Riv Reads: A Flyaway Mini-Review; Oh, and POTTER FREAKIN' MORE

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

A Flyaway Mini-Review; Oh, and POTTER FREAKIN' MORE

(Brownies if you get the "freakin'" reference)
*waves dorkily*

#1:

Flyaway by Helen Landalf

Blurby at Goodreads
Characters: I liked Stevie at first. She has spirit, a personality. But when she refuses to wear clothes that her mom wouldn't like, all I can think is "Ugh! She's such a poseur!"
I hated Stevie's Mom from the get-go. She's self-absorbed, and cares about her "cigs" much more than about her daughter.
The Professor (real name is Van) is sweet...until he falls victim to the "let's turn Boyfriend #1 from a sweetheart into a jerk so our main character will dump him!" trope. (À la Lola)
Alan. Oh, Alan. Let's weigh your actions and excuses. Action: You're rude. Excuse: It's okay, because you're gentle with the injured birds. Action: You're a bully. Excuse: You've had it rough. Action: You publicly outed a Christian. Excuse: (Spoiler. Valid reason, though.) Action: You tripped and bullied a special ed kid until she had to switch schools. Excuse: ... What was that, Alan? Can't hear you over your conscience's cries of pain. It's like killing puppies, Alan. The eighth deadly sin.
Everything Else: The plot is pretty much the only redeeming quality. It kept me up, gripped by Stevie's story. Why? I don't know. There was zero emotion; there was just Stevie telling us what's happening. ("I woke up. I saw Aunt Mindy. She gave me news. I screamed in anger. I slammed the door in her face and went back to sleep.")
What I didn't like about the plot? No grit. A freaking love triangle that served very little purpose besides being a love triangle.
The ending was the best part. It was very fitting.
[/End rant]
Rating: 3* Okay

#2:
You might have heard of this thing. It's called Pottermore.
Yeah. Pottermore.
As in, ya know...