Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Guys. GUYS.

This is going to be another one of those times when I completely gush about a new book and say just about nothing negative in regard to it, because it is PERFECTION. Five stars, again. And trust me, it's really hard to get 5 stars from me. Yes, this is going to end up being one of those books that I put on a pedestal and turn all red in the face if ever I see or hear a negative word about it.

So this is a little backward, but The Raven Boys was my first Maggie Stiefvater book. I've never read the Shiver series, and I own The Scorpio Races but haven't read that yet either. So I went into this book completely blind and not really knowing what to expect. But HOLY CRAP is my mind blown. I'm writing this review two days after finishing the book because I've been having trouble even forming the right words.

Let me just organize my thoughts into categories here. Of course, I must start with my most important category:

CHARACTERS

The characters in this book are some of the best I've ever encountered. Like, they're so flawed and real but also still characters in the sense that they're exciting and new, and can't really be compared to anyone in real life. Of course these are just vague descriptions of a bunch of characters, so I'll go character-by-character.

First, there's the main character, Blue. I just love her. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She has a pretty leash-free relationship with her mother, and doesn't really listen even when her mother does tell her what to do. She stands up to the macho raven boys with a quick wit and no fear, which would be impressive even if she weren't a mere five feet tall. She isn't too keen on doing what's expected of her, but she always does the sensible thing. It's almost like she thinks about her feelings even more than she actually feels them, because she likes to be in control of them.

Then there's Gatsb-- I mean Gansey (sorry, my brain has involuntarily made connections between Gatsby and Gansey). I hardly even know how to explain what a perfect character he is, because he's so complicated and unexpected. Imagine meeting a guy who's been filthy rich his whole life. He goes to an all-boys' private school, uses his money to get what he wants, and condescends to people who aren't as rich as him. But the thing is, the condescension is completely unintentional. He doesn't realize he's doing it. And his relationship with money isn't quiet so simple either-- it's not just that he has so much of it that he doesn't think twice about throwing it at anyone who can do something for him; it's that he's never known any different. He's jealous of the people who haven't had money their whole lives, because he secretly wants to be normal. Sure, he's in-control, suave, confident Gansey. But he's also just Gansey, the boy who wants to carve his own path. The boy who gets excited about things, who wishes he hadn't been raised to use three- and four-syllable words that nobody else knows, or cherish ridiculous things like fancy cars and glass plates, or ride in private helicopters without realizing that it's a little excessive. And he cares so much about his motley little group of friends, because of the feeling he got when he met each of them-- that it was just right. He may seem like the type whose head guides his every move, but Gansey's heart is what really does it.

Then we've got Nic-- I mean Adam. The level-headed, "elegant"-looking kid from the not-a-trailer park, whose private school sweater has a pull on the shoulder because he can't afford a new one. The most trustworthy one for Blue, it seems, but oh, did I mention these characters are complicated? Yes, Adam has a dark side. I won't tell you what it is, but he's both the most innocent and down-to-earth raven boy of the bunch and possibly the most off-his-rocker. Gansey is the leader of the group, but Adam is the only one to whom Gansey ever defers. He respects Adam's opinions on all things, and Adam forces himself to see the best in Gansey, reminding himself that he doesn't mean to be condescending. His devotion is tested and tested again, and the beautiful thing is that I can't tell you it's never broken. Adam is not flawless, he has his weak moments, and he's all the more perfect because of it.

Then there's Ronan. The brute who nurses a baby raven back to health. The raven named Chainsaw who has also made appearances in his dreams, because his head is only a safe place for a chainsaw. He's got a secret and we don't know what it is. He seems tough and heartless, but he's also the person who tried to teach Gansey how to fight to protect himself, and the person who defended Adam in a situation when nobody else would dare get involved. Mostly in the first book Ronan is a mystery, but I have a feeling we'll be learning a lot more about him in the next one.

Then you've got a bunch of eccentric supporting characters, and I'll just say that you hardly even have to look to see who's talking because you can tell just by what they're saying. Which is a feat in itself.

