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laurora's review against another edition
3.0
I liked a lot of the world detail like the history and the supernatural stuff but I found the main character's voice a bit distracting at times. Too many tangents and overwrought slang kind of spoiled the flow.
kaitlynannette13's review against another edition
Writing was disjointed and hard to follow
blurrypetals's review against another edition
2.0
Holy shit I'm so bored. DNF'd at around the halfway point.
This is one of those books that has been on my TBR list for an inordinate amount of time. I remember one of my best friends recommending it to me back in the middle of my Twilight obsession in 2007, to give you a little perspective on just exactly how long this book has been on my radar.
I know this is going to seem like a huge slam against this book, but I would honestly rather read Twilight again that finish reading this. Yes, Twilight is super weird and problematic and not very well written but it's fun and campy and, for me, nostalgic. This book, however, might portray vampires in a more traditional way than Twilight does, but it's so dull I honestly almost fell asleep at work while listening to it last night.
The way exposition is doled out is so textbook that I feel like I'm in a class I never signed up for. All the relationships Rae has, both with the vampire, Con, and the other characters that populate the diner she bakes for all seem really stale and tired. It feels like the equivalent of someone reading off a "What I Did This Summer" essay, like Rae is just listing off things she does without much emotion or weight. The only interesting character, in my opinion, is Rae's boyfriend, Mel, and he's been hardcore sidelined to make room for the awkward, stilted "romance" between Rae and her new vampire boyf. Rae is insufferable, so is Con, the plot is so boring it's literally putting me to sleep, the narrator is truly awful, and everything is terrible so I'm not going to put myself through one more minute of this, no way.
This is one of those books that has been on my TBR list for an inordinate amount of time. I remember one of my best friends recommending it to me back in the middle of my Twilight obsession in 2007, to give you a little perspective on just exactly how long this book has been on my radar.
I know this is going to seem like a huge slam against this book, but I would honestly rather read Twilight again that finish reading this. Yes, Twilight is super weird and problematic and not very well written but it's fun and campy and, for me, nostalgic. This book, however, might portray vampires in a more traditional way than Twilight does, but it's so dull I honestly almost fell asleep at work while listening to it last night.
The way exposition is doled out is so textbook that I feel like I'm in a class I never signed up for. All the relationships Rae has, both with the vampire, Con, and the other characters that populate the diner she bakes for all seem really stale and tired. It feels like the equivalent of someone reading off a "What I Did This Summer" essay, like Rae is just listing off things she does without much emotion or weight. The only interesting character, in my opinion, is Rae's boyfriend, Mel, and he's been hardcore sidelined to make room for the awkward, stilted "romance" between Rae and her new vampire boyf. Rae is insufferable, so is Con, the plot is so boring it's literally putting me to sleep, the narrator is truly awful, and everything is terrible so I'm not going to put myself through one more minute of this, no way.
forestgoblin's review against another edition
This was our book club pick and a few of us decided to pick something else. This was not it! The writing and character were not it
lauracooleyjohnson's review against another edition
2.0
It pains me to give only two stars to Robin McKinley. She is so good at world building, and this world is no exception. And as always, the characters are interesting and the storyline compelling. But the writing! Eesh, it felt like it was an experiment in steam-of-consciousness in a college writing course. So jumpy! So hard to follow! So puzzling coming from McKinley. Harrumph.
wewitchesone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had no idea what awaited me going into this story. And the book is amazing, so I was well rewarded for the leap of faith. Sunshine is a great character, and I really loved all the side characters at Charlie's coffeehouse. Constantine is a very interesting, different type of vampire.
The way Sunshine thinks about the world, about the past, and her place in it, was really interesting. The language also kept me interested, with some new slang and expressions sprinkled in to immerse the reader in this very different world. I kind of wish there were a sequel because I would love to explore this world more, but the ending was also perfect as a stand-alone.
The way Sunshine thinks about the world, about the past, and her place in it, was really interesting. The language also kept me interested, with some new slang and expressions sprinkled in to immerse the reader in this very different world. I kind of wish there were a sequel because I would love to explore this world more, but the ending was also perfect as a stand-alone.
dohali's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
delgremmyaward's review against another edition
2.0
1.5
Not my particular cup of tea. I enjoy neither urban fantasy nor stream of consciousness, so it was a struggle to finish this one. It's pretty intricately written and provides a uniquely unsexy view of vampires, but that intricacy made it boring instead of interesting for me.
Not my particular cup of tea. I enjoy neither urban fantasy nor stream of consciousness, so it was a struggle to finish this one. It's pretty intricately written and provides a uniquely unsexy view of vampires, but that intricacy made it boring instead of interesting for me.
g_oldpetals's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5