3.5/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
288 pages
YA Paranormal
Scheduled to release September 10
Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Having read every other title from White, of course I was going to read her latest. For some reason I keep wanting the title to be The Chaos of THE Stars-has anyone else made this slip?
Isadora is literally the daughter of gods-Egyptian gods that is; Isis and Osiris to be specific. As just another in a long line of children, she finds herself fed up with these gods and grasps at the chance for a "normal" life in America with other mortals like the gorgeous writer Ry. But no matter how far she goes, she can't escape family.
This book was a very mixed bag for me with some elements I really enjoyed and some that I felt were not utilized very well. We'll start with the positive, which was the take on Egyptian mythology. I have not read many books centered on Egypt at all so it was cool to get a brief introduction to some of the gods and goddesses. I by no means consider this a definitive interpretation but I appreciated it. Each chapter opens with a little snippet of Egyptian mythology focused on these gods, which felt very informative. Another bonus is that this seems to be a standalone though there is room to explore the world more especially through the character Ry.
As White shares in her author's note at the end, she wanted to look at what it is like when you realize your parents aren't perfect, which is well-represented in Isadora's angst throughout the book. Her story also follows her coming to terms with her own mortality. Though her parents are gods who will endure forever, she and her siblings must face death and Isadora initially finds that incredibly unfair and it plays a huge role in her resentment toward them especially toward her mother.
As usual, I found White's writing very chatty, casual, and easy to read. However while I enjoyed reading this, I also felt that for rather a long stretch of time, nothing much seems to be happening. Yes, Isadora is meeting some new people (including a boy) and learning more about herself but I felt like all the action was packed into just a few chapters at the end instead of well-paced throughout.
Well, and just in general, I don't find myself very enthusiastic about it. Did I adore the California setting? Very much. Did I think there was a neat premise? Yes. Did anything really stick out as something I hated? No. But was there anything that will keep this book firmly in my heart and memory? I don't think so. Still a nice lightweight book when you just need something fun!
Cover: Gorgeous! White has been very fortunate with covers and the stars are very appropriate!
Other Opinions:
My Friends Are Fiction
Punk's House of Books
I kind of wanted to read this because of the Egyptian mythology. I loved the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan and I was hoping that I'd like this too. I have read mostly negative or mixed reviews and having read the beginning, I am worried that I will not like Isadora. She seemed to be whiny. Oh woe is me, my parents are so selfish for having me because I will die someday instead of living forever like them...considering that White's readers will all die someday but don't hate their parents for that fact...
ReplyDeleteYeah, she was kind of whiny. I wish there had been more mythology and less of her whining!
DeleteI am glad you found some things to like about the book but I am not sure I will be able to give it a chance :(
ReplyDeleteI think if it was a book that was more of a straightforward adventure featuring Egyptian mythology I would like it more. I think every teen novel with mythology that I read will compare unfavorably with Riordan's books!
I feel like that can really end up being the case! For me every book with alternating fates is going to make me think of Pivot Point and probably won't be able to measure up.
DeleteGreat review sweetie :D Thank you for being honest about what you liked and didn't like. <3 I don't think I will ever read this book, because yeah. Not for me, lol. But I'm glad you kind of enjoyed it. Although it sucks that it was slow and not that amazing at all. Still. Awesome review :)
ReplyDeleteWell it might still work for you but this particular story was not my kind of thing.
DeleteI'm in the middle of this one and I agree -- I love her writing style, but in other ways this story really isn't really grabbing me. I'm only halfway through, so we'll see...
ReplyDeleteIf it's not working for you at the midpoint, I don't know if it will work at the end although I did like the resolution and the fact that it kind of seems like a standalone (yay for paranormal standalones!)
DeleteI understand exactly what you mean where it feels like nothing is happening. It's usually a big put off. Tbh, as much as I have enjoyed Kiersten White's previous books, this one just doesn't seem like my taste and your review reaffirmed that. Recently I've been looking for deeper & darker reads.
ReplyDeleteGreat review though.
-P.E. @ The Sirenic Codex
Yes, this definitely is not going to satisfy your craving for a deep and dark read.
DeleteI haven't read anything by White yet. It sounds like a relatively "casual" read, if that makes sense? I'm glad it was enjoyable overall. That's always a plus in the end.
ReplyDeleteCasual is a good descriptor-I wanted to fall passionately in love with the book but my feelings were definitely not that strong.
DeleteHm, honestly, this review makes us optimistic. We loved MIND GAMES but found the PARANORMALCY series not quite right for us. This sounds like maybe it'll be more in the middle, which is totally fine if we're in the right mood. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think it might be more in the middle, yes. I wanted more intensity, whether dark like Mind Games or comedic like Paranormalcy but found this too middling.
DeleteI haven't read this one yet but I've enjoyed both of her other series (quirky as they are) so I'm interested in how it goes with this one. Maybe I'll have to read this next...compare feelings!
ReplyDeleteYou'll probably want to give it a try then just to compare. I like the above comment about it falling between White's previous two series.
DeleteI loved this one! (But I am super obsessed with all things Egypt)- I think I was just really loving the fact that SOMEONE wrote something based on Egyptian mythology :)
ReplyDeleteI love that this had Egyptian mythology! I just didn't think the other characters were very good.
DeleteI don't know--for some reason this book just felt 'meh' to me in it's description--even though I really love Egyptian mythology, art and culture. And I love how White's style is chatty and casual, like you mentioned--loved that about her writing in Paranormalcy. But it seems like the reviews I have read of this book sort of reinforce my initial hesitation. Not bad but nothing SPECTACULAR. And frankly, I just have TOO much on my To Read list to pick up a book like that right now. Maybe one day. I wonder, is this a standalone or first in a series?
ReplyDeleteI think I've seen a lot of meh reviews too and I'm sorry to join in the chorus on that. From what I've seen, it is currently just a standalone (yay!) but White has written other series so we'll see what turns out.
DeleteI think I also tended to call it Chaos of the Stars. I'm not sure I like the sound of all those parts where nothing seems to be happening, I like fast paced books.
ReplyDeleteYay for someone agreeing with me! I like fast paced books but can handle slow if there seems like more of a point.
DeleteThis does have a gorgeous cover. And I enjoy her writing style, it's simple and easy to follow and read. I like the idea of the Egyptian mythology but for some reason I haven't felt real excited about this one. I guess I'll be holding off, maybe some review will convince me I must read it, but I don't need to add to the TBR now anyway.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping my previous experiences with White's writing would be enough to pull me through this book but it just didn't quite impress me.
DeleteI was really curious about this one, because of the Egyptian mythology. I'll probably skip it now, though.
ReplyDeleteThe Egyptian mythology is so cool-if you're familiar with Egypt, I think it might be interesting to see what changes White made to accommodate her story.
DeleteHmm... I was all excited about this one, because I adore mythology and haven't really read anything with Egyptian mythology in it, but your review makes me hesitate a bit :( I get really annoyed when nothing happens for stretches of time!
ReplyDeleteOh well, maybe I'll like it better than you did!
I sure hope you like it better as I was pretty disappointed. Would especially be interested in your opinion on the mythological elements and how it compares to other books you've read.
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