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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Full review: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2009/10/lips-touch-laini-taylor-w-jim-di.html
This book is the ultimate lesson in "Don't judge a book by its cover." Ignore the partial coloring, the vague title, and the tacked-on flames, because they aren't representative of the stories OR the beautiful art inside. Laini Taylor gives us three haunting novellas, each accompanied by stunning black and white art by Jim DiBartolo. All of them are beautifully written and incredibly unique, but "Hatchling" might be my favorite, because it disturbed and moved me so much that I was still thinking about it days later. I hope some day the publisher reissues this book with a better cover and title (why not Goblin Fruit or one of the other novella titles?), but until then, take the dust jacket off and prepare to be completely immersed in beautiful prose.
3 original dark fairy tales... of longing and desires.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One star. And I'm generous.
These short stories are awful. The characters are bland and silly, the love interests SUCK and the writing style... This is considered gorgeous prose? The bar is low, then.
One of the worst books I've ever read.
These short stories are awful. The characters are bland and silly, the love interests SUCK and the writing style... This is considered gorgeous prose? The bar is low, then.
One of the worst books I've ever read.
I love Laini Taylor’s writing style, but this collection of short stories just wasn’t it for me. I felt like all 3 of them were bland in terms of their plot. And, the third story made me incredibly uncomfortable. Overall, I couldn’t help but feel bored, and I ended up skimming through the last third of the book.
I LOVED the first story! The second was good too. The third was OK, it took me a while to finish that one.
I don't read a lot of novellas/short stories. I've never really been drawn to them much, since I tend to be afraid that they won't have a very fulfilling story arc. However, I'd read pretty much anything Laini Taylor wrote, which includes her short story collection Lips Touch: Three Times (if I ever found a copy). So, when I stumbled upon this book for 50¢ at Half Price Books, I couldn't not buy it.
I'm going to review the three stories separately, since--contrary to what I'd expected--they were three stand-alone stories. (I kind of assumed they'd intertwine with each other... I guess not. But that's okay, I liked them like this)
Goblin Fruit 3/5
I got of to kind of a bad start with this book. I didn't really like the first story all that much. It was the shortest, and had the least character development and least world-building. It was the weakest if the three. I had very high expectations for Goblin Fruit for a few reasons. First, because DoSaB was awesome, but also because of the amazing art preceding the story.
Unfortunately, I didn't really connect with Kizzy or with the guy (whose name I cannot remember). And the romance made me feel nothing, which was very disappointing in a book supposedly centered around three kisses. I barely even remember anything about the story, and I read it two days ago. For some reason, it just didn't stay with me.
In the end, I gave it 3 stars because, despite my problems with the story, the art was amazing and the writing was beautiful (as always, when it comes to Laini Taylor).
Spicy Little Curses Such as These 4/5
The second story was much better than the first. For starters, the world-building and character development were much more thorough and much better than in Goblin Fruit. Part of that has to do with the fact that the story was significantly longer and more fleshed out, but part of it also had to do with the premise itself which interested me much more. I loved the idea of the old woman who bartered for children's souls, it was much more interesting than a high school girl with a weird family.
Also, the romance was much better. I wanted Anamique and James to get together. I felt a connection between them (at least, compared to Kizzy and what's-his-face, there was a connection). Their getting together was a bit rushed, I'll admit, but this is a short story. They didn't have 300 pages to fall in love. They had 75.
I ended up giving this story 4 stars, because, yes, the romance was rushed, but I still loved it.
Hatchling 5/5
As it turns out, Laini Taylor saved the best story for last. Hatchling was well thought out and complex story. When I finished it, and realized it was only about 135 pages long, I was impressed. The world-building was fantastic for such a short story. There were so many otherworldly things I had to figure out, different creatures, fantasy locations, fantasy lore; and it wasn't too confusing or info-dumpy. By the end, I felt like this was something from a fairy tale--an immortal queen who kept a young girl as her pet, it seemed a familiar concept (though not from lack of originality).
The romance was two fold in this one, and both of them worked out for me. Mihai and his love--and I won't tell you who it is, because that would spoil it--and then Esme and her's at the end.
