Selling Hell To a Bishop

Expected Publication:  September 16th, 2014

Sway

By: Kat Spears

St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN-13:  9781250051431

In Kat Spears' hilarious and often poignant debut, high school senior Jesse Alderman, or "Sway," as he's known, could sell hell to a bishop.  He also specializes in getting things people want -- term papers, a date with the prom queen, fake IDs.  He has few close friends and he never EVER lets emotions get in the way.  For Jesse, life is simply a series of business transactions.

But when Ken Foster, captain of the football team, leading candidate for homecoming King, and all-around jerk, and hires Jesse to help him win the heart of the angelic Bridget Smalley, Jesse finds himself feeling all sorts of things.  While following Bridget and learning the intimate details of her life, he falls helplessly in love for the first time.  He also finds himself in an accidental friendship with Bridget's belligerent and self-pitying younger brother who has cerebral palsy.  Suddenly, Jesse is visiting old folks at a nursing home in order to run into Bridget, and offering his time to help the less fortunate, all the while developing a bond with this young man who idolizes him.  Could the tin man really have a heart after all?

Review

     So, this book turned around my reading slump in the best of ways.  I feel like there has been very little amazing contemporary romance/whatever in my reading so far this year.  I actually picked this up expecting absolutely nothing, and the description of this as yet another Cyrano De Bergerac knock-off did nothing to interest me.  I got this through the tour site I'm part of on a fleeting whim.  Boy am I ever glad that I did!  This one is told in first-person, by the main character Jesse, whose sense of humor and choice of language leave a lot to be desired.  Not to mention the less than legal activities he is most well known for among the other kids at his school - even the adults come to him asking for favors!  The overall tone and balance of emotion and humor reminded me of two of my favorite contemporary reads of last year, Cherry Money Baby and Firecracker.

     Jesse "Sway" Alderson is the go-to guy for anything you want: drugs, exam papers, favors of an indeterminate nature and whatever else you want - for a price.  So when Ken Foster, the moronic asshole captain of the football team, comes to Jesse asking for help with getting the saintly Bridget Smalley as his girlfriend, Jesse agrees to do it.  But following Bridget around and getting to know her causes Jesse to grow a conscience and fall in love.  How can he let Bridget be with Ken, knowing the whole thing is a lie?  And what effect will all the deceit, growing feelings and new friendships out of random circumstance have on the rest of his life?  Can Sway make things right, or will Jesse be stuck cleaning up the biggest mess he's ever made?

     Jesse doesn't care to censor himself.  He just says whatever pops into his head first, consequences be damned, and I truly admire that!  There are a lot of people in his life: his gothy and sarcastic best friend Joey, his distant alcoholic father, Carter from the football team, a drug dealer named Digger, truly scary supplier Skinhead Rob, and his ex-girlfriend Heather.  But he never really connects to anyone until he meets cranky Mr. Dunkleman at the old folk's home and uses him as his pretend grandfather.  Another nail in the coffin was the shine he takes to Bridget's kid brother Pete, always calling him on his shit and never treating him as disabled because of his condition.  He calls Pete retarded to his face!  The romance in this was sweet, but this book was more about self-realization than anything.  What can we do to fix things, when we realize that our entire life is built around a philosophy that could cause us to lose the one thing we actually want?  Another big part of this book is Jesse coming to terms with living again after his mother's death by way of pill overdose.  He doesn't know whether to feel everything or nothing at all.  I loved that the ending isn't wrapped in a neat little bow, with every loose thread tied up.  We never do see whether Pete and Jesse get close again after their blowout.  Or the fallout of Skinhead Rob's ultimatum.  The open-endedness was nice for a change though.  A lot more like real life!  I absolutely love this book and if you want to be an emotional yo-yo, you should just pick it up already!

Favorite Quotes:

"Why do you call him that?" Pete asked.  "Sway?"

"Because he is sway," Carter said simply.  Pete looked at me but I just shook my head and turned to stare out the plate glass window at the deserted main street.

"But what does it mean?" Pete asked.

"You never heard of sway?" Carter asked, baffled by Pete's question.  "No."

Carter shrugged.  "Sway ain't somethin' you can define.  A brother who's got sway is the man -- don't have to try to be cool, just ...is.  Jesse's as cool as the underside of my pillow.  He's so slick, he could convince you that I'm white, have you believin' it like it's gospel."  

Carter turned his attention to me as he said, "I thought you were ed-you-catin' this boy."

