DNF Thoughts: Harlem Shuffle, by Colson Whitehead

Do you ever push through a book because you think you are supposed to like it? That was my experience with Harlem Shuffle.

Harlem Shuffle is entertainingly written and easy to read. Part of the problem is that I started this book a year ago and read about half of it and quit. I decided it was a "right book, wrong time" issue. I really wanted to know what happened to Carney. I recently returned from a relaxing camping trip, where I decided I could easily power through the remainder of the book. Nope. After reading another 10%, I called it quits for good.

For one thing, it had been too long and I no longer remembered why I wanted to know what happened to Carney. I've been looking for an adjective to describe the wonderful prose, and I've come up with "meandering." No matter how good the writing, I just couldn't stand the pace. The minute details of every situation and character. The backstories, etc.

I really liked Nickel Boys. That's why I was supposed to like Harlem Shuffle. But this just wasn't the book for me.

Published by Doubleday, September 2021
eARC obtained from NetGalley
188/336  pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Thoughts: Moonflower Murders, by Anthony Horowitz

I have been in a reading funk, so I'm sure that was part of the reason I did not finish Moonflower Murders. These are just a few thoughts for you. 

I stopped after reading 42%, which is farther than I usually go if I'm going to DNF. Part of the reason is that I thought I had read Magpie Murders, and thought that I ought to like this one too. But I was confusing it with The Word is Murder, so there you go. 

Anyway, I don't read every day anymore, and I was finally getting into the grove, and improving my pace when the novel within the novel began. And I lost it. Totally new characters--every time I picked up the book, I couldn't get oriented. So I gave up. I have plenty of books I want to read, so I decided I should pick something I had a better chance of liking. I'm really trying to get my reading mojo back, so I can' afford to get slogged down in a book I'm not enjoying.

I think this is probably a great mystery if you can spend some time with it, but it wasn't for me at this time.

Published by Harper, November 10, 2020
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
255/608 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Thoughts: The Academy, by Katie Sise

This is the second book in a row that was a "did not finish."  I thought I would try something different, because I'm tired of fantasy, so I picked up this contemporary, The Academy.  Unfortunately, this one did not work for me either.

Frankie messes up a few times and her parents enroll her in a military academy.  Frankie is a successful fashion blogger and has secretly applied to the American Fashion Academy, so she is understandably upset, but seems to get over it very quickly.  She's a teenager!  She should be throwing a fit.

I thought it was over-the-top that her parents took such drastic measures over a few teenage transgressions.  But this is a cute, contemporary so I can get over that.

But Frankie, I just couldn't understand.  She doesn't want to go, but when she gets there, she decides to do her best.  Over and over again.  Then she screws up.  All she has to do is get three demerits or a low GPA and she will be thrown out.  So why is it such a big deal for her to get thrown out?  She just doesn't seem upset or mad about being there, and she should be! And she vacillates so much between giving it her all and then deciding to screw up again. I couldn't ride that roller coaster. It just wasn't believable to me.

I also had a really hard time with this Academy.  A new student starts and you don't do anything to help them acclimate? You don't give them a tour, you give them impossible physical challenges without any training, you hand them a bow and arrow and tell them to shoot it, and on and on.  This "over-the-topness" was just too much. Frankie got thrown to the wolves, and she just kept taking it.

She was making some friends and they were helping her, but I didn't care about them either. I just didn't like this story.  I didn't feel any tension or drama. It seemed Frankie had several easy outs and didn't take them, which made her trials meaningless.  So I took the easy out and quit reading at 47%.

Published by Balzer + Bray, May 22, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
135/288 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Thoughts: Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett--But, It's Really Good!

I didn't finish Onyx & Ivory, but I wanted to write something anyway because I think the book is good -- for the right person at the right time.

Here's the problem.  I'm just really burned out on princes and princesses, forbidden romance, big secrets, and magic or fairies.  Recently I've read The Cruel Prince, Song of Achilles, Morning Star, and Furyborn. And there was another one that I did not finish that I won't mention.  All of these books have some or all of these elements. Onyx & Ivory says, "for fans of Leigh Bardugo," and I completely agree.  Or Sarah J. Maas.  I remember when I just couldn't read any more dystopians, just because they were dystopian.  So, that's where I'm at.

