Disclaimer: I read the advanced reader's copy of this book, even though it will be released on October 8, 2013.
I'm still a little on the fence about this book.
I definitely finished it, I definitely enjoyed the personalities of most of the characters, but I'm not sure if the book accomplished what it set out to do.
So, an amazon summary, "If you enjoyed Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, you will race through the pages of this YA novel as 17-year old Dinah pieces together the mystery that surrounds the near death of her 14-year old cousin Claire.
While Claire is holding on her for her life in the hospital, Dinah goes in search of the boy Claire writes about in her journal. The boy who forced her to do something she didn't want to do. The boy who caused her such humiliation that the thought of having to live one more day was just too much.
Dinah is on a mission for revenge, but as things start to unfold, her plan isn't as simple as it seemed." AMAZON LINK OF ....wait, what?
I really dislike how the amazon summary related this book to Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. That book was amazing in it's own right, and I don't think there is a strong enough correlation between these two books to make that claim.
ANYWAYS.
So let's start with the premise of the book. Dinah's cousin Claire (who has essentially the 'sister' status because they're cousins and both the only child) met a mysterious boy while Dinah was moving to Oregon, fell in love, got all sexy, and the boy dumped her out of nowhere. Claire got very sad and cut her wrists. Due to weird circumstances, she is in a coma from it.
Enter Dinah.
Dinah is incredibly filled with guilt over Claire's situation as she's convinced that if she hadn't moved, she could have saved Claire from the boy. So Dinah moves in with Claire's parents (her aunt & uncle who happen to be wealthy as all get out), and goes to school in place of Claire at a rich kid's school in order to track down this boy.
This boy that is so evil, deceitful, etc. THE BOY.
Actually, I quite enjoyed Dinah's narration although I think she didn't focus enough on her motive that matched her actions.
However, it was still good in the sense of enjoyable characters mashing together in interesting ways before it gets WAY DARK SUPER SERIOUS at the end.
The part that I really struggled with is that Dinah has this really horrendous mother. I mean, can't think of anyone situation without regarding it to her self. She was completely against Dinah moving in with her Aunt and Uncle, while also being cut throat to everyone about getting Dinah back. Dinah goes out of her way to 'avenge' Claire, yet she can't take the basic steps to deal with her mother.
It didn't add up to me.
It's something that upon completing the book still bothers, it seems very contradictory to the character, and it's a bit maddening.
The Dad was AMAZING and it showed, and whatever, but he was still married to a horrible woman which sucks, and he still submitted Dinah to that horrible woman, which super sucks.
UGH. THAT MOTHER.
...
So all in all, it was a good read for what it was.
Meh. The rage against the mother kind of tempers out the feel good, tried to learn a life lesson that got a little muddled through the book.
Happy reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment