A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
No one can say I didn't try.
I'm not one to board the hype train. Speaking from personal experience, I find that I usually don't like popular 5-star books and yet books that sometimes get poor reviews, I dig. At some point, you'd think I'd learn. But no; no, I don't.
So A Court of Thorns and Roses or ACOTAR is hugely popular e'rywhere; there was all this talk about Rhysand, how freaking badass the main character is, and all that shiznit. Safe to say, I was definitely intrigued.
You see, there are two types of Books I Want to Love: Books I Want to Love But Don't and Books I Want to Love and Did. The Harry Potter series, thank God, did not fail me and I ended up really liking the books; it successfully was categorized with the latter. With ACOTAR, however, I had that feeling at the pit of my stomach that I wasn't going to like the book. But I released all those inhibitions *cue Pantene commercial* and deluded myself into thinking that this book would be golden. I mean, everyone loves it, right?
I was so desperate to adore the book, but it sucked so bad.
Disclaimer: I DNFed the book, so make of that what you will.
First, we have the huntress Feyre. Just with that description, I already knew where the story was heading. She's the cardboard cutout of the supposedly "strong female character." You know the type: the special snowflake who DGAF but cares enough at the same time, preferably wields a bow and arrow, is not like everybody else, secretly pretty, and is the only girl with actual spunk and spirit. While every other girl mull about boys and clothes, she hunts and does all the dirty work. She's practical and fierce, and is basically the poster girl for kickass. Now that I'm writing this, I find that type of character very familiar (ahem, Katniss, ahem).
I never liked those types of characters; they're perfect and unreachable. But I digress. For me, they are always exceptions to the rule. Cat Royal from Julia Golding's Cat Royal series is equal parts brave, wise, witty, and loyal. Even so, she was relatable. Feyre, on the other hand, came off as a little hollow and one-dimensional. It was as if her single purpose in life, which was to protect and provide for her family, was all that she was. She was the protector, the savior, and that was it.
I pushed through still and let that thought go.
And then came the unbelievable, unrealistic beginning.
So Feyre killed a faerie in basically cold blood. What may you ask is her punishment for murdering one of the faerie-kinds, you may ask? Oh, I don't know, how about live your life in luxury, eating good food, being clothed with only the finest fabrics, living in a palace with servants waiting on you hand and foot where you're free to roam around and do whatever you want?
In the words of Olive Penderghast: "You have got to be shitting me, woman." Wow, who knew living the good life would be that easy, amirite?
But because I desperately, desperately wanted to love the book, I pushed through again. You know what, I've read unrealistic stories before; I can totally handle this one.
Then I was slapped with the realization that she was going to end up with Tamlin (view spoiler), the first fae she meets (and doesn't kill). You know, that transcendently beautiful brooding man with a surprisingly forgiving heart. Can't say I didn't see that one coming.
What made me really give up, the final nail in that coffin, was the writing.
Don't get me wrong; the writing was good. But when you've read Clare B. Dunkle's The Hollow Kingdom, Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Heartless, and Yangsze Choo's The Ghost Bride, I expect a whole lot more from a fantasy novel. I need that spark; I desire that wit. I lust over Natalie Babbitt's descriptive writing in Tuck Everlasting, the banter and action in Julia Golding's Cat Royal series, and the wondrous way Eva Ibbotson could describe a mere curtsy in A Countess Below Stairs. The writing in this book was OK, but it could not hook me in.
As for Tamlin and Rhysand, I've seen so many animes and read so many mangas (and a lot of them are shoujo, so I hope you get what I mean). That type of cool, brooding, enigmatic, hot AF male characters, I felt like I've seen them all. So it takes more than a pretty face, rows of abs, and a secret heart of gold for me to actually care about the love interest.
I heard the second book was going to be better, but I tried reading the first chapter, and like I said, it just wasn't doing it for me.
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