Top Ten Tuesday #13 - Top Ten Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish.

This topic was surprisingly hard, and also reminded me how so few books published these days are standalones.

#1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Who knew seven books weren't enough? But as soon as I had finished the last book in JKR's series, I wanted/needed more. There's plenty of resolution to be had, but this world and these characters could always be explored more.

#2. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson is known for his series (Mistborn, ending The Wheel of Time, The Stormlight Archive) so I was surprised this novel hasn't received the sequel treatment. The "magic" created is interesting enough on its own to merit further novels.

#3. The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

This book is beautiful. Mandanna writes so skillfully - I want more from her, and in this character's life.

#4. Chime by Franny Billingsley

THE WRITING. I love love loved the prose in Chime, and Briony was such a fantastically weird and complicated narrator. MOAR PLEASE.

#5. Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Too often mermaids are presented as just ornaments, but Fama makes hers more deadly and thus far more interesting. I would take anything with mermaids from her -- it doesn't even have to feature the characters from MB.

#6. Stardust by Neil Gaiman

There is explanation about what happens to Tristan and Yvaine after the book, but I want to see it firsthand! This is also the rare case where I love the movie more than the book, too. O_o Don't judge me!

#7. Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Part of my love for this novel is based on its very open-ended conclusion, but I'd love to see where Smith would go next with Kiri and Skunk.

#8. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

This is, hands down, the best zombie novel I have ever read. And though Summers leaves it open-ended as to Sloane's fate, I want more zombie novels from this author. Different characters would be fine, as long as they have that Summers' trademark complexity.

#9. The Piper's Son/Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

I love that these books feature the same characters, and yet it's not enough. I've heard that there is a third book on the way (a Jimmy book!), but I could read about them forever.

#10. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I have a hard time letting go of Marchetta's characters, and none more so than Taylor and Jonah Griggs. I want a sequel focused solely on them, but only if they live happy, blissful, obstacle-free lives. Sure, it might not be the most interesting story arc, but I only want good things to happen to them.

Review: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Title: Gated
Author: Amy Christine Parker
Genre: young adult
Series: N/A
Pages: 352
Published: August 6 2013
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 3.5/5

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Gated is a pretty good, fairly solid and easy to read novel. It's not your typical YA book, though it does contain some of the tropes found in that age group (love triangles, love at first sight, etc.). It's got more than its fare share of action, especially as it nears the final few chapters but Parker relies on introspection, psychological thrills, and a slow build rather than a nonstop action-packed adventure to see her story through. Lyla is caught between the home she has known for ten years and increasing evidence that not all is as it seems in Mandrodage Meadows, which add up to a intense and exciting story

Parker has a simple style, which fits both Lyla's narration and the kind of secluded life she leads in the Doomsday cult. It's easy to get caught up in the first person perspective, and the subtle hints and allusions of wrongness build up naturally as Lyla learns more about her own community. The beginning is a bit dry and slow-moving, but Parker shows enough potential that reader will be engaged enough to keep reading until it gets good. The story really hits its stride just after the halfway mark, when Lyla is exposed to life outside of the Compound and begins to truly think for herself.

Breakdown by percentage:

1% - 50% - not enough going on
50% - 90% - just enough going on
90% - 100% - too much going on

I could have done without the romances. I could have done without the love triangle between the boy Pioneer picks for her and the mysterious boy on the outside. Honestly, if the story had been solely about Lyla breaking free from the severe "us vs. them" mentality ingrained over 10 years, it would've been a tighter, more engrossing read. It also would have been far more original. All of the love stuff feels so unnecessary, and so reminiscent of other YA novels.

Pioneer is both a benefit and a detriment to Gated's story. In the beginning, his mystery, allure, and power over the group is unexplained and unquestioned. The way he approached Lyla's family when they were weak, scared, and isolated is a perfect example of what kind of man he is - opportunistic, cunning, and without morals. He camouflages his hunger for power for years under a facade of geniality, until Lyla begins to act differently than he would wish. His break down from pillar of the community to unhinged antagonist is authentic, but could use some polish. I main issue is that the story went on, and his control started to slip, he never really became more than a one-note villain. Parker never really shows why he is the way he is, or why he created Mandrodage Meadows -- whether it was for pure control, to swindle the families, etc. I don't know what led to his creation of the cult, and that felt like an oversight.

