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orsuros's review against another edition
5.0
I got a signed copy of this book as my souvenir to remember CONduit 2012. It was great to meet the author and I've been wanting to read one of his books for a while. Nightingale didn't disappoint. It was exciting and tense during a lot of parts and had so many fun and dynamic characters. I read most over half the book in a single night and it was worth losing some sleep to continue reading such a fun book.
abigailhartnett's review against another edition
4.0
This review is also available on www.ThinkyRead.com. Check out the blog for more awesome, thought-provoking book analyses!
On Wednesday, April 10th, I just happened to open up my Feedly (which, admittedly, I don't do often). Mary Robinette Kowal's most recent post was titled "Book Bomb to Help Dave Wolverton's son." Hm... intriguing, What in the world is a Book Bomb?
Apparently David Wolverton's son had recently been in a long boarding accident, broke most of the bones in his body. Being a full-time writer often means having not-so-great health insurance. Or, as in this case, none at all. So a bunch of Daven's writer friends got together and decided to spike Dave's most recent book's popularity on Amazon. Higher rank, more sales, less debt. Plus, he got 7% from whatever people purchased from Amazon if they used his affiliate link! And, hey, the book was only $7.99.
So I bought it.
First Impressions
Nightingale is a YA Fantasy, which is really hit-or-miss for me. I love YA (despite the endless droves of angsty teen heroes), it's the Tolkien-esc other-worldy stuff I find hard to digest if not done well. I was actually a bit tuned off by the prologue. It was too... Eragon for me. (Oh my god! I just compared David Farland to Eragon!? Please forgive me, Dave! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!) I felt lost and confused being thrown into a fantastical world with shiny blue lights and sizerals. But I also knew that was the whole point of the prologue and chapter one would probably bring some type of clarity.
If you can get past the weird genetic mutation and confusing names, this book is definitely worth a read. I like to read pretty fast and it just takes too long to sound out Chenzhenko, much less remember how to pronounce it every time.
Good vs. Evil: Olivia
This was obviously a good vs. evil story. Ael, good. Draghoul, bad. Got it. Though one side was obviously presented as "good" and the other as "evil" the distinction felt more like the "hunters" and the "hunted." Let me explain: When Bron's memory is read by one of the Draghoul acolytes the narrator describes it like this:
"It was like being raped, he knew, at some primitive level. He'd never felt so sullied, never imagined that he could feel so violated."
And rightly so! How would you feel if someone shuffled through your private thoughts without permission? Isn't our mind our most personal space? Our most remote safe haven? Even our bodies we'll share with a trusted individual, but no one ever reveals everything in their mind.
But Olivia, the pinnacle of goodness, mind-rapes Bron the first chance she gets! She admits having done it to her husband too. (At least, she admits to changing his memory. We don't know if she read through his thoughts. I'm just assuming it comes with the gig.) Not only does she search through Bron's private thoughts and emotions, she takes away some of the painful ones. She installs new memories. She's essentially playing god with Bron's head.
Olivia's actions begs the question: Where exactly is the line between right and wrong?
There's no way in hell would I want to be married to someone who had no problems wiping my memory anytime I learned something about her that I didn't like. Olivia said she'd tried to tell Mike about her strange abilities before. He didn't take it well. Does that mean if he knew about her, he would leave her? If he would, wouldn't it be right to let him leave? If she wiped his memory, he would want to stay with her. She would have to either stay with him or break both of their hearts by leaving. But if she didn't wipe his memory and he did for some reason leave her, he would become a danger not only to her, but to himself. He would be a walking target.
What to do? Keep a secret forever? We all know how keeping secrets tends to end up, especially when it comes to married couples. This is a story thread I will enjoy following when the next book in the series comes out.
Dave did a wonderful job providing his characters with a dense moral maze to navigate, and I enjoyed watching them stumble and fall. (That statement came out more sadistically than I meant it.) I don't mind when characters make poor choices. In fact, I love it. That can drive a story. What I don't like is when characters make poor choices and never face the consequences.
