Thursday, October 5, 2017

Girl Power… Not.

October 05, 2017 0 Comments

Have you ever started a book and realized you may have just made the biggest mistake of your life?  

Well, that was me with this one.

Which one: The Regulars by Georgia Clark.

The Regulars is the story of three twenty-something ladies living in New York City. Each has a different look and interest:
  •   Krista is the aspiring actress who also happens to be the resident screw up.
  •   Willow is the ethereal artistic photographer with severe self-esteem issues.
  •  And Edie is a moppy writer who works at a women’s magazine despite hating everything about the magazine.


These ladies happen upon Pretty, a potion that can magically change their faces and bodies making them part of gorgeous society. Each decides to take it and the ride it puts them on leaves each of them changed indefinitely.

The Good

The premise of this book is excellent. After all who wouldn’t want to wake up as a gorgeous creature despite uncomfortable stomach issues. This potion gives each woman a new confidence that pushes them to follow their dreams. I liked that each lady is quirky and has an identifiably distinctive personality making it easy to spot the differences the potion has on them.

 There are also some seriously funny moments including Krista’s encounter with her teenage crush that ends in disaster. Apparently, size really does matter. Krista was the source of a couple of laugh out loud moments which were enjoyable.


The Not So Good

The pacing is off and the read goes much slower than it should. There were times I wanted to know more about one of the girls, but the chapter ended abruptly.

The major issue I had was how the girls were portrayed. I had issues with Edie and Krista but I was really upset about Willow. The character puzzles me. She has daddy issues which cause her to make her boyfriend think he cheated on her. She can’t trust him and feels suicidal due to her low self-esteem.

I was glad that her friends eventually realized the damage they had done to her by introducing her to Pretty but she was a mess.  She’s the only one in a loving relationship but can’t value it or herself. She spends most of the book lashing out at her father and his girlfriend who treat her well and her only consequence for the despicable act of torturing her boyfriend is nothing?

Nope. I’m not buying it.  Actually, there aren’t lasting consequences for any of the girls for their hijinks. I’m not pleased with that at all.

Verdict


 I think the author got lost in trying to tell all three stories together which diminished where the novel could have gone.  But I did understand the author’s message that true happiness can only be found by accepting yourself flaws in all.  The problem was that the message was too little too late for save the story.


Wednesday, September 20, 2017

The Horror Story for Today’s Generation

September 20, 2017 0 Comments



I am a horror movie lover and have been for most of my life. Many of my fondest childhood memories involved watching movies with my dad whose sole purpose was to finally find one that could scare me. You name it and I watched it from age 6 and up including Friday the 13th, Jason and Halloween. To this day there are few movies that measured up to the impossible task, but this book terrified her.

I'm pretty sure that Need was not intended to be a horror story, but when I finished the book I was shaking.

Need is a book about the creation of a social network for students at fictional Nottawa High School. Similar to how Facebook first started, users, have to be invited to participate. Students join the website to request “needs” which they will receive for actions they complete. Initially, this action is as easy as inviting another person to join however soon things take a sinister turn. Kaylee, the protagonist, joins the site to help her brother who is in need of a kidney transplant. The book shows the point of views of several students who participate on the site for various reasons. Each chapter highlights the characters’ experience with the game and later the consequences of their choices.

The Good

This book felt authentic! Social networks are a part of everyday life for most people between the ages of 12 to 65. I can’t name someone who doesn't have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account. I was around when Facebook first started and remember the desire to be invited to join. It took months and a new school before I finally scored an invite. That’s part of what makes this book so compelling. Everyone wants to be seen and receive the approval of their peers which is what motivates many of the characters in the book. While other students are requesting concert tickets, new phones, and high grades, others use their requests to get revenge against rivals or former love interests.

 The characters were interesting and the author weaves a tale that is given life through her rich characters.  Kaylee appears cut off from her family as her father has abandoned them and her mother is primarily focused on her younger brother's health but she’s not your typical heroine.  Kaylee has done so really crappy things to get attention including faking an illness to gain access to the medical records of students to find a match for her brother. The town looks at her as an outcast which is understandable considering her actions make them feel uncomfortable. Her only friend is Nate, a popular student who is also in love with her. Personally, I love when there is no character who is more "right" than another. The other teens in the book should feel uneasy around her because of Kaylee's willingness to invade their privacy and get in their faces about an uncomfortable subject. Kaylee is also right to be frustrated with the lack of support of her community which could cause her to lose her brother.


Another thing I loved was that the plot was well crafted providing action and twists that made the book a really fun read.

The Not So Good

After finishing the book, I'm feeling less compassionate towards teenagers. The author captures the very worst in teenage behaviors. The teens in this book are frivolous, selfish, and even cruel.  Many of them get an opportunity to change course and fix their actions yet few take the chance.  Some characters are ultimately remorseful but not enough to provide a balance.

I don’t know if this is a commentary on today's generation but this group was painted in the worst possible light.

This book begs for a follow-up.  The end of the story finds the main character feeling alone and kind of lost after suffering so much betrayal. I very much want to know if she recovers because I’m not sure I would have.

The Verdict


It started off slow but once it picked up, I felt like I was watching a mix between a teen slasher film and psychological thriller. Also, when you find out who is behind NEED the twist is well worth the wait.

On the other hand, I'm still freaked out over how these kids were willing to do anything just to gain free stuff. I shouldn’t be surprised with the rise of reality tv stars but it was  terrifying to realize something like this is not as unthinkable as it once was.

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