't really like this book for several reasons. First of all, because I didn't like it that much, I will probably never invest the time or money in reading the next one, and the ending of this first book leaves A LOT of MAJOR PLOT POINTS unresolved. And I am the type of person who, even if I am not enjoying something, I am going to see it through to the end simply because I started it, so by God, I'm going to finish it. However, finishing this particular book did nothing to wrap up anything for me.
The concept of the book itself was okay. At times, while reading it, however, I felt as though several of the scenes were adapted straight from the Twilight and Vampire Diaries books. One girl being fought over by three gorgeous guys of various supernatural statuses (two of them being brothers, no less)... sadly it has been done a little too often to have an impact on me anymore. There is actually a paragraph towards the end of the book that sums up the whole thing for me:
"Well, Grandpa Henry once told me that when asked a question, it is always wise to find the meaning of words I don't understand, before coming up with an answer. In this instance, it seems I don't know the difference between love, lust, and infatuation. It is possible to lust after the one you are in love with, is it not? Also, possible for that someone you are in love with to be the object of your infatuation, and to lust over the object of your infatuation, which might be the love of your life. Is it not also true that these three things can exist separately? Lust for one person, infatuated by the other or be in love with another?"
I'm sorry, but what?! It was paragraphs like that one there that made the book unappealing to me.
Also, a lot of the scenes felt forced, and the book would suddenly go from one extreme to the other with no warning. For instance, in one second, lips would be about to meet and then BAM! "F*-k you! Why don't you just f*-k off!" I have no problem with conflict or romance, but sometimes these scenes would happen not only on the same page, but in the same paragraph. It's hard to adjust to such rapid plot changes.
One of the worst instances of this happens on pages 234 and 235. The main character, Alexandra, is kissing one of her suitors, and it is a sweet moment. Then another of her suitors says, "Slow down, Alex. ... It almost looks as if you're trying too hard." And that morphs into a huge "F*-k you!" "No! F*-k you!" battle that lasts two and a half pages.
Finally, one of the things that bugs me most about this novel is the lack of editing put into it. Actually, that is unfair. I'm not sure if it is a lack of editing, per se. However, at times -- especially during the very 'exciting' or 'emotional' parts -- the grammar and sentence structure gets a bit... bad. In those places, the book reads almost like it has been translated poorly from another language.
An example (any grammatical or spelling mistakes are verbatim): "It's not long ago when I finished a glass of champagne, and yet I feel thirsty. So thirsty, I can barely stand it. No waiters seem to be around. I don't want to hunt for a drink, and so I wait patiently for a waiter."
Another (any grammatical or spelling mistakes are verbatim): "My mouth water as he moves his lips from my cheek, stopping just above my top lip. In breathless anticipation, I inhale his scent and move my hesitate lips to touch his."
I realize things like this are small and inconsequential, but I am a professional editor. That is what I do for a living. I edit books before they are published specifically to avoid problems like that. So when I see mistakes like these, it really detracts from the reading experience.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book; perhaps because I was so excited to read it. Anytime I build something up in my mind to be really good, it usually disappoints me. If I happen to win a copy of the second book, I'll read it just to tie up all the lose ends, but I won't be spending money on it.
First of all, let me just say that I applaud anyone who can sit down, write a novel, and have the courage to get it published and send it out into the world, knowing that some people will love it while others will hate it. It takes a very brave person to do that.
However, that being said, I didn't really like this book for several reasons. First of all, because I didn't like it that much, I will probably never invest the time or money in reading the next one, and the ending of this first book leaves A LOT of MAJOR PLOT POINTS unresolved. And I am the type of person who, even if I am not enjoying something, I am going to see it through to the end simply because I started it, so by God, I'm going to finish it. However, finishing this particular book did nothing to wrap up anything for me.
The concept of the book itself was okay. At times, while reading it, however, I felt as though several of the scenes were adapted straight from the Twilight and Vampire Diaries books. One girl being fought over by three gorgeous guys of various supernatural statuses (two of them being brothers, no less)... sadly it has been done a little too often to have an impact on me anymore. There is actually a paragraph towards the end of the book that sums up the whole thing for me:
"Well, Grandpa Henry once told me that when asked a question, it is always wise to find the meaning of words I don't understand, before coming up with an answer. In this instance, it seems I don't know the difference between love, lust, and infatuation. It is possible to lust after the one you are in love with, is it not? Also, possible for that someone you are in love with to be the object of your infatuation, and to lust over the object of your infatuation, which might be the love of your life. Is it not also true that these three things can exist separately? Lust for one person, infatuated by the other or be in love with another?"
I'm sorry, but what?! It was paragraphs like that one there that made the book unappealing to me.
Also, a lot of the scenes felt forced, and the book would suddenly go from one extreme to the other with no warning. For instance, in one second, lips would be about to meet and then BAM! "F*-k you! Why don't you just f*-k off!" I have no problem with conflict or romance, but sometimes these scenes would happen not only on the same page, but in the same paragraph. It's hard to adjust to such rapid plot changes.
One of the worst instances of this happens on pages 234 and 235. The main character, Alexandra, is kissing one of her suitors, and it is a sweet moment. Then another of her suitors says, "Slow down, Alex. ... It almost looks as if you're trying too hard." And that morphs into a huge "F*-k you!" "No! F*-k you!" battle that lasts two and a half pages.
Finally, one of the things that bugs me most about this novel is the lack of editing put into it. Actually, that is unfair. I'm not sure if it is a lack of editing, per se. However, at times -- especially during the very 'exciting' or 'emotional' parts -- the grammar and sentence structure gets a bit... bad. In those places, the book reads almost like it has been translated poorly from another language.
An example (any grammatical or spelling mistakes are verbatim): "It's not long ago when I finished a glass of champagne, and yet I feel thirsty. So thirsty, I can barely stand it. No waiters seem to be around. I don't want to hunt for a drink, and so I wait patiently for a waiter."
Another (any grammatical or spelling mistakes are verbatim): "My mouth water as he moves his lips from my cheek, stopping just above my top lip. In breathless anticipation, I inhale his scent and move my hesitate lips to touch his."
I realize things like this are small and inconsequential, but I am a professional editor. That is what I do for a living. I edit books before they are published specifically to avoid problems like that. So when I see mistakes like these, it really detracts from the reading experience.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book; perhaps because I was so excited to read it. Anytime I build something up in my mind to be really good, it usually disappoints me. If I happen to win a copy of the second book, I'll read it just to tie up all the lose ends, but I won't be spending money on it.