Considering this is the first in a four book series, I'm willing to wait until the end before I make a final judgement on David Farland's characters and their decisions. Olivia is in some deep trouble, but this first book was far too focused on Bron and his dilemma to touch on Olivia that much. I hope her willingness to mess around in people's heads without permission will come back to bite her in the end.
Bron
Bron is introduced as the "poor orphan under the stairs" which immediately gives us a reason empathize. He's had a tough life. He's never been loved. He's never been wanted. His own mother had his existence wiped from her memory for crying out loud! Definitely a tragic situation indeed.
But that give him some really fun challenges!
The most emotional scene in the book was when Bron was in the hospital with Galadriel. This is when Bron's fatal flaw reared it's angry head, stretching out to affect more than just him for once. Brought on by years of neglect and abuse, Bron doesn't love. He won't let himself.
This was the most beautiful conflict in the book and I sat on the edge of my seat when Olivia touched his mind and bringing him an alternate ending to the Sad Cat Tale.
Though the book, as Bron learns more about himself and his past, we see him undergo a change. In the beginning, when Olivia aims a gun at Riley's face, Bron is horrified. He can't even believe she has a gun. But in the end of the book, Bron himself does far worse and more vicious things.
Again I ask, where is the line? Is cruelty less bad when directed toward someone who is already “evil?”
What really makes Bron and Olivia's actions so hard to digest is the fact that, were I in their position, I know would make the exact same choices. Bron and Olivia are the perfect mirror of how we humans actually behave. We hardly practice what we preach.
The Draghoul vs. The Ael
I've been pointing out through this article the choices that were made by Bron and Olivia that I would define as immoral choices. But those choices must be put in light of the enemy.
The Draghoul are evil. Flat out evil. Most of them, however, are not evil of their own intent. They've had their brains scooped out and pumped full of the Shadow Lord's thoughts.
The Shadow Lord, like any self-respecting villain, is planning to take over the world. That's bad. What's interesting, the methods he's using to take over are almost the same methods the Ael are to stop him. Using his minions, spying, stealing, slinking in the shadows and biding his time until he's ready to attack.
*Begin Spoiler Warning*
After Bron is arrested and taken to the Sheriff Station, the Draghoul break in and murder almost every officer in the building. They mind-rape many of the characters, including Bron, and try to take Bron and Olivia hostage.
Father Leery saves the day by immobilizing the enemy and... making them poppets? Exactly the tactic of the enemy they are trying to defeat. Of course, the Ael wouldn't dream of doing this to a member of their own kind. These enemies are highly dangerous, after all! In order for them to keep a low profile, it really comes down to poppet or death. There is no Ael justice system. No Draghoul prison. Which further illuminates the loose moral boundaries of these two people groups.
*End Spoiler Warning*
Conclusion
I liked Nightingale. It was fun and it made me think. There was a good mix of fantasy to real life, although I was a little disappointed when Act 3 seemed to take place almost entirely in a Louisiana swamp. Again, I'm not a huge fantasy person, so I missed the familiar trials and tribulations of cozy little St. George.
The book had a great ending, though. Most of my questions were answered while new ones were raised. I'll definitely remain on the lookout now for the release of David Farland's next book in this series, Dream Assassin.
This review is also available on www.ThinkyRead.com. Check out the blog for more awesome, thought-provoking book analyses!
On Wednesday, April 10th, I just happened to open up my Feedly (which, admittedly, I don't do often). Mary Robinette Kowal's most recent post was titled "Book Bomb to Help Dave Wolverton's son." Hm... intriguing, What in the world is a Book Bomb?
Apparently David Wolverton's son had recently been in a long boarding accident, broke most of the bones in his body. Being a full-time writer often means having not-so-great health insurance. Or, as in this case, none at all. So a bunch of Daven's writer friends got together and decided to spike Dave's most recent book's popularity on Amazon. Higher rank, more sales, less debt. Plus, he got 7% from whatever people purchased from Amazon if they used his affiliate link! And, hey, the book was only $7.99.
So I bought it.
