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3.12 AVERAGE
3.12 AVERAGE
Let me just start by saying that when I picked this up I had no idea where it was going. The synopsis doesn’t say a lot, and I was only really reading it because I enjoyed Impossible, also by Nancy Werlin.
This book was way different. I’m not going to say much because I don’t want to give away anything, but basically the story is about Phoebe, who feels ordinary in her family of extraordinary people, and this leads to entanglement with the mysterious siblings.
Phoebe was rather annoying when she was with Ryland because he was performing some kind of mind-control thingy on her and that made her stupid, which got on my nerves (I realize it’s part of the plotline, but still. It annoyed me. I couldn’t tell if she was thinking her own thoughts or the thoughts he “told” her to think). When she was with her friend Benjamin, or her family, I liked her. Her journey towards higher self-esteem and realization of her own “extraordinary-ness” was interesting.
Ryland was a jerkface and Nancy Werlin makes that easy to see from the beginning. He basically tricks Phoebe and makes her fall for him, and then belittles her constantly, but because of the “glamour” she can’t stop liking him.
Mallory was an confusing character. While their friendship seemed legit and deep, it also seemed brushed over. The jacket synopsis makes it seem like they have this amazing friendship, but the majority of the book is about that friendship being destroyed. But as a character, Mallory was nice.
The whole plotline is a little crazy, but that’s a habit of Nancy’s, considering Impossible, although this one was more far-fetched. She combines fantasy elements into a modern lifestyle, and it can be weird, but it works.
Regardless, this book kept me reading because I wanted to know what happened at the end. So it was interesting, just not fantastic.
Content Warnings: Ryland and Phoebe kiss and it is implied they have sex. Some language.
This book was way different. I’m not going to say much because I don’t want to give away anything, but basically the story is about Phoebe, who feels ordinary in her family of extraordinary people, and this leads to entanglement with the mysterious siblings.
Phoebe was rather annoying when she was with Ryland because he was performing some kind of mind-control thingy on her and that made her stupid, which got on my nerves (I realize it’s part of the plotline, but still. It annoyed me. I couldn’t tell if she was thinking her own thoughts or the thoughts he “told” her to think). When she was with her friend Benjamin, or her family, I liked her. Her journey towards higher self-esteem and realization of her own “extraordinary-ness” was interesting.
Ryland was a jerkface and Nancy Werlin makes that easy to see from the beginning. He basically tricks Phoebe and makes her fall for him, and then belittles her constantly, but because of the “glamour” she can’t stop liking him.
Mallory was an confusing character. While their friendship seemed legit and deep, it also seemed brushed over. The jacket synopsis makes it seem like they have this amazing friendship, but the majority of the book is about that friendship being destroyed. But as a character, Mallory was nice.
The whole plotline is a little crazy, but that’s a habit of Nancy’s, considering Impossible, although this one was more far-fetched. She combines fantasy elements into a modern lifestyle, and it can be weird, but it works.
Regardless, this book kept me reading because I wanted to know what happened at the end. So it was interesting, just not fantastic.
Content Warnings: Ryland and Phoebe kiss and it is implied they have sex. Some language.
I had a difficult time reading this book, and finally gave up around 175 pages in. The writing itself is on par with Werlin's first novel, Impossible, but the plot and characters became too unbearable for me to continue wanting to know their story. The blatant viciousness with which Mallory and Ryland treat Phoebe left me disgusted with them, especially Mallory, who honestly love Phoebe, but allowed herself to be persuaded to hurt her anyway. The treatment could have been endured if Phoebe had been a stronger character, but she consistently allowed herself to be mistreated without really defending herself, and the feminist in me was furious.
After reading the reviews of others, it became clear to me that I was not going to be satisfied with the conclusion of the novel, and therefore had no reason to continue reading except stubborn pride. There are far too many books I would rather read instead to continue wasting time on a book that I do not like just to quell my pride. If there are people out there that actually enjoyed the book, I would love to read their reasons as to why. For me, this was the most disappointing book I have read in a very long time.
