I need to look up in what order John Green’s books were published. I started listening to the audiobook version of his “Paper Towns” before I started reading “An Abundance Of Katherines,” and I have a feeling “Katherines” was published first. (A more ambitious person would look that up before publishing a comment like that, but … meh.) Why? I fell in love with “Paper Towns” right away but had more mild feelings for “AAoK.” It seems like Green’s writing is more developed in “Paper Towns.”
The book was great, and the chatacters were fun to know, but I don’t think I could hang with them – frustrating, considering that wanting to hang out with the characters is an illogical quality I like in books.
Green does a great job of embracing society’s stereotypes for the categories his characters fall under. I respect the truth that we’re all essentially the same regardless of race, religion, gender, whatnot, but one can’t deny the fact that – despite that sameness, we all have to answer for our differences in society. Those differences may not be what defines us as people (or them as characters), but they are a part of who we are. Too often characters seem to carry a meaningless label as an attempt at a “unique” character, but development of that label and what it means to the character doesn’t really happen past the initial character sketch.
Green’s characters are just like anyone you’d meet in life, complete with labels that contribute to their exterior package. Colin has a Jew-fro. Hassan strives to avoid things that are Haram and worries about people thinking he is a terrorist. These are stereotypical bits that aren’t definitive of their characters, but they help develop those trait labels. It’s refreshing.
My biggest gripe with “AAoK” was all the math. Colin, our lovable geeky main character, has a scientific, exact approach to life, complete with a novel-long project to complete a theorem to predict relationship outcomes. There were so many times I wanted to scream “NOT INTERESTING!” at Colin, a la his best friend, Hassan.
Along with all that math, the constant nerdy footnotes grated my nerves. The info there could have generally been ignored, but the idea of them – a clever way to show how Colin’s inner geek is constantly at work – was brilliant. I connected with the idea of his sometimes random and often too-involved and overthought mental tangents – I just didn’t care to read all of them. I have enough mental tangents on my own.
(I forgot to mention it in my review of “Bitter Is The New Black,” but footnotes completely disrupt the rhythm I get in while reading. Someday I’ll tell you all about the other various things I see in books that are visually jarring. Speaking of mental tangents, right? Sorry, dear readers!)
Up next: “The Lost Symbol,” by Dan Brown
Edited to add: I was right – “AAoK” was written/published before “Paper Towns.”)
The characters were likable, and the story is sweet, but there was nothing striking or memorable about this book. I found it predictable throughout and was somewhat disappointed that the characters didn’t figure things out quicker. I expected more from Lily – she is a smart, independent girl, but she had to be told that her strength should come from within. She was already living that truth, so she should have realized it without being told.
Life got in my way and dragged this book out over more than a week rather than allowing me to finish in a day or two. It’s a short, straight-forward book free of complicated twists and turns, so it would have been a nice, fast read, and I probably would have enjoyed it more had I been able to plow through it.
I’m at my parents’ house in Ohio, and my camera cable is at my house in NC, so you’ll have to settle for a cover image I borrowed from Goodreads for now.
Up next: I’m listening to “Paper Towns,” by John Green on CD, but I also left that at my house in NC (dammit). I absolutely adore the characters and story so far, so I’m kicking myself for leaving the CDs in my car. I’ll finish it when I return. Inspired by by “Paper Towns” love, I’m going to try to knock out “An Abundance of Katherines,” which is also by John Green next and then move onto “The Lost Symbol,” by Dan Brown. My mom has a copy and I’m miles back on the wait list from the library, so I’d like to read that one and get her copy back to her before we part ways early next week.
Yay reading! Yay healthy escape!
Picture me vapidly maneuvering my finger around in a circle. Woo frigging hoo.
The bad news: My uncle – my dad’s younger brother – passed away unexpectedly this morning. His death is beyond shocking. I keep waiting for someone to say it’s a sick joke or something. Except it isn’t. It’s just tragic.
Uncle Rick was an amazing, caring, funny, generous, loving (gosh, the list of adjectives could go on and on) man, and I feel blessed to have been his niece. I’ve lost one hell of an uncle, but my aunt has lost her husband – the man she went to prom with – and my three cousins have lost their dad and a great friend.
I can’t imagine how shattered their world feels right now.
The good news: My hormone levels have dropped back down to ground zero, if you will, so the doctor has given us the all-clear to try to get (and STAY) pregnant again this cycle. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s back on the meds I go!
Disclaimer: This entry contains information regarding our adventures with trouble trying to conceive. Feel free to skip over if you wish to avoid too much information regarding my reproductive parts. I won’t blame you. I’d rather skip this stuff, too.
NaBloPoMo what? Yeah, I blew it. Life has set up a loud, sign-carrying, rioting mob between me and my blog, so I’m letting It do Its thing and say Its peace before I try to cross the line. Scabs are gross, and I don’t want to be associated with the word.
In the meantime, I’ve started reading “The Secret Life of Bees” and am really enjoying it so far. I’ve also started listening to “Paper Towns,” by John Green. I’m on the first disc still, but I like it so far.
And, um, yeah. I’ve been staring at the screen now for five minutes and can’t come up with anything else to say, so I’ll just end it here. Abruptly and unceremoneously. Peace out.
