Being very familiar with Persuasion makes this harder to judge on its own terms, but I think that as a science fiction novel for young adults it succeBeing very familiar with Persuasion makes this harder to judge on its own terms, but I think that as a science fiction novel for young adults it succeeds on its own. Creating obstacles to the protagonists' union forced the author to be inventive and the widening of scope to include more than the gentry is a good choice.
That said, this is a far less subtle story than the original, with the ethical dilemmas being much more global and less personal. The parallels are fun and this could be a great gateway to Austen for a young reader, but no challenger. ...more
**spoiler alert** I'm fascinated that this is a book for young adults. The violence was one thing, but repeated descent into madness and despair--well**spoiler alert** I'm fascinated that this is a book for young adults. The violence was one thing, but repeated descent into madness and despair--well, I suppose it's as good a metaphor for being a teenager as any. The allegorical examination of reality television and the pressure our culture ladles upon celebrities was thought-provoking. While the endless love-triangle had lost much of its urgency by the end, I did feel a bit cheated by the two paragraph "yeah, I ended up with that one, it made sense".
Overall, I think this was a good concept, stretched beyond what the author's imagination could bear. Constantly upping the stakes took it away from any sense of reality, but she did manage to keep her characters true to themselves, even if she did it by breaking them again and again and again.
Can we have a strong, female protagonist who's not torn between two lovers for the next YA media phenomenon? Pretty please?...more
As good as everyone has been saying. Katniss' stiff pride and lack of perception is irritating, but convincing, and the plotting is tight. The Games tAs good as everyone has been saying. Katniss' stiff pride and lack of perception is irritating, but convincing, and the plotting is tight. The Games themselves were the least interesting part of the book, but plausible, and the tricks and traps and Katniss' solutions to them were clever. It's easy to just keep turning the pages to find out what happens next and I've already downloaded the next book. ...more
This is a fun YA coming-of-age story set in a beautifully realized world of Africa-based culture and characters. Zahrah's adventures in the Forbidden This is a fun YA coming-of-age story set in a beautifully realized world of Africa-based culture and characters. Zahrah's adventures in the Forbidden Greeny Jungle and the creatures she meets there are fantastically imagined. I wish that the author had spent more time exploring Zahrah's dada-nature, but perhaps that's for another book. ...more
It's funny what I remember from reading this as a child and how much I had forgotten. The feminine ideals of morality and the role of women were hardeIt's funny what I remember from reading this as a child and how much I had forgotten. The feminine ideals of morality and the role of women were harder to take with a more educated eye, but Alcott's advanced, odd notions for women and the poor were a fascinating study in how things were beginning to change in her day. And the romance is still touching, if fairly contrived. ...more
Having watched the last half hour of the movie on late-night tv, I decided that I wanted to read the book. As usual, the book is much better, with allHaving watched the last half hour of the movie on late-night tv, I decided that I wanted to read the book. As usual, the book is much better, with all the characters, but particularly the supporting ones, much more fully developed. What a sweet love story!...more
I adored this book as a child, so when a friend recently read it, I decided it was time to revisit it. Rose's docility and vanities are less charming I adored this book as a child, so when a friend recently read it, I decided it was time to revisit it. Rose's docility and vanities are less charming to me now and the ideas of class and gender more cloying. But it was fascinating to see Alcott railing against the trends in both in very modern ways and it's still a lovely story....more
I read this to see what all the hype was about and hated it on a number of levels. The writing is overwrought and clichéd and the central relationshipI read this to see what all the hype was about and hated it on a number of levels. The writing is overwrought and clichéd and the central relationship is deeply disturbing. I think that I would have eaten this series up with a spoon as a teenager--the intended audience--and I shudder whenever I think of millions of girls having this dysfunctional, abusive version of the fairy tale embedded in their psyches. ...more
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