I read 37% of Onyx & Ivory, so I got a good feel for the book.  Kate's father tried to assassinate the king, so she's been banished.  She's gotten a job as a rider for the Relay, to deliver mail from town to town.  There are zombie-like creatures that come out at night, and these towns use magic to ward them off.  But there are some people with hidden magic who will be killed by the inquisition if their magic is revealed.  Kate is one of them.

She used to be best friends with the prince, Corwin.  Kate ends up saving him from these creatures, so they end up seeing each other, which they haven't done since Kate left.  And it seems like there will be a rekindled romance between these two, but that's about as far as I went.

The pacing is great, the characters are interesting, and the writing is good.  There isn't really anything wrong with Onyx & Ivory except the subject matter.  And if you are still in the mood for these romantic, magical books involving royalty falling for commoners, then, by all means, pick it up.  I will purchase this one for my library.

Published by Balzer + Bray, May 15, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
190/512 pages

Rating: DNF

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Book Review (DNF) - The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a cute book, and I would recommend it if you want a lighthearted Christmas story, even though I didn't finish it.

I started reading The Afterlife of Holly Chase in October, before the release date and just couldn't get into the story.  It seemed too silly.  But, after reading some excellent reviews and since it's the Christmas season, I thought I'd try again.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase is based on A Christmas Carol.  I wouldn't call it a retelling, but maybe a modernization.  Holly is awful.  She's the Scrooge.  And she's visited by three ghosts and still doesn't change her ways.  So, she dies.  As a ghost, she works for a company who finds a different Scrooge each year and sends them their ghosts to try to get them to change.  Holly is the ghost of Christmas past.  She has to do a lot of research throughout the year to learn about this year's Scrooge so she knows what to show him/her from the past.

This year's Scrooge is a rich, spoiled teenager, just like Holly.  He's hot too. So you can probably see where this is going.

I read 1/3 of The Afterlife of Holly Chase. It's well-written, well-paced, and entertaining. It was just too goofy for me.  I just couldn't buy in.  I was doing the eye roll too often.  And it seemed a bit predictable, but that's not really why I quit. (And maybe my predictions aren't correct since I didn't finish it!)

If this sounds like something you would enjoy--go for it! It's a great read for the season.  And if you want something light-hearted that can't be taken too seriously, The Afterlife of Holly Chase will fit the bill.  And the references to, A Christmas Carol make it even better.

Published by HarperTeen, October 24, 2017
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
132/389 pages

Rating: DNF

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Book Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I don't know what's the matter with me, but Scythe is yet another "did not finish" for me.

I really like the unique premise.  Since there is no more natural death by accident or disease, there are a group of people called Scythes that pick and choose which people must die to keep population growth to a minimum.  The story is about two teens that have been chosen to be trained to be Scythes.

I read half of Scythe and decided it was not for me.  I've been reading for over a week, and I'm only halfway through! I just keep finding things to do besides reading.  So, why?

I think one thing is the flippant, almost tongue-in-cheek tone of the story.  It almost seemed light and humorous at times.  I found this incongruous.  Secondly, I felt the pace really bogged down.  It was time for something to happen, and I was losing patience.

The premise is great, and I'm looking forward to the movie, but when I find myself hesitating to read, then I need to move on.

A couple of my book club kids really loved Scythe, so this is a "me, not the book" thing (and, after all, I'm not the intended audience.)

Published by Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2016
Copy obtained from the library
250/435 pages

Rating: DNF

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Book Thoughts: Caraval, by Stephanie Garber

I'm calling this "Book Thoughts" instead of a book review because I didn't read the entire book.  And, as cliche as it is, this is totally a "this is me, not you" thing.

Caraval is a magical book set in a made-up world.  And that's where my problem comes in.  I just need there to be something at least a bit realistic in my fantasy.  Yes, the characters were human, and that's a plus. Once the story got going and I figured out the premise, I realized Scarlett was going to have to make her way through Caraval and nothing is as it seems, and you can't believe anything, and she will totally rely on magical things happening, I was pretty much done.

The story is well written and the plot moves fairly quickly.  But I just wasn't interested in the journey she was taking.  However, I did want to know the outcome, so I read the last 100 pages.  Basically, I read the first 150 pages, and the last 100.

I've heard pretty much nothing but rave reviews of Caraval, and I don't disagree with them.  I just don't have patience for this type of story.