All in all, Gated had a few flashes of brilliance, but the one-note villain, the slow start, and the insane last few chapters took away from the overall impression. The story had been building neatly over the course of the novel, but I think the ending got away from Parker. There just way too much going on, much too fast. Simplifying the climax would render the whole more believable and fit with the rest of the novel better. That said, Gated makes for a complete diversion. It's a fast-reading, engaging story unlike most other YA novels out there.

New TBR Additions and Planned Montly Reads!

I can't believe it is August already. July went so fast - and had so many good reads for both Danielle and I - that I may be in denial about being 8 months into 2013. 

These are my recent book buys and my reading plans. My lovely co-blogger may post her plans later on, but for now this is a Jessie-centric post.

Gifted:

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle - from April, an occasional guest-poster here.

Dying of the Light by George. R. R. Martin - also from April.

Glimmerglass, Shadowspell, and Sirensong by Jenna Black - from the very sweet and generous Christina of Christina Reads YA

Book Tour Stops in August:

and one more of The Ghost Bride because I am in love with the cover.

The Darwin Elevator by Jason M. Hough - from TLC Book Tours 

 In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth. The world has succumbed to an alien plague, with most of the population transformed into mindless, savage creatures. The planet’s refugees flock to Darwin, where a space elevator—created by the architects of this apocalypse, the Builders—emits a plague-suppressing aura.

Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity.

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - from TLC Book Tours

 "One evening, my father asked me if I would like to become a ghost bride..."

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim's handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

I also have a few e-ARCs I'm particularly excited about coming up here soon. Like:

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

More than This by Patrick Ness

A boy called Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he is here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighbourhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust and completely abandoned. What's going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this...

Black Spring by Alison Croggon

Inspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, BLACK SPRING reimagines the passionate story in a fantasy 19th century society sustained by wizardry and the vengeance code of vendetta.

Anna spent her childhood with Damek and her volatile foster sister Lina, daughter of the Lord of the village. Lina has magical powers, and in this brutal patriarchal society women with magical powers are put to death as babies. Lina’s father, however, refuses to kill her but when vendetta explodes in their village and Lina’s father dies, their lives are changed forever. Their new guardian Masko sends Anna away and reduces Lina to the status of a servant. Damek—mad with love for Lina—attempts to murder Masko, then vanishes for several years. Anna comes home five years later to find Lina about to marry a pleasant young farmer, and witnesses Damek’s vengeful return and its catastrophic consequences.

Passionate, atmospheric and haunting, BLACK SPRING will stay with readers long after they turn the final page.

AND!!

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

Having pulled off the greatest heist of their career, Locke and his trusted partner in thievery, Jean, have escaped with a tidy fortune. But Locke's body is paying the price. Poisoned by an enemy from his past, he is slowly dying. And no physiker or alchemist can help him. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmagi offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him - or finish him off once and for all.

Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body - though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean's imploring - and the Bondsmagi's mention of a woman from Locke's past . . . Sabetha. The love of his life. His equal in skill and wit. And now his greatest rival.

Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow-orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha - or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend.

I have more to read in August, but these are the ones I am most jazzed about. What about you? What's looking good to read in your upcoming month?

Book Tour Review: The Mirrored World by Debra Dean

Title: The Mirrored World
Author: Debra Dean
Genre: historical fiction
Series: N/A
Pages: 256 (hardcover)
Published: August 2012
Source: TLC Book Tours for review
Rating: 3.5/5

The bestselling author of The Madonnas of Leningrad returns with a breathtaking novel of love, madness, and devotion set against the extravagant royal court of eighteenth-century St. Petersburg.

Born to a Russian family of lower nobility, Xenia, an eccentric dreamer who cares little for social conventions, falls in love with Andrei, a charismatic soldier and singer in the Empress's Imperial choir. Though husband and wife adore each other, their happiness is overshadowed by the absurd demands of life at the royal court and by Xenia's growing obsession with having a child—a desperate need that is at last fulfilled with the birth of her daughter. But then a tragic vision comes true, and a shattered Xenia descends into grief, undergoing a profound transformation that alters the course of her life. Turning away from family and friends, she begins giving all her money and possessions to the poor. Then, one day, she mysteriously vanishes.

