A Bit of Lit

“It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her. It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything. But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true,” (Rory Power).

This novel was a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it was fast-paced and it felt like there was always something going on. On the other, it felt like Hetty’s selfishness and stupidity was the only thing pushing the plot at times. What a surprise in a YA novel. Eye Roll. Examples include Hetty’s need to find Byatt ending the school’s support by breaking quarantine and how Hetty’s inability to close the gate led to the trouble with the bear and more woes. On that note—I found it strange that Hetty got upset with the Headmistress for trying to kill everyone, but later, knowingly sacrificed the other girls in the hopes that she, Byatt, and Reese could survive... within a few pages. Isn’t this a bit... hypocritical? And cold? And generally rude? Also, why didn’t the girls try to leave the island earlier? Perhaps, during the quarantine in secret or just after it ended when they realized they would no longer receive help? Finally, I felt as though the novel was unnecessarily icky at times.

“For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens,” (Delia Owens).

What on earth was this nonsense? This book was awful. It felt like nothing was happening even with a murder investigation going on in the background and then a trial looming large toward the end of the novel. I don’t understand how an author can make a murder feel so darn dry either. Perhaps the most painful thing for me, however, was how the vast majority of the characters spoke—their deep, southern drawls, their heavily accented speech. It is hard to understand in real life if you are not accustomed to it; it is even more difficult on paper, and I found myself reading the same sentences over and over again in frustration. It was AWFUL! Not to mention, there wasn’t anyone who really drew me in to the story or was particularly interesting. Some characters were better than others, but as a collective, they didn’t appeal to me much. Jumpin’ was probably my favorite though simply because he seemed like both a kind and genuine soul and one of the few who could find it within himself to be kind to the “Marsh Girl.”

With that being said, this novel reminded me of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, in part because of the prejudice Kya faced from her town while on trial and in part because it was a coming of age story in which she fully matured following the events that took place during the trial. I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing, but the book didn’t seem as original as it could have because it reminded me so much of Lee’s work.

Now, let’s talk about the cover. Why? Just why? I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to be Kya and it looks like she’s paddling in a canoe. I don’t recall there being mention of her using a canoe, and the boat she was known for using had a motor. I don’t like how the cover not only fails to tell me anything about the novel’s contents, but how its art is incongruous with what was written within its pages. I honestly wonder who signed off on it. The only thing that redeemed this dumpster fire of a novel at all were the final two pages. That was an interesting ending. But everything else about this novel sucked. Period. End of story.

Logan Ury's How To Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love is basically a modern-day guide to navigating relationships and romance. Full disclosure: its contents are not even remotely surprising. To me, it felt like a bunch of common sense shoved into a book with some real-life stories and examples. For example, of course, appearance isn't that important in a long-term partner. Of course, it's important that you fight well and you be with someone who has the ability to make hard decisions with you. Of course! This isn't rocket science. I really didn't need a book to tell me that, but I guess it was nice to have the reminder and all this information in one place? And some of the studies cited in this book were interesting.

“Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life,” (Morgenstern).

This novel definitely wasn’t The Night Circus—the prose wasn’t as beautiful, it wasn’t as strong or well-written, its pace was a problem, its characters weren’t as engaging, and its magic didn’t feel as magical. I was bored for the vast majority of this novel and just wished it would end already. It had a great premise, but it wasn’t well-executed. The novel felt slow because the prose was redundant and there was too much packed into the book that hindered its flow—unnecessary details and chapters, etc. The characters didn’t really draw me in either, although distinct, they sometimes felt like the same person at the same time. I’m guessing because they all had very similar speech patterns. At least the ending was more engaging than the vast majority of the novel. Even so, this definitely was not my favorite book.

“In Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong. In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward. For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages ― and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound vampire knowledge. Penelope would love to help, but she's smuggled an American Normal into London, and now she isn't sure what to do with him. And Agatha? Well, Agatha Wellbelove has had enough. Any Way the Wind Blows takes the gang back to England, back to Watford, and back to their families for their longest and most emotionally wrenching adventure yet. This book is a finale. It tells secrets and answers questions and lays ghosts to rest,” (Rowell).

Whereas Wayward Son felt directionless for a while, Any Way the Wind Blows felt as though it was running in too many different directions at once. There was the Chosen One plot, the plot involving Lady Ruth, all the romantic plots, and more. For me, it felt like there was too much going on to really enjoy anything that was happening. There wasn’t enough time given, or focus awarded, to any one plot to make reading the novel feel as rewarding as it could have been. I think Rowell needed to narrow her focus in this novel a bit, not because having too much going on in a novel makes the novel bad or weak automatically, but because she seems to be someone who struggles with balance and direction in her writing at times. (For me, this was evident in Wayward Son). I also wish less focus had been given to the romantic relationships between the novel’s main characters because romance wasn’t what drew me into the series, magic was. With that being said, I appreciated each character’s growth since it made them more interesting and relatable. Finally, I wish there hadn’t been so many grammatical errors to detract from the prose, often in the case of extra words, because it really upset the novel’s flow. And the novel was already struggling.

“Simon Snow is back and he's coming to America! The story is supposed to be over. Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after… So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch? What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light. That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West. They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place,” (Rowell).

I didn’t feel as though Wayward Son was as strong as Carry On, the first book in the Simon Snow trilogy. I think that this was in part because the pace wasn’t as good and in part because it seemed a little directionless for a while. There’s just this road trip to see an old friend and nothing else really going on until the group gets to Vegas and discovers more about America’s vampires. Then the novel really picks up and is action-packed. Not that there wasn’t action here or there before then, it just wasn’t as consistent and it didn’t seem to propel the plot forward as much as the action that took place toward the end of the novel.

With that being said, I appreciated how each of the characters was a clear, distinct being. With clear motivations and goals. I can’t say that I was a fan of the new characters Rowell introduced, but they were fairly well fleshed out, even in the case of tertiary characters, so I appreciated that. I was not a fan of how the novel left off on a cliffhanger though. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers because they keep me waiting. I’m glad the final book is out, so I don’t have to wait to continue Simon’s journey!

“Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here - it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up,” (Rainbow Rowell).

I enjoyed this book. Although it felt a bit slow at times, it maintained a good pace. I also liked how each character had a distinct personality and motivations. There wasn’t anyone who didn’t feel clear to me, although there were people who were less likeable than others. I did find it a bit frustrating not to know how everyone’s lives and stories wove together at the beginning of the novel, but I liked how Rowell chose to reveal the information when the time came, even if it was a tad predictable. I thought the romantic relationship between Baz & Simon was predictable, but forced. It seemed like an odd thing to stick in the novel given where they were as people and would have liked if there was a more natural progression toward that state as opposed to what felt like a random romantic bomb. I think Rowell’s magical world was interesting and look forward to reading the rest of the series.