Published by Flatiron, January 31, 2017
Copy obtained from the library
250/416 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Book Review: How to Disappear by Ann Redisch Stampler

It's been a record year for me for not finishing books. I know that part of it is me. Less time to read and still a huge TBR pile. But still, there's something about How to Disappear that just didn't click.

Nicolette is on the run. She witnessed (or committed?) a murder. Jack is after her; he's supposed to kill her. Jack is the only upstanding citizen in the Manx family. His brother, Don (who is in prison), says Jack has to kill this girl or else his mob bosses will come after Jack's mother.  So Jack leaves school, missing his graduation, to find and kill Nicolette, who now goes by Cat.

So, what didn't I like? It moved very slowly. I read half the book. It just took so long for anything to happen. It was very repetitive. I got really tired of hearing about how awful Jack's family was over and over. It was predictable. So, Jack and Cat are gonna fall in love, right? You can't think that's a spoiler; we all know it's coming. Now, I didn't finish the book, so I'm sure there's some twists and turns that I wouldn't anticipate, but still. It's jumpy. I was reading the ARC, so this could change. But we jumped periods of time without any warning. No breaks in the text. For example, she's trying to gain weight to disguise herself, and all of a sudden, she's gained weight. The scenes flip suddenly and sometimes periods of time have passed, and it takes a minute to get back in the story.

I could have easily finished How to Disappear. and given it a rating of about three. I got a feel for the book, and I still think many teens will love it. That's my purpose in reading a lot of YA. To recommend it to my teens. And I won't hesitate to recommend How to Disappear. I just don't have the patience to finish it.

Published by  Simon Pulse June 14, 2016
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
200/416 pages

Rating: DNF

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Book Review: Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories (that didn't grab my attention)

Summer Days and Summer Nights is a compilation edited by Stephanie Perkins. I quit reading after five stories. Maybe I'm just not in the mood, but none of these stories really grabbed me.

It's not that they were bad, but they just didn't stand out. They didn't make my heart pound. I didn't connect with the characters. I often have difficulty with short stories because it's hard to connect, but I wanted to give these a chance because I really enjoyed (gave it 5 hats!) My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, also edited by Perkins and written by some of the same authors.

So, like I said, maybe I'm not in the mood. I have too many books I'm looking forward to so I decided to quit on this one.

If you've read this and there is one particular story you think I shouldn't miss, please let me know.

Published by St. Martin's Griffin, May 17, 2016
eARC obtained from NetGalley
156/400 pages

Rating: DNF

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The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, DNF

The Serpent King is just not the book for me. After reading 25%, I gave it up.

The story is about three misfit kids trying to make it through their senior year. Each character narrates their part of the book. In the 25% I read, really nothing happened. They went shopping for school clothes. We got some background information about why each of the characters is a "misfit." It just wasn't enough to hook me.

The writing is fine, the format is good. I just didn't care enough about these characters to continue. The Serpent King got a nice blurb from John Corey Whaley, but his books have not always settled well with me either, so what do I know?

Just my opinion; you  might love this one if you like character driven stories.

Published by Crown BFYR, March 8, 2016
eARC obtained from NetGalley
96/384 pages

Rating: DNF

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Book Review: Shade Me, by Jennifer Brown (DNF)

I didn't read all of Shade Me, and it's not because of the book; it's me. I've read several of Brown's books and have enjoyed them all. The writing, pacing, and character development are all fine. I just came to what for me was a roadblock in the plot.

Nikki has synesthesia, a rare condition that causes her to see colors that indicate emotions. She's had a hard time because sometimes the colors take over and keep her from doing her schoolwork or other things she needs to do.

Nikki gets a strange phone call from the school's rich, prima donna, Peyton Hollis, who she doesn't even really know. Peyton asks for help and then the call abruptly ends. Peyton turns up in a hospital severely beaten and unconscious. The only number in her phone was Nikki's, and Nikki doesn't understand why.

So Nikki gets wrapped up in trying to figure out who did this to Peyton, even though they weren't friends. Nikki's synesthesia supposedly helps her figure out clues, but I really didn't get that part. I don't think this condition has much to do with the story, except that (I can't say; it's a spoiler.) I didn't mind that this was a part of Shade Me, but I think the same story could have been just as effective without it. And that's not what made me start skimming.