Years later, dressed in the tatters of her husband's military uniform and answering only to his name, Xenia is discovered tending the paupers of St. Petersburg's slums. Revered as a soothsayer and a blessed healer to the downtrodden, she is feared by the royal court and its new Empress, Catherine, who perceives her deeds as a rebuke to their lavish excesses. In this evocative and elegantly written tale, Dean reimagines the intriguing life of Xenia of St. Petersburg, a patron saint of her city and one of Russia's most mysterious and beloved holy figures. This is an exploration of the blessings of loyal friendship, the limits of reason, and the true costs of loving deeply.

Lyrical, visual, and beautifully told, Debra Dean impressively evokes eighteenth century Petersburg, Russia with ease here in her newest historical fiction novel. The Mirrored World boasts lovely prose, unforgettable characters, and an engaging tale. This is the deceptively simple but very compelling story of two cousins - Xenia, the "Holy Fool" and Dasha, her devoted and quiet counterpart - as they live through the lives and deaths of their husbands and of the multiple reigning Empresses in 1700's Russia. Vivid and lushly rendered, Dean's style and talent for atmosphere create a memorable and unique read. Elegantly and with an eye for detail and place-as-character, Dean's recreated Russian society is alluring, dangerous, and always unpredictable.

I enjoyed this look into Dasha and Xenia's unusual life, both when they are together and when Xenia strikes out on her own, but I didn't quite love it. The lives of saints and holy fools make for interesting fodder for an audience to read, but truly capturing their spirit on the page can be very hard. Xenia is more knowable/accessible in the first half of the novel - before she loses her beloved husband - and Dasha is quite removed and distant for the entire novel. It's hard to get a close read on either, and I struggled to emotionally connect with the characters at the heart of the novel. That isn't to say these two women aren't thoroughly interesting, because they invariably are. Their lives closely mirror one another early on; from unusual marriages (for love, with a eunuch), estrangement from their birth families, early widowhood, etc., these two women are far from the norm expected of their sex in their era. I just never felt like I was especially invested in what would happen to either.

Both main characters are presented well enough; it's just that the pace and speed at which the story moves can make it even more difficult to get a grasp on either one, or on their husbands. Dasha, as the narrator, has the benefit of a well-rounded first-person inner monologue, but she is more passive observer than passionate participant. I wanted more life from Dasha - even when she is married, she continually holds part of herself back. She never reads like she is fully in the moment, or living her life. Perhaps seeing her beloved cousin so wrecked by heartache Dasha hesitates to go down the same road; and fearing to get hurt, ventures very little in the way of genuine emotion. And though she does also lose her husband, Dasha emerges as a much different woman than Xenia when that happens later on in her life. 

For a novel about a saint, or a holy fool, there is not much said about religion itself in The Mirrored World. The contrast of the "haves" and the "have-nots" is much more on display than any church dogma. As someone who is unlikely part of each group in Russian society, Xenia evolves as an interesting and complicated figure. Someone who is chastened for her generosity and unusual way of life while her former compatriots strive to ignore the less fortunate, Xenia's extreme piety would both help her and harm her in the eyes of fellow Russians. Xenia's marked evolution from slightly spoiled girl to grieving and utterly selfless "matushka" is evenly-handled. Dean never explicitly explains the mindset of her version of St. Xenia, but she does create authentic pathos for this woman came to be revered as a saint of her native city.

The Mirrored World will appeal to readers who look for more than just a look at royalty/nobility in their historical fiction. In her unique position as both noble and beggar, Xenia Grigoryevna provides a new perspective into the life of Russia during the reigns of three Empresses: Anna, Elizabeth, and Catherine. In a novel characterized by its strong women, it is the two main characters that will remain the most memorable. Dean's talent for lovely prose is obvious and lends well to an evocative and rich setting in which the characters flourish. The Mirrored World may feel a bit short, and gloss over periods of time too quickly, but it cannot be denied that it is a captivating and alluring read.

Top Ten Tuesday #12 :Favorite Beginnings/Endings In Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish.

