2-in-1 Blog Post
Today I have a mini-review of The Dark Side of Night, but also I’m telling you about something the Kindle, Fire at least, does. If you enable text-to-speech and press play you can listen to an audio version. This isn’t a narrator reading it, instead it is part of the machine- this makes me realize how we interpret punctuation with pauses etc. There’s definitely a difference between reading in your head/out loud, and then add an inhuman voice reading! For example semi-colons and commas have such big gaps (varying depending on what speed you are listening to.) Certain sentences had me reading them after to understand it: She leapt over a fallen trunk in one jump and landed without even the slightest of breeze; fallen leaves, that covered the floor like strips of burnt curled paper, didn’t even stir as she passed. (Kindle Locations 825-826).
But at least there were few run-ons with only commas dotted here and there. Full-stop breaks are less annoying than the former.
I think somewhere in between 1x and 1.5x would be efficient with the punctuation ‘glitch’. Still would save perhaps some time but also being comfortable. I didn’t just listen to, I probably listened to less than a half. I normally didn’t do anything else, I did read along.
It could be a slower type of reading as instead of being motivated to read you’re sort of motivated to listen. Highlighting is something I would suggest when listening just so it doesn’t interrupt the flow. My flow was interrupted as I would pause, re-read, follow on to next page, begin listening.
Anyway, enough with that opinionated gossip on the Kindle.
Reviewing... [2]  Author: Amanda DaySource: Purchased for kindle.Recommended for: Paranormal readers in short (or, the long version, those people who like books that end on an air of a mystery- no cliffhangers- and those who like new styles in Paranormal YA fiction. |
I’m not going to hold back talking about the characters.
There’s Oscar and Cyan.
“Are you… are you an angel?” Oscar felt stupid as he said it, but he didn’t know what else to think. She snorted softly and backed away. “You couldn’t be more wrong...” (Kindle Locations 630-633).
So, Cyan isn’t an angel. She’s a contrast to the boy-next-door. Next to monsters. The synopsis should tell you this much about Oscar and Cyan. Both have an interest in yellow-eyed definitely not human creatures. But is there more than that? More to that?
He settled his eyes over her shoulder so he could see her face without looking directly at her eyes.
“What are you?”
She shrugged. “Different.” (Kindle Locations 618-622).
I eventually did get used to the elements of Cyan’s past and present. The fact there are dynamics in her soul, and her eyes. Her eyes. What do I say?
I do want to mention that it is just such a Mary-Sue characteristic to have unusual eyes, or eyes that have changed. Obviously I was picturing an Anti-Sue so to have her described in much the same ‘outsider but superior’ way that a fair number of YA females are, not all, was quite a set-back. Obviously being atypical to her race does make her different. There are just shadows of things I’d like to see explanations for why she has to have them when she’s be much more of an anti-Sue without them. That’s just me.
Completely me. What do I want? A fallen angel...
Hmm XD
Whereas Oscar really isn’t that peculiar, he’s not the jock-next-door, just the boy. The boy who likes free running.
I'd rate the characters 4.5/5 (that basically means I haven't got my dream cast members for the characters as the baddies are as rotten to the core as they get & the characters just aren't quite my favourites.)
The impact on 'reader':
Basically, the build-up, the middle & the finale slab analysis.
Build-ups are sometimes more dynamic, but they don't start quite with such a telling baddie. It seemed like action only would be provided so another chapter could be for thoughts and flashbacks. I appreciate the character details but when its from two-point perspectives I like to see how they react, and feel like I'm seeing through their eyes- not like I'm in their head. My head starts giving me a weird commentary and it doesn't flow as well. Again, this may just be me. So although all this sort of fitted it was like there was a few jigsaw puzzles for the different sections & whatnot but pieces were missing and some left over. You tried to spot them in the other sections and some pieces fit in others, but when you step back you realize there are still holes. Maybe I'm being harsh on it... But I thought it was a stand-alone? Perhaps it shall have a companion novel with another of *cough*... This is a semi-spoiler. Caleb's creations.
Y'know, I'd read that to understand more. Maybe see Cyan & Oscar some more. Whatever. I can see why it wouldn't be a triology or whatever but a companion novel my friend :D COMPANION NOVEL!
Basically though, it wasn't as engrossing as I'd hoped.
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