Friday 18 October 2013

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight by Sophie Jordan
A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away;if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.



Title: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordan
Series: Firelight #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 7th 2010

Rating: 1 star

Thoughts:

What good is safety if you're dead inside?

Okay, so I read Firelight a long time ago, so the details are a bit hazy. At the time, I wrote a non-review (just a list with what I liked and didn't like) and I decided it 'deserved' a full review and for some reason I'm reading really slowly lately and need something to post here or I'll go crazy.

Firelight is bursting with potential: dragon shapeshifters. Effing dragon shapeshifters. I absolutely loved that concept, but unfortunately, Firelight didn't deliver. At all. Just to be clear: this is not a story of dragon shapeshifters being awesome. This is the story of the girl who moved to the desert, fell in insta-love, and could only whine and pine after that. Seriously. That's all that happens!

The problems start quite literally on the first page of the book. See, if Draki (the dragon shapeshifters) go flying outside during the day, they might get caught and killed. This seems like a pretty good reason to stay inside, right? But of course, our lovely stupid heroine just has to go outside to stretch her wings. Guess what happens? Hunters see her and drive her into a cave. Luckily, a boy thinks Jacinda-the-Draki is 'beautiful' and lets her go.

After this incident, however, Jacinda's mother decides that their living place isn't safe anymore, so they move a couple of states (if I recall it correctly) away. And guess what? Through a lucky coincidence, Hunter Boy (Will) goes to that school! The chance of that, since they moved pretty far away from the pride, is almost zero, but hey, it was needed to further the plot right? Except that there is no plot, but I'll come back to that later.

This is were the book really went downhill. Jacinda sees Will and is at first all: "OMG, Hunter Boy lives here." Of course, she doesn't tell her mom about it, because why would you? It would only help your family to get away safely and to get out of this place you desperately hate!  But no, Jacinda's "inner Draki" feels so alive when she's near Will, she can't just let this go. And from here on, ladies and gentlemen, this is quite literally all that happens:

Jacinda: "Oh jeez, it's Hunter Boy. Better stay away from him."
Will: "Heya."
Jacinda: "OMG! But I luurve Will! I can't just ignore him."
Jacinda: "No wait, he kills my family and friends. Must stay away from him at all costs."
Will: "Wanna go on a date?"
Jacinda: "I really shou- YES OF COURSE *swoons* "
Jacinda: "What did I do? He's dangerous. I must stay away."
Will: *walks by*
Jacinda: "Oh boy, the hotness. He's perfect. I love him."
Will: *takes Jacinda home*
Jacinda: "Eww, we're in this room that's filled with the skin of several Draki. My dad might be in here."
Will: "Heya, don't be sad."
Jacinda & Will: *snog snog* (This actually happens. In that fucking room where her dead father might be.)


 Can you see why I had a bit of a problem with this book? All Jacinda ever does is whine and pine. She's made of pathetic angst. I'm not kidding when I say that the above is all that happens in the book. How I wish I was, though. Look, I don't really like all the angst, but I can deal with it if it's based on something beliveable. However, the 'love' was instant love all the way, so there was definitely no way I could ever support Jacinda's whining and pining.

The last thing I'd like to go over is the writing. It's not necessarily bad, but apparently Jordan knows no other word for 'disappear' than 'vanish'. I kid you not, all that ever happens is 'vanishing'. No disappearing, fading, going away, leaving, anything. Just vanishing. And hey, bonus, guess wat book two is called?

Vanish.



 

4 comments:

  1. Wow, there's a book that I'm definitely not going to enjoy! Thanks for your review, those types of books really annoy me, especially when the paranormal concept is so interesting. Sigh, when will people learn that we dislike the whining and pining =(

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    Replies
    1. Exactly! I want something with a plot and kick-ass charcaters! Not a GREAT CONCEPT that is basically not explored because of the romance -.- So disappointing!

      Delete
  2. Lol, I'm so glad you decided to write a full review - it made me smile. I'm sorry this wasn't what you were expecting. Re ridiculous scenes, snogging in what is effectively a morgue? Not cool!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!

      And yes, that was completely inappropiate. Who does that? O.o

      Delete

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