It’s slow going…
but I’m slowly getting through my reading list. I’ve now finished Butcher’s “Changes,” Lauren Kate’s “Fallen” and Eoin Colfer’s continuation of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “And Another Thing…“
I have to say, the only one I was impressed with was Butcher. A good book on its own, but it’s more impressive because it’s considerably better than his previous novels. The style of the novel is the same, and the plot is standard fare (minus one quickly revealed twist that I won’t give away here). The pacing is typical — one thing after another — but this time we actually see Harry pushed to his limits. In the past, he’s always had some last resource to tap, something no one expected. This time, though, it truly seems he’s in way over his head, and he needs help.
Kate’s novel is the typical angsty teen romance. Whereas “Twilight” has vampires, this one has fallen angels. The premise is the same, but the details are different. The main character is a bit of an improvement over Bella, but she still suffers from the same problem: She’s entranced by a boy who seems indifferent to her, who shows all the signs of being a bad boyfriend, and of course he’s so secretive that she walks into all kinds of danger without knowing it. (The book gives a reason for this, but I’m not buying it.) She also seems quite content to wait to be rescued rather than taking matters into her own hands. The book is interesting until most of it is explained to the reader, and then it’s hard to resist rolling your eyes and asking, “Really?”
The second book, “Torment,” is due out this fall. I doubt I’ll be picking it up. I certainly won’t be buying it.
Colfer’s continuation of Douglas Adams’ series is a blessing and a curse. The end of “Mostly Harmless” never sat quite right with me, and for those who of us who are unhappy about it, the new book undoes the damage “Mostly Harmless” inflicts. But it’s also no Adams book. Instead, Colfer takes all the mechanisms of the previous 5 books and reuses them. It lacks the inventiveness and randomness that marked Douglas’ writing. There’s precious little that’s truly new. It was a decent enough read, but not something I’d like to revisit.
I’ve got Rick Riordan’s first Percy Jackson book (“The Lightning Thief“) awaiting me. I’ve been wanting to read it for a long time, and I hear its good. We’ll see.
