I stopped reading this book because I was wondering when
it was actually going to start and when we’d get past the painful, introduction
exposition and a whole lot of really clumsy dialogue then realised I was 40%
in.
When you think a book hasn’t started and you’re 40% in,
that’s a problem. Everything about this book was so terribly infodumped in such
horrendous detail. We were warned – we started this book with Celestina begging
her evil granny to restore a week of her memories that were stolen from her
several years ago. This exchange goes on for pages and pages. Honestly by the
end I didn’t care what those memories were, I was so done with this argument
It doesn’t help that this whole argument was designed to
tell me that granny is evil but it didn’t quite work: granny made you attend
debate club and martial arts training? Extra-curriculars are hardly abusive.
There’s a laughable moment where Celestina has a mental
rant about how long it took her Aunt Serena to open the door – it’s necessary
because she and Justin have just spent 8 pages on the doorstep having a
discussion, infodumping Justin’s powers, his history and a whole lot of random
information on the doorstep. As you do. Serena has to take 20 minutes to open
the door because if she didn’t Celestina would never have had chance to ramble
along and Justin wouldn’t have had chance to talk about not feeling anything to
a complete stranger
After which they’re allowed in to which we have 31 pages
of everyone talking at each other. 31 pages. 31- and that’s when I stopped so
it could have kept going and going and going like an especially dreary Duracell
bunny. It’s also so convoluted and/or
repetitive as well – we literally have people stand up and describe their
powers. We have a long diversion where Serena’s demon boyfriend angsts about
how he has to suck lifeforce and rob people of their life – which, yes, is
totally a reason to be sad but why are you having this argument in front of 2
strangers or near strangers who have literally come from where Zephora, she of
the big badness, is rallying an army. This. Is. Not. The. Time. We again talk
about Justin not having his memory. And we talk about trust
For pages on pages on pages Serena and Celestina talk
about trusting each other – completely brushing over the whole fact Celestina
has only known Selena for a week – and that was years ago – and that was then
stolen from Celestina’s memory. But Serena & co act like if they keep
hectoring her she will start trusting them. She also doesn’t really explain
what she wants from her as a gesture of trust – she just wants… trust. And is
willing to argue over and over about it. And her boyfriend powers. And Justin.
And whether he can be trusted. And round we go again.
