Reading round up (58)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

22nd December

Currently Reading: Talon | Julie Kagawa

Current page/percent: 56%

Read today: 36%

Thoughts: I fricking LOVE this book. I'm only halfway through and it's already one of my favourites. And I adore Garret *swoons*

23rd December

Currently Reading: Talon | Julie Kagawa

Current page/percent: 100%

Read today: 44%

Thoughts: Riley is a MAJOR creep. Dude, leave her alone. Awesome book though. Plenty wrong with it but my love for the story and Garret overshadows any problems.

24th December

Started Splintered by A. G. Howard (6%). This has been on my tbr list for about 2 years now, and everyone loves this story so I'm expecting a lot but I'm finding it REALLY hard to get into. Insects and boarding aren't my thing so I'm a little disheartened by the beginning. I also read 44 pages of The Wizard's Promise by Cassandra Rose Clarke to counteract the slowness of Splintered. It's awesome so far.

25th December

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FOLKS!!

I read 28% of Splintered and God this is taking forever to get good. It's also not what I was expecting, more outrageous fantasy than dark. Not sure I like.

26th December

I read a further 41% of Splintered. We're in Wonderland now and I'm still not sure if I like this or not. Jeb started to grow on me then started being controlling, Morpheus is a manipulative creep, and I don't know if I'm ever gonna connect to any of the characters.

27th December

Finished Splintered (read 25%). I both like and hate this book at the same time, so it's gonna be another 2.5 star highly-anticipated book for me. Ah yes, crushing disappointment how nice to see you.

I also read 32 pages of The Wizard's Promise and I'm liking it, even if it is another slow build up like Splintered (hopefully not as long; hopefully not half the book.)

28th December

Currently Reading: The Wizard's Promise | Cassandra Rose Clarke

Current page/percent: page 191

Read today: 104 pages

Thoughts: Getting better but it's a slow book as opposed to a fast one. I like it, but after the excruciatingly long Splintered, I don't love this as much as I should.

Books finished this week: 2

I got a major haul of Christmas present books (as shown here) and will be using Christmas present money to get a second haul. It's been a good week for books because I also got these ebooks:

The Cage | Megan Shepherd

The Replaced | Kimberly Derting

I still haven't finished reading The Madman's Daughter from months ago, so I'm not sure if I'll totally love The Cage but the premise is far too exciting to ignore. I did, however, really enjoy The Taking, and much more than I expected, so I'm looking forward to The Replaced!! Don't like the text treatment on the cover, though. My eyes can't focus on it :(

Song of Blood and Stone | L. Penelope

POC? High fantasy? Fricking stunning cover? What sounds like a really cool world? A FUCKING MAP INSIDE? Oh God I'm gonna love this book. 

Paranormalcy | Kiersten White

Article 5 | Kristen Simmons

These two beauties were on kindle sale. You have NO idea how long I've been coveting them

Talon

Splintered

Splintered (Review)

Splintered: Splintered | A. G. Howard

Published by: Amulet Books, January 1st 2013

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Retellings

Pages: 371

Format: Ebook

Source: Purchased

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. 

I went into this book expecting explosions of awesome. I didn't get it. From the onset, Splintered was slow and dragged on and on. I started to get into it once it finally took the story into Wonderland (around 50%) but it lost me at that all the crazy.

The story itself is a very literal reimagining of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. I thought it may deviate from the story, bringing something new, but it feels very much like rehashing the tale. Which would be fine, if you're expecting that kind of thing. I was expecting something more ... original maybe. Different, certainly. So I didn't like how bizarre and outrageous most of the plot was - though you could blame that on me, since I should've expected it from an AIW retelling.

I could have coped with that, though, if it hadn't been for the characters. For about two years now all I've heard about is Morpheus this, Morpheus that. I knew he was dark, a Warner-like character, so I expected to like him. But the problem is he's a manipulative bastard, that lies to Alyssa for his own gains. He's selfish, and problematic, and I hated him. He has literally no redeemable qualities - even his protectiveness and adoration of Alyssa is twisted and fucked. There was a spark of humanity in Warner that made me like him, and I just didn't see it in Morpheus.

And then we have Jeb, sweet Jeb who starts off supporting and friendly and caring. He's Alyssa's white knight ... until jealousy morphs him into a controlling dick. He undermines Alyssa's decisions and actions at every turn, and though everything she does is questionable at best, he doesn't allow her to act for herself. He's just so controlling. I honestly can't understand what anyone sees in either of these two love interests.

And then there's Alyssa, who is admittedly the best of the bunch. Even if she is naive and too trusting and makes awful, airheaded decisions. I began to actually like her toward the end, when she's fighting for herself, stripped down to the bare essentials of her character, and when she starts to see Morpheus for what he really is. Tjough she still thinks the sun shines out of Jeb's ass, so she's not seeing totally clear. Still, there's a bit of character development and it makes her slightly likeable. The trouble is it's the characters that get me through a book, and I didn't connect to any of these three.

I probably will read the second book, since the Wonderland stuff sounds to take place in the real world and I reckon I'll prefer that more (though it does sound like Morpheus ups himself from manipulative douche to threatening stalker... and I'm not into that). But all in all, I didn't really enjoy this book. It had elements I liked and decent enough writing to get me to the finish line, but I'm sorely disappointed in Splintered.

Characters ★★☆☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