A Plea for Percy Jackson

Listen, I know the movie came out more than a year ago--which, if we're honest, is like two decades in pop-culture these days--but I have something to say about Percy Jackson.

Read the books. DON'T watch the movie.Hollywood representations of books are bad as a rule. But this one was actually abysmal. I did both and felt like the movie was unrecognizable as a representation of the book. Like, more than Hollywood usually messes books up. Which is saying something.

Anyways...as for the books:

The pacing is relentless, the characters are dynamic, and the mythology is everywhere. Really, I think I learned more about Greek mythology while reading these books than in my "History of Ancient Greece" class that I took in college. (Dad, not really, thanks for picking up the tab on that class, by the way. I learned a ton!)

Here are some useful interesting things I learned while reading the Percy Jackson series:

• Artemis, though completely kick-ass is a little full of herself--as she should be.
• Conversely, I think her brother got a bad rap and is the one god I would befriend without hesitation. And not just for his awesome sports car. Okay, partly for the car. But he's also snarky and funny.
• Hellhounds are actually rather cuddly and endearing.
• There is an entrance to Daedalaus' labyrinth so freakishly near my house that I'm tempted to go poke around on private property to find it.
• I'm even less into Titans than I was before. Especially Kronos.
• I want a Pegasus and not in the 6-year-old girl kind of way--they're WAY more convenient than driving like normal mortals do.
• I'm pretty sure I know an Empusa. She's my husband's ex-girlfriend.

See! There are all sorts of useful interesting things to be learned by this series. I read each of them in no more than three sittings, so you can't tell me that they're too much of a time commitment.

Besides, if you have any Empusa in your life, you should at least be able to recognize them for what they are...

And if that's not enough for you, Percy is one of the most adorable heros...well, ever. See? Maybe the movie wasn't a complete waste...at least we have Logan Lerman in all his resplendent cuteness.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

This cover is SICK. I don't mean that in the I'm-trying-to-be-cool-so-any-outdated-saying-will-do kind of way. I mean that in the most honest no-really-I-want-to-high-five-the-cover-designer kind of way.

Granted, I'm always a fan of creepy. Not blood-and-guts-horror-movie kind of creepy, but slight-shivers-down-your-spine kind of creepy is my favorite.

(For the less observant kids in the class, she's hovering above the ground.


Okay, now that we're all on the same page...)

I purchased this book...In hardcover...Before the release date--not a typical tendency for me.

That's how confident I was in this book. Really, I had decided to purchase it before I even read the synopsis, but having an "elevator pitch" to justify the expense to my husband was helpful. So, when it arrived, I tore into the packaging and cracked the cover with high hopes.

There were monsters, time travel, and an island in Wales, what could go wrong?

Apparently more than I expected.

It started strong. Don't get the wrong impression about this. The first third of the book was absolute magic. The combination of vintage photography and narrative was completely compelling and fresh. It's been a while since I read a book with pictures in it, so it really brought me back to my childhood. I found myself flipping forward to the photographs as a way to shape my imagination as I read the scene; a bad habit from childhood that, apparently, I have never grown out of since I hate imagining things "incorrectly".

It wasn't until the main character's second or third visit to Miss Peregrine's school that I actually started to worry. The pacing wasn't picking up. The romance was, in turns, forced and a bit disturbing. The mythology seemed a little thin. There was a richness of storytelling that I kept searching for, that seemed to get lost in the sensationalism of the story. All Great-and-Powerful-Oz with nothing compelling to say.

The characterization of the secondary characters bothered me too. I felt as though they were nothing more than photos with captions that the author waved in my face to distract from the thin plot-line. Hear me: Jacob, the main character, was sympathetic. He was a great blend of heroic, frightened, and brash. I truly do think he was well developed. I'm just typically a sucker for secondary characters, and there wasn't one that appealed to me.

Also, I was disappointed in the obvious plot. I like this book--you guys know my rule about only spoiling books that aren't worth your time--so I won't give anything away, but a major plot twist was easily discernible at least a hundred pages before it happened. In fact, I would use the words painfully obvious.

But here's the truth: the strong points of this book were incredibly strong. The setting was fabulous. The monsters were sufficiently scary. The main character was very relatable.

I think I would have made the main character a little bit younger if I were the powers-that-be. I felt like his struggles weren't the coming-of-age tensions that come with being 16. When I think of that age-range their issues are things like sexuality, morality, and his self-worth in relationship to his friends (think Perks of Being A Wallflower). Jacob's struggles were a bit more middle-grade fantasy. Who am I in relationship with my family? who are these scary monsters chasing me? and holy crap, I didn't realize that the world is bigger than my little town! were things that he struggled with. The narrative would have been smoother for me if Jacob had just celebrated his 13th birthday instead of his 16th.

Also, I don't think it's ever appropriate to kiss a girl that's been hung up on your grandfather for decades.

Maybe that's just me and I'm weirdly prudish about things like that.

I won't go into detail, but the romance wasn't...romantic. I felt like it was a plot device instead of an exploration of two characters who didn't belong together. It was odd; the love interest was into him almost immediately, and her affection didn't waver throughout the book. I wanted her to hate him, kiss someone else, smack him, something, but she never did.

