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Book #42: Girl of Nightmares, by Kendare Blake
I fairly seriously loved the first book Kendare Blake published, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD, so GIRL OF NIGHTMARES had some very big shoes to fill. Instead, GoN decided to go out and buy new shoes entirely (and also probably a new dress, and maybe a couple of different purses, depending on the season, but not one of those tiny dogs, because STANDARDS).
Girl of Nightmares was much more a story with WORLD BUILDING. There were secret societies and strange cults and a forest nearly as scary as the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Where ADiB was a weird love story (possibly THE weird love story), GoN was this huge thing. Once I figured that out, I liked it quite a bit more.
I loved Carmel to PIECES. With her choice making and her choice unmaking and her plate smashing and her insane practicality. She's a delight. And Thomas remains one of my favourite fictional witches of all time, just for being so...Thomas. I also love Cas's mother more than I can put into words. Of all the narrative choices Blake made, her decision to have Cas's mum be the kind of mum she is is my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE.
Anna, Anna, I love her! I love her SO MUCH. I love the way Cas loves her, I love the way she loves him, and I JUST LOVE HER SO MUCH. UGH.
Jestine, new this book, was interesting. It took a while to get to her, but once we did, Blake really let her develop and be awesome in her own right, even when she was at odds with Cas. Cas's understanding of her (and hers of him), was excellent, again for reasons I can't explain. I guess it's that there was enough going on that personal AAAAAANGST was going to be useless and I'm glad Blake didn't do it anyway? Or...something.
Cas. Oh, Cas. He is so bull-headed and fantastic. I love his loyalty (which is a new thing for him), and his certainty, and how he just. keeps. going.
The one thing I found slightly weird was that the book is partially set in a Canadian high school but narrated by an American. So there were things like "study hall" (which we don't have), and school went on too long (into June), and the semester system wasn't the same, and Carmel referred to herself as a Junior, which I'm pretty sure would not happen. None of these details are in anyway important, and since Cas (the American) is narrating anyway, a lot of them can be shrugged off. It just happens to be that one thing I get obsessive about for no good reason.
That said, there were jokes about Saskatoon berries and a shout out to the cat (OMG, THE CAT!), and the thing that's sticking with me the most is Thomas's reaction to having eaten the gingersnaps (long story, you should totally read it!). And, you know, ANNA. Because she is AWESOME.
You can purchase GIRL OF NIGHTMARES on August 7, 2012. It is available for pre-order at a website near you.
8.5/10 for living up to a gorgeous cover, not getting overshadowed by a FABULOUS first installment, great fight scenes, great characters, and for making me think of Scotland (which: it must be REALLY CROWDED there. Like...New York, but mystical instead of crime!).
Girl of Nightmares was much more a story with WORLD BUILDING. There were secret societies and strange cults and a forest nearly as scary as the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Where ADiB was a weird love story (possibly THE weird love story), GoN was this huge thing. Once I figured that out, I liked it quite a bit more.
I loved Carmel to PIECES. With her choice making and her choice unmaking and her plate smashing and her insane practicality. She's a delight. And Thomas remains one of my favourite fictional witches of all time, just for being so...Thomas. I also love Cas's mother more than I can put into words. Of all the narrative choices Blake made, her decision to have Cas's mum be the kind of mum she is is my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE.
Anna, Anna, I love her! I love her SO MUCH. I love the way Cas loves her, I love the way she loves him, and I JUST LOVE HER SO MUCH. UGH.
Jestine, new this book, was interesting. It took a while to get to her, but once we did, Blake really let her develop and be awesome in her own right, even when she was at odds with Cas. Cas's understanding of her (and hers of him), was excellent, again for reasons I can't explain. I guess it's that there was enough going on that personal AAAAAANGST was going to be useless and I'm glad Blake didn't do it anyway? Or...something.
Cas. Oh, Cas. He is so bull-headed and fantastic. I love his loyalty (which is a new thing for him), and his certainty, and how he just. keeps. going.
The one thing I found slightly weird was that the book is partially set in a Canadian high school but narrated by an American. So there were things like "study hall" (which we don't have), and school went on too long (into June), and the semester system wasn't the same, and Carmel referred to herself as a Junior, which I'm pretty sure would not happen. None of these details are in anyway important, and since Cas (the American) is narrating anyway, a lot of them can be shrugged off. It just happens to be that one thing I get obsessive about for no good reason.
That said, there were jokes about Saskatoon berries and a shout out to the cat (OMG, THE CAT!), and the thing that's sticking with me the most is Thomas's reaction to having eaten the gingersnaps (long story, you should totally read it!). And, you know, ANNA. Because she is AWESOME.
You can purchase GIRL OF NIGHTMARES on August 7, 2012. It is available for pre-order at a website near you.
8.5/10 for living up to a gorgeous cover, not getting overshadowed by a FABULOUS first installment, great fight scenes, great characters, and for making me think of Scotland (which: it must be REALLY CROWDED there. Like...New York, but mystical instead of crime!).
no subject
I totes agree with you about the study hall thing, though. And "Junior".
no subject
ETA: I meant more that the structure was weird: we didn't go to school after exams at all. You had class up to mid-June, a week or so of exams, and you didn't have to go to school at all if you didn't have an exam.
When I was in elementary school, it always felt like OB-Wan and The Sister got out WEEKS before us, but maybe that's just me being a kid.