Rachel

So I struggled with this book. Sadly, I simply didn't find it that interesting. But I have some serious love for this final page and it's an ending like this that makes me so glad that I read it.

**Gonna ramble on a bit here so if you're reading, maybe watch out for SPOILERS

I saw Rob Thomas at the Melbourne Writer's Festival last Thurs, which was great. I loved the various tidbits and facts Rob fed us on his life, V.Mars and his other shows, Party Down and iZombie (LOVE that his wife's Kindle is full of YA books). But I also came away from it feeling so sad that Veronica Mars only got 3 seasons when it should've had 10. That this fabulous, wonderful show that I loved so much ended like that while others dragged on for far too long is a goddamn travesty (I'm looking at you, One Tree Hill).

So it was the lingering I-Wish-We-Could-Have-V.Mars-Back feels that prompted me to pick up Mr Kiss And Tell from the depths of my TBR pile on the Saturday and start it, completely disregarding the stack of library books I have out at the mo and others I'd vowed to read in the next couple of weeks.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked it a lot more than the first one, to tell you the truth. It was a lot darker and grittier due to the nature of the crime Veronica was trying to solve (brutal rape and assault of a sex worker). And even tho the mystery of whodunit was knocked out the way fairly quickly, and it became more about finding a way to nail the dude, I didn't mind. I think what I liked so much about it, (and I know I'm being awfully predictable here) was the Logan/Veronica-ness. While I ship them together and always have (always will), I can't say I fully felt it when they got back together in the movie. It felt a bit like RT was trying to please fans and didn't really think about if it made sense for it to happen.

Guess I got over that tho, because I didn't feel that way reading MKaT (or Thousand Dollar Tan Line, but Logan's barely in that). In fact, I really loved Logan and Veronica being together. Maybe it's because they're adults now. I was really down for them doing coupley things, like getting a dog and being all domestic and shit. I suppose when you finally get two characters that you want to be together so badly actually, you know, properly together, it really makes you happy to see them happy.

Rob Thomas said more books won't happen unless iZombie is cancelled because he found it too hard to work on both at the same time. Some plot lines from TDTL and the movie were wrapped up nicely, but there's also space to continue (and if there wasn't, they can go ahead and write more anyway, thank you very much).

Anyway. I think I'm going to start a V.Mars rewatch soon. I MISS YOU, V.MARS. SO SO SO MUCH.

Oh sweet baby Jesus, I can not handle thrill-ery books at all. I have so much anxiety right now

'Scars prove that you're still here. That you can move on. Maybe missing a chunk of yourself, but here, goddamn it, surviving.

And who knows? Maybe you heal.'

 

Well. Wasn't this an absolute terrifying delight? Was toooootally sucked in by pg 15, which hasn't happened in a long long time, and I ended up ploughing my way thru very quickly, which I kinda regret a little now because who doesn't hate finishing a really good book?

Jason was such an interesting MC. I loved his POV, even if it scared me a little sometimes.

Anyway. You know what I'm going to say next, so...

READ THIS BOOK PLEASE.

Oh sweet baby Jesus, I have the WORST feeling about this.

Life is more than that. It's blissful and rubbish and crappy and kind and infinite worlds of emotion. And you know what? So are people. We've all got good in us and bad in us, and miles of murky greyness. I suppose the difference is what you choose to focus on. Whether it's on the gutter, or on the stars, or just on your miserable self.

 

Man, this is one hell of a book. So strange, but very well done.

'His voice shot through me. It's amazing, the things your body will do just when you don't want them to: heart speeding up, fingers aching. I'd always liked his voice, low and laid back, the kind of voice that made you listen, a voice that still caused me to teeter when I heard it saying my old nickname.'

'Jason and I are okay without talking. That's how you know you really trust someone, I think; when you don't have to talk all the time to make sure they still like you or prove that you have interesting stuff to say. I could spend all day with him and not say a word.'

 

TRUTH.

'It's almost as if we're afraid of words. They hang in the air unspoken, and then seeing that they're not going to be used, they shrivel and die.'

Also, Amandla Stenberg (Rue from THG movie adaptation) is the narrator and Bird is told from the pov of the MC, a teen PoC. Good.

I have really enjoyed this book. We'll see how the ending goes, but I reckon I'll end up buying a physical copy. 

And woooo, audio book I actually like alert!

'I miss English class and Mr Gaydon's way of looking at the world. Like being ourselves is enough.'

1. Holy wow bad parent alert. 

2. Del is my favourite.

'"Mum - I want you to meet someone. This is Riley Rose. It's okay, we're not married." He turned to give me a beautiful smile. "We're just in deep like.'"

'I put on too much dead-red lipstick, drew a satanic star on Fleur's pillow, and then I walked through the drizzle to breakfast,  undaunted.'

Riley Rose gives zero fucks and I love it.

Oh. Well that was a smart little character twist on the classic Robin Hood legend that I probably should've seen coming but totally didn't.

I’ve been in love with the Robin Hood legend ever since I was a kid. I’m not entirely sure why but I think it probably has something (a lot) to do with the Robin Hood Disney movie, which is my fave Disney movie of all time - even over The Lion King and Aladdin say whaaaaaaat oh no she didn’t

So anyway I was wasting my life away on Twitter this w/e, which is how I discovered this book. About 43 seconds after that, I had borrowed it from my library in ebook form and downloaded it onto my phone to read cos they won’t download to my Kindle (my first time doing this too, & it’s actually not going as terrible as I always thought it would). Anyway anyway I like that the protag is a female Will Scarlet and she’s hellaaaaaa badass. What is confusing me a little tho, is that she seems to have an eating disorder? Which is totally cool, but it seems a bit out of place in this story? But I also feel like there’s a strong possibility that I’m completely misinterpreting that situation so I’m going to keep on reading and I will you let you know, BookLikes. I will let you know.

'Breaking a hair tie used to account for a national tradegy, involving one of us stopping at any corner store, desperately searching for the kind she liked. That she isn't in tears over her hair being down right now is either a sign of personal growth or of the coming apocalypse.'

Aly, I feel you girl. One day, I hope to get to that place too.