Writer's Block: Book worms unite!
Nov. 28th, 2009 11:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
author_by_nightQuick note: The "worst" section has minor spoilers for the first Twilight book and a major spoiler for Son of a Witch, the sequel to Wicked.
Best
Clan of the Cave Bear: Clan of the Cave Bear is a book set in Ice Age Europe, about an orphaned girl found and raised by a clan of Neanderthals. It was written in the late 70s and published in about 1981, so the prehistoric research is very dated, but it's such a great look at what Neanderthals might have been like. It's the first book in the Earth's Children series, but it stands on its own even better. (The second book in the series, The Valley of Horses, is terrific. The rest... could be better.) My only criticism is that Ayla is the Eve of Mary Sues, and it starts in this book.
The Lovely Bones: Susie Salmon is a fourteen year old girl who is raped and murdered on her way home from school. The story follows her experience in a unique version of Heaven and her family's struggle to cope with the loss of their eldest daughter/sister. It also follows a crush and one of her schoolmates. I loved the spirituality of the book, as well as the way Alice Sebold handled such a heavy subject.
Persepolis: Persepolis is a biographical graphic novel about a girl growing up in Iran during the revolution. I love this book because of the unique way it tells such a dark story, but also because you don't see much about Iran except what you hear on the news. It was nice to have a more personal perspective There is a sequel (Persepolis II), which is also very good.
Worst
Life in the Fat Lane: It's a teen book I read years and years ago, and is both unrealistic and insulting. I don't remember much about it, just that I was quite repulsed and even a little offended.
Twilight: Sorry to Twilight fans on my flist, but... I could not finish the first book. I didn't care about Bella. I didn't care about Edward. Heck, I didn't even care that much about Jacob. I just wanted to know more about Carlsile. And vampires that don't sparkle.
Son of a Witch: The sequel to Wicked. The entire book had me screaming: DO NOT WANT. (For an idea - the main character's caregiver has sex with him. While he's in a coma. And gets pregnant with their child. No, not kidding.)
