Komal Mikaelson

Initial Reaction After Completion


This reaction is due to that what-the-fuck ending

This was a fun, enjoyable read. Among the disastrous Angel PNR novels out there, this one is much better.
And I liked it. No scratch that. I really, really liked it.
There are, undoubtedly, better books out there, but so are worse. I will confess, I won't remember the plot or the characters verbatim in the days to come, because it just wasn't that good. And I'm definitely not going to reread it.

But it was entertaining and was fun while it lasted.


What I Loved

Clara

An ANGEL protagonist that isn't grating on the nerves. Yep, I'm surprised too. She was..cool. There is just no other way to describe it. Made good decisions, loyal to her friends, compassionate towards her brother, that is, as compassionate as siblings can be. She wasn't your cliched damsel in distress or a whiny bitch. All in all, a likable heroine.

Tucker

Oh, man. Why aren't more YA boyfriends like him? AWESOME SAUCE!
Understanding, unassuming, patient, chivalrous, caring, adorable, selfless and so real. I miss guys like him.
I am head over heels for that boy!

British History Class

The classes were incredibly awesome.
Gosh, I loved them.
The teacher was damn fun and creative, who on earth wouldn't develop interest in history? These classes were a reliable source of carefree, teasing and light moments throughout the book.

"As a serf, poor Christian has already been killed several times in our class. Aside from dying of the Black Plague on the first day, he's starved to death, had his hands cut off for stealing a loaf of bread, and been run down by his master's horse just for kicks. He's like Christian the fifth now."

The Plot

Confession time: I had already made my mind how this would play out.
Clara would fall for Christian, insta-love, angst-y love triangle and yada yada.
And the author threw it right at my face. I'm not going to reveal much, but that is SO NOT what happens. Well, um. love triangle part is correct but..you'll see.

The Normal, Relatable, Real Relationships

No insta-love.
No unprecedented popularity at school.
No absent-parent syndrome.
No every-guy-in-the-entire-school-asking-the-new-girl-out routine.
No unhealthy obsession with the boyfriend.

Now, coming to the other side of the coin.

What I Disliked

The Ending
Are you kidding me? How could the book end there?
Abrupt. Hasty. Very strong 'what-the-fuck' vibes.
So many unanswered queries, unexplained situations.
FRUSTRATED.
Oh, and the cliffhanger wasn't the how-could-you-end-there-I-want-more type, rather the Dude-would-you-explain-what-the-fuck-happened-back-there type.

The Beginning

Very slow.
Patience wearing thin slow.
Almost about to DNF slow.
I judge the book by the starting. If it is tedious, how on earth am I gonna go through the entire book? And this came mighty close to being dumped to the DNF shelf.
It felt hackneyed. That reduces major Brownie points, because the book has potential. As the story progressed, pace increases and plot improves drastically, save some situations which felt xeroxed from Twilight. And that is never a good thing, is it?

Christian

Meh.
Cliched, Mr. Popular with killer looks and not-so-charming attitude.
His character wasn't developed properly. He was at best, an annoying background presence in the book. But seeing as how Clara moved to Wyoming to fulfill her destiny centered around the guy, he wasn't there enough to be a main character in the story.

Cliches/Twilight-esque

Nothing much to say about this. There weren't many, but as it is, they irritated the hell outta me. Just:


So, that is about it.
If you have lost interest in Angel PNR and crave a light, fun read, this is for you, go grab it!
Now, excuse me, I'm gonna go and devour Hallowed.

This was a read-along with Cecile, who to put it mildly, did not like it. Go, read her review here