Book Reviews

Twilight and New Moon, Stephanie Meyer

YA fiction aimed at the vampire-boyfriends, ooh-they-are-so-dark-and-mysterious fan, I picked these up because they deal with a female teen protagonist. I'm trying to write some from that perspective, so I thought this would give me some insight. (I also thought the art direction of the books was cool.) Though pretty plot-thin, I enjoyed these books because they did give me a great example of teen emotionality. As a teen myself, I was pretty unemotional and oblivious to boy-girl interaction. I do not feel like I can draw on my own experiences in order to convey the overwhelming presence of emotion during adolescence - "I will always feel this way and you could not possibly understand".

Twilight had a stronger plot than New Moon, which seemed to me an exploration of the absent boyfriend and the emptiness and devastation that a breakup can engender. Not much else. Although I got a book-full of teenage emotion, I found it kind of annoying at times. I think I'll ask my wife to read it and give me her opinion - I mean, she has more experience being a teenage girl than I do. :) I'm not sure if I will read the third volume, Eclipse. Maybe when I need some additional brain candy.

Eldest, Christopher Paolini

I got this book awhile ago and in my recent home improvement campaign, somehow this ended up in the bookshelf by my bed at eye level. I thought Eregon fell a little flat, and Eldest falls into that category as well. This was a guilt-read (I own it, therefore, I should read it). I would have loved this when I was fifteen, but now, all I can see is the collection of fantasy tropes that goes exactly where I expect it to.

The Anubis Gates, Tim Powers

I read The Drawing of the Dark years ago and enjoyed it. This was also a bookshelf-reorg find. I have to say, though, that I got kind of bored with it. It came highly recommended, but it just did not hold my interest. I almost stopped halfway through, but professional pride (as a reader) made me finish it.