Scan barcode
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
2.0
In a moment of weakness, I succumbed to the temptation of the AOL gossip page. What can I say? I was tired. I was bored. Anyhow, there was a story about Chelsea Handler (I think it was her) who went on a tear about Angelina Jolie and why Jolie doesn't have any female friends.
The lead character in this book is somewhat like that.
The writing in this book is great. There are, however, certain elements of the plot that I find irksome. In all fairness, this is more to do with tastes than anything. I hate blonde beautiful women in literature who are always so perfect and everyman loves them (or wants to have sex with them). I know its mean, but if it makes me look better, I hate any beautiful fictional woman who is loved or desired by every man in the book.
Yet, despite this, Agnes is almost likable. Japp does a good job of her character. She really isn't the problem, though ever dangerous cliche in any historical fiction that happens to women seems to happen to Agnes. It was a bit much. It is also strange that most women think she is kind, but we don't really see her interact with any woman who she thinks highly of. And before people point out a spoiler - I said WOMAN.
No, what really irked me was the character of Clement. The kid is 11-12 and is smarter than Dr. Spock (the Spock with the pointed ears, not the other one). This might be work well with kids; it doesn't with me. He doesn't even act like a child at any point, and the reader is suppose to see him as the true child of Agnes as opposed to Agnes' daughter, who I actually felt sorry for considering that her mother seems to prefer another child. To be totally honest, I always felt sorry for Wil Wheaton because some people didn't like Wesley on ST:TNG due to the fact that he was always solving everything. Hey, I didn't like that aspect of the plot either (or when Data saved everyone). I also got tried of Charlie fixing everything one Numbers (like the FBI wouldn't know about negoiation). But it's the writing not the acting. Here it's the wrting not the acting. And the surprise about Clement, while a surprise really doesn't make sense at all.
So while the book isn't bad, I feel no great desire to read #2 in the series. It just made want to watch Brotherhood of the Wolf again.
The lead character in this book is somewhat like that.
The writing in this book is great. There are, however, certain elements of the plot that I find irksome. In all fairness, this is more to do with tastes than anything. I hate blonde beautiful women in literature who are always so perfect and everyman loves them (or wants to have sex with them). I know its mean, but if it makes me look better, I hate any beautiful fictional woman who is loved or desired by every man in the book.
Yet, despite this, Agnes is almost likable. Japp does a good job of her character. She really isn't the problem, though ever dangerous cliche in any historical fiction that happens to women seems to happen to Agnes. It was a bit much. It is also strange that most women think she is kind, but we don't really see her interact with any woman who she thinks highly of. And before people point out a spoiler - I said WOMAN.
No, what really irked me was the character of Clement. The kid is 11-12 and is smarter than Dr. Spock (the Spock with the pointed ears, not the other one). This might be work well with kids; it doesn't with me. He doesn't even act like a child at any point, and the reader is suppose to see him as the true child of Agnes as opposed to Agnes' daughter, who I actually felt sorry for considering that her mother seems to prefer another child. To be totally honest, I always felt sorry for Wil Wheaton because some people didn't like Wesley on ST:TNG due to the fact that he was always solving everything. Hey, I didn't like that aspect of the plot either (or when Data saved everyone). I also got tried of Charlie fixing everything one Numbers (like the FBI wouldn't know about negoiation). But it's the writing not the acting. Here it's the wrting not the acting. And the surprise about Clement, while a surprise really doesn't make sense at all.
So while the book isn't bad, I feel no great desire to read #2 in the series. It just made want to watch Brotherhood of the Wolf again.
More...