Review: The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer - Laxmi Hariharan

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer
Laxmi Hariharan
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Dystopia
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My immediate thoughts after starting to read it were being overwhelmingly turned off to the narration style. I wasn't a fan of the way our protagonist, Ruby, described situations, and I was a bigger not-fan of the dialogue. It sounded very fake and forced and rehearsed and although that definitely improved as the book went on it was one of the weaker points and I think dialogue is one of the most important aspects of character development and this book was really lacking in that area. Also, if you're going to have dialogue set the scene to introduce two characters, it's going to leave a very lasting impression not only about how the two characters are, but about how your writing is as a whole, so it puts a lot of pressure on that scene, and I didn't think the first few scenes, where Ruby wakes up and we meet her roommate, delivered. I also thought it was full of awkward phrasing. Again, pulling from the first few pages, which make quite a lasting impression (which isn't to say books that start out bad and get better are doomed to be known by their beginnings. I'm just saying the first impression is pretty important), she writes:

"that would be totally stroking his ego, making him even more insufferable than what he is now"

and then later, close to the end

" Can he read my thoughts? Of course not. Yet as he stares at me, it’s as if he knows me really well. Almost as well as I know myself; maybe better."

I feel like both of these are so awkwardly written but it frustrated me because it's so easily fixed awkward writing. In the first example, the phrase after the comma is what bothers me and honestly if she took out the "what" it would be fine. Am I the only one who thinks it reads awkwardly this way? And the second one is that somewhat typical "he stares so deeply into my soul I think he can see into all of me" thing which granted she didn't overdo so I'm not goading Hariharan on that as much as I am on the fact that there were a thousand ways to tweak it that didn't involve writing "he knows me really well."

I think with revamped dialogue and a thorough round of editing, this book could honestly be something so much more.

Okay, I just spent a lot of time bashing the way it was written so I'm gonna get to the other components and how I felt about them.

I liked the characters for the most part. Even though Ruby's narration got on my nerves from time to time I didn't dislike her as a character and I actually thought it was pretty rad that she was this strong, independent warrior girl saving her best friend. You go Ruby. Four for you. I liked that she was strong-willed and (I know I already used the word strong but strong-willed is different, let it go) and took charge.

Pankaj and Vikram were interesting enough as well even though I felt like a lot of their characters I inferred from the intended effect of the dialogue and not the actual effect of it so I'm not sure how accurate my image of them actually was.

I thought the story, although marketed as a YA Dystopian Thriller, could have incorporated more of the dystopia aspect in their little bubble of Bombay City but that's not really much of a complaint as much of a small nitpick.

Overall, while I think the book had a lot of potential, I'm not sure that I totally loved it, but if the author was ever like "Hey I edited/revamped my book" I would totally give it another shot so there's that.

- Noor

Marlon's Review

Rating: 3/5 Stars

In short, I think the idea of this book is better than the book itself.

That said, the good parts are not too bad. Though it took me a while to get through the beginning chapters, I felt like Ruby's character was, at least, thought out if not presented clearly. Tea-loving, immature, and fiercely loyal and self-determined.

Not much else I need in a YA protag. I was immediately sold to the setting of Mumbai, not only because it's a rare thing for a YA dystopian novel not to be set in the West, but also because the charm of the city is captivating, and Hariharan does well to dismantle its glamour. Hariharan's descriptions are abundantly detailed as well, if not succinct. Stronger still is the wealth of cultural references that serve to add a rich layer of reality to the text. Another part of the book that strikes me is that the romantic aspect fits into the structure without sucking attention from the rest. Often, romance acts as a distraction, but here it only helps.

But because I can see the potential in this novel expressed in how Hariharan frames and builds the setting and her protag, I saw the bad parts in a much worse light. For example, I felt the city had better character development than most of the characters and that unnerved me. Pankaj for example pretty much existed to springboard off of Ruby's ideas and decisions and I felt his character could be elevated to quirky space he seems to want to occupy.

I agree with some of the other reviews of this novel that praise Hariharan's ability to build and promote narrative tension and keep a certain page-turning quality. There is never a truly "dull" moment that falls flat in terms of active narration or predictability. However, I felt that did not apply to the beginning. The beginning was clunky, info-droppy, and a bit rushed. A lot of that has to do with getting used to the pacing, syntax, and often awkward writing (described in detail by my fellow blogger here). It's nothing a few rounds of editing couldn't fix and I think Hariharan would benefit from a re-publication of this novel.

Like most reviewers, I was taken by the end. It was unpredictable, dramatic, and leaves the characters in shock. Unfortunately, because of the clunkiness, I was never able to invest myself enough to love feel the shock the characters did. It was enough that I will give Hariharan another go in the second book, but if it's similar in style, I may not finish that one.

