Review: It Got Better!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 2, 2013
SKIP THE FIRST 21 CHAPTERS. Yes, that's the whole first third of the book. Trust me on this one.There is no plot in the first third of the book, only a teenager who has nothing better to do than to think endlessly about her circumstances.Granted, she does a better job than a lot of other teenagers at keeping the whining to a reasonable level, but there's still plenty of less-selfish fretting over everyone and everything else. I can imagine the argument I'd have with the author, should I meet her in person. "Show, don't tell!" "But, background!" *bops on the head* "No, SHOW! Telling is BORING! You just wrote 21 chapters of internal monologue punctuated with the long cut of the 'Bon Jour!" song from Disney's Beauty and the Beast! Stop it!"The book finally picks up and becomes a page-turner a bit past the midpoint. Alas, there are still a great many worthy, action-filled plotpoints that are glossed over and relegated to mere internal musings again instead of proper action. Arrrrgh! Don't leave out THE GOOD BITS! (Hint: good points typically involve someone - any one! - breaking a sweat: romance, violence, nerves, a steady jog, anything!)That said, I was pulled in even by the introduction. It had a spoiler or two, but this is Little Red Riding Hood: we're pretty sure we remember the major plot points from grade school. Nevertheless, the author's notes about the research, historical tie-ins, and linguistic choices really caught my attention. Heck, there are even *historical* plot points that took me by surprise later. That shouldn't happen! But it did, and it was cool. Bravo!There, I've said everything but what you truly want to know, which is: is this book worth reading? I honestly am still not sure. She's got a second book in the works, and I don't know if I'll want to read it. Will I have to slog through half a book of Inner-Teenage-Uncertainty? There are enough of those books in the world, I believe . . .Aw, heck. Who can resist a little optimism? I hope the author's writing style matures, and that her next one is out of the park. Good luck! There are better things to read out there, but if you're really having a hard time finding them, you can do worse than this title.