And her "peculiarity" could have been really cool but it wasn't used enough. I think she only used her power as a weapon, like, once. I'd be all over that power if it was mine. ***SPOILER she can create a fireball in between her palms. Imagine the villagers that could be terrorized! END SPOILER***

Final judgement: It's a good book just wait to purchase it until it comes out in paperback. Notice, I do think it is worth buying. I really did love like it. It really is worth the read. I just wish I could have tweaked a few things.

The Tiger's Wife

I had really high hopes for this book. 1: The cover art. Sure, you're not supposed to judge a book by one, but really, how are you supposed to be attracted to it in the first place? Let's be honest, I didn't go on a first date with my husband because he's a great guy. I mean that's why I made a lifelong commitment to him and took his last name but that wasn't the first thing on my mind when we started dating. He's hot. And so is the cover of The Tiger's Wife. In a completely different way, of course. Maybe it's more pretty than hot.

Whatever. I liked the cover.

2: I was impressed that this young author (she's like 25 or something) wrote something that is so critically acclaimed. That's the kind of young that makes me look at my life and say with tones of disdain: "What have I contributed to society?" But my own self-loathing is an entirely different issue.

3. One of the characters in the story is called "The Deathless Man". I'm always intrigued by immortality. Especially in the context of an otherwise non-fantastical story.

The writing was undeniably beautiful. I came into the house after reading in the backyard for about thirty minutes, and reported to my husband that the glow on my face wasn't just from the late-afternoon sunshine, but also because I thought I might be in love with the book. The idea of a granddaughter searching for the mysterious circumstances surrounding her grandfather's death was something I found incredibly alluring.

I'm glad the book and I didn't run off to Vegas, though. After about 70 pages, I felt myself a little disillusioned and kind of like I was on a date with someone who didn't have a lot of depth, but sure had a lot to say.

I went out on a date like that once. It was three hours at a Starbucks. And he talked about everything from his time in the military to his aunt's rice pilaf. I, on the other hand, spent most of the date nodding and trying to look politely interested. I don't think he asked me more than two questions about myself in three hours.

I'm sure you will be surprised to hear that there was no second date.

Politely interested is how I felt by page 100 but I kept turning pages, reasoning that all the hype had to be about something, right?

The pacing quickly felt something like running in place because there was more back story than forward motion. I liked the main character's grandfather and I was still intrigued by the Deathless Man (who would run into the grandfather at the most interesting times), so I found myself actually intrigued by the history.

Unfortunately, however, the ending left me more than a little flat. In fact, I felt cheated.

***Spoiler Alert***
It seems as though her grandfather died without purpose, and the Deathless Man had no apparent contact with her grandfather in his final hours as the buildup of the story would allow you to believe. I kept reading thinking that she would find out that the Deathless Man had been grooming her grandfather to be his successor or something. That when she finally chased down the Deathless Man, she would find her grandfather in his place. Not so much.

Instead, once she finally chases after "the deathless man", she finds Babra Ivan who is keeping up the charade for the sake of their small town. This is fine, except for the fact that there is absolutely no connection to the grandfather's death. No resolution. So the entire book was simply a young woman's rambling memories as she tries to come to terms with the death of her grandfather? For as rambling as it was...that idea wasn't strong enough for me.

Also the whole thing with the Tiger's Wife was incredibly disappointing because there was no resolution. And creepy. And weird. And unfulfilling. And pointless.
***End Spoiler***

Really, the narrative ended poorly. Maybe I invested in the wrong characters. Maybe it was the wrong storyline that I cared about. Or, what I think is more likely, is that the acclaim is deserved if you are not looking for compelling storytelling but words that are strung together beautifully.

Of Romance, Peaches, and The Chicago Cubs

When it comes to Sarah Addison Allen, I'm a bit of a homer. You know, someone who's so blinded by their love and devotion that they don't necessarily see the draw-backs. Apparently "homer" is a sports term almost entirely created for Chicago Cubs fans. Okay, not actually, but it is really a sports term.

When people ask me what my favorite book of hers is, I can never give a straight answer. I like them all for similar reasons. Great characters, charming setting, believable romance, and sublimely understated word-smithing.

Truth be told, I don't think I've ever taken longer than 48 hours to read any of her books. I devour them. And The Peach Keeper was no exception. I actually think I did it in about 20.

My only complaints with her books is that sometimes (ONLY SOMETIMES) I wish a darker theme would sneak in the story. I think Garden Spells and the abusive ex-boyfriend was as good as it got. I never asked for creepy. I think that would betray who she is as an author. But something slightly sinister. I have said this for a while now. And it paid off because SARAH LISTENED! There is finally the element of mystery. Real, honest, police-are-involved mystery.

One of her strengths as an author is weaving the fates of broken people together and The Peach Keeper is no exception. I really liked Paxton. Her southern socialite gig could have gotten old really quick, but early in the story the author dove right under the surface of that character, making her immediately identifiable. I spent most of the book really rooting for her. Even more than the other main character, Willa.

I think the thing I appreciate most about Sarah Addison Allen though, is her subtlety. I mean, that woman can craft similes that stick with you like the fondness for a kindergarten crush. But she never rubs your nose in it. There are some authors in the women's fiction genre *coughJodiPicoultcough* that pound their "art" into their manuscript with the dedication of a mean-faced nun at a Catholic boarding school.

Unlike her other books, which all had very appropriate titles, this title only makes sense if you hold it far away from the story and squint at it. And if you replace the word Peach with Promise...maybe. And as far as I can say, I think that is my only qualm with the book. It was a truly beautiful read.