"Wicked Lovely" by Melissa Marr

For someone who loves fantasy, I have yet to read a fairy book I like much.  This was my third attempt.  "Good Fairies of New York" was just gross and another one I read a while back wasn't bad but I don't remember the title so, clearly, it wasn't striking.  I have been curious about Melissa Marr for a while -- I saw her at last year's "Books for the Beast" conference, then saw her again at the National Book Festival.  On both occasions, she was a tad odd.  I chalked it up to her general discomfort with appearing in public.  Not all authors are naturally "into" speaking before a crowd.  At that first meeting, she did make me laugh.  When asked by an audience member as to whether she liked "Twilight," she paused quite a bit.  Then, she quietly responded, "Well, I'm a feminist..."  I howled.  After that, she basically "read" a thesis paper, never looking at the audience.  The paper was interesting (she is a college professor) but the delivery a bit flat.  At the National Book Festival, she didn't stand at the podium, like most speakers, but sat in a chair (somewhat behind and blocked by the podium) and had her publicist interview her.  When addressing questions from the audience, she had her publicist "take" some of the questions.  It gave the overall impression of one of those shy authors you often hear about, but rarely see.  It was also a bit off-putting.  Many of the more popular YA authors have a natural affinity in connecting with their readers.  My curiosity was peaked, and I finally picked up "Wicked Lovely."  With a remarkable similarity in plot to that book whose name I can't remember, this is the tale of a young woman who discovers she is, in fact, a fairy and not fully human.  Pursued by and entangled with fairy nobility, she works to find safety and maintain some semblance of herself.  With mature and rich descriptions, the writing here has potential, but the story itself fell flat for me.  I didn't get that "page-turning" quality that makes for a really good read.  Things happened, and then more things happened, and then certain inevitable things happened, and it was all pretty to picture from an image standpoint, but it didn't have that critical build I like.  There is also inconsistency.  Some characters are fully realized, others come off as mustachioed villains (can you say "mommy issues" much?).  The lead character, Aislinn, has far more chutzpah than Bella, but still struggles with a lack of self-esteem and ends up kind of wishy-washy as a result.  In the end, she stands up for herself, but I'm not sure I buy the sudden strength after 300 pages of running away.  Dialog rarely moved the plot forward and often seemed repetitive.  Some of the fairy characters talk like they have been around for a really long time, others (including a main character) seemed to have a different style of speech every time they open their mouths.  The point where I lost it was when Aislinn goes into the bedroom of her friend, Seth, and describes the setting like some 17 year-old girl's vision of the perfect vampire boudoir -- complete with black sheets and melting candles.  Not likely for a guy who lives in an abandoned railway car.  And with all the specific details given on descriptions, some critical plot points are dismissed too quickly.  Aislinn's "will she/won't she" sexual tensions aren't really resolved, as she spends the night with a gentleman, but I wasn't completely clear on what actually happened.  When she discovers a major talent beyond the normal, it is covered in a single sentence -- one I had to read over a few times as it felt like a drive-by of an important clue.  My problems with the book are clearly mine.  The novel received excellent reviews and one colleague gushed about how much she enjoyed it.  I suspect that my issues may be more with the genre.  Fantasy often has romance, but it often takes a back seat to the action (see: "Hunger Games").  Fairy-themed books tend to focus on romance over the action, and obviously, that is just not my thing.  So, a decent read for those who like romance.  Which is not me!

“Smile” by Raina Telgemeier

When this book came in, it arrived at the same time as another book with a happy face on the cover.  For some reason, that one caught my attention more than this one did.  I had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Telegemeier at the National Book Festival and was impressed by the demo she did on how she creates graphic stories.  In two short sittings, I was able to read “Smile,” the autobiographical tale of her childhood.  The story begins with an unexpected injury to her mouth in sixth grade, resulting in four and a half years of torturous dental work – and no shortage of teasing through those wonderful middle school years.  Unlike the “autobiography as fiction” novels I dislike, this is a well-balanced tale that has a healthy mix of teen angst and humor.  Despite the figures being drawn in a fairly simple style, the bright colors and small details (how the dialog boxes are drawn, movement lines) help the story leap out from the page and really engage the reader.  I would bet that the book would appeal to boys as well as girls, despite the female protagonist, as the story is one that almost any kid could relate to.  “Raina” as a character is a multidimensional young woman, and credits to Ms. Telegemeier for being honest about all the trials, tribulations and dramas that accompany this time in life.  She never goes out of her way to clean up her fictional self and the result feels distinctly real.  This is also evident in the story-telling, as she doesn’t overwork the tale to “find meaning.”  There is a moral here, but it comes naturally and gently.  Greatly enjoyed reading this and look forward to her next book, “Drama.”

“Peeps” by Scott Westerfeld

I’ve been meaning to read books by the uber-popular Westerfeld for some time.  Still unable to grab the first book in the “Uglies” series (it rarely sees the bookshelf here), I picked up his stand-alone “Peeps” which is his take on Vampirism.  Written in 2005, it was long before the whole “Twilight” craze and is a mature, very *different* kind of tale.  Setting:  modern day New York city.  Twist:  Vampirism is actually a parasite-based sexually transmitted disease, with all that “turning into bats, can’t see yourself in the mirror” stuff just myth – built up around various aspects of the infection.  Cal is a 19 year-old parasite positive carrier, who works for a mysterious underground society which monitors and controls infection outbreaks of the disease.  As dark as it sounds (and it is dark) there are lighter moments.  Cal is your typical 19 year-old, and has his various urges.  There is an ongoing joke about the price of New York apartments, which is funny to those of us who have faced that intimidating marketplace.  And there are terribly rich descriptions, like this one: “I gazed out onto the river.  On either side of me, the timbers of abandoned piers rose up from the water like rotting black teeth.  More pieces of my memory were falling into place, like a blurry picture downloading in waves, gradually becoming clearer.”  Did you catch how the memories come like “waves” while he is describing a scene of the river?  How cool is that?  Despite the staccato nature of having to read this book one chapter at a time, it is obvious that Westerfeld’s strong writing technique is what draws students to his work.  I continue to maintain that young people will read any kind of story so long as the characters are real and the tale well-told.  That is certainly the case here.  One note:  This was, perhaps, the grossest book I have ever read.  Interspersed between each chapter are short “lessons” on the parasites of the world.  Described in great detail, the icky glory of this myriad of critters does not make for a good reading during mealtimes (as I quickly determined).  Save this one for before you eat … you may lose weight in the process!  A great read which students will enjoy, maybe even some of those rabid Twilight fans.