Book Review: Slayers by C. J. Hill (Janette Rallison)

Slayers by C. J. Hill
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 373
Received: Finished copy from publisher
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Dragons exist. They’re ferocious. And they’re smart: Before they were killed off by slayer-knights, they rendered a select group of eggs dormant, so their offspring would survive. Only a handful of people know about this, let alone believe it – these “Slayers” are descended from the original knights, and are now a diverse group of teens that includes Tori, a smart but spoiled senator’s daughter who didn’t sign up to save the world.

The dragon eggs have fallen into the wrong hands. The Slayers must work together to stop the eggs from hatching. They will fight; they will fall in love. But will they survive?

Review

You know what they say about assuming...

I have to admit, my expectations got the better of me. I KNEW Slayers would have to be different enough from Janette Rallison's other books to warrant the use of a pseudonym, but I kinda figured the dragons and genre shift would have been enough.

Basically, I was expecting a Janette Rallison romantic comedy told in the first person, but with dragons and more action. But no, there is a LOT more that's different. Don't expect Janette Rallison. Accept C. J. Hill and forget Janette Rallison, otherwise you might find yourself disappointed.

It's like there's a GIGANTIC WALL between us

I'm a character girl, and so third person narratives start off at a disadvantage, though it can work for me--just look at Harry Potter! Unfortunately, this one didn't cut it with me. 

I couldn't connect with the characters AT ALL. All I knew about them was what was on the very shallow surface. I really couldn't care less about any of them because I felt like I didn't know any of them, or even have any sense of them at all. We're talking zeros on the WWMCD Test, and after spending 373 pages together, that's pretty darn disappointing.

The antagonist was also too "stock villain" for my tastes, but there is a lot of potential for a more nuanced approach. I think and hope the sequel will explore this character more. The romance felt forced to me too, and while there are two options, I wasn't feeling either of them (mostly because I didn't KNOW either of them).

Let's embrace the duology!

Since I didn't connect with the characters, I ended up bored for the majority of the book. Nothing really happened. Tori comes to dragon camp, meets the other campers, learns she's descended from dragon slayers, is told she needs to risk her life trying to destroy a clutch of dragons when they hatch, dithers A LOT about whether she wants to commit to this path (which of course we know she will) and worries A LOT about her romantic prospects (which bored me).

There. That's the first 250 or so pages. Don't worry, I didn't spoil anything. That's also the jacket blurb. I am an impatient reader, and so for me it took TOO LONG for the action to finally start.

I'm thinking Slayers has fallen victim to the dreaded Series Stretching. I can't say for certain until I read book two, but I think book one and two probably should have been smushed into one volume. The first 250 or so pages of Slayers could have been cut and condensed down to fit into the first 2-4 chapters and then the events of book 2 could have been added after that. I think I would have enjoyed that a lot more. But, again, I am an impatient reader.

Other writing stuff

Most of the book is told through the third-person with a focus on Tori, but every once in a while there is a chapter with a third-person focus on another character. These chapters worked ok, especially with certain characters, but the fact that they were all inexplicably written in italics seriously threw me. I ended up mentally whispering and placing all kinds of extra emphasis on these sections as if they were an "oooo *wave hands* mystical dream sequence" when really they were just normal sections told from different characters' POVs. I was not a fan. 

So, forget the execution. How about the story?

The story rocks. Totally rocks. Think Percy Jackson meets Jurassic Park plus slaying and super powers. It doesn't get much better than that!

The dragon mythology was intriguing, especially since it took a more scientific approach than fantasy and magic (albeit, science-lite). I'm not sure all the i's were dotted and t's were crossed there, but enough of a framework was set up that I felt comfortable and excited about this new approach.

I also loved how the dragons were predators. Sure, I love the books where everyone can get a cuddly dragon BFF of their very own, but, well, dragons don't look very cuddly, do they? The dragons in Slayers are pure animal and they wouldn't hesitate to chow down on a toddler or BBQ one of their human handlers. They were scary and I can totally understand why Tori would want to cut and run.

(Except, as a MC, that's just lame. *I* can run. Tori needs to enthusiastically fight to the death. I don't care how bad her odds are).

The nature of Tori's individual power was engaging and almost played out like a mystery. She finally discovers what she can do at about the midpoint of the book, and from there to the end it was fun unraveling how she could use her power and what it meant.

The later part of the book is also when all the good stuff started to happen. I finally got some great action and a dragon even made an appearance! A can of worms was also opened and I'm curious to see how that is going to play out in the sequels.

Bottom line

While I liked and appreciated the dragon mythology, I'm pretty meh on everything else. What I really wanted was Janette Rallison (first-person narrative included- she does those so well!), and that's just not what I should have expected.

I'm not sure if I'm hooked enough by the dragon mythology to continue on, especially if there's a lot of slow-paced filler in the sequel. If it lands in my lap, then I'd probably read it. If I hear from reviews that the sequel is chock full of dragon-killing goodness then, well, I'm game.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Slayers that I haven't addressed?  Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

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Click on the cover to go to Goodreads.