PLOT

The plot in this book is extremely twisty and confusing and I wouldn't have it any other way. It was impossible to guess what was going to happen, because half the time you're still trying to figure out what just happened. You're waiting for Blue's prophecy (that her kiss will kill her true love) to come true, but at the same time it's possible that you've already seen it. You're wondering if she's really going to fall in love with Gansey (sure seems like it), or if that was a misdirect. You're wondering what's going on in the magical world and what it has to do with the real world. My favorite thing is looking for connections in stories, and this book gives me a whole crapload of that. So I'm happy.

ROMANCE

IT IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. Do not go into this book thinking it will be a romance novel, because you will be doing yourself a serious disservice. Yes, the main hook is the whole thing about Blue being destined to kill her true love, but it is not about the romance. At least not in the first book. In this one, Blue starts seeing Adam, and it's completely innocent and adorable but it also has dark undertones because Adam's got some issues that Blue doesn't know about, and Blue knows that she's either going to kill Gansey or fall in love with him. Her relationship with Adam, believe it or not, allows her relationship with Gansey to develop, because she gets to spend time with him as friends. She gets to learn about who he really is before simply assuming that she's going to fall in love with him. It gets to be her choice (no insta-love!!!!!!!!). Gansey becomes the only person she tells about the prophecy, because at this point, to her, he seems so detached from it. I felt like this was the perfect way to start their relationship without really starting it-- and without really confirming that there will even be a relationship.

SETTING

Unique, interesting, transporting, clear, and kind of a character in itself.

WRITING

Beautiful. Flawless. More, please.

I think I'm going to stop myself before this becomes ridiculously long and gushy. I just had to say something because I can't stop thinking about this book and these characters and their relationships and okay bye.

★★★★★

Book Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

You know how in every teen movie ever, there's always that party that gets way out of hand and giant dudes end up throwing around breakable things with no concern for their fragility? And 9 out of 10 times, that thing ends up smashed to bits? Well, Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is a pair of giant dudes, and my heart is that breakable thing.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I think you should read the book. HEY, don't give me that look. I'm not crazy. I want you to read it because, sure, I am selfish and do not like to be alone in my misery. But also because I am selfless and want other people to experience good things. And Unspoken is a good thing. A very good thing. And also a thing that will use your feelings like a hacky sack. But let's start with the good things first:

HUMOR

This was, without a doubt, the first time I've laughed hysterically at a book (for what is probably not considered a normal amount of time) since I read the animal crackers scene in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. And I still have times when I think about that scene at any random moment in the middle of the day and turn into one of those crazy people who seems to be laughing for no reason at all. So yeah. This book is funny (even if you don't have the memory of Sarah unbuttoning her cardigan whilst doing a dramatic reading from it, as I so vividly do). My favorite spoiler-free hilarity:

Kami strode through a froth of daisies to a half-fallen wall that might once have been part of a fortress, but was now a tumble of stones studded with spiky yellow blooms. She bent down, rummaging in the wild tangle of garden around her feet, and chose a pebble. A large pebble. Kami wound her arm back, took careful aim, and threw.
The "pebble" crashed through both glass and curtain.
There was the creak of an old sash window being thrust open, and Jared's head and shoulders appeared at the window. "Hark," he said, his tone very dry. "What stone through yonder window breaks?"
Kami yelled up at him, "It is the east, and Juliet is a jerk!"
*pause to get laughter under control* [I mean, she just smashed his window open and he pulls out Romeo & Juliet?!]
Jared abandoned Shakespeare and demanded, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Throwing a pebble," said Kami defensively. "Uh... and I'll pay for the window."
Jared vanished and Kami was ready to start shouting again, when he reemerged with the pebble clenched in his fist. "This isn't a pebble! This is a rock."
"It's possible that your behavior has inspired some negative feelings that caused me to pick a slightly overlarge pebble," Kami admitted. 

