Wassup? It's already mid-november. Time flies way, way, way too quickly!! Does someone know a way to stop time? Please, please, pretty please!
I just got Born in Death in the mail yesterday - how is it that everytime I'm the one picking the letters, there's NEVER anything interesting? How come my books always get in when my mom's the one picking up the letters? Can someone explain that to me? Cos, well my mom still frown at me when I get the new books through mail... altho it's cheaper. So, I have to admit, I haven't been that excited about the Born in Death... I mean, it's not a book that I was like: oh my god, must read it as soon as it arrives... but that's what happened. You know, when you've followed a series of more than 20 books, then you don't just stop buying them or reading them. It's really like manga actually. Would you stop a series just because the last few volumes suck? Hell no! Best example: Detective Conan. It's a detective (duh) manga and I have more than 50 volumes... So what if the latest are redundant?!? The good thing tho with manga is that the series might go in a little slump, but it always get interesting again. Anyway. Born in Death, yeah... I'm not totally finished with it, but I've read enough to have a review.
Hmmm, want a synopsis? I don't think I can write a coherent one, so here are the main facts:
- two accountants who happen to be a couple very much in love with each other are murdered, the woman; tortured before dying by suffocation.
- Eve has to confiscate documents at the accountant firm; ppl fear that Roarke will have access to the documents and use the information to have the upper hand in business competition. Whithey shares concern; both Eve and Roarke pissed.
- Mavis is having her baby in a few weeks, so both Eve and Roarke have to go to birthing class. In addition, Eve is to host a baby shower.
- One of Mavis' pregnant friend, Tandy Willowby, disappears.
Now, link that all together, add a couple of murderers, suspects and you have the story. I'm not saying the book was bad, but that it was too complex for me to summarize it coherently. And also, I luv point-form... comes from years of study :P Anyway, I was sad that the couple was killed... I don't know, I like the victims... going to sound stupid, but yep. I mean, sometimes, in this series, victims deserve to die or they are random kills by psycho... In this case, there was a really good reason why the couple was killed, but the couple wasn't evil, wasn't bad. They were actually well-loved, very much in love with each other, and yeah, good I guess.
Anyway, I really liked the beginning of this book. You have a dead couple whose deaths shake up the whole firm with grief. Then, you discover that something in the accountants weren't right. I think that if Nora Roberts would have pursued that aspect and strictly that aspect, the book would have been better... more unique/original and less likely to be lumped in with other In Death books. However, she decided to add a series of murders of pregnant women... and the two are related it. That's what I didn't like... doesn't it seem too coincidental for you? I mean, what's the probably of international fraud has to anything to do with the death of pregnant women? I mean, yeah, Ms Roberts is able to link it nicely, because she's good at writing... but if it was anyone else, I don't think it would have work. I mean, it's just too coincidental and far-fetched in my opinion. So the beginning was good, but when Ms Roberts start to focus on the second end of the intrigue, I start losing interest and I thought the book started dragging.
The rest of the novel is typical In Death book. You have cynical Eve Dallas with charming mogul Roarke both scared to death of childbirth. Really, I think this was a bit hint that Eve is not going to get pregnant anytime soon and perhaps never. So readers who were hoping that, you can scratch it. I really think that it's more likely that one day, Eve and Roarke might adopt a baby... but Eve pregnant, seems unconceivable for me. You get to see a bit of Feeney, Peabody, McNab, Mira, Mavis and Leonardo... I miss Louise and Charles T_T
I think that the book was solid... Not the best, but not the worst either of the In Death book.
Well unfortunately, this one is not getting a grade, because it would just be unfair. I'm sure that this book is good, I mean Jennie loved it as well as Mailyn.
I've said in previous posts that I was having a hard time with the language, that didn't really change while I was reading. The writing style is quite "old" or perhaps "traditional." For a girl that's used to contemporary and whose English is not first language, I found it quite distracting. For some reasons, the whole while, while I imagine the characters... all their expression and action as well as the way they talk were exaggerated. I mean, when Venetia would say"Stoopid", I would imagine her eyes wide and with an emphasis on the "stoo"... you know, like in a comedy where characters exaggerate.
I have to say that I did like Venetia's character. She's strong, mature, happy, with a head on her shoulder. I liked Aubrey and Damerel too :) So the characters were a plus, that I can tell.
I guess that's it.
I'm reading Mountain's Call by Caitlin Brennan right now. Anyone who has read her books yet?