List by Danielle

This was a really fun list to make. I could only remember a couple of books with great opening lines, so I got to go through my whole library, rereading first pages, remembering who drew me in the first time and who, (*cough* Martin *cough*,) can't write a hook. And I actually ended up with far more than 10. Still, I mostly narrowed it down to these opening lines:

1. "The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning." - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

2. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense." - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling

3. "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

4. "I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army." - Old Man's War by John Scalzi

5. “Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.” - Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

6. "Sometimes, I worry that I'm not the hero everyone thinks I am." - Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

7. "Locke Lamora stood on the pier in Tal Verrar with the hot wind of a burning ship at his back and the cold bite of a loaded crossbow's bolt at his neck." - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

8. "Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face." - Watchmen by Alan Moore

9. "So there I was, tied to an altar made from out-dated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil librarians." - Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

10. (tie) "All my life I've wanted to go to Earth. Not to live, of course—just to see it." Podkayne of Mars by Robert Heinlein

10. (tie) "That fool of a fairy, Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me." - Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine 

And, one bonus ending. I'll admit, I'm a bit biased, because I actually got this one tattooed on my shoulder. 

1. "The blazing white star fell down the sky of dusk in Illinois. 'Make a wish,' said his mother. 'Make a wish.'" - Kaleidoscope by Ray Bradbury

What are your favorite beginnings or endings of books? What draws you in/makes you need the next in the series? 

Review: The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr

Title: The Cutting Room Floor
Author: Dawn Klehr
Genre: young adult
Series: N/A
Pages: 336
Published: expected October 8 2013
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 2/5

Behind-the-scenes secrets could turn deadly for Desmond and Riley

Life in the Heights has never been easy for seventeen-year-old Riley Frost, but when she's publicly dumped and outed at the same time, she becomes an immediate social outcast at her high school. So Riley swears off romance and throws herself into solving the shocking murder of her favorite teacher, Ms. Dunn.

Riley turns to her best friend, budding filmmaker Desmond Brandt, for help. What she doesn't know is that Dez has been secretly directing her life, blackmailing her friends, and hoping his manipulations will make her love him. When his schemes go too far, Dez's web of lies threatens to destroy both of their lives.

The Cutting Room Floor is a weird book. It swings between so many ideas and plot avenues that it seems to possess a bit of an identity crisis. This is a book that can't decide if it wants to be a murder mystery, a romance, or an "Issue" novel. In just over 330 pages, The Cutting Room Floor repeatedly flits between the murder "mystery", the "romance", and Riley's struggle with her sexuality; it's always trying to tackle each angle and in doing so, fails to create any kind of real or lasting impression. To sum it up as succinctly as possible, this book was an interesting premise, met with lackluster execution.

If the author had picked just one, or maybe even two, themes to go with, The Cutting Room Floor would have been much better off. Nothing - from characters to plot to the multiple themes - is really developed. None of the plotlines get the focus or attention needed to create a reasonable plot structure. The characters are tropes, or one dimensional or impossible to care about. The only interesting character is Dez, and that's because he rapidly emerges as a controlling, manipulative, creepy jerk. The main attribute used for Riley is how much she lets her sexuality define her throughout the novel.  While the murder of her favorite teacher is supposedly the focus of the plot, much more of Riley's inner moologue is devoted to examining who she wants to date, or what gender she is attracted to. Which would be fine, and good, but then why is there a murder mystery involved in the first place? Why ignore it to watch Riley wrestle with her impulses? It all feels too thrown together, too all over the place and The Cutting Room Floor needs some serious editing.

A book about a confused high school girl wrestling with being homosexual, or even bisexual, would have been welcomed. A straightforward murder mystery about a beloved but aloof teacher would have been interesting. A YA romance about two best friends who become more than that through adversity/working together closely/etc/ would have been done before, but had possibility. Klehr, in trying to throw all of them together, detracts from everything that might have recommended her novel. Her characters suffer from lack of dimension, her plot(s) are all over the place, the writing is passable, and the few bright spots are lost in the overwhelming amount of superfluous angles. The murder mystery is abandoned for 80% of the book after it is introduced. How it is concluded, and how it coincides with the plot about Riley's love life is both just too convenient and too little too late.

This is a frustrating read, but it's not the most horrible thing I've read. It's not completely boring, and nor is it reminiscent of anything else I've come across. There is some originality - the narrative-as-script for example - work really well within the frame of the story. There is potential here, but there's too much being juggled for any real involvement on the part of the audience. It falls flat, there are some pretty large plotholes, and the characters are a wash. But for all that, a little more restraint, a little more editing, and there would've been more to enjoy about The Cutting Room Floor. I am just disappointed, and think that readers searching for a genuine whodunit or a psychological thriller will find themselves disappointed as well.

