Review: Meh
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2014
Review for Number Thirteen by Bella JewelWhere to start on this one… hmm… this was my first ever Bella Jewel book and I feel a bit like I was jipped. My blog partner in crime has been on me for months to read Bella’s books, so when this one came through the synopsis was a bit dark and twisty so I thought what the heck and popped my Bella Jewel cherry.  I don’t want to give the impression in this review that the book is bad, because honestly it’s not bad per se, more eh. I can see why there are so many five stars for the book, but it’s definitely not a five star for me. I’m still up in the air about how I will rate the book - I’m hoping that it will come to me by the end of the review.I’m going to start with the writing style. Bella Jewel obviously understands the craft and has a very unique voice when it comes to painting the picture and creating her characters. I felt the characters were fairly well developed, although the likability factor was a bit of a miss for me. The storyline is slightly intriguing in that it takes a “dark” subject matter and turns it into something fluffy and soft.  Was that the right direction to go with the book? I’m not so sure… I have read some seriously amazing dark books with human-trafficking and all kinds of despicable acts against humanity that were able to create a happily ever after or at the very least a version of the HEA readers want. So for me… taking this crazy dark plot device and turning it warm and fuzzy… not good.I will say the underlying moral of the story was great. Bullying is bad m-kay? I really feel like the entire book was an anti-bully campaign… I was very, very quick to see this “subtle” hint… well subtle like a baseball bat to the face. It was so present in the storyline that it took away from the enjoyment factor of the book. If you have to beat into people while you are telling a tale what the moral is suppose to be the reader can’t come to the conclusion on their own kind of ruins the point of it all. It’s like giving someone a Where’s Waldo book with all the Waldos already circled.I could keep going and get details on the characters, the twists and turns, the predictable ending… but it would be more of the same critiques. Well written badly executed. I give this book three stars for the effort put forth by Bella Jewel to step outside of the box. There is some smut, but for me it again left me wanting, 2 slightly damp panties.Review by the Head Whore at Mommy’s a Book Whore.