- Marlon

What's a sticky situation you've had to get out of?
Let us know in the comments!

Review: The Magician King - Lev Grossman

The Magician King
Lev Grossman
Series: The Magicians, #2
Genre: Fantasy, Magic
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars (...Ish...)
Word Rating: B, to use the proper scale.
On Goodreads

Have you ever made a bad decision. And then repeated it? That's what this book is.

Okay, I'll admit, it was a lot better than the last one in that I actually enjoyed it . . . at times. I went and finished The Magicians because I had pride, and then told myself that the book was okay enough to warrant seconds. Eh.

Grossman maintains his incredible ability to play with literary tropes and archetypes, to the point where social commentary would be much appreciated, at which point he continues to screw with them. There is that lovable lack of sentimentality, but it quickly tires one out and the dismal, untrustworthy world just starts to . . . suck, as in, suck the life out of you. While found The Magician King a tad lighter and more sensible, maybe that loatheful notion could have been thrown in the closet.

My main love is Julia's story. One thing Grossman has absolutely down in this book is the narration. Julia's past and Quentin's present collide so elegantly I almost wish something of import actually happened because of it. But seriously. If there was ever a need for the utterance "started from the bottom now we here," it would be for Julia. Her story is just painful to get through. She has to push her way into power because she isn't as privileged as Quentin. The world does not smile on her.

Unfortunately, Julia . . . she's a self absorbed [Insert favorite curse word or complaint about censorship here] and though she's gold in comparison to the unbearable hellish cynicism and asshattery that is Quentin "It's Too Cold" Coldwater, she needs to get over herself. However, I can't help but sympathize with her now that I know where she's come from.

Actually scratch everything, I love Poppy. I love love love Poppy. Remember when Stephanie Meyer wrote Jacob's part in (yuck) Breaking Dawn and you were confused because you assumed she simply had someone else write it? Because the character finally had depth even though words like loam were still used? That's what Poppy is. Poppy is charming and inventive and so incredible. But like Jacob, who Meyer turned into a pedophile, Poppy's fate was doomed simply because she exists in a Lev Grossman novel and her name isn't Quentin "Seriously I Need a Towel or Something" Coldwater.

Thank the old gods and Fillory that there is still beautiful sarcasm in the book. And thank goodness for the rich and gorgeous depth that the fantasy part of this anti-genre book details. The landscapes are gorgeous and realistic and though it takes a while, the 'telling' rather than 'showing' stops annoying you as much. Even I have no idea what the hell Fillory is for or what, and I couldn't care less that Quentin is pissy about being the King of it and annoyed with the sea voyage, I would love to be encompassed by these worlds. If you want a list of my grievances read just about any other review, or my review of Magicians. I don't want to discuss in depth what I hate about this book because the faults mainly carry on from the first. I will say this though: I still don't know what the heck Grossman is trying to say. Quentin is still a wonderful conduit, a medium to express the fallacies of fantasy and fiction without ad nauseam delineations on the author's own cynic hatred of everything that ever existed ever.

And that's the problem. So much is wasted! This novel is so good and so bad and there is no middle ground! It's ironic and beautiful about the literature it expresses and Grossman portrays this notion with deadly precision, but it's drowned out and conflated with whatever aim he has.

"He who completes a quest does not merely find something. He becomes something."

I'm curious to see what will become of this book series.

(If I really had to rate it, I'd give it a "It's Enjoyable but you Might Get Stabby".)

- Marlon

A bit random but, multiple narrators? Yay or Nay? Or Hay?

Let us know in the comments!

Book Tour Review + Giveaway: Path Unchosen - Kim Cleary

Hello, and welcome to our stop on the Path Unchosen by Kim Cleary book tour, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours!

Path Unchosen
Kim Cleary
Series: Daughter of Ravenswood #1
Genre: Dark Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: September 7, 2013
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Sometimes good
On Goodreads | On Amazon

About the book:

When eighteen-year-old Judy Hudson discovers she’s a necromancer and sees first-hand the pain her powers can cause the dead, she just wants to deny who she is. The zombie plague is long over. She wants to find a more normal life, but that’s a challenge when a beautiful otherworldly man, who claims to be her guardian, saves her life.

Judy tries to set right the harm she inflicted on a spirit she raised, but new zombies attack—zombies raised from among the long-time dead. Someone else just like her is out there, and he’s not trying to set anything right. To save her own life, and protect the innocent inhabitants of the nearby town who’ve become her friends, Judy has to figure out who’s raising the dead and why. She must also learn to control the darkness inside her—a seductive darkness that promises her power beyond her wildest dreams.