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: young adult, contemporary
Series: N/A
Pages: 405
Published: expected September 10, 2013
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

This was a big surprise for me. I really didn't expect to like it - First, I had read and greatly disliked this author's almost universally loved Eleanor & Park. And second, the first fiftyish pages seemed to back up my apprehension about the writing style and the overly precocious main character. And then... well it gets good. And funny. And just so charming. And so-on-the-nose that it's almost painfully easy to relate to and with Cath. I was going to write off reading any future (or past) Rowell books if this attempt didn't work out, but instead, I find myself (tentatively) sitting on the "fan" side of the fence. Fangirl has a lot of heart, and it really does have a lot to recommend it. If you loved Eleanor & Park, or even if you didn't, I think this is a much stronger novel; one that better showcases Rowell's talents and allows her characters to shine.

Around a third into the novel, I was starting to get caught up in the tale being told. Rowell may not impress straight out of the gate, but she more than makes up for lost time when she hits her stride. She writes with humor, earnestness, and true understanding of how a homebody/nerd/writer would feel once away from home, and out of her element. If you've ever felt like a fish out of water, or didn't fit into college right away, Cath's story will feel almost too familiar. Rowell gets it. She knows, or remembers, how that first-time-on-your-own truly feels and she put those feelings into words so neatly here in Fangirl. The creation of the books of Simon Snow with which Cath is obsessed - which to me reads like a mix of Harry Potter (mages, wizards, school of wizardry) mashed with Twilight (creeper vampire love interest watches someone sleep, overly done love triangle) - will send readers into nostalgia for how they once (or still do in my case) feel about their favorite fandoms.

I think a lot of readers will identify with Cath, either willingly or otherwise. She's a complex mix of flaws and humor; she's a loner, but she isn't alone. She makes mistakes, she judges prematurely, she's stubborn and imperfect. But you still grow to like and care about this mess of a girl. Most notably, Cath hasn't had the easiest of lives and finds solace in her preferred fandom and in writing some pretty-well known and widely read fanfiction as "Magicath." And while I admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the fanfiction examples/"Simon Snow" excerpts interjected before some chapters (I even skimmed the later ones...) I still found a lot to enjoy about Cath's story. Her ongoing struggle to find a life independent of the twin sister she has always relied on is both honest and real. Honestly, Cath struggles with a lot throughout Fangirl: to reconcile a real life with her online obligations, to find friends of her own, to love someone beyond the omnipresence of Simon Snow and Baz. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's awkward, sometimes it's embarrassing, but through the novel, Cath takes risks, tries new things, and grows as a character.

In such a character-focused novel, presenting three-dimensional and complicated characters is key and Rowell succeeds - not only with Cath, but her sister Wren, her roommate Regan, her friend Levi, with the mom she has never really known.. etc. Characterization really is the strongest aspect of Rowell's writing. There is a plot at the heart of the novel, but it's one that has been done many times before in YA/NA that is really takes backstage to the characters on the page. The reason it's so easy to care about Cath and her friends is because they are all so well-drawn on the page. No one is perfect, no one is boring. The romance isn't perfect, but it is sweet and slow-building, and through its inevitable ups-and-downs, Rowell makes you root for Cath to find a way to a real relationship. With a nonfictional vampire/mage.

If I had made a bet with myself before starting Fangirl about whether I'd like it, I would have lost. My preconceptions were wrong. As a continuing member of some pretty intense fandoms myself (hello, Harry Potter, hello Supernatural!), Cath's story is close to home in so many ways. Rowell has an impressive ability to capture her audience with fresh characters, subtle story lines, and true humor. Her writing is not without an occasional stumble (the fetal smile sentence is laughable, really), but for the most part, it is smart and authentic (emergency Kanye dance party, anyone?). So many topics are touched on in Fangirl - what it means to be family, real friends, first love, college, first times, alcoholism, mental health - but Rowell carries it off rather well for such a long and varied story. 

I will buy a copy of Fangirl when it comes out. I can't wait for a chance to revisit Cath and Regan and Levi and Simon Snow and Wren. For a novel that wasn't expected to do much for me, I have thought about this novel a lot in the two weeks since I finished it. It's cute and fun and funny and moving. I don't think my review does this smart little novel justice. Just know that if you were curious about it, or if you're passionate about a fandom, Fangirl is likely a book for you. Rainbow Rowell has grown and improved as an author and this story is diverting and engrossing in the best of all possible ways.