First Impressions
Nightingale is a YA Fantasy, which is really hit-or-miss for me. I love YA (despite the endless droves of angsty teen heroes), it's the Tolkien-esc other-worldy stuff I find hard to digest if not done well. I was actually a bit tuned off by the prologue. It was too... Eragon for me. (Oh my god! I just compared David Farland to Eragon!? Please forgive me, Dave! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!) I felt lost and confused being thrown into a fantastical world with shiny blue lights and sizerals. But I also knew that was the whole point of the prologue and chapter one would probably bring some type of clarity.
If you can get past the weird genetic mutation and confusing names, this book is definitely worth a read. I like to read pretty fast and it just takes too long to sound out Chenzhenko, much less remember how to pronounce it every time.
Good vs. Evil: Olivia
This was obviously a good vs. evil story. Ael, good. Draghoul, bad. Got it. Though one side was obviously presented as "good" and the other as "evil" the distinction felt more like the "hunters" and the "hunted." Let me explain: When Bron's memory is read by one of the Draghoul acolytes the narrator describes it like this:
"It was like being raped, he knew, at some primitive level. He'd never felt so sullied, never imagined that he could feel so violated."
And rightly so! How would you feel if someone shuffled through your private thoughts without permission? Isn't our mind our most personal space? Our most remote safe haven? Even our bodies we'll share with a trusted individual, but no one ever reveals everything in their mind.
But Olivia, the pinnacle of goodness, mind-rapes Bron the first chance she gets! She admits having done it to her husband too. (At least, she admits to changing his memory. We don't know if she read through his thoughts. I'm just assuming it comes with the gig.) Not only does she search through Bron's private thoughts and emotions, she takes away some of the painful ones. She installs new memories. She's essentially playing god with Bron's head.
Olivia's actions begs the question: Where exactly is the line between right and wrong?
There's no way in hell would I want to be married to someone who had no problems wiping my memory anytime I learned something about her that I didn't like. Olivia said she'd tried to tell Mike about her strange abilities before. He didn't take it well. Does that mean if he knew about her, he would leave her? If he would, wouldn't it be right to let him leave? If she wiped his memory, he would want to stay with her. She would have to either stay with him or break both of their hearts by leaving. But if she didn't wipe his memory and he did for some reason leave her, he would become a danger not only to her, but to himself. He would be a walking target.
What to do? Keep a secret forever? We all know how keeping secrets tends to end up, especially when it comes to married couples. This is a story thread I will enjoy following when the next book in the series comes out.
Dave did a wonderful job providing his characters with a dense moral maze to navigate, and I enjoyed watching them stumble and fall. (That statement came out more sadistically than I meant it.) I don't mind when characters make poor choices. In fact, I love it. That can drive a story. What I don't like is when characters make poor choices and never face the consequences.
Considering this is the first in a four book series, I'm willing to wait until the end before I make a final judgement on David Farland's characters and their decisions. Olivia is in some deep trouble, but this first book was far too focused on Bron and his dilemma to touch on Olivia that much. I hope her willingness to mess around in people's heads without permission will come back to bite her in the end.
Bron
Bron is introduced as the "poor orphan under the stairs" which immediately gives us a reason empathize. He's had a tough life. He's never been loved. He's never been wanted. His own mother had his existence wiped from her memory for crying out loud! Definitely a tragic situation indeed.
But that give him some really fun challenges!
The most emotional scene in the book was when Bron was in the hospital with Galadriel. This is when Bron's fatal flaw reared it's angry head, stretching out to affect more than just him for once. Brought on by years of neglect and abuse, Bron doesn't love. He won't let himself.
This was the most beautiful conflict in the book and I sat on the edge of my seat when Olivia touched his mind and bringing him an alternate ending to the Sad Cat Tale.
Though the book, as Bron learns more about himself and his past, we see him undergo a change. In the beginning, when Olivia aims a gun at Riley's face, Bron is horrified. He can't even believe she has a gun. But in the end of the book, Bron himself does far worse and more vicious things.
Again I ask, where is the line? Is cruelty less bad when directed toward someone who is already “evil?”
What really makes Bron and Olivia's actions so hard to digest is the fact that, were I in their position, I know would make the exact same choices. Bron and Olivia are the perfect mirror of how we humans actually behave. We hardly practice what we preach.
