Skip to main content

The Fandom by Anna Day (Review #217)


"Violet's in her element. Cosplay at the ready, she can't wait to feel part of her favorite fandom: The Gallows Dance, a mega book and movie franchise that she and her friends know every word of (canon and fanfic included).

But at Comic Con, a freak accident transports Violet and her friends into the story for real. And in just the first five minutes, they cause the death of the heroine, and get taken prisoner by the rebel group she was supposed to lead to victory.

It's up to Violet to take her place, and play out the plot the way it was written. But stories have a life of their own, and when you change the script in one place, the rest gets revised too...."

Review:
Alright this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The nerdy girl has to replace the brave heroine from her favorite book?? Exciting. Or is it? Shrinking Violet and all her friends (and her dorky younger brother) all fall into the tale. All except Katie know how the plot is supposed to go. And yet... something is amiss. Aside from them literally ruining the story that is.

The story takes unexpected turns in one place but also manages to get stay in one place. Despite having friends along with her for the ride, they're almost immediately separated and aren't really in the book. Aside from her little brother, but we'll get to that. We don't see any of her friends until just before the third act, and then in the climactic scene Vi has been working towards, it's suddenly... about Alice???? The selfish best friend whose had barely any presence in the book???? But is somehow the pivotal character in the end????? WHAT??? And the big reveal also, with who the real villain behind it all turns out to be... is not at all original or creative. In fact, it felt like a cop out.


For all the bad pieces though, there were good ones. I really loved that the love interest was not the original from her favorite book, but a side character who had no prior significant role. And Vi's brother Nate was probably my favorite character by far; his arc really evoked a lot of emotion from me. For him solely, I think I'll read the sequel. Overall, I feel pretty mixed about this one. It wasn't at all what I expected it to be, but in some ways it was better... and worse. I don't know. 


Let me know your own thoughts and feels down below in the comments! Which side are you on? Gems or Imps? 



 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian (Review #29)

"Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister. Kate is tired of the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person - her ex-best friend - and she's ready to make her pay. Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him. Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they've each had a taste." Review: This book was FAN-TAS-TIC!! I am not for the petty popular girl books, and this is definitely not one of those books. The revenge you wish you got on the person who double-crossed you is finally let loose In one of the best and most inventive ways, and the ending left me jaw-dropped. This is a book everyone should have on their shelf.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Review #20)

"Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can. She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed. There is. She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong." Review: This is a book you simply have to read. It's probably a part of my top ten favorite books list. Mara is this girl who just lost her friends and boyfriend in a terrible, but also peculiar, accident and now people who tick her off - and who she's attracted to (cough-cough-Noah-cough-cough) - are in her powerful line of fire... It's a tantalizing tale that will have you (for a lack of a better cliche) gripping the edge of your seat!!

Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie (Review #244)

 "Bone Criers have a sacred duty: to ferry the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. But the gods demand a sacrifice from them to prove their dedication. Ailesse has prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, but first, she must complete her rite of passage by finding - and killing - the boy she is destined to love. Bastien has been seeking revenge for his father’s death at the hands of a Bone Crier. When he finds Ailesse on the night of her ritual, their fates become entwined in life and in death. Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work, but when her best friend, Ailesse, is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.” Review: This was such a fun little read! Honestly, I was hooked from the moment Ailesse attacked that tiger shark. The pacing for this was like NASCAR. We were flying through so much action and plot and I was here for it. There were times I will say that...