After reading the reviews of others, it became clear to me that I was not going to be satisfied with the conclusion of the novel, and therefore had no reason to continue reading except stubborn pride. There are far too many books I would rather read instead to continue wasting time on a book that I do not like just to quell my pride. If there are people out there that actually enjoyed the book, I would love to read their reasons as to why. For me, this was the most disappointing book I have read in a very long time.
fairies, family, friendship and the question of what "extraordinary" really means.
Recommended for high school
Recommended for high school
I would imagine it is extremely difficult for an author to write a book following great success from their previous work. The attempt to live up to the hype can only be a daunting task to undertake. As a reader it is hard to set the previous book(s) aside and only form opinions of the new rather than focus on comparing the old and new.
I found myself doing just that with Extraordinary, comparing it to Nancy Werlin’s previous work of greatness, Impossible. For a good deal of the book I didn’t like Extraordinary. I kept whining mentally, “Oh I want it to be like Impossible! Why can’t it be great like that was?” I know it was unfair of me. I finally, midway through, had to tell myself to shut up and look for the good in it, let it stand on its own. Lucky for me it did grow to be better than I first let it be. Although I felt, certain portions of the book should have been more entertaining.
On Phoebe’s first day of seventh grade she decides to leave behind her friends (snobby and mean) for the strange and intriguing (a.k.a. social outcast) Mallory. Fast forward a few years and Mallory and Phoebe are as close as sisters. Then Mallory’s brother comes back and strange things start to come to light about who and what Mallory and her brother are doing there.
Phoebe’s relationship with Mallory was odd to me at various times. I wasn’t sure of the undertones I was picking up throughout. At times it was hard to believe certain character’s behavior, Phoebe and her parents especially. It was fairly gag worthy to read how Phoebe abandoned herself to Mallory’s brother, but on the other hand Werlin did a good job writing these scenes, very convincing.
In the end you come to realize that you have to make hard choices and sacrifices for the people you love. Phoebe grows up by the end of the book and really learns what it is to be truly extraordinary even when everyone is telling you aren’t and can’t be.
The last half of the book was definitely worth sticking with it.
I found myself doing just that with Extraordinary, comparing it to Nancy Werlin’s previous work of greatness, Impossible. For a good deal of the book I didn’t like Extraordinary. I kept whining mentally, “Oh I want it to be like Impossible! Why can’t it be great like that was?” I know it was unfair of me. I finally, midway through, had to tell myself to shut up and look for the good in it, let it stand on its own. Lucky for me it did grow to be better than I first let it be. Although I felt, certain portions of the book should have been more entertaining.
On Phoebe’s first day of seventh grade she decides to leave behind her friends (snobby and mean) for the strange and intriguing (a.k.a. social outcast) Mallory. Fast forward a few years and Mallory and Phoebe are as close as sisters. Then Mallory’s brother comes back and strange things start to come to light about who and what Mallory and her brother are doing there.
Phoebe’s relationship with Mallory was odd to me at various times. I wasn’t sure of the undertones I was picking up throughout. At times it was hard to believe certain character’s behavior, Phoebe and her parents especially. It was fairly gag worthy to read how Phoebe abandoned herself to Mallory’s brother, but on the other hand Werlin did a good job writing these scenes, very convincing.
In the end you come to realize that you have to make hard choices and sacrifices for the people you love. Phoebe grows up by the end of the book and really learns what it is to be truly extraordinary even when everyone is telling you aren’t and can’t be.
The last half of the book was definitely worth sticking with it.
"The history of our family and our people affects who we are in the present." Phoebe thinks she's explaining to her new friend how her family, an old, important family, still impacts her life. What she doesn't know,is she's explaining the twisted relationship of her family and Mallory's family...Mallory is immediately caught in the web of irony, but it takes Phoebe and us much longer to see the awful truth.
Werlin can do it all...gritty realistic fiction and this menacing magic realism. Just this week, two girls in the same class, talked to me about two of her books.
Extraordinary. What a lovely word, but what does it really mean? What does it mean to be extraordinary? Is it being brave enough to reach out to the new girl at school, a girl who already has a target on her back, ripe for the school bullies? Is it being loyal to your friends and family? Is it sacrificing yourself for others? Is it being a world leader? An individualist? Werlin explores all these ideas in this book about the Fey world and an ancient bargain that is now coming due.