CHARACTERS

I'm a sucker for a good character. Any good character, really. But these aren't just any good characters. You're going to wish you had a Kami Glass, Lady Sleuth, in your life. Kami is not only witty and entertaining, but she has the endearing quality of being so objective that she sees both the best and the possible worst in everyone. She's no damsel in distress, but she's not an invulnerable stone either. You're going to simultaneously want your own Jared Lynburn and hope that you never, ever get one. He's a bad boy but he doesn't really know why. He's full of anger and despair but also lightness and vulnerability similar to Kami's. You're even going to love the overly-boy-friendly Holly, who most other books would have turned into a teenaged nemesis in a frenzy of girl-hate. She's wide-eyed but also logical, friendly but also lonely. All of the characters are so beautifully complicated, I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. Just. Yes. Good.

PACING, PLOT & ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Do not put this book down. It will start making irresistible weepy noises and begging you to come back to it.

You want an awesome concept for a book? Imaginary friend turns out to be real. He's got a weird family. Murders (both human and fuzzy woodland creature-- oh yes, she went there) abound and you think his weird family has something to do with it. Oh, and there's some weird magicky thing happening in the woods, and someone's trying to kill you. You know.

THE HACKY SACK

So, if you're one of those literary masochists (like me), who are not complete until a book has turned you into a puddle of emotions on the floor, I HAVE GOOD NEWS. The end of this book had me unable to form a coherent sentence about it for going on 3 hours. You see, throughout the whole thing, there are ups and downs-- moments that kind of lift you up and make you squee like a schoolgirl, followed by moments that throw that squee out the window and run it over with a large sedan. But nothing will prepare you for the end, when *something* happens and you're like FINALLY and you're walking on clouds and life is wonderful and you're about to slide down a rainbow and then suddenly it's all gone and there is nothing left and, nope, there's no parachute to soften this blow, so you're hurtling to the cold, hard earth that is the end of the book. And then, as my friend Will Herondale would say, you're left lying limply on the ground, trying to remember your own name.*

STOP READING THIS AND BUY IT

No, really. That's all I have to say about it. I hope I sold you on the book, and I hope you love it. But mostly, I hope you fangirl and commiserate with me.

★★★★★

*- I have found this phrase can apply to many different situations. For instance, Will used it to indicate how charmed Aloysius Starkweather would be by him. I have just used it to indicate how broken you will be by the end of this book. Just saying, it's a very versatile phrase.

Book review: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS:

I really wish I were one of those people who could give a book 5 stars based on writing alone. Because, let me tell you, this one would probably get 6 stars for the writing. The writing in this book is gorgeous and thoughtful and stopped me dead in my tracks more than once. The story is compelling, and the setting is like a main character in itself.

Unfortunately, my literary preferences don't tend toward the writing, or the story, or the setting. I can appreciate all of these things when done well, and any book that does them all well is probably going to automatically get at least a 3-star rating from me. But my literary preferences tend toward characters, and this book was seriously lacking in that department.

Let me get this out of the way: I don't care if characters are unlikable. I don't care if they're so skeevy that I literally feel uncomfortable reading the book while they're on the page. I do, however, care if I have no idea why they are the way they are. I need to know what makes them tick. I need my characters, if not totally realistic, to at least be believable for one reason or another. In this book, I found the main character extremely boring half of the time, and extremely whiney the other half of the time.  She's whiney when she goes on about how much she hates being from a small town. She's boring when she constantly ruminates on how she no longer believes in her life plans and considers staying in Bridgeton-- to me, that kind of thinking shows a complete lack of spark. Her whole life she's had these plans, and suddenly she's going to throw them away because of a relationship with a guy who's hardly worth the sacrifice? She doesn't think they'll work out if she leaves. I don't know why she doesn't see that that, in itself, is an answer to her question. We're going to break up if I go after my dreams... something's not right here. [In this vein, I'd just like to say that I really enjoyed the parallels between Rebecca and Amelia and their respective boyfriends, and how they're both on the cusp of going after what they really want and yet something is grasping at them with the claws of dreams deferred and lives unlived.]

