-"For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me."
-"At the end, I was winded but weirdly elated, relieved to be someone other than myself for a while-more willing to go to war than face my own ugly, meager demons."
I don't want my review to sound too harsh, so I want to start by saying that this was a good story. I could see it being made into a good movie. It was well written. Characters were developed. I have people I would recommend it to. It just was not for me.
The first thing that made me start to not enjoy the book was something about the authors writing style...it reminded me too much of A Clockwork Orange and that book made me physically sick. Anytime I thought I had put this out of my mind, I would read a line that would bring it all back. I wondered if I would have enjoyed it more if this was not the case (I really did want to like it) but I'm not sure it would have made a difference.
The use of Shakespeare lines throughout the book, in daily conversation amongst the characters, annoyed me. At first, I thought they were being pretentious. However, I think they were used as a way for the characters not to be themselves. To be anyone else. I also think the characters acted so often that they didn't know the difference between a play and reality anymore. Which I believe led to, in part, the tragedy of the novel...and the decision Oliver makes in the end (a decision I was mad at the character for making).
As far as how I felt about the characters, the only one I know for sure I liked was Filippa. She was loyal to all of her friends. The only one who seemed to mostly have her head on straight. She seemed to be the most real.
The ending was surprising to me. I don't want to give it away, but I have my own theories about what really happened.
Overall I give it 3.5 stars. But I want to say, again, that I appreciate that it was well written. It's just not for me. I do want to hear what anyone who has read it thinks, especially if it's a different opinion from mine. I always enjoy seeing things through the eyes of others, so share with me!
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