Review: No no no no no no no more, I can't take it!
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 03 18, 2014
When Fyodor Dostoevsky was arrested for affiliation with the 19th century Russian Nihilist movement, he was marched out and forced to stand before the firing squad.  The ceremonial sword was cracked above his head, a sign that his execution was about to begin.  He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the end – but it never came.  It turned out to be a farce, and his true punishment was to be faced with the fear of death, rather than his actual demise.  It was a warning, letting him know what would come if he continued such anti-governmental associations.  Then he was sent into exile in Siberia.In being forced by my supposed 'friend' to read this book, I too faced a sort of metaphorical firing squad.  I could almost hear the sword cracking over my head as I accepted my dark fate.  And just like Dostoevsky, I was a misguided youth getting caught up in something of which I hardly understood the repercussions.  But unlike Dostoevsky, I received no reprieve.  Indeed, I was forced to suffer through each and every moment of this book – and every moment was like another bullet flying toward me.  I may even go into exile after this experience, to recover. The very fact that I know biographical details of Dostoevsky proves I should not have had to suffer through such a book.What astonishes me is that this instalment seems to have been rated more highly than book 1 - yet I thought this was so much worse. What, really, happens??? Nothing. For 300 pages.Wait. Wait. I apologise. They do whine a lot about how they can't have sex. And our irritating heroine hops on planes at the drop of a hat and jets off to France and Germany without a passport, luggage, money or a plane ticket. Otherwise…nothing. NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING.Bryn and William come back from doing something vague and never mentioned again. There's supposedly some intrigue, but we never find out what it is. Bryn and William aren't allowed to marry, but we're never given a reason why. Bryn decides she should leave William, to protect him (why?), so she tells his brother she doesn't really love William. It's so obvious she's doing it to get away. Yet Patrick is too stupid to realise. She jets off to France. She runs into Paul from the US. In France. They work together at an American-run bar, and never have to speak French. They get attacked by someone. It goes nowhere. They go to Germany to stay at William's chalet. Paul tells her he's dying. She's determined to make him immortal. I don't know why because he's an ass and, frankly, a rapist. I'm not exaggerating. Yet she finds him charming for it. And she barely knows him, but she's now living with him and desperate to keep him alive and calls him a friend. Why??? Then there's a lot of arguing and 'kicking butt' and 'you're an idiot' and 'shut up' for about 150 pages. And in the end, nothing happens. There. Sound worthy of over 4 stars?REALLY???And as much as I protest, I'm going to be forced to read book 3, as well. Sigh. I hear the click of those Russian rifles as I type this.