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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
A group of vampires kidnaps a woman visiting her family cabin and chains her in an empty house overnight with one of their hungry enemies.
In the morning, she is still alive.
Always wondering what will happen next, you'll want to keep reading (and baking!) until the very end.
Not your typical vampire book.
-Kelly M.H.-
In the morning, she is still alive.
Always wondering what will happen next, you'll want to keep reading (and baking!) until the very end.
Not your typical vampire book.
-Kelly M.H.-
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I feel like I would have appreciated this a lot more if I'd read Twilight first! But I pretty much flat-out refuse to go anywhere near Twilight, so. Er.
I really liked the world here, but I thought the near-constant tangents to explain how the world worked were unnecessary and frustating. I enjoyed the POV, but it really pulled me out of the story when Sunshine would go on a big backtracking infodump in the middle of action or dialogue or pretty much anything. Still, there were a lot of really cool details about how magic had been incorporated into daily life that made a lot of sense to me and were just generally really clever.
I liked the romance a lot, even though I don't think I should have. It was there, but it wasn't hitting the reader over the head, and it wasn't the point. I'd really, really like to see a sequel, because in a lot of ways this was an origin story, and I'd really like to see where things go from here. At the same time, though, it was frustrating knowing that the book really should have been a heck of a lot shorter.
I didn't really like Sunshine, and I found her pessimism really exhausting overall, but I enjoyed seeing how she dealt with things, and the book surprised me more than once, which always makes me happy. I had to keep reading because I genuinely didn't have a clue what was going to happen next.
I really liked the world here, but I thought the near-constant tangents to explain how the world worked were unnecessary and frustating. I enjoyed the POV, but it really pulled me out of the story when Sunshine would go on a big backtracking infodump in the middle of action or dialogue or pretty much anything. Still, there were a lot of really cool details about how magic had been incorporated into daily life that made a lot of sense to me and were just generally really clever.
I liked the romance a lot, even though I don't think I should have. It was there, but it wasn't hitting the reader over the head, and it wasn't the point. I'd really, really like to see a sequel, because in a lot of ways this was an origin story, and I'd really like to see where things go from here. At the same time, though, it was frustrating knowing that the book really should have been a heck of a lot shorter.
I didn't really like Sunshine, and I found her pessimism really exhausting overall, but I enjoyed seeing how she dealt with things, and the book surprised me more than once, which always makes me happy. I had to keep reading because I genuinely didn't have a clue what was going to happen next.
This is an incredible book. If Opera had a book club for Vampire stories this would be in the top ten for sure. It explores the emotional effects of vampires in the main characters life.
Simply amazing!
Simply amazing!
This novel had an interesting premise, but McKinley didn't do much with it. Her writing language, however, is as it always is, wonderful, lush, and detailed. Too bad the plot didn't keep up.
But this book did inspire me to make homemade cinnamon rolls!
But this book did inspire me to make homemade cinnamon rolls!
A bit of a tendency to introduce concepts or information only just as it's needed (a testament to the pace), and some threads left unresolved (is there a sequel?), but a fantastic main character, gripping story, and great writing. And this is coming from someone who doesn't even like vampire stories! Great read.
I really want to shelf this book as post-apocalyptic, but even though technically the setting is after an arguably apocalyptic event (the Voodoo Wars: humans vs. Others!) the setting itself doesn't really feel that way. I may talk myself into adding this book to that shelf anyway, by the end of this review.
Sunshine is both the name of the book and the nickname of the heroine, which isn't much of a spoiler as the reader finds this nickname out pretty quickly. However there are more meanings of this word as title/nickname, which I appreciate, and which also become more important deeper into the book.