In the haze between consciousness and oblivion I mumbled crazy shit and started to shake with the cold.  Joey covered me with a blanket, then curled up on her narrow bed beside me and held me close as she stroked my hair.  Carter sat behind the bend in my legs and they warmed me with the heat from their bodies.

"I wanted to die," I said into my chest, my voice a grunt as I jerked with another shudder of cold.  "I want to die."

"I know," Joey said, and shushed me and kissed me on the forehead.  "I know.  But you can't die.  If you die, I'll be all alone."

"Shit," Carter said, and I felt him start to shake with quiet sobs as I drifted into the black.

Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" drifted through the air from Joey's iPod, and I remember thinking how appropriate it would be to die listening to that song.

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is September 16th, 2014.*

I Am Yao, King of the Rock (Not Really, but Whatever)

Published:  February 9th, 2010

Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1)

By: Melina Marchetta

Candlewick Press

ISBN-13:  9780763643614

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom.  He stands on the rock of three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to save Lumatere.

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace.  An imposter seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock -- to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive.  This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the Prince.  Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home.  Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united?  Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

Review

     I have only read one of Marchetta's books before this, a contemporary called Looking for Alibrandi, and while I liked it, I was by no means in love with it.  I didn't really know what to expect from a high fantasy written by her.  But a good portion of my Goodreads friends and fellow groupmates in my one active corner of the internet were mentioning it a fair bit.  This made me curious and I really do love me some well-written, deeply developed fantasy.  If I step into a book and the world catches my attention, I like to stay and visit for awhile.  So I figured this might be the one to get me out of my reading slump.  I actually think I may have been right, if not for the reasons I originally thought.

     Finnikin is the son of Captain Trevannion of the Royal Guard and best friends with the royal children.  Making a blood pact with Prince Balthazar and his cousin, Lucian of the Mont people, the boys vow to protect Lumatere to the death.  Then five days of unspeakable horror come to Lumatere, during which the entire royal family is slaughtered, Finnikin's father is imprisoned, many of the people become exiles, and a curse is laid upon the land.  Ten years later, Finnikin along with his mentor Sir Topher follow a rumor to a sort of convent (can't remember the exact word they called it), looking for information about Prince Balthazar possibly being alive.  What they get instead is Evanjalin, a mysterious novice, who claims to walk the sleep of the people of Lumatere.  She claims she has been chosen for the King and will lead them to him.  Of course nothing is really that simple, and Evanjalin is hiding secrets of her own.  Can they unite the people of Lumatere, break the curse, and restore the rightful heir to the throne?  Or will they kingdom continue to lay in ruin, destroyed by the horrors of the past?

     I think my biggest problem with this book was that it had so much potential.  The characters were well developed, with Finnikin especially taking center stage and garnering the interest of me as a reader.  I didn't quite like him, but I could understand his motivations.  Evanjalin, is a girl who has a purpose.  She has suffered great horrors, but it willing to sacrifice everything to make Lumatere right again.  That said, the constant lying, manipulation and flat-out refusal to tell Sir Topher or Finnikin anything got on my everlasting nerve!  Not to mention, she treats them like dirt and speaks to them like they're idiots - when she even speaks to them.  More often than not she just does something seriously dangerous, just expecting to be excused for her reasons, which are always worthwile (*snorts in derision*).  I felt like everything was just a little too smooth.  Yes, there was some struggle along the way, such as breaking Trevannion out of the mines, and when they're attacked by a tribe in Yutland Sud.  But I never felt like anyone was ever really going to die in the process of reinstating the kingdom.  That's strike one.  

     Strike two happened to be that I had already figured out Evanjalin's identity by the time I was even halfway through the book.  A complete lack of the element of suprise in what should have been a major plot twist just had me speed-reading to see how things would end.  The side-story with Lady Beatriss and Trevannion, not to mention the witch Tesadora was probably one of the most interesting things in that interim.  The only things other than that really catching my interest was the growth of Froi, who starts his place in the story as a thief, slave and general scum of the Earth.  By the time the book ends, Froi is loyal to both Evanjalin (who he almost did serious harm to) and Finnikin, pledging himself to Lumatere and learning to better himself.  It was a very stark and realistic character development throughout the course of the book and the characters are definitely where Marchetta shined.  I might not have liked Finnikin (his density towards his destiny annoyed me greatly as it dragged on) or Evanjalin all that much, but they were well-written.  That said, this book is full of action, magic, curses and some serious court/political intrigues - I won't say anymore to try and avoid spoilers.  I recommend it if you're a fan of high fantasy and if you can make it through this one, you'll be after Froi's story next if only to find out what happens.  I got caught in that trap myself.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Witch Rhymes With.....

