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A review by steph01924
Jealousy by Lili St Crow
2.0
I know that writers have to fulfill a certain amount of pages for a book. But, sometimes, I think it would be better for writers to just write their story until it needs to end organically. If it takes more pages and the plot is interesting enough to sustain it, great. If not, well, write yourself a shorter but crazy-compelling piece that will still get me excited to read on and not have to repeat paragraphs over and over. I feel like this book could have been combined with one of the others in the series, both with the fat trimmed, and it would've made one great book. But, alas, that is not the case.
This book was more on par, for me, with the second in the series (which isn't a great thing). I'm glad we got out of the backwaters Schola but while the new place was shiny and fancy, it was...still kind of boring. The story consisted of: Dru missing her old life, Dad, Gram, Mom; Dru missing Christophe, then missing Graves; Dru missing the big freaking sign hanging over Anna's head pointing down saying, "EVIL BITCH" with neon letters. I mean, why does Dru have to be the last one to get it? She meets Anna, instantly feels the wrongness about her. Anna telegraphs her feelings pretty well throughout the entire book. We see how everyone around is on edge with Anna. We get a bloody dream sequence/memory flashback about Anna visiting Elizabeth right before she is killed.
So I was honestly a little surprised when Dru is freaking out at the Trial, not wanting to hear the 'truth' about how Anna is the traitor. This whole, 'but you're a svetocha, too, how could you want to hurt your own people' schtick that was supposed to be the reason she was so 'blind' to Anna's intentions struck me as incongruous with what we know of Dru. She may be a teenager, but I didn't think she was that naive. SHE was the one who kept saying you couldn't trust a mean-mouthed cheerleader.
Also, wherever the author is going with Christophe...wha? STOP with the freaking love triangles! It takes away from Dru and Grave's storyline when Chris suddenly shows up and Dru can't keep it in her pants (figuratively speaking). Slight spoiler for the next book: I would've preferred a Dru that still slightly scared of Christophe despite that she wants to trust him. I want someone in literature who knows that a dude who is way too old for you who also kinda liked your mom is NOT good dating material (aged vampire and young slayer only worked on Buffy, people, and even then, look how it turned out). Graves also has so much more personality than Chris. Everything gets slightly more boring when you keep describing one of your male leads actions as 'staring silently', 'sitting still as a statue', etc. How about some dynamics??
It also pissed me off that she thought Graves left without her. Kidnapping was like, her fifteenth thought on the topic of his being missing. And of course, once she realizes what happens to him, it's "all her fault". Again.
Also -- can she just bloom already? Every time they talk about 'blooming' it kinda creeps me out, like all these older uncles discussing a tween going through puberty. Weird images, and I can't make my brain stop it. So just let it happen already so we can stop hearing that phrase.
I know I sound like I hate these books, but I don't. Once the action gets going I get swept along, and I love some of the characters (Graves, Shanks, Leon) and wish I could fall back in love with others (Kick-ass Dru). I had high hopes for the series, so it's a bit disappointing to see it go down some predictable routes.
This book was more on par, for me, with the second in the series (which isn't a great thing). I'm glad we got out of the backwaters Schola but while the new place was shiny and fancy, it was...still kind of boring. The story consisted of: Dru missing her old life, Dad, Gram, Mom; Dru missing Christophe, then missing Graves; Dru missing the big freaking sign hanging over Anna's head pointing down saying, "EVIL BITCH" with neon letters. I mean, why does Dru have to be the last one to get it? She meets Anna, instantly feels the wrongness about her. Anna telegraphs her feelings pretty well throughout the entire book. We see how everyone around is on edge with Anna. We get a bloody dream sequence/memory flashback about Anna visiting Elizabeth right before she is killed.
So I was honestly a little surprised when Dru is freaking out at the Trial, not wanting to hear the 'truth' about how Anna is the traitor. This whole, 'but you're a svetocha, too, how could you want to hurt your own people' schtick that was supposed to be the reason she was so 'blind' to Anna's intentions struck me as incongruous with what we know of Dru. She may be a teenager, but I didn't think she was that naive. SHE was the one who kept saying you couldn't trust a mean-mouthed cheerleader.
Also, wherever the author is going with Christophe...wha? STOP with the freaking love triangles! It takes away from Dru and Grave's storyline when Chris suddenly shows up and Dru can't keep it in her pants (figuratively speaking). Slight spoiler for the next book:
Spoiler
(The next book, which I am reading now, is still driving me crazy with this crap. I know that Graves and Dru never really said 'we're an item' but she keeps saying he's IT for her, yet here she is sticking her tongue down Christophe's throat at any chance she gets while Graves is being Broken. What the crap?)It also pissed me off that she thought Graves left without her. Kidnapping was like, her fifteenth thought on the topic of his being missing. And of course, once she realizes what happens to him, it's "all her fault". Again.
Also -- can she just bloom already? Every time they talk about 'blooming' it kinda creeps me out, like all these older uncles discussing a tween going through puberty. Weird images, and I can't make my brain stop it. So just let it happen already so we can stop hearing that phrase.
I know I sound like I hate these books, but I don't. Once the action gets going I get swept along, and I love some of the characters (Graves, Shanks, Leon) and wish I could fall back in love with others (Kick-ass Dru). I had high hopes for the series, so it's a bit disappointing to see it go down some predictable routes.