Review: The White Oak by Kim White

Goodreads Blurb:

In The White Oak, the first book in the Imperfect Darkness series, Cora Alexander falls through a sinkhole and enters the underworld still alive. Her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos and the infernal judges who have hijacked the afterlife and rebuilt it, trapping human souls in a mechanical, computer-controlled city that lies at the core of the earth. To survive, Cora must rely on her untrustworthy guide, Minotaur, an artificial intelligence built by Minos. She is helped by a mysterious voice, and by Sybil, underworld librarian and author of each person's book of life. Sybil's collection holds the key to humankind's intertwined life stories. When Cora's own book is destroyed, Sybil gives her a magical golden pen and sends her to the underworld city to write her own destiny. Along the way, Cora finds the ghost of her dead brother, Lucas, a genius programmer who alone is capable of finding the chink in Minos's armor. But will he be able to get Cora out alive, or will they both succumb to the seemingly inescapable underworld trap?

My Thoughts:

Reading this book made me feel the way they portray taking drugs on television. You're in one place, then things get shimmery, then you're someplace else and how no idea why, then somewhere else, then somewhere else, then the first place again, then you wake up and have no idea what just happened. Does that even make sense? I guess what I'm trying to say is that The White Oak left me dazed and confused. Cora travels around the Underworld, but nothing is explained, so I had no idea what events and places signified or why I should care.

That said, I enjoyed the first half of the book. I was really curious about how Kim White would portray the Underworld and it's inhabitants. Story about what happens after death have always intrigued me. However, as the book went on, I felt like all Cora did was go from place to place in the Underworld, but nothing really happened. And once it does at the end, it reminds me a bit of Alice in Wonderland, but less enjoyable.

There were also a few things that were introduced, then I felt like they were abandoned. First, the mysterious voice Cora hears when exploring the caves. Based on the beginning, I felt like it would be a major part of the story, but it completely disappears until the last few pages. Second, the golden pen Cora receives from Sybil. I don't understand it's purpose beyond vibrating.

For me, the characters fell a little flat and felt one-dimensional. Cora was a bit too single-minded for my taste and I felt like she just did as she was told.

Overall, while this book wasn't for me, I still found it was a page turner (I just wanted to know what was going on). I enjoy the cyber-underworld idea, but I had trouble following what was happening and why.

On the Cover:

I really like the cover. Not only is it beautiful, but I can exactly place where this happened in the book, instead of just a picture of a girl.

Favourite Character:

Like I said, the characters felt a bit one-dimensional, but I will go with Cora's brother Lucas.

Rating: 2 Hearts

Source: I received an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.


Where to Find It: Goodreads | Kindle

Stalk the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Review - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Goodreads Blurb:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.

My Thoughts:

I like Pride and Prejudice. I like zombies. So it stands to reason that I should like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. But I don't. I think it's because I'm a purist and I don't like people messing with things I like. Especially Pride and Prejudice. I only lasted 5 minutes in the newest movie (the one with Keira Knightley) because I loved the old one and now everything was wrong! 


Beyond my own personal bias, I still don't think it was done as well as it could be. It messed up the story enough to annoy people like me, but I don't think there was enough zombie mayhem to attract the action movie/book crowd. There was a lot of talking about zombies, but much less slaying of zombies.


I also need to mention that Elizabeth Bennet was a complete witch in this book. She was constantly murdering people or at least fantasizing about it (yes, ninjas are people too). I found her completely unlikeable and she definitely didn't deserve someone as awesome as Mr. Darcy (who was only slightly less awesome in this book).

Other, more minor, complains: 
1. Why was this book so obsessed with kung fu? I personally don't think butterfly kicks are the best way to dispatch a zombie. And you have to travel to China or Japan to learn to use a bladed weapon?
2. Since when can muskets fire multiple balls like a semi-automatic? (I'm talking about the scene where Elizabeth kills a pile of zombies with her musket while jumping off her carriage). 
3. Why couldn't Lydia (or at least Mrs. Bennet) be eaten by a zombie? Why?

My Favourite Scene:

The end. I was just glad it was over.

My Favourite Character:


Mr. Darcy, as always. But Elizabeth definitely didn't deserve him in this book. Not even close. I would have rather seen him end up with Miss Bingley or his cousin!

My Rating: 2 hearts

 

 

Where to find this book: Goodreads | Amazon| The Book Depository


Source: I got this book as a present from my momma!