Book #8: Stolen Away, by Alyxandra Harvey
Jan. 25th, 2012 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grav_itygirls who rock, emo faeries, sensory overload, female friendships, etc.
I actually got to hear this book read aloud, or at least the first chapter, at a conference a few weeks ago. It was excellent to hear the words in the writer's voice, not the least because Alyxandra knows where all the jokes are, and it meant that as I read the rest of the book, I could hear her tone and inflection, which was cool.
I think if I had to say one thing about this book, it's that it left me feeling more-ish. There was so much STUFF crammed into this book, and I want to know MORE about it. The style of the book, two POV characters alternating back and forth in first person, gave you two people's impressions of what was going on, but I really kind of wish the story was actually two books, "Stolen", from Eloise's POV and "Away" from Jo's. I wanted to spend more time with both girls, find out what really makes them tick, and there was so much going on, that there wasn't always time for that.
The strength of the book, without question, is in its description. The faerie world was amazingly supersaturated (side note: don't read this unless you've eaten), with each detail loving wrapped in about eighteen others, really capturing the idea that the land of Fae can kill you, just by looking at it.
I also really liked how Jo and Eloise both grew as people and used their brains (let's face it: that's always going to be something I like in a book, and it's what makes me wish they'd both had more time to show me how fabulous they were). Jo absolutely cracked me up, with her affectations and then moments of being completely genuine, and Eloise was just so much fun.
The one thing, though, the ONE THING I WANT, is for Jo to grow up powerful enough to give Isadora back what the Poet took from her in terms of her image. I'm not even sure how that would work (as there are True Names involved), but I want it! ;)
8/10 for a wonderful world, for fabulous girls, for making me hungry (more than once!) and for Devin's joke about the Water Horse.
I actually got to hear this book read aloud, or at least the first chapter, at a conference a few weeks ago. It was excellent to hear the words in the writer's voice, not the least because Alyxandra knows where all the jokes are, and it meant that as I read the rest of the book, I could hear her tone and inflection, which was cool.
I think if I had to say one thing about this book, it's that it left me feeling more-ish. There was so much STUFF crammed into this book, and I want to know MORE about it. The style of the book, two POV characters alternating back and forth in first person, gave you two people's impressions of what was going on, but I really kind of wish the story was actually two books, "Stolen", from Eloise's POV and "Away" from Jo's. I wanted to spend more time with both girls, find out what really makes them tick, and there was so much going on, that there wasn't always time for that.
The strength of the book, without question, is in its description. The faerie world was amazingly supersaturated (side note: don't read this unless you've eaten), with each detail loving wrapped in about eighteen others, really capturing the idea that the land of Fae can kill you, just by looking at it.
I also really liked how Jo and Eloise both grew as people and used their brains (let's face it: that's always going to be something I like in a book, and it's what makes me wish they'd both had more time to show me how fabulous they were). Jo absolutely cracked me up, with her affectations and then moments of being completely genuine, and Eloise was just so much fun.
The one thing, though, the ONE THING I WANT, is for Jo to grow up powerful enough to give Isadora back what the Poet took from her in terms of her image. I'm not even sure how that would work (as there are True Names involved), but I want it! ;)
8/10 for a wonderful world, for fabulous girls, for making me hungry (more than once!) and for Devin's joke about the Water Horse.
