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A review by nellpine
Burning Dawn by Gena Showalter
3.0
This book was... Exhausting. I had to labor through it, and it was not unlike trying to sprint through 3 feet of tar. There were just too many things pumped into the book that I didn't understand, and the experience of reading it left me confused and unsatisfied. There were sooo many repetitive lines, like Thane or Elin observing the other's "kiss-swollen lips" and her "smoked-glass eyes". I found myself rolling my eyes during a lot of scenes instead of swooning or cheering.
THE GOOD:
Thane. Poor, tortured Thane. You deserved better than Elin my friend, so much better. I got everything I expected from Thane based on the information from the last two books and was left wanting more, especially about his childhood and his life before the dungeon. It's referenced here and there but I wanted more than just pepperings. But no, I got Elin instead...
THE BAD
Elin. I was not impressed with her character in the least. I was supposed to find her flaws endearing, like the whole baking thing, but instead it made me find her, in all honesty, a little stupid. Her vocabulary grated on my nerves. How could I take seriously someone who said "Cray-cray" and "I'm going to go to first base with you so hard."
Showalter tried to redeem her near the end with the whole, but it was too little to late. I already found her childish and profoundly immature. The number of times she misinterprets Thane's word and actions and then storms off like a scolded 3-year-old made me want to slap her. It seriously happened at least 10 times. And each time, Thane grew tortured and worried that she would leave him, and I just wanted to scream. Elin knew about his past--for the most part--and still put him through that. I couldn't stand it.
OVERALL
It wasn't a horrible book by any means, but hearing that it was about Thane filled me with a lot of promises that weren't kept. That isn't really Showalter's fault, I know, but I couldn't help being disappointed. Thane's newfound ability to love was wasted on such an immature, disconnected girl. Ugh.
THE GOOD:
Thane. Poor, tortured Thane. You deserved better than Elin my friend, so much better. I got everything I expected from Thane based on the information from the last two books and was left wanting more, especially about his childhood and his life before the dungeon. It's referenced here and there but I wanted more than just pepperings. But no, I got Elin instead...
THE BAD
Elin. I was not impressed with her character in the least. I was supposed to find her flaws endearing, like the whole baking thing, but instead it made me find her, in all honesty, a little stupid. Her vocabulary grated on my nerves. How could I take seriously someone who said "Cray-cray" and "I'm going to go to first base with you so hard."
Showalter tried to redeem her near the end with the whole
Spoiler
badass Phoenix thingOVERALL
It wasn't a horrible book by any means, but hearing that it was about Thane filled me with a lot of promises that weren't kept. That isn't really Showalter's fault, I know, but I couldn't help being disappointed. Thane's newfound ability to love was wasted on such an immature, disconnected girl. Ugh.