Which brings me to my next character issue: James. Dude was seriously overbearing and prickly and just did not sit right with me at all-- which would be fine, like I said, if I had any idea why he was this way. I know that his mom died of cancer. This is a fairly short book, and it kind of seemed like on one page James was all sappy about having been there when his mother died, or not having intended to hurt Rebecca when he broke up with her, and then on the next page he was back to telling Rebecca what to do and not caring at all what she thought about anything. I get that this was to sway the reader's trust away from James, in preparation for the almost-surprising plot twist at the end, but it ultimately just left me wondering what Rebecca even saw in him. As a love interest, he wasn't appealing at all.

The same goes for Luke, who was basically exactly like James, except a little more out of control.

The only character in this book I really thought was fully fleshed-out and interesting was Amelia. She knew what she wanted, and she never once considered giving it up for Luke. She even knew that if he wasn't happy for her, she didn't want to be with him anymore. I even feel like I understood her feelings for Luke more than I understood Rebecca's feelings for James because she completely trusted Luke. It never seemed like Rebecca truly trusted James, which got in the way when it came to buying/understanding her hesitance to leave Bridgeton because of him. Amelia was going to tell Luke her plans to go after her dreams no matter what he thought of them; Rebecca was about to tell James her plan to abandon her dreams. James's redemption came when he told Rebecca he wanted her to go anyway, because he didn't know where he'd be. Rebecca's redemption came in the epilogue, when it had been years since she'd even seen James and we learn that she had left Bridgeton and never gone back.

As for the plot, I felt it was kind of slow. I ended up skimming the second half of the book (the second time this has happened to me this week!), and I thought a lot of the "In small towns" chapters, though wonderfully crafted, were slightly unnecessary and distracting. As was the whole thing with Craig, which kind of just seemed like a device to add drama to an already dramatic story.

To end on a positive note, let me just reiterate that the writing in this book is showstoppingly, devastatingly beautiful. It's definitely worth reading if you're not a stickler for characters like I am... heck, maybe even if you are.

★★★☆☆

The steady flame and the brighter burning star

So, I'm rereading Clockwork Angel (I know, I know, why do I do this to myself?), and I just have to have one of my rare Jem-Appreciation Moments right now.

Jem grinned. "Where have you been? The Blue Dragon? The Mermaid?"

"The Devil Tavern, if you must know." Will sighed and leaned against one of the posts of the bed. "I had such plans for this evening. The pursuit of blind drunkenness and wayward women was my goal. But alas, it was not to be. No sooner had I consumed my third drink in the Devil than I was accosted by a delightful small flower-selling child who asked me for twopence for a daisy. The price seemed steep, so I refused. When I told the girl as much, she proceeded to rob me."

"A little girl robbed you?" Tessa said.

"Actually, she wasn't a little girl at all, as it turns out, but a midget in a dress with a penchant for violence, who goes by the name of Six-Fingered Nigel."

"Easy mistake to make," Jem said.

"I caught him in the act of slipping his hands into my pocket," Will said, gesturing animatedly with his scarred, slender hands. "I couldn't let that stand, of course. A fight broke out almost immediately. I had the upper hand until Nigel leaped onto the bar and struck me from behind with a pitcher of gin."

"Ah," said Jem. "That does explain why your hair's wet."

"It was a fair fight," Will said. "But the proprietor of the Devil didn't see it that way. Threw me out. I can't go back for a fortnight."

"Best thing for you," Jem said unsympathetically. "Glad to hear it's business as usual, then. I was worried for a moment there that you'd come home early to see if I was feeling better."

So, I'm sure the first time I read this, I assumed Jem was simply uninterested in what Will was saying, and that's why he was so patronizing about it. I probably had the same perspective as Tessa, who, while Will's story didn't really seem realistic, had no reason to really believe he was lying. But now I know that he was lying, that he lies about all of it, and I know that Jem knows he's lying too. And yet he says nothing. He goes along with it, because he knows that-- for whatever reason-- Will needs to think that they believe him. Jem doesn't point out how outlandish the story is, or show any indication that he knows it's not true. He does exactly what Will needs him to do, which is pretend the story is just as real as Will pretends it is. He doesn't even know why it's so crucial that he pretend, and yet he does it for his best friend. Bravo, James Carstairs.

