Tuesday, 18 October 2011
Book on Trial #4: The Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday
This is the first trilogy, in a long time, that my first reaction upon finishing the last words was a “content” sigh, followed by realization and then denial (no, it can’t be over, I want more).
I will not bother to individually comment on the books, other than to say that while the first book in the trilogy (The Hollow) was a little slow to begin with, Verday really did a fantastic job keeping me patient and in my seat; eager to know more about Abbey’s world.
The great thing about this trilogy is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. [spoilers] It doesn’t promise the reader this focused and intense connection to Washington Irving’s Sleepy Hollow. Yes, it takes place in the town of Sleepy Hollow; and certainly we have the main characters of the story (the headless horseman, Katy, and Ichabod Crane…or his descendant).
Now, don’t get me wrong, the story isn’t perfect, but I don’t think it’s meant to be. It was, finally, in The Hidden, that I got to see what was so great about Caspian. I`ll be honest, I didn’t really like him all that much, but I was mostly indifferent. This book showed personality, humour that I got, and finally compassion that I could see, for his “Astrid”; for her life.
The Revs are a really interesting part of the story. They are kind of like angels and also kind of like reapers (I think Verday may have been watching a lot of Supernatural or Dead Like Me), but instead of defining them, she acknowledges they are beyond human comprehension. I vastly approve of this approach. As a professor, I disliked, repeated to me on several occasions: “You don’t know what you don’t know”. And even if we do know, there’s no guaranteeing we can comprehend at an appropriate level. This is a great way of acknowledging “the hidden”, with an air of mystery and not trying to explain something that just is. I can accept that.
Even this idea of twin souls; yin and yang; soul mates-it’s woven in a way where it is not a question of fate. Not all twin souls have to end up together. Like Washington Irving’s mate did, you can move on. You can choose to live. And that was something I held onto.
I think the only reason I did not give this book five stars is because of this need to hold onto the idea of living. I did love Abbey and Casper (the friendly ghost) together, but I wanted her to be selfish and choose life. I desperately wanted her to move on, but then in came the changing of time and Kristen was in the mix and I knew. I knew that the complexity of the decision was totally beyond me. I don’t think even I’d know what to do if I were in that situation.
Oh yes, and before I forget, that sex scene. Goddamn, it had ME blushing. That. Was. Hot. Multiple times? Hells yeah. Bathroom scene? YESSSS. Okay, okay. I am calm. It is rare when you get “good” sex in teen books. LOL. [/spoilers]
Overall, I really enjoyed this trilogy by Jessica Verday. The books are not an emotional rollercoaster ride and they all lead to what you can expect—a bittersweet ending (which is a good thing, in this case). I wish I could have more to read, but my hopes are high for Verday to write another series instead.
Verdict: I sentence Jessica Verday to a day of watching Supernatural reruns (yay).
4/5 plums!
Posted 1 year ago
♥ notes (94)
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Pet Peeve: When people come into Bookstore X and ask me if we sell Sharpies. Why would we sell something that gives customers more incentive to destroy every clean space/non-damaged book we have? D:<
Posted 1 year ago
♥ notes (6)
Excelsior, fellow book lovers!
Sometimes I wonder why my books haven't asked for my parents' blessings yet.
You don't need to know who I am. Only that I like things. Like books. I am also a bookseller, which is why my hands are so dry to the point of them peeling off like snake-skin.
This blog is meant to be as ridiculous and funny as it is serious. I love books, reviewing them, discussing them, and analyzing them, but I'm also a fan of awesome things that make me laugh.
This does not include cheesy romantic comedies or lemon-flavoured candies. These are neither laugh-worthy (usually) or awesomely yummy (ick).
