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Heartless Lyn @ Great Imaginations
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost"
Book Review of All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Review: Can I admit that this books's cover drew me in? Actually, I spied the cover for the second book at a used book store and looked for a copy of the first in the series everywhere before I finally gave up and purchased it for the Kindle.
So, in a way, I got what I deserved.
All These Things I've Done is a mixed bag. On one had, I loved the story plot and the romance involved in this series. I don't read a lot of mafia stories, but I do love the concept of organized crime. However, the book tried to do so much, and the logic never really came through for me, and the main character was highly disappointing.
Things I Liked
I do love mafia fiction. I tend to enjoy the focus of family in organized crime, and the idea of illegal empires really draws me in. Anya constantly focuses on the wisdom from her daddy, which touched my heart. I tend to do the same thing for my own papa ("Papa use to say....") and I can relate to her fixation on the male parent in her life.
The romance was very believable and engaging. I was really worried that this would turn out to be a "girl meets boy by page 5 and the rest is just details." Anya did meet her love interest early on in the story, and it was the stereotypical "new, mysterious guy," but the author did not let the romance wreck her story. Kudos, Zevin.
Family-style loyalty was a strong influence in the book. Love is great and all, but there are other people in a teen's life that deserves affection and attention. Anya's dedication to the tangled web of family obligations gave the story a much-needed edge.
Things I Did Not Like
The narration style. The story was written in first person while attempting to break down the forth wall with the readers. I do not need the main character to get all chummy with me. It just rubbed me the wrong way.
Creepy attempted rapists get rewarded. That flat out pissed me off.
Everything was "poor Anya." Spare me the pity - my eyes were tired from the constant rolling.
The book tried to do too many things, and it ended up as a muddled mess. The storyline was constantly drifting and the focus of the story kept alternating from one chapter to the next. I like that the author wanted an authentic, realistic plot, but the overall result felt very forced and sloppy.
Why in the world is chocolate illegal? I understand why the United States wanted to ban alcohol, but chocolate? Was it the sugar? The caffeine? The flavor? The narrator never gave a clear picture on the evils of chocolate.
Slut shaming - no no no. Be Catholic all you want, but it doesn't make you better than the "slutty girls."
Finally, I was overall unimpressed on the inconsistencies of the story telling. The plot twists were very transparent, and Anya, as a character, was downright bland and sluggish to evolve. During one part of the book, she comes across a situation in which she describes that she went insane, but the event didn't even seem to phase her in the long run. That annoyed me to no end and I chopped off a star over that event alone.
My final thoughts: This wasn't a terrible book, and ended up as a highly entertaining read. Kara is making a case for the second book, and I might end up reading it eventually. This isn't a bad book, but it wasn't one of my top picks for the year.
Gif Reaction (Totally stolen from Debby at Snuggly Oranges)
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