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A review by brodie_rose
Teardrop by Lauren Kate
2.0
When I first saw this book, I think my mouth actually fell open. Can you blame me? Look at that cover. It's all so gorgeous with that beautiful purpley bluey swirly loveliness, and then that stunning waterfall dress that I would trade my brother for (though I guess a dress made of water probably isn't my wisest fashion choice, which is saying something) and in the background you can see those lost, mysterious cities... captivating.
And then I saw the author's name at the top (hard not to, seeing HOW FRICKIN' HUGE IT IS) and my heart sank. Although whoever makes Lauren Kate's book covers is clearly a genius, the author herself...? Not so much. Fallen is in my very small and much disgraced DNF pile.
So, all this emotional trauma and I wasn't even on the first page. When I started to read it, I noticed the things that had bothered me about Fallen - a mopey, self-pitying female protagonist (though admittedly, she has reason to be, given her circumstances) a whole lotta telling but not much showing, and jumpy, awkward sentences. The language is beautiful, though, I'll give her that.
Not EVERYTHING was bad - in fact, it was a good sight better than Fallen. Eureka (I couldn't take that name seriously) does have her moments of sarcasm which make her more likeable, and the descriptions of her family did make them bearable. Her step-mother seemed unrealistic - on a scale from 0 to Cinderella's-step-mother on Bitchiness, she was pretty high up there.
I actually LOVED the idea of the plot, though. I liked the mythical element and the idea of tears brining on torrential downpours (and no, I don't believe that's a spoiler alert, because if you didn't guess this from pretty early on, the internet has clearly been killing your brain). However, Lauren Kate didn't really get into the MEAT of the plot until a good 300 pages in - bearing in mind that this is a pretty hefty book, and 300 pages of not-really-much-going-on-apart-from-a-few-little-not-well-hidden-clues can get pretty irritating.
So, what is it that's going on in these extra 300 pages? Building up a romantic relationship, it is not. Eureka and Ander's 'love' for each other was unrealistic and flat, and it seemed like the only reason Eureka actually liked him was because he was hot. (That, my dear girl, is lust, not love). Then she seemed to go from thinking he was a creep to falling in love with him, literally within the space of a few pages. The chemistry between them wasn't even dead, because it had never lived in the first place. Sorry, Kate, but it's true.
And WHY - WHY - are girls in YA fantasy romance novels ALWAYS attracted to the FREAKING STALKERS? Eureka finds out that Ander has basically been following her his whole life, and not only is she pretty much fine with it, but she finds it ROMANTIC. As do all the YA protagonists. I do not get.
So, the reason for the two stars? The potentially awesome plot earns one (though it could've been carried out much better, a mi ver - again, sorry, Kate). The nice language and the GOD DARN STUNNING COVER earn half each. The romance and epically long build-up before any action occurred (and most of the time, I appreciate a good built up of setting) were the major turn-offs. This book could've potentially reached a four star. And for some people, I'm sure it will be. It just ain't my particular cup of tea.
(Apologies for any epically failed attempts at html - I'm not computer savy. xD)
And then I saw the author's name at the top (hard not to, seeing HOW FRICKIN' HUGE IT IS) and my heart sank. Although whoever makes Lauren Kate's book covers is clearly a genius, the author herself...? Not so much. Fallen is in my very small and much disgraced DNF pile.
So, all this emotional trauma and I wasn't even on the first page. When I started to read it, I noticed the things that had bothered me about Fallen - a mopey, self-pitying female protagonist (though admittedly, she has reason to be, given her circumstances) a whole lotta telling but not much showing, and jumpy, awkward sentences. The language is beautiful, though, I'll give her that.
Not EVERYTHING was bad - in fact, it was a good sight better than Fallen. Eureka (I couldn't take that name seriously) does have her moments of sarcasm which make her more likeable, and the descriptions of her family did make them bearable. Her step-mother seemed unrealistic - on a scale from 0 to Cinderella's-step-mother on Bitchiness, she was pretty high up there.
I actually LOVED the idea of the plot, though. I liked the mythical element and the idea of tears brining on torrential downpours (and no, I don't believe that's a spoiler alert, because if you didn't guess this from pretty early on, the internet has clearly been killing your brain). However, Lauren Kate didn't really get into the MEAT of the plot until a good 300 pages in - bearing in mind that this is a pretty hefty book, and 300 pages of not-really-much-going-on-apart-from-a-few-little-not-well-hidden-clues can get pretty irritating.
So, what is it that's going on in these extra 300 pages? Building up a romantic relationship, it is not. Eureka and Ander's 'love' for each other was unrealistic and flat, and it seemed like the only reason Eureka actually liked him was because he was hot. (That, my dear girl, is lust, not love). Then she seemed to go from thinking he was a creep to falling in love with him, literally within the space of a few pages. The chemistry between them wasn't even dead, because it had never lived in the first place. Sorry, Kate, but it's true.
And WHY - WHY - are girls in YA fantasy romance novels ALWAYS attracted to the FREAKING STALKERS? Eureka finds out that Ander has basically been following her his whole life, and not only is she pretty much fine with it, but she finds it ROMANTIC. As do all the YA protagonists. I do not get.
So, the reason for the two stars? The potentially awesome plot earns one (though it could've been carried out much better, a mi ver - again, sorry, Kate). The nice language and the GOD DARN STUNNING COVER earn half each. The romance and epically long build-up before any action occurred (and most of the time, I appreciate a good built up of setting) were the major turn-offs. This book could've potentially reached a four star. And for some people, I'm sure it will be. It just ain't my particular cup of tea.
(Apologies for any epically failed attempts at html - I'm not computer savy. xD)