About halfway through Shade Me, Nikki discovers the place where Peyton was beaten, and Peyton's car is hidden there. The police don't know. Nikki decides not to tell the police, even though she has a relationship with the detective working the case. Not only that, but she contaminates the scene with her fingerprints and meddling. I just couldn't handle this stupidity. I know it served the story, but who was Nikki to think she was better equipped to find the perpetrator than the police? It ticked me off and really made me want to throw the book. So I started skipping and skimming, because I had to know what happened, but wasn't really invested any more.

And while there is a sometimes surprising and circuitous route to get to the end of Shade Me, it wasn't a big surprise. And I don't think Brown intended it to be. The other surprises were more important.

There's a lot of action and I think teens will have an easy time with Shade Me. If you are a fan of Brown, I wouldn't hesitate to pick this one up.

Published by Katherine Tegen, January 19, 2016
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
250/448 pages

Rating: DNF

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Book Review: Another Day by David Levithan

While Another Day was well written and quick to read, I don't really think this book is necessary.

If you haven't read the companion novel, Every Day, you probably shouldn't read the rest of this review.

This is the same story as Every Day told from Rhiannon's point-of-view.

In the letter at the beginning, Levithan says this book is for those who have read Every Day as well as those who haven't. Well, it takes 25% of the book before Rhiannon meets A. That took too long for someone who already knows the story.

I didn't feel Rhiannon's POV added very much. It's a POV that I could decifer from Every Day. I might not have known every detail about her relationships with her boyfriend and other friends, but knowing those details just didn't add anything.

I read 52% of Another Day, then skipped ahead and read the last ten percent. I don't think I missed anything.

Published by Knopf BFYR August 25, 2015
eARC obtained from NetGalley
208/336 pages

Rating: Incomplete

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Audio Book Review: Visitors by Orson Scott Card - DNF

I've never not finished an audiobook before. I'm usually much more patient with that version. And even more surprising, this is the third book in the series, and I enjoyed the first two.

Visitors continues the story of Rigg, Ram Odin, Loaf, Umbo, and Param. They are kind of all going their separate ways for different reasons. Oh, and there's a new character, a duplicate of Rigg, who calls himself Noxon.

Their goal is to keep a spaceship from Earth from coming and destroying Garden. They've been into the future, so they know this is going to happen and are trying to figure out how to prevent it.

Rigg is visiting every one of the wallfolds. It's probably the most boring part. Maybe there will end up being a purpose, but it just seems like a bunch of side stories. With each miniscule step forward, we are subjected to every nuance of thought and debate about how this will work, will it change the past, will it create multiple copies of things, and how are they going to learn to do all the things they  need to do time travel-wise. This goes on and on ad nauseam, even more so than in the first two books. Then we get about a paragraph of actual action, and then back to the debate.

I'm to the point (after 5 of 14 discs) that I couldn't care less about the outcome. The narrators are excellent, as they were in the first two books in the series, but I'm moving on to something else.

If you are a time travel fanatic and enjoy thinking about all the complications it would entail, then you would enjoy this book (and the series.)  The first two books are Pathfinder and Ruins and you must read them in order.

Published by Simon Pulse, 2014, Brilliance Audio
Audiobook obtained from the library
5 of 14 discs (36%), 217 of 608 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Book Review: The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman

It's been a rough week for me book-wise. This is the second book I haven't been able to finish. So, is it me? Maybe. But they were very different books and I quit for different reasons. The first one, I'm not even going to review because it was one of those "just not for me" books. Nothing wrong with it, just too cute and predictable for me.

The Waking Dark, however, I'd like to say a few things about. Mainly that I read so many reviews that said this is a page-turner, and I found it to be totally the opposite.

We are introduced to several settings and characters very quickly as twelve people are murdered in one day in the town of Oleander, Kansas. Then we skip ahead to follow the lives of the people who witnessed these killings and survived, as well as the only surviving murderer.

Some other bad stuff happens to the town, including a tornado. And then they are quarantined by the government but no one knows why. And that takes 200 pages. You get bits and pieces of plot progression. Like, the murderer isn't being held in a normal prison or a mental hospital; something is weird about that.

But I waited and waited for some breadcrumbs, and honestly I got tired of these characters interacting with each other without any progress or even the beginning of an investigation into what is happening. They are just living their lives, trying to survive. Ok, but for how long? Are they ever going to even get suspicious? Throw me a bone!