I see several story elements I've come to expect from Werlin's work: menace...menace in the beautiful face of a loved one, or a compelling man...but menace to the bone. Suspense...suspense that builds with the character as he or she agonizes with a decision...a task...a moment that will change everything. Strong young people who don't know how strong they are...and friends.
Phoebe's and Mallory's friendship over the years is interspersed with conversations with the Faerie Queen, to whom Mallory answers. Phoebe is somehow connected to this world in ways we don't understand...Mallory is charged with a task that becomes more and more distasteful, a task so hard she is willing to rebel against her Queen.
Phoebe, for all her wealth, her family, her privileges, doesn't see the extraordinary qualities, her heart, her loyalty, her courage. And now she's caught in a hideous bargain that could mean her death.
Man, I loved this book. Devoured it today in class...whipping through pages.
I'm eager to share it tomorrow.
Werlin can do it all...gritty realistic fiction and this menacing magic realism. Just this week, two girls in the same class, talked to me about two of her books.
Extraordinary. What a lovely word, but what does it really mean? What does it mean to be extraordinary? Is it being brave enough to reach out to the new girl at school, a girl who already has a target on her back, ripe for the school bullies? Is it being loyal to your friends and family? Is it sacrificing yourself for others? Is it being a world leader? An individualist? Werlin explores all these ideas in this book about the Fey world and an ancient bargain that is now coming due.
I see several story elements I've come to expect from Werlin's work: menace...menace in the beautiful face of a loved one, or a compelling man...but menace to the bone. Suspense...suspense that builds with the character as he or she agonizes with a decision...a task...a moment that will change everything. Strong young people who don't know how strong they are...and friends.
Phoebe's and Mallory's friendship over the years is interspersed with conversations with the Faerie Queen, to whom Mallory answers. Phoebe is somehow connected to this world in ways we don't understand...Mallory is charged with a task that becomes more and more distasteful, a task so hard she is willing to rebel against her Queen.
Phoebe, for all her wealth, her family, her privileges, doesn't see the extraordinary qualities, her heart, her loyalty, her courage. And now she's caught in a hideous bargain that could mean her death.
Man, I loved this book. Devoured it today in class...whipping through pages.
I'm eager to share it tomorrow.
This was a strange read for me. On one hand I felt like it was amazingly magical yet steeped quite heavily in real life, but on the other I couldn't quite love the characters enough to care for their fate.
Phoebe is born into a family of exceptional people, or at least to a mother who is exceptional and despite her extraordinary ancestors, she feels that at any moment she will be revealed to be less than. And ultimately, this is what dooms her.
Of course, we don't really believe in faeries. We might, a little, but we don't truly expect to find them walking among us. But somehow, Nancy Werlin's tale of faerie treachery is scarily real. Mallory and Ryland's job is to systematically break Phoebe down until she admits to herself and to anyone else that she is ordinary. That she is nothing. Mallory tries to accomplish this by betraying a friendship years in the making. Ryland's methods are much more effective and scarily familiar. He uses love, or at least the desire to be loved.
The perfect example of a mentally abusive boyfriend Ryland demeans her, affectionately calls her 'stupid' and ridicules her while keeping his voice smooth and alluring. Of course, Phoebe falls for it as so many other women have. And I think this is why I couldn't fully love the book. Yes, Werlin does a wonderful job at telling the story. The scenes were vivid, the characters seemingly well thought out, but the ease at which Ryland breaks Phoebe down left a bitter taste in my mouth. That she so quickly falls for it, for everything, was disappointing.
But then there is this moment when the book changes and I found myself unwilling to put it down. Isn't that what we want in a book? Still, even in the end I found myself wanting for something so I can't say I fully enjoyed the book, but it did whet my appetite enough that I will look forward to coming across more of Werlin's novels.
Phoebe is born into a family of exceptional people, or at least to a mother who is exceptional and despite her extraordinary ancestors, she feels that at any moment she will be revealed to be less than. And ultimately, this is what dooms her.