Oh, and here's a little Will piece that ripped out my soul and did the merengue on it:

"It was the violin," Jem explained. "She heard me practicing."

"Ghastly wailing noise, isn't it?" Will asked Tessa. "I don't know how all the cats in the neighborhood don't come running every time he plays."

"I thought it was pretty."

"That's because it was," Jem agreed.

Will pointed a finger accusingly in their direction. "You're ganging up on me. Is this how it's going to be from now on? I'll be odd man out? Dear God, I'll have to befriend Jessamine."

I'LL BE ODD MAN OUT. *wails*

Also, I'm pretty sure he only dissed Jem's violin-playing to make Tessa despise him. *wails more*

OTP Survey

Five ships you’re into right now

01. Rory/Jess "Literati" (Gilmore Girls)

02. Ten/Rose (Doctor Who)

03. Will/Tessa (The Infernal Devices)

04. Veronica/Logan (Veronica Mars)

05. Nick/Jess (New Girl)

Three ships you liked, but don’t anymore.

06. Jem/Tessa (TID)

07. Rory/Dean (GG)

08. Lexie/Avery (Grey's Anatomy) --because I honestly couldn't think of any other one for this... I tend to, um, go down with my ships.

Three ships you never liked.

10. Lorelai/Jason (GG)

11. Clary/Simon (The Mortal Instruments)

12. Lena/Julian (Delirium)

Two ships you’re curious about, but don’t actually ship.

13. The Doctor/River Song (DW)

14. Tim/Tyra (Friday Night Lights)

QUESTIONS

1. Why do you dislike #11 so much?

I don't dislike them, I just never really thought they clicked as a couple. I mean, obviously it was awkward and Clary was just like "Well, I can't have the one I really want because he's my brother, and you say you're in love with me, so..."

2. Who is someone you know that ships #14?

Idk I've seen people ship them on Tumblr. I'm sorry but I favor Tim/Lyla and THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

3. What would be your ideal scenario for couple #3?

Oh god. I did not even do this on purpose (obviously, because there is NO IDEAL SCENARIO FOR THEM). I just want them to be together and happy and not have their relationship result from something horrible.

4. Which is your favorite moment for couple #1?

Oh man, there are so many. SO. MANY. My favorite... I have to say, it might be when Jess tells Rory off because she's throwing her life away and Logan is a jerk and YES I LOVE THAT MOMENT.

I also enjoy the moment when they're chasing each other around town and then Jess tells her he loves her and drives away. Yeah that's good stuff. 

5. How long have you been following couple #5?

Er, since the show started. Last September.

6. What’s the story with #8? What made you stop liking them/caring?

I basically stopped caring about the show... at all. Also I like April/Avery because ADORBS

7. You have the power to make one ship non-existent. Choose from #10 or #12

Well, considering #10 is already nonexistant, I'm gonna go with #12. Because Julian SUCKS.

8. Which ship do you prefer, #2 or #4?

Why you do this to me? I prefer BOTH OF THEM. But... I ship Veronica/Logan so hard I can't stand it. Grudgingly, I pick #4.

9. What interests you about #14?

I want to know why they kind of made it seem like they ended up together in the finale. I mean, I like them as friends, and I like that Tyra doesn't stand for Tim's crap, but... Tim wants Lyla and so he deserves Lyla. Also, why would Tim be with his brother's sister-in-law? (says the girl whose grandmother married her brother's brother-in-law)

10. Why did you stop liking #7?

Because Dean got all jealous and annoying and then lost all personality he once had.

11. Did your waning interest in #6 kill your interest in the fandom?

Um, ABSOLUTELY NOT. If anything it increased my interest in the fandom because the reason I lost interest in Jem/Tessa was due to my EXTREMELY HEIGHTENED INTEREST in Will/Tessa.

12. What’s a song that reminds you of #5?

Well that's not fair. I have so many songs for other ships, but none for this one. How about one for #3 instead? Almost Lover- A Fine Frenzy... and Basket Case- Sara Bareilles... and No Light- Florence + the Machine... and Hurricane- The Hush Sound... okay I'll stop now.