I did skim the end of the book, so I know the basic premise of what is going on, but I just didn't enjoy the meandering around without any build up of tension. The Waking Dark has been compared to Stephen King -- uh -- just, no. And King writes some really long, overly descriptive books, but he ratchets the tension and hooks you and Wasserman did not.

Since many reviews found The Waking Dark to be a page-turner, you may too.  This is only my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.

Published by Knopf BFYR, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
200/452 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Thoughts: Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

If you are really into ballet and want to read everything you possibly can about it, then Tiny Pretty Things may be the book for you.

For me, it was just too slow. I read over 20% of the book, and still felt like I was being introduced to the characters. Nothing significant has happened except a lot of complaining about the other dancers.

And the characters are quite stereotypical. There's the prima donna who is upset she didn't get the lead. There is the new girl who did get the lead, and is African American. There is the one struggling with anorexia. There's the Asian girl who has a controlling mother. A lesbian who hasn't come out. And there are guys too. And a romance.

The narrative switches from character to character, and I was able to follow because the characters are distinct enough (and I've read plenty about them.) Mostly they are whining and trying to get what they want.

I think something is going to happen. At least I hope it is. But I had enough of this world and these characters, and I didn't care what was going to happen. Not a bad book, by any means. Just not the book for me.

Published by HarperTeen, May 26, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
94/448 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Book Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Maybe Hodge's books just aren't for me. I stopped reading Crimson Bound at 37% (approx. 166 pages.) I wasn't enjoying it for a few reasons.

I had a hard time following the lore. (Funny, I said the same thing about Cruel Beauty.) I couldn't keep the characters straight, but maybe this is because I really didn't understand their motivations.

There are bloodbounds, and forestborns, and a Devourer. The world is getting darker and darker. I don't understand any of it really. All is explained very quickly at the beginning and I guess I didn't pay enough attention. The main character, Rachelle, needs to find some magic sword to save the world. And she's protecting the king's illegitimate son, who has no hands. I don't understand how or why she's in this position.

Admittedly, high fantasy is not my favorite genre. But I do enjoy a good fairy tale retelling. I started to dread picking this up and would find things to do instead of reading. That's a definite indication to move on to something else.

I think the writing is clear enough, but the beginning seemed like a very quick information dump about the world. I needed to be refreshed again. After over a third of the book, there wasn't much tension building up - or maybe there was, but I didn't understand it.

Crimson Bound wasn't the book for me, but if you enjoyed Hodge's other books or are a huge fan of high fantasy, you might enjoy it.

Published by Balzer + Bray, May 5, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
166/448 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF - The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

I really hate that I'm writing this. I wanted to love this book so much. It really is a good story. But I dreaded picking it up. I found excuses not to read. I stopped in the middle and took a break and read another book. I intended to finish The Mime Order, but when you can't make yourself read, and don't enjoy the time you spend reading, it's time to give it up.

I gave The Bone Season a 4/5 rating, so I was looking forward to getting back to this complex world. I read 300 pages (58%), so I think I gave it a fair chance. Here's the thing. It's hard work to read The Mime Order. Lots of characters, settings, weird new vocabulary, magical lore. The names for every place, every person, and every type of being are all unusual. Sometimes the same thing or person had multiple names or ways of being referred to. I even used the glossary at the back of the book, and still some things were not defined. It's all complex. I couldn't fly through this one. But I do want to make it clear that I've read plenty of books that I couldn't fly through and loved them, so that's not why I quit.

The Mime Order is too long. There are going to be seven books, I think, and I really think this one was padded too much. Too many details. I get that you want to build this complex world -- otherwise you won't sustain it for seven books -- but maybe spread it out a bit. I don't know. I'm not a writer.

I'm sad because I do want to know what happens to these characters and this world. But I cannot make myself pick up The Mime Order anymore. If you enjoyed The Bone Season these thoughts should not make you hesitate to read The Mime Order. But it may serve as a warning as to the mood you need to be in when you decide to tackle it.

Published by Bloomsbury USA, January 27, 2015
eARC obtained from NetGalley
306/528 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Book Review: Get Even, by Gretchen McNeil

I read 45% of Get Even before I decided to give up. I really wanted to find out what happened, but I just couldn't do it.

To quickly summarize, there's a group of kids at a private school who are "getting even" with other students and teachers who are bullies. Then, one of their targets gets murdered, and the group is under suspicion. But it's pretty hard to do anything about it, because no one knows who they are.

