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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Delighted to find out I didn't in fact hallucinate this book while delirious with a fever. It was completely batshit by my 14 year old standards - there's this girl, except she's not really a girl she's a plant, and a literal flower grows on her back like something out of Alien, lots of worldbuilding threads started re: the types of plant-people and something about the importance of the symmetry of a cell wall and a ongoing species war.
The concept had a lot of potential but was overshadowed by the clichéd structure and plot, to say nothing of the bog-standard characters, but perhaps that changes in later books? Not going to try and find out now, though
The concept had a lot of potential but was overshadowed by the clichéd structure and plot, to say nothing of the bog-standard characters, but perhaps that changes in later books? Not going to try and find out now, though
adventurous
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Here's a pretty adoption tale to lay before my child...uh, no. I found the writing to be awkward and the storytelling was ungainly. It is a different take on a story about faeries, yes, but it's getting harder and harder to make those good. It's just been done and done again. And Tam's little speech on beauty/ugliness and symmetry? Beyond annoying.
I wanted to like it, and I feel that it will do very well, but the writing needs tightening.
I wanted to like it, and I feel that it will do very well, but the writing needs tightening.
I have to say that I'm disappointed with how easy this book was to read. I was hoping for something a little more... challenging isn't the right word, and neither is adult. I suppose I was looking for something a little more teen-directed than pre-teen, I suppose. The chapters are incredibly short, and in typical fashion, the girl becomes best friends with a boy and their relationship quickly develops. Adults are never involved, another boy enters the scene and the first boy is a giant science geek and performs rudimentary experiments on her. What fifteen-year-old boy owns a powerful microscope these days and knows the difference between plant and animal cells? Furthermore, I couldn't tell if the characters were thirteen or seventeen. The writing suggests thirteen, the activities suggest seventeen but the text says fifteen.
So what I did enjoy.
I liked the twist on the usual faerie-tale saga. The fact they're plants- highly evolved plants, however- is a fun twist. I'd have liked to have seen more 'plantish' behaviour, but it worked for where it was needed. I liked the troll element, in a way, but I think it fell a bit weak. Barnes will clearly return, that much is obvious. Laurel is a realistic enough character. A little perfect, yes, but she seems to be somewhat neurotic. Hopefully Pike will develop this tiny trait. But everybody's a little bit too perfect. I guess that is fairly obvious, though, when [a:Stephenie Meyer|941441|Stephenie Meyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1250877761p2/941441.jpg] calls it a remarkable debut.
I don't think I'll be reading the sequel, but I may check the movie out when it's released. I'm somewhat gagging, though, at the prospect of playing Laurel. I honestly pictured someone more along the lines of Taylor Swift. If they had to pick a singer/sometime two-bit actor, it'd be her. At least she's blonde and has pale skin.
So what I did enjoy.
I liked the twist on the usual faerie-tale saga. The fact they're plants- highly evolved plants, however- is a fun twist. I'd have liked to have seen more 'plantish' behaviour, but it worked for where it was needed. I liked the troll element, in a way, but I think it fell a bit weak. Barnes will clearly return, that much is obvious. Laurel is a realistic enough character. A little perfect, yes, but she seems to be somewhat neurotic. Hopefully Pike will develop this tiny trait. But everybody's a little bit too perfect. I guess that is fairly obvious, though, when [a:Stephenie Meyer|941441|Stephenie Meyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1250877761p2/941441.jpg] calls it a remarkable debut.
I don't think I'll be reading the sequel, but I may check the movie out when it's released. I'm somewhat gagging, though, at the prospect of playing Laurel. I honestly pictured someone more along the lines of Taylor Swift. If they had to pick a singer/sometime two-bit actor, it'd be her. At least she's blonde and has pale skin.
I didn't think that it would be that great a book, but it was actually pretty good, kind of like twilight in some ways but still not bad.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very young fantasy writing. It was enjoyable but I think I would have liked it better if it wasn’t a stereotypical high school fantasy drama.
Gives me the same vibes as spiderwick chronicles.
Didn’t like that she was cheating though.. tam and David love triangle is a little too much for me.
Gives me the same vibes as spiderwick chronicles.
Good start to the series. A fast read, less than a day. lol Interesting take on faerie lore. A humorous and clean discription of faerie reproducion. Looking forward to the next book which is waiting for me on the table.lol
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first fae/fairy novel I've read and I wasn't overly impressed. The storyline was thin and I fell asleep reading it almost every night. I've committed myself to reading #2 just to see if it gets any better. One more chance...
At first I thought I would really hate this book. I only picked it up because I was very desperate for something to read, but soon I found myself fed up with the characters. Laurel was so annoying. I thought she was this whiny vegan (with all her talk about "ew chocolate" and "I can't wear long sleeves" and "I don't like being inside") and she was really making me angry. A little bit of that went away when we learned she was a fairy, but that first impression of her was stuck in my mind. Also: David... he never gives up, does he? Where's my nice, hot guy who'll invite me to sit with his friends? And won't run away if I have what looks like a giant parasitic flower growing out of my back? It doesn't exist. Tamani... no. It didn't even occur to me that he would be a potential love interested until I realized that no teen girl book can go without a forced love-triangle.
I will, however, be giving the second book a chance, because sometimes shorter books, like this one, need a little help from the sequel, and I'm willing to let it get a little help (plus I have a hard time starting a series and not finishing it)
Also, just adding this because I've seen a lot of comments about her whole lack of period thing. Her mom thought she was 15. Another year or so may have been a problem but, take it from experience, 15 is not actually an age where there's a health concern involved. Especially with a very skinny girl like Laurel. Plus, if you have a BMI of below 18 or 19 your period usually stops/doesn't happen. I'm assuming that Laurel, being the borderline anorexic, and vegan, that she was, probably had a BMI of less than 18.
I will, however, be giving the second book a chance, because sometimes shorter books, like this one, need a little help from the sequel, and I'm willing to let it get a little help (plus I have a hard time starting a series and not finishing it)
Also, just adding this because I've seen a lot of comments about her whole lack of period thing. Her mom thought she was 15. Another year or so may have been a problem but, take it from experience, 15 is not actually an age where there's a health concern involved. Especially with a very skinny girl like Laurel. Plus, if you have a BMI of below 18 or 19 your period usually stops/doesn't happen. I'm assuming that Laurel, being the borderline anorexic, and vegan, that she was, probably had a BMI of less than 18.