The Draghoul vs. The Ael
I've been pointing out through this article the choices that were made by Bron and Olivia that I would define as immoral choices. But those choices must be put in light of the enemy.
The Draghoul are evil. Flat out evil. Most of them, however, are not evil of their own intent. They've had their brains scooped out and pumped full of the Shadow Lord's thoughts.
The Shadow Lord, like any self-respecting villain, is planning to take over the world. That's bad. What's interesting, the methods he's using to take over are almost the same methods the Ael are to stop him. Using his minions, spying, stealing, slinking in the shadows and biding his time until he's ready to attack.
*Begin Spoiler Warning*
After Bron is arrested and taken to the Sheriff Station, the Draghoul break in and murder almost every officer in the building. They mind-rape many of the characters, including Bron, and try to take Bron and Olivia hostage.
Father Leery saves the day by immobilizing the enemy and... making them poppets? Exactly the tactic of the enemy they are trying to defeat. Of course, the Ael wouldn't dream of doing this to a member of their own kind. These enemies are highly dangerous, after all! In order for them to keep a low profile, it really comes down to poppet or death. There is no Ael justice system. No Draghoul prison. Which further illuminates the loose moral boundaries of these two people groups.
*End Spoiler Warning*
Conclusion
I liked Nightingale. It was fun and it made me think. There was a good mix of fantasy to real life, although I was a little disappointed when Act 3 seemed to take place almost entirely in a Louisiana swamp. Again, I'm not a huge fantasy person, so I missed the familiar trials and tribulations of cozy little St. George.
The book had a great ending, though. Most of my questions were answered while new ones were raised. I'll definitely remain on the lookout now for the release of David Farland's next book in this series, Dream Assassin.
This review is also available on www.ThinkyRead.com. Check out the blog for more awesome, thought-provoking book analyses!
tmikerx's review
2.0
Not a bad book, but far too Twilight-esque for me. I know I'm not exactly the target audience for this book, and it had an interesting premises, so that's why I didn't outright write it off.
tracemus's review
4.0
I gave this 4 stars instead of 3 because I think it has potential. It's hard when you have to establish a whole new species in a book, but I think it was well done, and has potential to be awesome.
elizafiedler's review
2.0
The premise is really interesting, thoroughly planned out with connections to humanity's prehistory. It's a unique superhero origin story. But there are also a lot of cliché s. There's also a lot of covert, probably unconscious sexism throughout, from the way the narrator talks about sex to the plethora of shallow, one-note female characters.
publius's review
3.0
If you like sparkly vampires, this might be a good segue to more serious fantasy, without giving up all the juice of a good teen romance.
If sparkly vampires make you blanch, then you have nothing to worry about. Nightingale, though occasionally dark, is an enjoyable and satisfying story.
The worst thing about Nightingale, to be completely honest, is the cover, and I don’t much like the title, either. But, since we don’t judge books by their covers, or their titles either, for that matter, let me tell you about why the book beneath the cover is well worth a read.
Bron Jones is an orphan and has grown hard due to a life spent bounced between foster homes. Despite his best efforts to please and satisfy his foster parents, they reject him, one after another. Until one day, when his newest foster parent recognizes him for what he is, something special and magical, something he doesn’t even know about himself: a nightingale.
Within him lie hidden powers, depths that will thrust him at the center of a secret war between good and evil. He will face who he is, and he will make a choice.
This is the third of David Farland’s books that I’ve read this year, and it is also in the third genre. That alone is notable. On My Way to Paradise was science fiction, The Sum of All Men was fully in the epic fantasy genre, and with Nightingale, Farland is writing for teens, or what I think they call “Young Adult” or “Urban Fantasy,” though, to be clear, it really does border on science fiction, too…just a different kind than you expect. It says something about his versatility that he can write for such varied audiences and interests and with such success.
In Nightingale, Farland spins a plot that I think teens will very much enjoy. Bron is darkly handsome, occasionally the rebel, and he thrives as a musician and artist as he begins school in a special high school for the performing arts in the picturesque red canyons and mountains of southern Utah. Love triangles abound, not to mention the drama, intensity, and angst that accompanies them. Notably, Farland delicately handles issues puberty, sex, and love, keeping it clean and appropriate without pretending like teenagers don’t deal with those things.
