Mini Reviews ft. Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Made For You and The Raven Boys

★★★★★ Whew

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King This was the most unexpected book I have read this year.  I picked it up fully expecting to get halfway through and then put it down.  However, I was somehow hooked from the first page, and it's now one of my favourite books ever.  It's one of those special stories that you feel in your heart, and they are very rare to come by. Moving on from my emotional raving... The writing is entertaining as well as the actual structure of the novel - it alternates between chapters of the current time, and chapters depicting times in Vera's past, with a few random chapters thrown in from her Dad and the pagoda.  That's right, the pagoda.  I couldn't help feeling sorry for the main character Vera, whilst cheering her on as she grew and made big decisions throughout the story.  I definitely related to her on some level - I think everyone has had the experience of losing a friend for some reason or another. Even though I really disliked what Charlie did and how he turned out, I couldn't help but love him and feel just as sorry for him as Vera - not to mention her poor father. I loved figuring out what was going on by the little clues Vera's tales from the past revealed, and becoming ready along with her to face the truth. The whole story was real and raw (if a little unbelievable) and the magical realism elements really added to the reading experience.  I may be finished reading this book, but I will remember it for a long time to come.

Made For You by Melissa Marr I had some pretty high expectations for this book, but they fell flat.  I was expecting an exciting thriller, but it was a little more on the romantic and paranormal side, for me.  I didn't hate the book (obviously as I gave it 3 stars), I just didn't feel that it was anything special.  If you enjoyed The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting, however, I would highly recommend this. My biggest problem was probably that I didn't really connect to any of the characters, and I can't relate to that small-town vibe.  I didn't mind the best friend, Grace, but other than that, no one really stood out to me.  The parents also really got on my nerves.  I'm not sure if this actually happens in real life, but I can't understand how a child can have such a different personality/intellectual ability to their parents.  The main character, Eva, just seemed so much smarter than her mother in different ways and it was unrealistic to me. Similar to this, I couldn't reconcile the point of view of the killer with how he was portrayed by the other perspectives.  I couldn't relate the thoughts in his head to his actions - it didn't make sense to me.  He was super creepy though, I will give him that. I did enjoy the romantic and slight paranormal aspects (highlight for spoilers)[I liked how the visions were never really explained, they were just there].  While Eva wasn't an annoying character, some of her concerns seemed a little out of place [eg. facial scarring] considering there was someone out there looking for her. The end of the novel was what I had wished the entire thing had been - suspenseful and exciting.  So, again, my expectations affected my enjoyment of the book.

★★★☆☆ Not Quite Thrilling

★★★★☆ Slow Start, but a Brilliant Finish

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater I've been hearing some amazing things about The Raven Boys for over a year now, and I finally decided to pick it up.  Honestly, the first half of the book started to drag for me.  This could be due to the fact that I was reading it very slowly (but then again, maybe I was reading it very slowly because it was starting to bore me?).  I was definitely intrigued and curious - and I understand that everything had to be explained - but I felt like not much really started to happen until the 200-page mark.  After that point though, wow.  I loved every second of the second half of the novel. I also adored the characters.  They were all so different and the way they were written gave a sense of who they were on both the inside and outside, even if their perspective wasn't shown.  I can't even pick a favourite character because I loved all The Raven Boys (and felt so bad for each of them) and Blue and the other women of 300 Fox Way.  Although, okay, I have a soft spot for Gansey - just like everyone else! I really enjoyed the creepiness of Cabeswater and all the mystery surrounding ley lines and Glendower.  It was exciting finding things out and being a part of the magic. So overall, I liked this book, it was just a shame about the first part.