13. If you could have any of these two pairings double-date, who would it be?

Oh boy. Veronica/Logan and Rory/Jess. I really want to know if Logan (Echolls, not Huntzberger) and Jess would get along (my guess: no).

14. Have #2 kissed yet?

AHHHH YES well kind of but YES IT WAS GREAT (I say this like it happened to me)

15. Did #4 have a happy ending? If the show hasn’t ended yet, do you think a happy ending is likely?

Er... Not exactly? I mean, it was hinted at, but it wasn't official. Stupid network cancelled the show too soon.

16. What would make you start shipping #13?

I honestly have no idea. I just get all skeeved out at the idea of her being his "wife."

17. If only one could happen, which would you prefer, #1 or #5?

I'm gonna have to go with #1 on this. There is a reason they are #1.

18. You have the power to decide the fate of #10. What happens to them?

They break up and never see each other again. OH WAIT.

19. Which of these ships do you love the most?

Again, there is a reason #1 is #1.

Why, Magnus? WHY?

TID covers edit from tumblr. The Triangle of Misery.

This is going to keep happening until at LEAST next Spring, so I'm not even going to apologize anymore. I only have three followers on this blog anyway and I NEED SOMEWHERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

So, I just discovered this little extra (which is apparently in the Clockwork Angel paperback) called Magnus's Vow. Appropriately titled, I guess, seeing it's about his decision not to help Shadowhunters for free anymore-- considering how his heart was broken by Will's HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE TIMING and the fact that it was Magnus who led Will to allow himself to want things he couldn't have, etc. So I found some passages in this extra that made me squirm.

On the other side of Charlotte stood Jem, looking like a photographic negative himself with his silvery hair and eyes turned almost white; his hand rested on his jade dragon-topped cane, and his face was turned toward Tessa's- Tessa- Tessa's hat was in her hand and her long brown curls blew free, slightly blurred by their motion.   

There was a faint halo of light around Will: as befitted his nature and would have surprised no one who'd known him, he had not been able to stand still for the photograph. As always, he was hatless, his black hair curling against his temples. It was a loss not to be able to see the color of his eyes, but he was still beautiful and young and a little vulnerable-looking in photograph, with one hand in his pocket an the other behind his neck. 

First, I knew it was going to be this way. Magnus saves Will for last-- and I can't help but feel like that makes Will more important. Because Magnus is important. Also, a freaking HALO OF LIGHT around him?!?! I would like to know where he is looking. I know Jem is looking at Tessa, but *ahem* I need more information here.

Magnus looked at Tessa again. Thought she was not conventionally pretty in the way Jessamine had been pretty, her face was alive with energy an intelligence. Her lips curved up at the corner. She stood, as Magnus supposed was appropriate, between Jem and Will. Tessa. Tessa, who like Magnus, lived forever. Magnus looked at the detritus in the box-memories of love past, some of whose faces stayed with him as clearly as the day he'd first seen them, and some whose name he barely remembered. Tessa, who like him, had loved a mortal, someone destined to die as she was not.

dlkfajsdflkj;askdjfh;ds WHAT WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHICH ONE? And did this person fulfill their supposed destiny to die?! Or are you tricking us and talking about her brother/cousin/traitor Nate, who did die?!

Oh, and I guess I should say something about "She stood, As Magnus supposed was appropriate, between Jem and Will." I mean, I guess it's appropriate, because they both love her, but it's also not appropriate, because she doesn't want to come between them and we don't even know if she has the ability to do so. That's kind of the whole problem.

Knowing Will and his friends had made Magnus swear to himself that he would never again get involved in Shadowhunters' personal business. Because when you got to care about mortals, they broke your heart.