Overall 4/5
It pains me to give anything by Laini Taylor less than 5 stars, but Goblin Fruit really let me down, so I feel like I can't give the book 5 stars overall. But that's not to say I didn't love Lips Touch. The writing was gorgeous. I mean, Laini Taylor's writing is essentially poetry in novel form.
And, of course, I have to comment on the art. It was beautiful the first time, but then I went back and looked at it all again after reading the stories, and it was even more beautiful the second time. The context for the picture sat behind them like an extra layer, making them 3D.
Also, it made me very excited for another book Jim Di Bartolo illustrated--In The Shadows. I can't wait to get my hands on that.
I recommend Lips Touch: Three Times for fans of Laini Taylor--good luck finding a copy! I never though I'd get to read it.
I'm going to review the three stories separately, since--contrary to what I'd expected--they were three stand-alone stories. (I kind of assumed they'd intertwine with each other... I guess not. But that's okay, I liked them like this)
Goblin Fruit 3/5
I got of to kind of a bad start with this book. I didn't really like the first story all that much. It was the shortest, and had the least character development and least world-building. It was the weakest if the three. I had very high expectations for Goblin Fruit for a few reasons. First, because DoSaB was awesome, but also because of the amazing art preceding the story.
Unfortunately, I didn't really connect with Kizzy or with the guy (whose name I cannot remember). And the romance made me feel nothing, which was very disappointing in a book supposedly centered around three kisses. I barely even remember anything about the story, and I read it two days ago. For some reason, it just didn't stay with me.
In the end, I gave it 3 stars because, despite my problems with the story, the art was amazing and the writing was beautiful (as always, when it comes to Laini Taylor).
Spicy Little Curses Such as These 4/5
The second story was much better than the first. For starters, the world-building and character development were much more thorough and much better than in Goblin Fruit. Part of that has to do with the fact that the story was significantly longer and more fleshed out, but part of it also had to do with the premise itself which interested me much more. I loved the idea of the old woman who bartered for children's souls, it was much more interesting than a high school girl with a weird family.
Also, the romance was much better. I wanted Anamique and James to get together. I felt a connection between them (at least, compared to Kizzy and what's-his-face, there was a connection). Their getting together was a bit rushed, I'll admit, but this is a short story. They didn't have 300 pages to fall in love. They had 75.
I ended up giving this story 4 stars, because, yes, the romance was rushed, but I still loved it.
Hatchling 5/5
As it turns out, Laini Taylor saved the best story for last. Hatchling was well thought out and complex story. When I finished it, and realized it was only about 135 pages long, I was impressed. The world-building was fantastic for such a short story. There were so many otherworldly things I had to figure out, different creatures, fantasy locations, fantasy lore; and it wasn't too confusing or info-dumpy. By the end, I felt like this was something from a fairy tale--an immortal queen who kept a young girl as her pet, it seemed a familiar concept (though not from lack of originality).
The romance was two fold in this one, and both of them worked out for me. Mihai and his love--and I won't tell you who it is, because that would spoil it--and then Esme and her's at the end.
Overall 4/5
It pains me to give anything by Laini Taylor less than 5 stars, but Goblin Fruit really let me down, so I feel like I can't give the book 5 stars overall. But that's not to say I didn't love Lips Touch. The writing was gorgeous. I mean, Laini Taylor's writing is essentially poetry in novel form.
And, of course, I have to comment on the art. It was beautiful the first time, but then I went back and looked at it all again after reading the stories, and it was even more beautiful the second time. The context for the picture sat behind them like an extra layer, making them 3D.
Also, it made me very excited for another book Jim Di Bartolo illustrated--In The Shadows. I can't wait to get my hands on that.
I recommend Lips Touch: Three Times for fans of Laini Taylor--good luck finding a copy! I never though I'd get to read it.
Sad to say I am going with one star- if for no other reason than it made my stomach churn.
yummy. <3 dreamdark...but here we see a more lyrical side to Laini Taylor's prose. v. v. good...and a very easy hand-sell/booktalk...particularly with the lush illustrations.