All this, though, is backdrop to the underlying conflict–Bron’s nature. His powers are such that they could be used to build or destroy. He struggles to decide whether he will use them to do either, all the while hiding from those that are hunting him for what he can do.
This isn’t to say that I fully enjoyed Nightingale quite as much as I did the other two of Farland’s novels that I’ve read. It moves quickly and without the level of depth that I’ve come to expect in a Farland’s novels, though I suspect this is largely due to the audience he’s writing for. As the novel closes, Farland delivers on his audience’s expectations, developing his characters and resolving conflicts, even as he creates new ones for examination in future sequels. I flew through the last couple chapters, an exciting showdown as the hidden menace hunting Bron is revealed and confronted.
Again, the cover is the worst part of Nightingale. It’s a picture of some dude’s head, and it reminded me more of Derek Zoolander than of a magical race of beings caught in a struggle thousands of years old. The novel, though, is geared towards young adults, is fast and exciting, full of twists, colorful characters, and growing action. If you like sparkly vampires, this might be a good segue to more serious fantasy without giving up all the juice of a good teen romance.
Recently, David Farland’s son was in a catastrophic accident, putting him in a coma for a period of time and requiring a number of medical procedures. Take a moment to consider purchasing a Farland title (or even Nightingale) to help Farland out. Like every writer, he provides for his family on what readers buy, and each purchase puts bread on his family’s table. Plus, you’ll have the benefit of owning a great read. Farland never disappoints. Thanks!
If sparkly vampires make you blanch, then you have nothing to worry about. Nightingale, though occasionally dark, is an enjoyable and satisfying story.
The worst thing about Nightingale, to be completely honest, is the cover, and I don’t much like the title, either. But, since we don’t judge books by their covers, or their titles either, for that matter, let me tell you about why the book beneath the cover is well worth a read.
Bron Jones is an orphan and has grown hard due to a life spent bounced between foster homes. Despite his best efforts to please and satisfy his foster parents, they reject him, one after another. Until one day, when his newest foster parent recognizes him for what he is, something special and magical, something he doesn’t even know about himself: a nightingale.
Within him lie hidden powers, depths that will thrust him at the center of a secret war between good and evil. He will face who he is, and he will make a choice.
This is the third of David Farland’s books that I’ve read this year, and it is also in the third genre. That alone is notable. On My Way to Paradise was science fiction, The Sum of All Men was fully in the epic fantasy genre, and with Nightingale, Farland is writing for teens, or what I think they call “Young Adult” or “Urban Fantasy,” though, to be clear, it really does border on science fiction, too…just a different kind than you expect. It says something about his versatility that he can write for such varied audiences and interests and with such success.
In Nightingale, Farland spins a plot that I think teens will very much enjoy. Bron is darkly handsome, occasionally the rebel, and he thrives as a musician and artist as he begins school in a special high school for the performing arts in the picturesque red canyons and mountains of southern Utah. Love triangles abound, not to mention the drama, intensity, and angst that accompanies them. Notably, Farland delicately handles issues puberty, sex, and love, keeping it clean and appropriate without pretending like teenagers don’t deal with those things.
All this, though, is backdrop to the underlying conflict–Bron’s nature. His powers are such that they could be used to build or destroy. He struggles to decide whether he will use them to do either, all the while hiding from those that are hunting him for what he can do.
This isn’t to say that I fully enjoyed Nightingale quite as much as I did the other two of Farland’s novels that I’ve read. It moves quickly and without the level of depth that I’ve come to expect in a Farland’s novels, though I suspect this is largely due to the audience he’s writing for. As the novel closes, Farland delivers on his audience’s expectations, developing his characters and resolving conflicts, even as he creates new ones for examination in future sequels. I flew through the last couple chapters, an exciting showdown as the hidden menace hunting Bron is revealed and confronted.
