Review: Couldn't put it down but...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 17, 2012
I couldn't put it down but there were times when I really hated the heroine.Charlotte, the main of this book is a surly strong female character. The emphasis is unfortunately in the surly part. There were parts in the book where you heard her say mean things about people. It is clear however, as you read on, that she didn't mean it, even though she maintains her "meanness". This is of course a writing technique that one could say is the author's style.I have no problem with authors having a style to their writing. Orlando by Virginia Woolf had a style to it. Now, I know it isn't fair to compare a literary classic to... anything, but hear me out. The style she used in Orlando was an almost dialogue-less writing style that at times was almost like poetry. This took some time to get used to, but it didn't detract from how you felt about the main (story/character/setting), rather it added to the overall feel of the book.Charlotte's bad attitude was probably meant to make me feel like I could relate to her, because I also feel this way sometimes. I lie to myself sometimes, so I'm supposed to conclude that, yes, I could, or some part of me could, be her. The problem I had was I just kept thinking: why do I have to do all this work to hear her true voice, when I'm reading a first person book. It annoyed me.On a slightly different note, I am glad that she wasn't like some other YA heroines who's only showed their "strength" through the volume of their voices as the whined, whined, and whined through their books. Charlotte had a bit of that but she did something about it. She also wasn't about waiting for Prince Charming to save her. She did her own thing, there just happend to be a guy there too.The story itself was awesome. I never knew where it was going from one thing to the next. Though as I reached the end it began to feel formulaic, as these book often do, it was however done in the best way that only these books can. From beginning, middle , and end it was a wonderfully readable story.4 stars. I recommend this book but caution would be readers on the main's surly nature. I look forward to reading it's sequel SUBMERGE when it comes out.