Review Detail

This book had me very back and forth on what I thought of it. I picked it up because of the Stephanie Meyer review. And, of course, the intriguing illustration. (I know, I know...)

Now to me, the characters lacked a lot of depth that would have aided me in becoming attached to any of them. The writing style was very simplistic, and for it being in the YA section I would have to say the vocabulary and style are more appealing to an age range of 10-14. The dialogue often came across as awkward, and even when it managed to sound natural there was nothing memorable about it. The actual content at some points I wouldn't have recommended for youth under the age of 14, however. The casualness with which sex is discussed (as though pregnancy were the only thing to be concerned with) warrants parental screening.

Now, I would like to be as fair as I can and give the book some credit. The author's take on the faerie mythos is more original than I'd expected, and some of the descriptions are pleasantly vivid. It is easy reading with a smooth and sensible flow. I'm afraid this reader just didn't find it to be the outstanding breakout novel it was reported to be.