1. "Will and his friends" ahahaha. 2. Magnus, stop giving me Will feels. They are the kind of feels I am least equipped to manage. 3. At the same time, I also kind of love how much Magnus's heart broke for Will even though they weren't romantically involved. Heck, they barely even knew each other before Will went to him for help. And yet it was enough for Magnus to make a lifelong vow (which is very long, considering he is immortal) to himself never to help Shadowhunters personally again. *melts into puddle* *worries about restraining self from reading ahead in CP2*

Speaking of which, I'm going to have to come up with a plan to perform such restraint when I finally get my hands on this book. It's going to be a challenge like no other, because NOT ONLY could I read the last chapter and find out what happens, but there's going to be a family tree in the back of the book that I could look at and figure out how everyone is related, which would also be spoilerific. I'm seriously conflicted just thinking about it, and it doesn't come out until MARCH. What am I going to do when it's been 15 months since Clockwork Prince and finally, right in front of me, I have a chance to KNOW once and for all how it all goes down?!

You keep doing you, Noah.

You know what I hate about Goodreads?

It gives every single person on there the impression that their book reviews are naturally going to be masterpieces and everyone who reads them will find them witty and spectacular. Which is just not the case.

The review that brings on this latest bit of frustration is the review that is currently the first one on the page for "Noah and Mara's first meeting from Noah's perspective" (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer), in which the reviewer said something along the lines of "I thought it couldn't get any worse than the actual book, but no. The book is still worse, but Noah's still a dick."

First of all, why did you read this EXTRA SCENE if you hated the original book so much? Error: does not compute. People who hate Twilight don't read Midnight Sun unless they're looking for something to ruthlessly criticize, and for the people who do, my advice would be GET A LIFE. So here's a thought: when The Evolution of Mara Dyer comes out, save yourself the trouble of reading it and save us the trouble of encountering your ridiculous review, for it would no doubt only make us want to throw eggs at your car. It might be too logical for you, but I say give it a go. Read something else that week that you would actually enjoy!

Secondly, yes, you are right about Noah. But is his personality really a bad thing? At least he has one. And news flash: he doesn't act that way to everyone. Only the people who deserve it. In the extra scene, he was a jerk to that girl because he didn't want to use her (granted I was a little put off by his assumption that she would, er, do that without even knowing him, but maybe it was that type of club? We don't know). He's a jerk to bullies because they're bullies, and to shallow idiots because they're shallow idiots. I'm not saying he befriends every nice person he meets, either, but he doesn't go out of his way to prove to them what an "asscrown" (using Mara's word) he is. [P.S. In case you didn't notice, Mara points out that he is one. We know. You don't have to use it against him, because it's part of his intentional characterization. Ever think that maybe that's not all there is to him? The truth resists simplicity, anyone?]

Yeah, he's cocky and you want to punch him in the face sometimes. But so what? He's a good character. That's more than can be said about a lot of male love interests in other books. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Thank you, Noah Shaw, for being a real bad boy. I relish the fact that you are not a poetic and broody bag of sentimentality who is merely misunderstood by the adoring-yet-fearful masses. Thank you for also being a decent person, and for treating Mara right, even though you are about as warm and fuzzy as a porcupine. I want more of you in my YA books, Mr. Asscrown.

And thirdly, if you had really paid attention to the book at all, you'd realize that it is actually very complex and interesting. Mara has the power to kill people and she hates herself for it. She's an unreliable narrator, which is fascinating in and of itself. She is generally nice to people, and yet she can end their lives just by picturing their deaths in her head. Noah, on the other hand, is generally not nice to people, and he is the one whose ability could be used to save them. It's like your classic Good vs. Evil, except the lines are blurred and usually they're on the same side. I see your dystopias and vampires, and I raise you THIS BOOK THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND TO BITS.

I get that this might not be the book for some people. But why bother reading an extra just so you can attack it further? Why act like it's a universal truth that a jerky character is a bad character, and that a book with a jerky character is a bad book? Give me a break.

Personally I think The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is well-written, compelling and hilarious. The characters are smart, mostly realistic (but let's not forget it is FICTION and we should not expect all characters to behave as we would) and, uh, hilarious. Also the romance has plenty of chemistry and zero insta-love, which is pretty much all I ask for. Where is bad?