I had a minor issue with the whole concept of these activities going on in a school. I'm a school librarian, and although I've only worked in one school, that's my life, and something like this would never happen. At least not in the schools that I'm familiar with. I remember feeling this way about The List, but I still enjoyed that book, and I really thought I'd enjoy Get Even too. So that's not the problem.

I couldn't keep the characters straight. There were so many characters introduced in the first couple pages, that I was overwhelmed. I thought they would soon be developed enough that I could keep track of which was which. But no. I think it was because each character (or set of characters) gets only a page or two then we switch again. And new characters keep getting introduced for a while. I suppose this is a personal thing, because I've read a few reviews and no one seems to be bothered by this. One review did mention that we slowly get to know each character's back story, but thought that was a plus, not a minus.

I considered making a list with their characteristics, but if you have to do that to read a novel, then it's just too much work.

I was excited by the murder. I thought the plot really picked up after that, and I wanted to know who did it. But as I read on, skipping from character to character, I realized that it was likely the murderer would be revealed and I wouldn't know which character he or she was anyway! That's when I decided to give up.

So, there you have it. Just know that you must read carefully and remember what is revealed about each character as you go along, because characters get introduced and set aside at a rapid pace. If you can keep them straight, I think Get Even might be a worthwhile read. Good luck.

Published by Balzer + Bray, September 16, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
180 of 400 pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Book Review: A New Darkness by Joseph Delaney

I gave A New Darkness a good chance, but after reading 45% of the book, I was ready for the story to start, and it still had not.

Tom Ward is the main character, and I understand this is a character from Delaney's The Last Apprentice series. I haven't read those books, but everything I've read says it isn't necessary in order to enjoy A New Darkness.

Tom, a Spook, hunts ghosts and boggarts and other evil creatures and keeps the world (or at least his county) safe. A girl name Jenny convinces Tom to take her on as an apprentice, since she is a 7th daughter of a 7th daughter. It isn't customary for girls to be a Spook, but Tom agrees to give her a chance.

The first half of the book that I read isn't boring. There are some dangerous situations, and we get to know Jenny pretty well. But after reading that much, I think the main plot should be moving along a bit more. It seems the story is supposed to be about these evil creatures from the north called the Kobalos are taking over. Some young girls have disappeared and Tom and Jenny encounter one of the Kobalos mages and have quite a dangerous and almost deadly encounter.

Tom enlists the help of Grimalkin, who I understand is also a character from the previous series, to help figure out what's going on.

That's it. The rest is all background and character development. I also understand this book ends in a big cliffhanger, so obviously it must get more exciting at the end. But I just couldn't wait. You have to grab me and keep my attention better than Delaney did in the first half of A New Darkness. Please feel free to link your more positive reviews in the comments.

Published by Greenwillow Books, September 2, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
155 (of 352) pages

Rating: DNF

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DNF Book Review: Wicked Games by Sean Olin

I really had trouble connecting with the characters in Wicked Games, and I found the plot to be superficial and predictable.

I read almost half the book. Lilah and Carter have been going out for their entire high school careers. They are the couple everyone knows and everyone assumes will always be together. What people don't know is that things aren't perfect in this relationship -- far from it. Lilah suffers from depression (and it seems like manic/depression) and she's pretty nuts. So Carter can't imagine breaking up with her because he doesn't know what that will do to her.

He cheats on Lilah at a party with Jules, who he really falls for. But he can't leave Lilah. Lilah finds out that something is going on, and her revenge plot is just getting started at about the half way point of the book -- where I quit.

Wicked Games is written in third person, and while this usually doesn't bother me, in this book I felt this perspective really put distance between the reader and the characters. It's told from all three main character's perspectives -- but in the third person. I think I would have benefited from dual, first-person perspectives.

I thought the dialog felt forced, especially when Carter was with his friends. I spend my days with high school boys, and the silly banter of these teen boys just felt forced or stilted.

I didn't like the plot. Even though I don't know what eventually happened, I don't care, because out of the few scenarios that I can come up with I'm not really exited about any of them.

And when you don't care, you stop reading. Or at least I do...

Teens may enjoy this one. The cheating/revenge plot is not that uncommon, and many teen girls seem to gravitate toward these books. I know this was written for teens, so I understand that my perspective may not be accurate for the intended audience.

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, June 10, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
169/352 pages

Rating: DNF

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