Review:

To begin, the premise of this book is insane. Massive props to Kim Cleary for taking on such a complex setting. I've changed my mind a lot throughout this book so just don't even consider my Stuffed Animal Saturday post about it. That Marlon was a different man.

The best:

Evelyn the Ghost and Lyken the Imp are two minor characters I sorely wish were explored more or at least were in the piece more. Basically most of the minor characters who's names you remember are going to be the ones who matter. Here's a snippet:

"I killed my unborn baby." Her voice took on a steely edge. "I don't deserve peace." (85 on eArc)

In a world of monsters and magic, this dead lady has taken her grieving beyond the grave. Her pain is raw in everything she does and she's just so real despite being a ghost. Well done Cleary. But Judy does not develop when helping this woman . . . she just kind of accepts things. I would have liked to see her get angry, have temper . . . at least be consistent with the way she is otherwise. I would have liked to see some real exposition between these two because Judy could have matured so much by the ideas that surround Evelyn, which are subtle and that's great but not for Judy. Judy needs to learn, the whole point of the book is Judy coming to terms with herself and her powers and growing . . . the minor characters don't have to just be good one liners and ideas, they can have substance and strong influence on the main character.

The good:

There is a smooth plot. Events around the middle to the end of the book are not at all hard to follow, and I didn't have to question authenticity in most of the later decisions.

The writing style is fairly decent:

"A calm but urgent desire washed over me. The space between us popped and crackled" (78) is alright.

I am a fan of the descriptions that Judy employs for her emotions, especially when she relates them to fire and water back to back, a dichotomy I like and I hope will be fleshed out later on.

The dialogue moves the story along fine, and though it's often dry at times, it only needs a little touching up.

"What is it with you two? He's kind to me, sweet and thoughtful."

Glynn huffed. "Only because you have something he wants.

"I don't believe that."

. . .

"Believe what you want. You aren't a kid anymore."

Reason number 401 I like Glynn. He takes just about zero crap.

The not so good:

With such a premise, one can do absolutely anything in the world on the note that everything in said world is beyond screwed up anyway. With that said, this story can fall short. Not because those things aren't done . . . some are . . . but the beginning is so absolutely confusing. Please, please if this is going to be a published work make the beginning far more explicit than it is. Overload us with background information if you have to. I loved what was happening but I had no idea why anything was happening until ghosts began to be raised. Is she a witch? Why exactly does Judy need to leave the orphanage? If this is a zombie-aftermath, why is the social structure so sensibly 20th century? Shouldn't there be a bit more edgy moral bits?

Then Judy . . . Judy is only interesting because we don't know things about her. And that is no reason to turn pages for a character. I don't care about her mysterious past or how amazingly special she is if she isn't relateable or she doesn't make me think or something. She's just, contrary to Glynn's statement above, just a kid. Judy is immature and that needs to change and if it does, basically all of her other problems dissolve. This doesn't present itself too much and I suppose it could be an effect of being in an orphanage for most of her conscious life but still . . . why not just make her fourteen or fifteen if that's the way she's going to act and think? For instance, she hears about a dangerous situation around ninety pages in about a zombie. Her first thought? Well fuck, I've got to go stop that zombie? Why? Hell, I don't know, It'll probably work out. Besides, cute guys.

She can be undeniably superficial, as she falls in love because of the way he looks at her. Really? Love is around three parts respect, three parts trust, and a little less ooh undress me with those eyes.
Another reason I like Glynn? He puts her in her place.

"Our eyes connected. This was serious, and it wasn't about me." (91)

When he's around she actually begins to think seriously about consequences and her importance in the world.

Overall I don't have much to say about this book other than a noncommittal shrug and a wish for a sequel that truly indulges in all of the books upsides and the vast potential that is conferred by its premise and the characters. It is okay and it can be so much better with just small tweaks in the right direction.

- Marlon

About the author:

Kim writes urban fantasy for anyone who longs to discover they are extraordinary. She writes about hopefulness and determination, and about heroes who push through extraordinary situations and obstacles, one step at a time. Magical friends and gorgeous guys help, or hinder, in one adventure after another.

When not writing, revising, or thinking about writing, Kim gardens, plays with her dog, chats on social media, catches up with friends or cooks an Indian feast. She is a member of Writers Victoria, Romance Writers of Australia, The Alliance of Independent Authors, and a certified chocoholic.

Kim grew up in Birmingham, UK, studied medieval history and psychology at Adelaide University in South Australia and has worked all over Australia and in London. She now lives with her husband and an adorable Cocker Spaniel in Melbourne, Australia.

Author Links

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:

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Zombies or ghosts? Or Witches? Or the ghost of witch zombies?

Let us know in the comments!