Published:  June 10th, 2014

Hexed (The Witch Hunter #1)

By: Michelle Krys

Delacorte Press

ISBN-13:  9780385743372

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made.  Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won't stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school.  Who wouldn't want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes.  And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen.  But it's when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie's world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties.  If she doesn't get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die.  And that's seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she's a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie's about to uncover the many dark truths about her life -- and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Review

     This book started out weird, but it had some potential.  The main character, Indigo "Indie" Blackwood, is a beautiful, popular high school cheerleader.  Her biggest problem right now is her competitive frenemy Bianca, who may or may not be attempting to steal Indie's hot footballer boyfriend, Devon.  So when some guy seemingly kills himself and Indie witnesses it, things begin to fall out of wack.  He's holding a paper with the address of Indie's family occult shop on it.  But it doesn't mean anything, right?  Then the family Bible is stolen, and it's up to Indie to retrieve it before there are horrific consequences - like end of the world-type consequences!  It turns out that the Bible holds the key to killing witches, and the sorcerers they are at war with would like nothing more than to unlock the secrets.  Since Indie is apparently a witch, it could be her own life on the line.  With the help of Bishop, a hot and mysterious member of "the Family" (the main Witch community heads of power), and her nerdy neighbor Paige, it's up to Indie to save what's left of her family, her own life and the rest of her race.  Can the three of them do it before it's too late?

     Obvious issues with it, but it doesn't sound like it could be all that bad, right?  WRONG!!!  What starts out with the basic threads to lead into a coherent and more detailed plot, devolves into a complete and total train wreck.  Indie herself displays almost constant stupidity after finding out about the reality of magic, witches and the evil sorcerers after the family Bible and by association, her.  She keeps rushing headlong into dangerous and intense situations, under the guise of stubbornness when really she's just too dumb to reason out a better solution.  Both of the guys Indie is involved with are sexist, asshole pigs.  Devon cheats on her with her "best" friend Bianca, and then has the gall to ask her to go to Homecoming with him, just because they already had plans!  And Bishop, the "mysterious" bad-boy type, is a dickwad to Indie.  He basically talks circles around her, neglects to actually explain anything about being a witch and makes fun of her at every opportunity he gets (for being a cheerleader, her clothes, the way she talks, even the girl her boyfriend chooses over her).  And this d-bag is someone I'm supposed to like?  Not mention his tattoo of naked Betty Boop on his neck.  What a f**king pervert.  The love triangle later on with a girl named JEZEBEL (yes, you read that right! NO SUBTLETY!) just worsens my opinion of all these characters, if you can even call them that.

      The battles with the sorcerer henchmen are a pathetic cluster fuck, and even the scene when SPOILER Indie's mom is put into a movie screen and killed by a savage tiger SPOILER was more of a WTF confusion moment than anything else.  The mythology of the witches was convoluted and attempted some genealogical, DNA explanation that made about zero sense to me (not that I'm all that scientifically knowledgeable - but my 10th grade Bio education calls bullshit on this one).  Also, the revelations about her Mom's witch status and her irresponsible Aunt Penny's, made no sense in the context they were used.  The fact of what Aunt Penny was hiding made no sense - unless she's evil.  Probably what will happen in the next book.  Not to mention, "Hey guys, I know you've been looking for the SPESHUL BIBLE THINGY but it's an EFFING DECOY!!!  The only character I didn't want to drop kick in this book was Paige, who was way too nice to Indie, who was obviously using her for her own gain.  And also, a fucking Jay-Z concert?  Why not just a freaking dinner-movie date?  Or something that was, y'know, in the realm of actual believability?  I'm going to stop here, although the scenes with the magic and their pitiful plotting and description (i.e. next to none) take the cake.  I am only marking this as high as I am because of the fact that I finished it.  Won't be torturing myself further.

VERDICT:  1/5  Stars

**I  received this book from Delacorte Books, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published June 10th, 2014.**

The One Where I Lay Myself (and my self-respect) On The Line

 

        So, this picture definitely represents how I've been feeling lately - like I'm pushing against things that no one else can see, or things that are impossible to move.  I don't think I've ever actually told any of my internet friends any of the things I'm about to tell you guys.  But as readers of this blog, I feel like I can be safe enough to lay myself on the line with you and be straight - I am someone who struggles with a disease called FIBROMYALGIA. 
     For those who don't know what Fibromyalgia is, here is the basic definition, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic's website:

FIBROMYALGIA:  Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.  Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.

