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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I really liked reading this back in grade school. It was fun and exciting and the love story was *kilig*. A modern take on the whole Camelot story.
So, not generally a fan of Meg Cabot, but this one sounded more along my lines than her usual type. I liked it. In a guilty sort of way. I don’t know why the guilty part, because it was well done and she obviously knows what she’s talking about. And she quotes P.G. Wodehouse. (June 2008)
I really liked the twist. Elaine was way to fun to be The Lady of Shalott. Unless she was Anne Shirley, I can see her as an Anne Shirley Lady of Shalott ;P So, nice read, if predictable.
reread: 2018, audiobook
5 stars (bec nostalgia)
This has been my go-to read more than a decade ago when I was a mere student, fighting tooth and nail for that passing grade. Haha. My taste has changed, and the narrator of the audiobook did not help, but once I remember feeling magical while reading this. Also King Arthur. :)))
5 stars (bec nostalgia)
This has been my go-to read more than a decade ago when I was a mere student, fighting tooth and nail for that passing grade. Haha. My taste has changed, and the narrator of the audiobook did not help, but once I remember feeling magical while reading this. Also King Arthur. :)))
You know those books were there are many things that make it problematic, but that you inevitably absolutely love? This is one of those books for me. This isn't my first time reading Avalon High and it won't be my last, but upon reading it this time after two or three years since my last time reading it (which was also not the first time I'd read it) I found things that, well, simply put made me cringe. Multiple times. I stress that I've read it several times before because I want to make it clear that I had not during those past reads pick up on any of these things. Just goes to show how my mindset is completely different from what it was during the last time. But enough about that, let's talk about the story.
Avalon High revolves around Arthurian legend, which honestly makes the story intriguing and fascinating. Enough to propel you to want to read up on King Arthur. Something I've yet to do and will hopefully soon. Though I have been telling myself this since the day I discovered this book and well, I still haven't but I digress. The plot is entertaining, the characters are relatable for the most part, the writing is phenomenal (as is always the case with Meg Cabot's beautiful writing), and the cutesy dynamic between Ellie and Will is enough to make me swoon. This book, I cannot stress enough, is so so good and I love it so much.
But it has it faults. And granted, my rating should be much lower because of these faults, but like I've said, it's one of those books I can't help but love. All I can say is that I am aware of its defects and I well know to use those as an example of how I shouldn't act. With that in mind I want to talk about our main character, Ellie Harrison.
Ellie isn't a character I hate. Sure, I rolled my eyes quite a few times, but I don't dislike her. I actually like her a lot. However, her character is problematic. I cringed many times at the way she behaved. In her thoughts though because thank the lord almighty she never really said any of this out loud. For starters Ellie buys into stereotypes and she puts everyone in a category. This goes on for the majority of the book. This girl, apparently, knows not how to get to know people before deciding that they are the stereotype or cliché that those in their status are known to be. I cannot explain how greatly I despised this behavior and how hard it was to read through it. The way Ellie would go off about Jennifer, who may I add she'd pretty much had 0 contact with excluding one encounter in which Jen was totally cool about it, was also disconcerting. She was outright criticizing and somewhat hating her just because she was the girlfriend of the guy she was crushing on. Something she had no right to be doing. She compared at one point her dad's scream to that of a "girls." Um, excuse you Ellie Harrison, but take that shit back. Throughout the damn thing, she puts herself down along the lines of, "Will Wagner would never go out or even look at someone like me in a romantic way. And oh being funny is totally off putting to a guy. And I just have no chance with Will. Blah blah blah, watch me complain about myself." I get we all feel a little self-loathing, but ladies and gentlemen, this was taking things too far because she does this at least 90% of the book. NINETY PERCENT OF THE BOOK.
And one of the most insulting things? She called the Bee Gees lame. Get off your high horse Ellie Harrison, constituting that something is lame just because you dad likes it is just stupid. And the Bee Gees, for your information Harrison, are awesome. Honestly, her dad was cooler than her.
All in all though, my love for this book has not died. I love Will too much and the whole premise of the story and well, I of course cut Ellie some slack. As for the other characters? They are all likable, I'm not really attached to them, but hey not everyone is Will Wagner.
That is all. You may continue with your usual programming.
Avalon High revolves around Arthurian legend, which honestly makes the story intriguing and fascinating. Enough to propel you to want to read up on King Arthur. Something I've yet to do and will hopefully soon. Though I have been telling myself this since the day I discovered this book and well, I still haven't but I digress. The plot is entertaining, the characters are relatable for the most part, the writing is phenomenal (as is always the case with Meg Cabot's beautiful writing), and the cutesy dynamic between Ellie and Will is enough to make me swoon. This book, I cannot stress enough, is so so good and I love it so much.
But it has it faults. And granted, my rating should be much lower because of these faults, but like I've said, it's one of those books I can't help but love. All I can say is that I am aware of its defects and I well know to use those as an example of how I shouldn't act. With that in mind I want to talk about our main character, Ellie Harrison.
Ellie isn't a character I hate. Sure, I rolled my eyes quite a few times, but I don't dislike her. I actually like her a lot. However, her character is problematic. I cringed many times at the way she behaved. In her thoughts though because thank the lord almighty she never really said any of this out loud. For starters Ellie buys into stereotypes and she puts everyone in a category. This goes on for the majority of the book. This girl, apparently, knows not how to get to know people before deciding that they are the stereotype or cliché that those in their status are known to be. I cannot explain how greatly I despised this behavior and how hard it was to read through it. The way Ellie would go off about Jennifer, who may I add she'd pretty much had 0 contact with excluding one encounter in which Jen was totally cool about it, was also disconcerting. She was outright criticizing and somewhat hating her just because she was the girlfriend of the guy she was crushing on. Something she had no right to be doing. She compared at one point her dad's scream to that of a "girls." Um, excuse you Ellie Harrison, but take that shit back. Throughout the damn thing, she puts herself down along the lines of, "Will Wagner would never go out or even look at someone like me in a romantic way. And oh being funny is totally off putting to a guy. And I just have no chance with Will. Blah blah blah, watch me complain about myself." I get we all feel a little self-loathing, but ladies and gentlemen, this was taking things too far because she does this at least 90% of the book. NINETY PERCENT OF THE BOOK.
And one of the most insulting things? She called the Bee Gees lame. Get off your high horse Ellie Harrison, constituting that something is lame just because you dad likes it is just stupid. And the Bee Gees, for your information Harrison, are awesome. Honestly, her dad was cooler than her.
All in all though, my love for this book has not died. I love Will too much and the whole premise of the story and well, I of course cut Ellie some slack. As for the other characters? They are all likable, I'm not really attached to them, but hey not everyone is Will Wagner.
That is all. You may continue with your usual programming.
WAAAAY! bettah than the movie! although Will was ah-mazing in the movie....
Cute, fun read. (Actually, listen. It was an audiobook.) My first Cabot book...I doubt this author will blow me away but it makes for good light reading/listening when I'm busy with other things.