Again, the cover is the worst part of Nightingale. It’s a picture of some dude’s head, and it reminded me more of Derek Zoolander than of a magical race of beings caught in a struggle thousands of years old. The novel, though, is geared towards young adults, is fast and exciting, full of twists, colorful characters, and growing action. If you like sparkly vampires, this might be a good segue to more serious fantasy without giving up all the juice of a good teen romance.
Recently, David Farland’s son was in a catastrophic accident, putting him in a coma for a period of time and requiring a number of medical procedures. Take a moment to consider purchasing a Farland title (or even Nightingale) to help Farland out. Like every writer, he provides for his family on what readers buy, and each purchase puts bread on his family’s table. Plus, you’ll have the benefit of owning a great read. Farland never disappoints. Thanks!
wandering_not_lost's review
1.0
I hated this book for so many reasons: the characters' actions demonstrated some incredibly terrible morals; I didn't buy the worldbuilding much; the amount of sexualization of every female and the main character was creepy; and the amount of stereotypes and borderline racism in it made me feel disgusting just for reading it.
EVERY FEMALE in the book (including TWO foster mothers, unrelated adults, and anyone who even approached his age) seemed to fixate on the main character's looks. He, in turn, thinks of how hot Olivia, his new foster mom, is on several occasions, and she also thinks of him as a sexual being, because she wonders more than once if he'll think she's coming on to him. Olivia's husband, Mike, the day he meets Bron grumps to Olivia that the kid'll be fantasizing about her, because he can't help it hur hur, and Mike is jealous of the kid, it's insinuated, because he's too close to a "male rival". All of this, in a fostering situation? INCREDIBLY CREEPY.
The issue of race is dealt with terribly. Hispanic side character is gratuitously made a dirty, sneaky murderess. Bron hears Olivia's Hispanic last name and immediately thinks, "Is she Mexican? Is she going to serve me enchiladas and tacos all the time?" Little things. Yuck.
In general, ethics are so, so shaky in this book. Olivia is a prime example. The huge thing that made me want to throw the book at the wall:she not only goes in and reads and alters Bron's memories without asking but also awakens his powers. HIS POWERS WHICH SHE ACKNOWLEDGES SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE BUT WHICH HAVE EVEN ODDS OF BEING DANGEROUS TO OTHERS. She just...awakens them without telling him, without training him, without any guidance whatsoever, and then lets him loose with, evidently, no concern at all for whether or not he'll hurt innocent bystanders. The modeled lack of communication and consent in this book is really, really disturbing, and the fact that it is treated as normal in a book aimed at YOUNG ADULTS I find EVEN MORE disturbing. This is not the sort of thing I want ANYONE to think is OK!
As for the plot...I just don't buy that any race that can and does have the powers it does will be able to go under the radar and NOT be destroyed by humans. Their powers are too disruptive, too limited, too likely to be noticed in anything but a one-on-one situation. And, several times, Olivia's stated desire to fly under the radar is blown apart by her actions, which often draw attention to her and Bron. It just doesn't feel well thought-through.
Overall, YUCK. I got this in Storybundle, and I'm glad that I didn't pay for it.
For a rundown on many more details, check out Megan's great review further down.
EVERY FEMALE in the book (including TWO foster mothers, unrelated adults, and anyone who even approached his age) seemed to fixate on the main character's looks. He, in turn, thinks of how hot Olivia, his new foster mom, is on several occasions, and she also thinks of him as a sexual being, because she wonders more than once if he'll think she's coming on to him. Olivia's husband, Mike, the day he meets Bron grumps to Olivia that the kid'll be fantasizing about her, because he can't help it hur hur, and Mike is jealous of the kid, it's insinuated, because he's too close to a "male rival". All of this, in a fostering situation? INCREDIBLY CREEPY.
The issue of race is dealt with terribly. Hispanic side character is gratuitously made a dirty, sneaky murderess. Bron hears Olivia's Hispanic last name and immediately thinks, "Is she Mexican? Is she going to serve me enchiladas and tacos all the time?" Little things. Yuck.
