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A review by fulltimefiction
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
2.0
I'm making my way through the most popular urban fantasy books with a rating higher than 4. And I must say, I haven't read anything 4 stars worthy recently. I have yet to find a series that shares the level of what I read a couple of years ago. I'm not asking for the level of Kate Daniels nor another Fever but maybe an enjoyable first in a series that will make me want to read the sequels. And enjoy them looking at you Archangel's Kiss. Is this too much to ask? No. I'm a loyal fan of this genre, which is one of my favorites. I want to read some good new stuff as I've extinguished all the series I've liked. My next stop is Alpha and Omega. I better not get another Mercy Thompson. Sue me, I did not like her.
- end of complaint.
Anyhow, back to this book. It isn't bad, I can see why others enjoyed it. I simply couldn't enjoy it for many factors. I'll share some:
- This is supposed to be funny. I did not even smile. Heck, I just finished Misery today and even Annie got a few smiles (the irony of Charley naming her car after Misery and reading both the same day wasn't lost on me).
- Charley trying to be all smart-mouthed and sarcastic. It was weak. The author tried to make her sound witty and sassy but failed.
- I couldn't see the chemistry between Reyes and Charley. I was intrigued at first but eventually, I became underwhelmed. They know nothing about each other. Other than their very brief meeting in their teens, in which he threatened to rape her might I add (I know he wasn't going to do it and only said that because he needed her to leave). Their romance -which barely existed in this book (and no her thinking of him half of the time doesn't count)- did not make me feel anything eventually.
So briefly said, the characters didn't mean much to me, maybe Angel but that's it. The story, which started interesting enough, didn't pull me. I didn't appreciate the humor -which relies heavily on one's taste. What I find hilarious, others might think it's silly. So this point is completely subjective.
I also needed way more explanations. Like why there's only one grim reaper? She obviously can't resolve cases in other countries so these people can get no closure because they don't have their own reaper? They see this only beacon on earth and yet she never met or mentioned meeting a dead person from another country (even though she claimed they can see her).
- end of complaint.
Anyhow, back to this book. It isn't bad, I can see why others enjoyed it. I simply couldn't enjoy it for many factors. I'll share some:
- This is supposed to be funny. I did not even smile. Heck, I just finished Misery today and even Annie got a few smiles (the irony of Charley naming her car after Misery and reading both the same day wasn't lost on me).
- Charley trying to be all smart-mouthed and sarcastic. It was weak. The author tried to make her sound witty and sassy but failed.
- I couldn't see the chemistry between Reyes and Charley. I was intrigued at first but eventually, I became underwhelmed. They know nothing about each other. Other than their very brief meeting in their teens, in which he threatened to rape her might I add (I know he wasn't going to do it and only said that because he needed her to leave). Their romance -which barely existed in this book (and no her thinking of him half of the time doesn't count)- did not make me feel anything eventually.
So briefly said, the characters didn't mean much to me, maybe Angel but that's it. The story, which started interesting enough, didn't pull me. I didn't appreciate the humor -which relies heavily on one's taste. What I find hilarious, others might think it's silly. So this point is completely subjective.
I also needed way more explanations. Like why there's only one grim reaper? She obviously can't resolve cases in other countries so these people can get no closure because they don't have their own reaper? They see this only beacon on earth and yet she never met or mentioned meeting a dead person from another country (even though she claimed they can see her).