SYMPTOMS: 

1. Widespread pain.  The pain associated with fibromyalgia is often described as a constant, dull ache that has lasted for at least three months.  To be considered widespread, the pain must occur on both sides of your body, and above and below the waist.
2. Fatigue.  People with fibromyalgia often awaken tired, even though they report sleeping for long periods of time.  Sleep is often disrupted by pain, and many patients have other sleep disorders, like restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea.
3. Cognitive Difficulties:  Often referred to as fibro-fog.  Impairs ability to focus, pay attention and concentrate on mental tasks.
4. Other Symptoms:  Depression, headaches, and pain or cramping in the lower abdomen.

 

 

        Personally, I was diagnosed six years ago at the age of eighteen.  Usually, I have more episodes during the winter and have to go to the hospital at least once to get drugged up just to be able to even sleep (generally my ankles ache so bad I am on the verge of tears an unable to do anything, especially sleep).  Lately though, with my forty hours a week at a crappy retail job, where I am on my feet CONSTANTLY, I have been taking two painkillers every day (Gabapentin is what works for me) just to be able to stay standing up without being in hospital grade pain.  It makes me slightly high, unfocused, hyper and magnifies the fibro-fog.  Not to mention how depressed I have been lately, and my financial situation is definitely not making things better.  I have begun "Waldening" (otherwise known as downsizing) my stuff, to make money and gain space.  I am on the verge of losing the house I have spent my entire life in.  I don't know what's going to happen to myself, my family or my animals.
    
        Books and escaping into different worlds are really the only things that make me smile anymore, or keep me going.  And my fibromyalgia is taking that away, with my inability to focus.  These are the reasons my blog has been sporadically updated over the last few months, along with some personal crises involving a family member being in the hospital for over a month.  I have been trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel.  It's not always easy, but I have to believe that things will get better.  This is my daily struggle, but I am kicking it's butt just by getting out of bed, going into work and living my life.  This is just something that I wanted you to know, as people that have been involved in my book life for about three years now.  I am pretty private generally and don't usually do many personal posts.  But if someone else out there is dealing with this too, maybe this post will say the most important thing it even could: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  And you are a survivor!  Separately we're just a drop in the ocean, but together we are formidable.

The Giver, or Another Foray Into Newbery Land

 

Published:  January 24th, 2006 (First published 1993)

The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)

By: Lois Lowry

Ember

ISBN-13:  9780385732550

 

Jonas' world is perfect.  Everything is under control.  There is no war or fear or pain.  There are no choices.  Every person is assigned a role in the Community.  When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver.  The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life.  Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth.  There is no turning back.

 

Review

 

     In the Community where Jonas lives, everyone has a routine.  Jobs, spouses and children are selected by qualified officials.  Emotions are discusses and analyzed, colors are non-existent and pills are taken to halt the "Stirrings" from taking hold.  Everything is controlled, peaceful, uniform and all people are treated the same.  When you become of a certain age you join the House of Old and are released as a "reward."  Jonas thinks that his society is the perfect place to live.  Then he goes through the ceremony of the twelves to get his life assignment.  Jonas is given an unusual task that he has never heard of before.  He's apprenticed to a man called The Giver and becomes The Receiver.  He is to take on all of the memories, emotions and experiences of what life used to be like, without total control.  Jonas begins to question the way the Community is run and his place in it's mindless conformity.  When Gabriel, an underdeveloped infant that has been staying with Jonas' family, is at risk due to the Community's rules, it's up to Jonas to make a decision.  Will he follow the community or give in to the lessons he's learned from the things he's taken from The Giver?

     I have read this book at least six or seven times, the first being around 2001 or 2002, when my sixth or seventh grade English teacher assigned it to my class.  I remember being shocked by the ideas and terrifying realities presented in this book.  A place that is controlled by the government, doesn't allow for any individuality, and has no romance or family bonding - a place with no color or emotion AT ALL!!!  It blew my pre-teen mind to imagine such a horrifying thing.  I definitely identified with Jonas, questioning the world around himself and trying to make life-changing decisions (mostly between action and in-action).  In light of the movie being released next month, I decided to re-read it again and see how well it held up after a decade of being in my thoughts.