In general, ethics are so, so shaky in this book. Olivia is a prime example. The huge thing that made me want to throw the book at the wall:
As for the plot...I just don't buy that any race that can and does have the powers it does will be able to go under the radar and NOT be destroyed by humans. Their powers are too disruptive, too limited, too likely to be noticed in anything but a one-on-one situation. And, several times, Olivia's stated desire to fly under the radar is blown apart by her actions, which often draw attention to her and Bron. It just doesn't feel well thought-through.
Overall, YUCK. I got this in Storybundle, and I'm glad that I didn't pay for it.
For a rundown on many more details, check out Megan's great review further down.
catinthelibrary's review
1.0
This was just a really tedious book for me to read.
One of my biggest problems with this novel was that I found the writing to be so shallow I wanted to throw it across the room. The following is an excerpt that served as the final straw for me:
One of my biggest problems with this novel was that I found the writing to be so shallow I wanted to throw it across the room. The following is an excerpt that served as the final straw for me:
"His eyes seemed to say, 'I've known pain, and I know your pain. Speak softly, and I will comfort you.'
Marie trembled at Galadriel's side. It was unusual for Galadriel's mom to get so excited.
'Well?' Marie demanded.
'Yummy!' Galadriel said."
(Skipping a few sentences)
"'I don't think,' Marie said, 'that one should discuss boys as if they were comestibles.'
Where do you get those words? Galadriel wondered for the ten-thousandth time. Her mom was always so critical.
'Why not?' she asked.
Galadriel pulled up the binoculars again,"(Did I mention that Galadriel is creepily staring at the boy who just moved in next door with binoculars from her house?)"heart pounding. The neighbors wouldn't see her, she knew, behind the glare of the window. The boy looked even better the second time around. She wanted to stand there forever, to really appreciate his beauty. I want to chew those lips.
Galadriel's mother waited for her to say something more.
'I think we should go welcome him to the neighborhood,' Galadriel suggested.
'Not dressed like that, you won't!' Marie said.
Marie didn't approve of flirting, even among animals. Galadriel remembered a few months ago, her mother had been watching some elk out in the fields. Snow had been falling, and the young calves were loping about with their tongues out, trying to catch snowflakes. They were having so much fun. But then one young female had gone near a large bull, her tail up, and had nonchalantly begun to graze just a few feet in front of him. The bull's nostrils had flared, and he immediately took interest.
'See that,' Marie had said angrily, as if she wanted to spank the elk. 'She's such a flirt!'
It was just nature. At the time Galadriel had thought of her parents' daily motivational speeches. They were always telling her how, 'If you want something in life, you have to go out and take it.'
That's what the elk cow had done.
Now, as Galadriel watched Bron head into the house, she knew what she was going to do.
'Yummy, yum-yum," she said."
Needless to say, after reading the above paragraph I no longer knew if I was reading a book about how superficial teenagers reference the sexual habits of elk when deciding whether or not to pursue their "yummy" new neighbor, or about a sub-species of human that's been around for thousands of years with the ability to mess with people's brains. I get that Galadriel is a superficial character and this is the way she thinks, but I could have gotten that through Bron's interactions with her and Olivia's obvious dislike and warnings about her. Giving me three pages from Galadriel's POV brought nothing to this novel and could have been omitted completely.
That being said another vice I have against this novel is that it is jam-packed with sexual undertones. I get that Bron is a teenage boy, so naturally he's going to have sexual desires, and to make things worse as a young maask, he's going into his first "musth" soon, where he'll release all these pheromones which attract all fertile females in the area to him. Including his classmates, teachers, and his new foster mother (gross). So he's even more horny than the average teenager, and because of these pheromones, they'll be just as horny for him. But before I can accept this I NEED someone to explain to me, from an evolutionary standpoint (since after all, maasaks evolved from humans or the same creatures humans evolved from) how it makes sense for a male maasak to attract human females WHEN THEY CANNOT INTERBREED. That doesn't make sense from a reproductive perspective, nor does it make sense that the maasaks would even want to attract that sort of attention when they've been trying to "blend in" with human society for as long as they have been.
This novel dates itself by making references to pop culture in what I believe is an attempt to relate to the young adults this novel is geared for, but only succeeds in isolating them if they do not understand the references.
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