A True Jovian-Plutonian Gravitational Effect Moment

For as often as I read, I rarely find a book that truly strikes me. Some stories blur together, not quite enough to actually say something, but not terrible enough to be forgotten. Last night I finished a book that left me sputtering, broken, and changed. "All the Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven has a premise that of course, appealed to me. Two teenagers fall in love in the ledge of a building during half thought out suicide attempts. They talk each other off the ledge in an awkwardly sweet exchange, making it unclear who saved who. Finch is a depressed, screwed up kid that just really wants to feel alive more than anything. Violet wishes she had never survived the car accident that killed her sister. After the ledge, these two fall in love in the most organic, beautiful way. This book wasn't written or composed. it was carefully crafted like a work of art. Niven seemingly carves these characters out of marble, each detail is intricate and important. From Finch's constant reinventions to Violet's hands shaking at the sight of bridges, these characters feel completely  and totally human. That takes incredible talent to be able to create a riveting story driven almost solely by character development than by a plot. Their romance isn't even the focal point of the story. At least, not really. It's about these two broken people falling in love, finding happiness in a sea of darkness all while growing as human beings. That's incredible hard to do.

"All the Bright Places" was a rare, magnificent addition to my library. I want to share this beautiful story for everyone. Jennifer Niven somehow managed to tell a truly human story about depression, love, and grief while still making it brilliantly witty with a pace that's almost electrically charged. It will make you weep, laugh, and float across the sky.

On Happy Endings

Last night I watched Mockingjay Part 1 with my family, and I found myself conflicted. I remember reading the book when I was 13, weeping over Peeta's fate, anxiously turning pages. By the time I finished the book, I was disgusted. I felt cheated, robbed of such a powerful ending with an epilogue. An epilogue that seemed to turn Katniss from a warrior into... I'm not sure what to call her. I understand the author's choice. She was trying to make the reader feel satisfied. This was a macabre/happy ending for such a dark book series. It was supposed to fit, wrap everything up in a bow, but still make us think. But it didn't. Not at all.

This was the first YA dystopian/sci-fi/fantasy series that had disappointed me with it's ending, and it certainly wasn't the last. In middle school I was enthralled by Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Myth, mystery, action, love, and death. It ended almost perfectly, until the author added a cliffhanger that lead to a new series that ultimately fell flat. Sure, Heroes of Olympus added magnificent character development, as well as new characters to the PJO cannon, but the last book was such a train wreck I still don't know how I feel about it. You can't spend five books building up to a great battle that only lasts about five pages. After finishing The Blood of Olympus, I realized that the final installment of a book like that needs, well, blood. Sure, it hurts to lose beloved characters, but their loss reminds you that there's actually something at stake in the story.

Which brings me to my next point, Harry Potter. How can you not love these magical books? In Deathly Hallows we lose so many characters it physically aches. (Fred...Dobby...HEDWIG) But each death raises the stakes. They make us as a reader realize that nobody is safe from Voldemort and his evil. Not even a pet owl. And the scene at the end, where Harry confront Voldemort and offers him forgiveness and redemption... that is a powerful piece of literature my friends. Our whole vision of so many characters is turned inside out. But again, we end in an epilogue. This one is better, it doesn't tell us much except for who marries who, and that Harry has terrible sense when it comes to naming his youngest son. My only problem with this ending, is that J.K. won't let the ending die. She keeps teasing us with "exclusives" on Pottermore that are basically the epilogue restated, yet we eat it up. It's not a satisfying ending if it never actually ends, you know?

Contemporary YA, is a different story. They're not tied down by series arcs and the rules of a world they created. They're following the rules we already have, and they're doing something magical with it. John Green refuses to tell us what happens to Hazel Grace after The Fault in Our Stars. He says it defeats the whole purpose of the book, and I love that. He's trying to make us think. It ends on a happy note, but in the end, we know the end. Eleanor & Park ends with a postcard addressed to Park with three words written on it. We never find out! The possibilities are endless here, and the author says she knows the answer. But she won;t tell us, because the words are not the point. She wants the reader to ask themselves, "What did Eleanor write? Why do I care what she wrote?" When a book makes you feel something, makes you see the world in a new light after you shut it, that's when an ending is satisfying. "Happily Ever After" endings can't really do that. Sure, you feel warm and fuzzy, but are you seeing the world differently?

I want to read books that challenge me. I want to read stories from authors that trust me enough to break my trust.

hello there

Hi again, Internet.

I'm an aspiring journalist and pop culture enthusiast. I love reading YA fiction and watching weird indie movies and funny TV shows. I made this blog so I could write all my weird ideas down and share them with whoever wants to read. Expect lots reviews. Books, movies, TV, etc. Some feminist rants and teenage angst. Stories from my life, stories that I wish were my life. Just expect a big mess of whatever I'm thinking.

Read if you dare,

Z