I haven't read many (much, any) vampire / urban-fantasy novels. I think I read the first Twilight novel. Hm, now that I reconsider this thought, I remember starting it but not finishing it. In any case, I did see three of the Twilight movies. The point is, I don't have much to go on in the way of comparison. And while there are sort of vampires in The Passage, it wasn't urban fantasy. Anyway, both the heroines (from Twilight and Sunshine) have a dad named Charlie. I'm guessing Stephanie Meyer didn't name her heroine's dad Charlie out of homage so I'll chalk it up to cosmic coincidence. And both books have a leading bad/good but noble vampire guy conflicted (to varying degrees) between eating yummy heroines and not eating them. I think that's about where I'd end the comparisons. Why am I writing about Twilight? Oh well.
I was pleasantly shocked at how quickly the novel progresses from a describing a nice, normal town with a standard mix of normal and quirky characters into BAM! Vampire kidnappings, casual name dropping of werewolves, were-chickens, were-anythings, sorcerers, bad magic zones, and the aforementioned Voodoo Wars. It seemed to me the population of this small town ought to be much more concerned about the Others than they are. Then again, perhaps because (spoiler? or maybe not, if you are accustomed to reading vampire books) a vast majority of the characters in the book turn out to be an Other or part-Other, there is a false sense of calm on display for the reader. I guess that's the literary device at work here. It certainly lulled and then shocked me.
Speaking of shocking, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the two racy scenes seemed out of place linguistically. Yes I see there is sexual tension and/or romance happening but the language McKinley utilizes to describe the pair of scenes seemed in conflict with the writing the rest of the 400 pages. As if the movie were rated PG-13, but the director's cut had a couple of graphic scenes spliced into it that would have earned the R rating. Then again, for a book that takes place in the 1st person, it makes sense that every now and then our 25-year old heroine's thoughts would occasionally dwell on things of a... swollen (sigh) nature.
But let's talk plot: there's a bad vampire named Bo. He has it out for another vampire named Con. Our heroine gets caught in the middle of their conflict, and soon realizes there is more to herself than the ordinary wake-up-at-4am-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-at-Charlie's-cafe type of lady. The unlikely and surprising alliances she finds herself in, how she juggles them, and how she interacts with her long gone grandmother (mostly via flashbacks) help keep her from shrinking into her preferred whiny and inconsequential life and into one of true heroics. She never quite escapes the her inner dialog of whinyness but at least she finds there is more to life than pastries and self-absorption.
It's a novel at the same time about self-discovery as well as challenging conceptions (both the reader's and the heroine's) about vampires.
This is the first McKinley I've read. I've heard it is nothing like her other novels and there won't be a sequel. I actually liked this book as a stand-alone feature, although she could spend many more novels exploring her post-Voodoo Wars world, with all the technology and lingo invented for this setting (magic tattoo wards, globenet communication system, "blink" as the alternative currency, to name just three), especially given the predictions of the near future state of humans vs. Others and the various characters left hanging on the outskirts or literally walking off into the sunset (well, the post-sunset anyway), begging for more adventures.
One thing I have to admit: I kept falling asleep. Most of the 400 pages is descriptive or introspection. Easy material to doze to. Although sprinkled with some crazy and psychedelic action scenes, and granted, the first person perspective naturally lends itself to endless description, it wasn't quite the book suitable for my reading times: right before bed, on the bus (where I've grown accustomed to napping). Maybe I should have carved out some bright-eyed and busy-tailed reading time to get through this book easier. As it was, I didn't finish before book-club and settled for a summary of the last 75 pages from a trusted literary agent before getting it spoiled by my way-fun book club members.
4 out of 5 on the techno degeneracy scale of vampire novels. (I just made up that scale, but the phrase is from the book.)
Sunshine is both the name of the book and the nickname of the heroine, which isn't much of a spoiler as the reader finds this nickname out pretty quickly. However there are more meanings of this word as title/nickname, which I appreciate, and which also become more important deeper into the book.