     This novel is definitely more one of introspection than action.  The climax near the end of the story when Jonas *SPOILER* takes baby Gabriel and leaves *END SPOILER* is definitely the most actiony part of this book.  The majority of this book is Jonas' journey from conformity and belonging, to being on the outside of the Community and becoming isolated when his reality shifts.  By gaining the things that everyone else he knows have lost (color, emotion, individualistic though, etc.), Jonas becomes an unlikely rebel.  "Sameness" is a concept he no longer embraces and finds to be pretty horrifying.  Probably the most conflict in this book is caused by the concept of "release" for people who don't (or can't) conform for some reason, or are just too old to be of use to society.  This is what really causes Jonas to take action.  It really makes you wonder just what it would take to push our own world over the edge, into a false utopia.  A chilling, but ultimately hopeful portrayal of a world ruled by the loss of everything real.  I highly recommend this book (it won a Newbery Award for a reason!) as an introduction to the loosely defined "dystopian" genre.  It definitely makes you think.

 

VERDICT:  5/5 Stars

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Published: May 23rd, 2014

Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

By: Jack Wang & Holman Wang

Simply Read Books

ISBN-13:  9781927018385

Give a kid a classic!  Cozy Classics is the popular board book series that presents well-loved stories to children ages 0 + through twelve child-friendly words and needle-felted illustrations.  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is Mark Twain's timeless tale of childhood about an imaginative boy who's always getting into trouble, and is one of the world's most beloved classics.  Now you can share this classic with children of any age.  www.mycozyclassics.com

Review

     So, I have read a few of these before, most notably Emma and Jane Eyre.  I didn't realize how hard this particular book would be to translate to this narrative style, than say, Emma happened to be!  But considering that unless you have the room to be wordy, Twain's story definitely makes NO real sense whatsoever!  Just like in their previous books, Jack and Holman Wang use felt puppets staged in different scenes to tell a story, using only twelve words to describe exactly what's happening.  Knowing the story previously, I expected it to make better use of the adventure storyline that monopolizes the last half of the book, but the way it was worked in was very jagged and really had no narrative flow.

     The first word used in this book is HIDE and the page shows Tom with his hand in a jam-pot, hiding behind a re-creation of the first page of the original book.  It definitely represents Tom's mischievious nature to a tee, and is a good example.  The next picture is of Tom whitewashing the fence, with the word PAINT.  That doesn't translate quite as well, considering all we see is Tom doing the work.  Unless you already knew, it doesn't in any way hint that he's going to cause the other children to fight over doing the work for him, by fooling them into thinking it's fun.  Next, they show Tom kissing Becky (seemingly for no reason, at school I think?), with the caption KISS.  I guess it's an easy way to introduce Becky.  It ties in with the fourth page, where Tom is trying to comfort Becky as she cries (because he kissed her?), with the word CRY.  Huck is introduced next playing with some toy swords with Tom (PLAY), which I guess is as good a way as any of introducing him I suppose.

     The storyline begins to get coherent next, with Tom and Huck outside at night in front of a fire (CAMP).  Next, there's a STORM and the two of them are caught in it.  Randomly they're on the street in front of a house, in nice weather, with Becky looking all lovestruck and it says HOME.  Then Becky and Tom are together again in front of a CAVE, then they're LOST in the cave with a candle and bats overhead, Tom is helping Becky climb OUT and then Tom & Huck are randomly back in the cave together with a pick-axe - and treasure (GOLD).  As a whole, the photographs/staging are all very creative and visually appealing.  But I do think that the treasure storyline wasn't really used to the best of it's abilities.  Also, out of everything else that happens in the book, Becky is what gets the main focus?  Talk about odd narrative decisions...but like I said, I can definitely see this being a difficult one to translate.  All in all, an interesting attempt and not the worst I'll ever read (especially for a board book based on a classic), but not the best either.  I'd recommend it if you want to compare and contrast, or want a cute book to look at with a child.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**I received this book from Simply Read Books, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published May 23rd, 2014.**

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

Published:  June 24th, 2014

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

By: Bernie Su & Kate Rorick

Touchstone

ISBN-13:  9781476763149

Based on the Emmy Award winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Twenty-four-year old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and is still living at home along with her two sisters, beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia.  When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into Internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck-up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets & for Lizzie's viewers.  But not everything happens on screen.  Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie's world and well beyond the confines of her camera; from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter's bar, and much more.  Lizzie's private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicion about her parent's unstable financial situation, her sister's budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future, and whom she wants to share it with.