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Waiting on Wednesday (31)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating.


I've altered things a little to include one book that hasn't come out yet and one that has already been published but I still haven't gotten around to reading yet.

The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves
My Double Life by Janette Rallison


Goodreads description of The Orphan of Awkward Falls (September 28, 2011):

When thirteen-year-old Josephine moves to Awkward Falls she can't help but snoop around the dilapidated mansion next door. She finds a little more than she bargained for when she is captured by the strange characters who live there: an ancient automaton who serves as a butler, a cat patched together with a few odd parts, and most surprising of all, a boy named Thaddeus Hibble.

Meanwhile, the most feared patient in the Asylum for the Dangerously Insane is on the loose. Fetid Stenchley has escaped in the most dramatic fashion, and there is only one thing on his mind...revenge. Unfortunately for Thaddeus and Josephine, he's headed their way. Can these unlikely friends stop Stenchley before he destroys them all?

Full of hilariously spooky details, surprising twists, and haunting black and white illustrations, Keith Graves delivers a suspenseful and engaging first novel. Inspired by the classic tales of Frankenstein and mad scientists, with a splash of contemporary technology, the wonderfully tense action and gory descriptions will hook boys from the start, while Josephine provides a clever and unique heroine that girls will adore.

Why I want to read it:

It's a Gothic middle grade story that sounds spooky and exciting. I'm curious to see how much inspiration it draws from Frankenstein (another book I love).

Product description of My Double Life (May 13, 2010):

Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia's photo filters through the Internet, she's offered a job to be Kari's double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia's mother has always warned her against celebrities.

Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!

Why I want to read it:

I know it's not a very original story anymore, but I have a weakness for these star/normal girl swapping stories. There's just something about stepping into the life of someone else that I like. It's a fun mental exercise that always gets me wondering what would *I* do? Usually there's also some fun scenes where the MC messes up and has to cover up the fact that she isn't who everyone thinks she is. Plus, it's Janette Rallison, queen of the light and sweet romantic comedies.

Have any of you read either of these books? Would you recommend them? 

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Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating. 

The cute WoW button comes from Bewitched Bookworms.

Little Women and Me, by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Release Date: August 16, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 336

(Above publication information from Goodreads)
Author's Page
Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

A twist in time gives Emily the power to fix Little Women. Oh, where to begin!

Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) 

But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1850s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily—not the four March sisters—who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite.

Oh gosh, I think I'm having heart palpitations! It's no secret by now that I absolutely loved The Twin's Daughter. I didn't tell you yet, but I also adored Lauren's other historical fiction book, The Education of Bet (review to come!). When I heard she was writing yet another historical fiction book, well, that alone was enough to send me jumping up and down in excitement. Add in Little Women and a character determined (and able?!) to fix the travesties that befell that wonderful book? Let's just say it's a good thing I was sitting down and with my computer firmly and safely placed on a desk when I heard this news.

My Unfair Godmother, by Janette Rallison

Release Date: April 12, 2011
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320

(Above publication information from Goodreads)
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. 

Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief 's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother.

Ok, so the palpitations are now accompanied by hyperventilating. My Fair Godmother landed a spot on my Special Shelf, so I have super high hopes for this follow up. Given my experience so far with Janette, I don't think I'm going to be let down.
 
Previous books I've been waiting for.

While you're waiting, come check out my event, Busting the Newbie Blues, open to both new and established bloggers! We're having a ton of fun!

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My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

 My Fair Godmother (Book 1), by Janette Rallison
Release Date: January 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 320
Received: Library book
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Author's Page
Amazon Page

Summary:

Wouldn't it be nice to have a fairy godmother? Of course it would. But how about a fair godmother? You know, one that's only so-so at her job, fair. One that needs a little more practice before she graduates to full on fairy godmother status. One that's been assigned to you as an extra credit project to help improve her shaky grades. Still want her? Well, Savannah is stuck with her for the duration of three horribly mis-construed wishes.

After her boyfriend dumps her for her studious older sister, Savannah is visited by her fair godmother Chrissy. Savannah wishes for a handsome prince to fall in love with her at a ball and before she can clarify what she means, Chrissy, perpetually distracted wish shopping trips, whisks Savannah off to the middle ages to meet her Prince Charming. What follows are fractured fairy tales, a mysterious black knight, battles with ogres and dragons, stingy leprechauns, attempted poisonings, and a quest to make a modern boy a prince, all told with liberal doses of hilarity.

Review:

I wasn't expecting much with this book, but boy was I surprised! I was laughing out loud throughout the whole book. The scenes with Snow White and the goat scene at the ball were gasping-for-breath hilarious. The author's idea was well-realized and seamlessly combined time travel, fractured fairy tales, romance, and characters who were easy to relate to and sympathize with. Savannah grows throughout the book as she realizes how she was silly and gains confidence in her abilities. There is a second book coming out that I can't wait to read, but the story in My Fair Godmother wraps up nicely and doesn't leave any cliffhangers. Definitely recommended.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key

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