I haven't read many (much, any) vampire / urban-fantasy novels. I think I read the first Twilight novel. Hm, now that I reconsider this thought, I remember starting it but not finishing it. In any case, I did see three of the Twilight movies. The point is, I don't have much to go on in the way of comparison. And while there are sort of vampires in The Passage, it wasn't urban fantasy. Anyway, both the heroines (from Twilight and Sunshine) have a dad named Charlie. I'm guessing Stephanie Meyer didn't name her heroine's dad Charlie out of homage so I'll chalk it up to cosmic coincidence. And both books have a leading bad/good but noble vampire guy conflicted (to varying degrees) between eating yummy heroines and not eating them. I think that's about where I'd end the comparisons. Why am I writing about Twilight? Oh well.
I was pleasantly shocked at how quickly the novel progresses from a describing a nice, normal town with a standard mix of normal and quirky characters into BAM! Vampire kidnappings, casual name dropping of werewolves, were-chickens, were-anythings, sorcerers, bad magic zones, and the aforementioned Voodoo Wars. It seemed to me the population of this small town ought to be much more concerned about the Others than they are. Then again, perhaps because (spoiler? or maybe not, if you are accustomed to reading vampire books) a vast majority of the characters in the book turn out to be an Other or part-Other, there is a false sense of calm on display for the reader. I guess that's the literary device at work here. It certainly lulled and then shocked me.
Speaking of shocking, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the two racy scenes seemed out of place linguistically. Yes I see there is sexual tension and/or romance happening but the language McKinley utilizes to describe the pair of scenes seemed in conflict with the writing the rest of the 400 pages. As if the movie were rated PG-13, but the director's cut had a couple of graphic scenes spliced into it that would have earned the R rating. Then again, for a book that takes place in the 1st person, it makes sense that every now and then our 25-year old heroine's thoughts would occasionally dwell on things of a... swollen (sigh) nature.
But let's talk plot: there's a bad vampire named Bo. He has it out for another vampire named Con. Our heroine gets caught in the middle of their conflict, and soon realizes there is more to herself than the ordinary wake-up-at-4am-to-make-cinnamon-rolls-at-Charlie's-cafe type of lady. The unlikely and surprising alliances she finds herself in, how she juggles them, and how she interacts with her long gone grandmother (mostly via flashbacks) help keep her from shrinking into her preferred whiny and inconsequential life and into one of true heroics. She never quite escapes the her inner dialog of whinyness but at least she finds there is more to life than pastries and self-absorption.
It's a novel at the same time about self-discovery as well as challenging conceptions (both the reader's and the heroine's) about vampires.
This is the first McKinley I've read. I've heard it is nothing like her other novels and there won't be a sequel. I actually liked this book as a stand-alone feature, although she could spend many more novels exploring her post-Voodoo Wars world, with all the technology and lingo invented for this setting (magic tattoo wards, globenet communication system, "blink" as the alternative currency, to name just three), especially given the predictions of the near future state of humans vs. Others and the various characters left hanging on the outskirts or literally walking off into the sunset (well, the post-sunset anyway), begging for more adventures.
One thing I have to admit: I kept falling asleep. Most of the 400 pages is descriptive or introspection. Easy material to doze to. Although sprinkled with some crazy and psychedelic action scenes, and granted, the first person perspective naturally lends itself to endless description, it wasn't quite the book suitable for my reading times: right before bed, on the bus (where I've grown accustomed to napping). Maybe I should have carved out some bright-eyed and busy-tailed reading time to get through this book easier. As it was, I didn't finish before book-club and settled for a summary of the last 75 pages from a trusted literary agent before getting it spoiled by my way-fun book club members.
4 out of 5 on the techno degeneracy scale of vampire novels. (I just made up that scale, but the phrase is from the book.)
I am rereading this book, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. The protagonist is relatable, and yet her own person. First person narration normally grates on me after a while, but this works. The excessive tangents about the town's history would tempt me to give this a 4.5 rating if that were an option, but beyond that, it's a smooth enjoyable read.