Review: Not the Worst
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 25, 2013
But not the best, either. *May or may not contain spoilers.The story is about a high school junior, Jaze (a werewolf), and his mom moving to a new city, worrying about being followed, and finding out about a conspiracy that would radically alter the state of werewolf politics and Law forever. In the course of trying to find out more information and intervene, Jaze gets involved with the local Alpha's girlfriend, makes friends with the typical nerd-type, and goes on mini-adventures only rebellious-yet-innocent teens could appreciate. I won't give away the end, or how the story ends the way it does. If my quick and clumsy synopsis was enough to intrigue you, then by all means, 'buy' it. Because, you know, it's free and all...Overall the story did not hold my attention enough for me to forgive the sparse yet noticeable spelling errors, like "though" where it should have been "thought", or the order in which words appeared, like "then a maybe" instead of it being "then maybe a". Little stuff like that- if I notice it, and notice it happens more than once, it pulls me from the story and keeps me on guard for future slips; keeps me from being immersed in the story's world and carried away by its fictional wonder.The characters seemed way more emotionally mature and sensitive than what I remember myself and my friends being when we were all 17, and having a sibling 5 years younger and being close to her, I doubt her generation is that sensitive and mature, either. So the level of maturity and open sensitivity Jaze and Nikki express throughout the story, the depth of the emotional attachment and understanding just doesn't strike me as authentic. It kept me rolling my eyes wondering when any of the high school characters were going to bust out with an "lol" or even a halfhearted "dude". But none did, and thus, the further impression of lacking authenticity.Just little things. Nothing that would keep me from being a repeat dummy and ordering the next book from Ms. Alsop. But knowing I might hit some spelling bumps and character-to-age ratio inaccuracies/inconsistencies, I'll be better prepared and I will know I shouldn't get my hopes up too too high, but that I also won't be wholly disappointed.