Wednesday, October 10, 2012

All You Never Wanted - Adele Griffin

Synopsis: Alex has it all—brains, beauty, popularity, and a dangerously hot boyfriend. Her little sister Thea wants it all, and she's stepped up her game to get it. Even if it means spinning the truth to win the attention she deserves. Even if it means uncovering a shocking secret her older sister never wanted to share. Even if it means crying wolf.
Told in the alternating voices of Alex and Thea, Adele Griffin's mesmerizing new novel is the story of a sibling rivalry on speed. (From Goodreads)

I feel pretty lukewarm about this book. It definitely captivated my attention, but it didn't really shine for me. The story is interesting. These two sisters are self-destructing in two totally different ways. Their mom marries a wealthy man, and suddenly these girls are upper-class princesses and everything falls apart. But they're both incredibly selfish to begin with - they're also mean, petty, misguided, and frankly a little obnoxious.

But those are just character flaws. While they're pretty much just all around bad people, that never bothered me while I was reading. I found it in myself to see life through their eyes for a little bit and while I was aware that they were doing things that were kind of crazy, I didn't really think to completely judge them - until I put the book down and thought about it. Because the writing is really great, there's an understanding that is built in to reading about the lives of Alex and Thea.

The story doesn't take place over much time and for sisters, Thea and Alex actually see very little of each other. They're living completely separate lives - although they do show up on occasion to help one another out. If they didn't live in the same house, I feel like they would have had very little to do with one another. Although, even with how separate they are - they do have a rivalry going strong - which at times feels slightly one sided. Thea tries desperately to break into the life Alex has and it's almost like she's competing against a brick wall. Alex is mostly oblivious and wrapped up in her own issues.

I'm going to start talking myself in circles, if I haven't started to already. This book is very character driven and the characters are definitely vivid, even if they have some major issues. This book is also a little bit heavier - it deals with some issues, but I never felt bogged down by these girls' problems. I'd recommend reading this book if you are already a fan of Adele Griffin or if you like contemporary novels that are a little darker.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

All You Never Wanted - Adele Griffin

Synopsis: Alex has it all—brains, beauty, popularity, and a dangerously hot boyfriend. Her little sister Thea wants it all, and she's stepped up her game to get it. Even if it means spinning the truth to win the attention she deserves. Even if it means uncovering a shocking secret her older sister never wanted to share. Even if it means crying wolf.
Told in the alternating voices of Alex and Thea, Adele Griffin's mesmerizing new novel is the story of a sibling rivalry on speed. (From Goodreads)

I feel pretty lukewarm about this book. It definitely captivated my attention, but it didn't really shine for me. The story is interesting. These two sisters are self-destructing in two totally different ways. Their mom marries a wealthy man, and suddenly these girls are upper-class princesses and everything falls apart. But they're both incredibly selfish to begin with - they're also mean, petty, misguided, and frankly a little obnoxious.

But those are just character flaws. While they're pretty much just all around bad people, that never bothered me while I was reading. I found it in myself to see life through their eyes for a little bit and while I was aware that they were doing things that were kind of crazy, I didn't really think to completely judge them - until I put the book down and thought about it. Because the writing is really great, there's an understanding that is built in to reading about the lives of Alex and Thea.

The story doesn't take place over much time and for sisters, Thea and Alex actually see very little of each other. They're living completely separate lives - although they do show up on occasion to help one another out. If they didn't live in the same house, I feel like they would have had very little to do with one another. Although, even with how separate they are - they do have a rivalry going strong - which at times feels slightly one sided. Thea tries desperately to break into the life Alex has and it's almost like she's competing against a brick wall. Alex is mostly oblivious and wrapped up in her own issues.

I'm going to start talking myself in circles, if I haven't started to already. This book is very character driven and the characters are definitely vivid, even if they have some major issues. This book is also a little bit heavier - it deals with some issues, but I never felt bogged down by these girls' problems. I'd recommend reading this book if you are already a fan of Adele Griffin or if you like contemporary novels that are a little darker.