Of course, we don't really believe in faeries. We might, a little, but we don't truly expect to find them walking among us. But somehow, Nancy Werlin's tale of faerie treachery is scarily real. Mallory and Ryland's job is to systematically break Phoebe down until she admits to herself and to anyone else that she is ordinary. That she is nothing. Mallory tries to accomplish this by betraying a friendship years in the making. Ryland's methods are much more effective and scarily familiar. He uses love, or at least the desire to be loved.
The perfect example of a mentally abusive boyfriend Ryland demeans her, affectionately calls her 'stupid' and ridicules her while keeping his voice smooth and alluring. Of course, Phoebe falls for it as so many other women have. And I think this is why I couldn't fully love the book. Yes, Werlin does a wonderful job at telling the story. The scenes were vivid, the characters seemingly well thought out, but the ease at which Ryland breaks Phoebe down left a bitter taste in my mouth. That she so quickly falls for it, for everything, was disappointing.
But then there is this moment when the book changes and I found myself unwilling to put it down. Isn't that what we want in a book? Still, even in the end I found myself wanting for something so I can't say I fully enjoyed the book, but it did whet my appetite enough that I will look forward to coming across more of Werlin's novels.
It did not keep my attention, but what I paid attention to was magical and mystical.
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-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
Absolutely a book I would have loved in high school- I'm just a bit too out of the target demographic, I think. Fascinating concept, and really well written characters! Dialogue is sometimes a little clunky, but nothing egregious
I don't quite know how to feel about this one. Sure, it had plenty of fairy tale dust to make it seem more interesting and one heck of a plot, but that doesn't cancel out how difficult it was for me to get into. The characters seemed a little bland and forced, and the beginning really dragged on. It took me so many tries just to get to a part that caught my interest, that it's spanned a few days.
I read Impossible and enjoyed it a lot more than this one.
The author definitely knows how to plot though. It was finely tuned and ended up being pretty fascinating, but sadly other things diminished this book's value for me. It wasn't the writing, because that was pretty spot on, but perhaps the pacing that slowed me down. Plus, I believe that it was the characters and subject matter that just weren't working in my mind.
Character-wise, we don't really see anything extraordinary. Ha. To me, they all seemed extremely bland and just overall forgettable. Our lead female Phoebe, never seemed to do much. When she wasn't being charmed by the fey, she was just boring. Actually, even when she was being charmed, she was hardly interesting. Mallory was a decent character, but still forgettable. She too didn't seem to do very much.
It was only towards the end that I actually saw anything interesting in any of them, and by that point the book was over.
Maybe that's what bothered me most about this book. Besides not having any characters to root for, this book seems to be going nowhere for so long. It's only after about 150-200 pages that it actually gets interesting and the plot begins to develop. Now that I think about it, that was probably my main frustration. It took too much time to get to something interesting.
Overall, Extraordinary was a decent read. The characters were bland and the overall story appeared to be going nowhere. However, it's the intricate plot that really keeps this book going.
☆☆☆/5
Recommend?: If the subject matter interests you.
Or, if you've read another work by the author.
I read Impossible and enjoyed it a lot more than this one.
The author definitely knows how to plot though. It was finely tuned and ended up being pretty fascinating, but sadly other things diminished this book's value for me. It wasn't the writing, because that was pretty spot on, but perhaps the pacing that slowed me down. Plus, I believe that it was the characters and subject matter that just weren't working in my mind.
Character-wise, we don't really see anything extraordinary. Ha. To me, they all seemed extremely bland and just overall forgettable. Our lead female Phoebe, never seemed to do much. When she wasn't being charmed by the fey, she was just boring. Actually, even when she was being charmed, she was hardly interesting. Mallory was a decent character, but still forgettable. She too didn't seem to do very much.
It was only towards the end that I actually saw anything interesting in any of them, and by that point the book was over.
Maybe that's what bothered me most about this book. Besides not having any characters to root for, this book seems to be going nowhere for so long. It's only after about 150-200 pages that it actually gets interesting and the plot begins to develop. Now that I think about it, that was probably my main frustration. It took too much time to get to something interesting.
Overall, Extraordinary was a decent read. The characters were bland and the overall story appeared to be going nowhere. However, it's the intricate plot that really keeps this book going.
☆☆☆/5
Recommend?: If the subject matter interests you.
Or, if you've read another work by the author.