Category: Mainstream Fiction

cute?

Posted on by Greig

Attachments

Rainbow Rowell

attachmentsI read this because I really enjoyed Fangirl which is one of the best YA books I’ve read in ages.
This in contrast is a pretty mainstream romance novel.
It’s set in 1999 and it’s partly told through email exchanges. The conceit being that the protagonist works in the IT department of a newspaper with a strict email filter that he monitors for violations of policy.
Reading the emails between an editor and the film critic he falls for one of the two friends.
There’s something very creepy about the premise and it makes it hard to really believe the pretty straightforward way that things resolve.
Otherwise this is a very charming read. It’s nowhere near as good as Fangirl but certainly worth reading if you like a fluffy romance.

Rating: B+

capri?

Posted on by Greig

The Summer I Became A Nerd

Leah Rae Miller

the summer i became a nerdA diverting, speedy read, this YA novel is a coming of age story where the lead character is a closet nerd who has carefully constructed a ‘popular’ persona to help her survive the social minefield of school life.
The plot finds her learning to be honest with herself and the people in her life.
This is another one of those Kindle Daily Deal books. Oh the dodgy books you end up reading just because they were a bargain…
It really is nothing special and only worth reading if you’re after something to switch your brain off with.

Rating: B

baz?

Posted on by Greig

Fangirl

Rainbow Rowell

fangirlCath hates new places, new people and new things. Which is a bit of a problem when she’s just moved away from home to study at college. Doubly so when she’s forced to share a room with someone other than her identical twin sister for the first time in her life.
Escaping into writing her popular serial fanfic she struggles to adjust to her new life and to deal with the problems that life throws at her.
This is easily the best YA book I’ve read since The Fault In Our Stars. I really enjoyed spending time in Cath’s head. I’ve read a ton of fanfic in the past year after going crazy for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and I really empathized with her, while recognizing that she’s young and frequently mistaken about how other people thnk and how the world works.
In fact I devoured the book in less than a day.
I recommend this to anyone but especially to those with an interest in YA books or the world of fanfic.

Rating: A

sunset?

Posted on by Greig

Gingerbread

Rachel Cohn

gingerbreadThis tale of a spoiled, troubled teenage girl was a very quick read indeed.
The lead character behaves like a cliched teenage brat and her neediness and lack of self awareness makes her very hard to like despite the care the author takes to show that there’s more to the character.
Only really recommended if you’re looking for a quick blast of YA angst mixed with family stories.

Rating: C

malerie?

Posted on by Greig

Struck By Lightning

Chris Colfer

Struck by lightningEntertainingly sarky high school novella by the Glee star.
I bought the book after being entertained by the film’s trailer.
It’s told in the form of the lead character’s diary as he blackmails his way through the school popular elite in order to publish a literary magazine to strengthen his college application.
The story is told for maximum dark humour and with absolutely no interest in making the central character sympathetic.
Not outstanding but certainly worth a read.

Rating: B

hinges?

Posted on by Greig

Flat Out Love

Jessica Park

flat out loveI’m pretty much unable to resist a good bargain and when this book cropped up in the 99p daily Kindle deal with the promise of a good romantic comedy I jumped at the chance.
Imagine my disappointment when this turned out to be full of cliche characters and crashingly obvious plot twists.
The author has a pleasant, readable voice but the book is utterly forgettable.

Rating: C+

shades?

Posted on by Greig

Mr Darcy’s Diary

Amanda Grange

mr darcys diaryThis book retells the story of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Darcy.
Yes I only read this because I miss The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
To be fair though this is a pretty enjoyable read. It helps that it’s an epistolary novel and that the language is less mannered than in the original novel.
I don’t really think the author consistently captured Darcy’s perspective and voice but it’s really good fun to see some of the famous sections of P&P told from his perspective.
I can only recommend this to people who love Pride & Prejudice or one of it’s adaptations. Otherwise you should read the original, or you know maybe watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Rating: B

gutshot?

Posted on by Greig

An Abundance of Katherines

John Green

an abundance of katherinesThis is probably Green’s funniest and lightest book.
Colin Singleton is an ex-child prodigy who is addicted to anagramming and dating girls called Katherine. When the 19th of that ilk dumps him after graduating high school his best friend takes him on a road trip to stop obsessing over the break up.
I read it for the first time in 2009 and I enjoyed it then too (though I was apparently going through a phase of not actually reviewing and rating books at that point).
Recommended if you want a funny and sweet, sort of romantic, teen novel.

Rating: A-

interiority?

Posted on by Greig

Microserfs

Douglas Coupland

microserfsI’ve re-read this book quite a few times (and I reviewed it for this blog in 2006 and in 2003).
It’s a book with a lot of worthwhile things to say about creativity, family, friendship and love.
I still get a lot of enjoyment from it – no matter how dated the tech references get – the emotional core still resonates.

Rating: A-