Review

     So, this review would have been up on Tuesday but I was having issues with my internet connection and couldn't get Blogger to load for me.  Therefore, here it's Thursday and I'm half a week behind, listening to John Legend and chilling at home - and finally getting you my thoughts on this book!  I will tell you one thing for certain, I am one of the rare people who watched maybe two episodes of the web series and quit.  I just am not really big on web series and even though I adore Pride and Prejudice, that form of digital media is mainly not my thing.  I went into this with a mostly clean slate and I truly enjoyed myself!  I always did say that if it ever became a book I would read it and when I saw it on NetGalley, I figured that I should keep my word.  I'm glad that I did!

     This is a book about Lizzie Bennet, 24-year-old Mass Communications grad student, who is living at home with her parents, her older sister Jane who went into fashion and makes next to nothing, and their younger sister Lydia who is more interested in partying, boys, and the YOLO lifestyle than anything else.  Lizzie decides to do a video blog for her thesis at school, enlisting the help of her best friend Charlotte Lu.  Everything begins to change when rich, young and handsome medical student Bing Lee moves into the neighborhood.  Lizzie's mother of course begins using all her Southern Belle tricks and cunning to get Bing and Jane together.  Then there's Caroline, the scheming older sister of Bing, and Bing's millionaire, digital media mogul friend Darcy.  Getting off on the wrong foot, Lizzie and Darcy's relationship to each other becomes one of challenges, arguments and prejudiced misunderstandings.  With everything being chronicled in her videos, and things spiraling out of control in her personal life, can Lizzie and Darcy ever fix their mistaken opinions of one another?  Will Bing and Jane get a happy ending?  And can Lydia overcome her most devastating mistake yet?

     So, like I said, I really enjoyed this one.  Here are my opinions on it:

PROS

1. Kitty Bennet versus an actually Kitty:  I really didn't mind this at all.  A lot of people complained about the fact that Kitty isn't there as a person.  Yes, she got kind of shafted.  But in a book based on a series of 3-5 minute videos, she really wouldn't have served a purpose.  She was basically just the extra Bennet sister and served as Lydia's shadow.  It was unnecessary in this particular incarnation.  I commend the creators for a smart decision.
2. The Bennet Family dynamic:  Jane and Lizzie were obviously close to one another, but they also had some snarky banter that was absent in the original Austen relationship.  I also enjoyed Lydia being fairly close with both the other sisters.  Lydia is less stupid in this one, so much as young naive and a bad decision-maker.  Not to mention slightly obnoxious.  But there is a bond between them all that shows fairly obviously to me as a reader.  The scenes with Lizzie's father were tops as well, and her mom isn't quite as hysterical or non-sensical as in the original.  She's satirized and over-the-top, but means well and really loves the girls.  Mary is the emo cousin with a hippie mother - nuff said.  She isn't really in the book all that much though.  Overall, the family dynamic in this one is really well illustrated in the interactions and dialogue.
3. Ricky Collins and Charlotte Lu:  This particular plotline was much better handled than the original, but considering the gap of almost 200 years, the social differences definitely account for this conclusion.  I liked that they ended up as business partners instead of a married couple.  Also, Ricky wasn't quite as bad in this adaptation, more like a harmless, lost puppy with absolutely zero social skills, than a complete creeper.

CONS

1. Lizzie and Darcy:  There really wasn't much of a relationship build between these two.  They just kind of fell into each other after Lizzie learned about his part in the Lydia situation.  She spends the whole web series and book (minus a few episodes and a small chunk of page-time) deconstructing him as a person and going on and on about how horrible he is and how much she hates him.  To me this did feel a little more like an "I owe you" situation than it should have.  Definitely a white knight complex in Miss Lizzie - which brings me to my next point.
2. George Wickham:  I felt like he was a very basic, flat, plot-moving character.  George is set up as the villain from the beginning without anyone realizing it (except P&P fans) and I feel like it's all very superficial.  Not to mention the whole swim week thing was slightly bizarre.  Like, that's the best excuse they can come up with to get him into the plot?  Not to mention the whole "random bar guy" thing seemed slightly out-of-character for this particular Lizzie.  He disappears for large chunks of time and the thing with Lydia was creepy but nowhere near as personal (or involved) as the original novel.

     Basically, I found this to be an interesting read, especially with all the focus on (and talk about) the field of mass communications, of which I have little experience with personally.  I did feel that it got a little too into that at times, but it made sense with the grad student storyline.  The oddness of the Lizzie/Darcy connection and lack of any real romance/spark deducts a decent amount for me personally.  I go into P&P retelling for the Darcy and Lizzie interactions!  Not the best I've ever read, but I think I would've liked it more if I'd been into the web series.  I'd highly recommend it to fans of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries web series.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**I received this book from Touchstone, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published July 1st, 2014.**