Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Title: Tris and Izzie
Author: Mette Ivie Harrison
Genre: YA, paranormal, mythology
Publisher: EgmontUSA, 2011
Source: NetGalley
Read for: Review, Read a myth Challenge

In this YA, paranormal retelling of the Tristan and Isolde legend, Izzie is a popular girl dating the "king" of the school, Mark King. However, she worries about her best friend, Branna, and decides to concoct a love potion to lure Branna to into a romance with the new kid in school, Tristan. However, things do not go according to plan, and Izzie finds herself frustratingly attracted to the strange and formal Tristan. This is further complicated by the fact that mythical beasts are coming after Izzie and attacking the school. Problems.

Okay, first of all, take a good look at that cover. Half-naked boy aside, isn't that gorgeous? I love the leaves in the air and floating on the water. I love how autumn-y it looks. It looks like a heart-rending, deep story.

Feast your eyes on the cover, but keep them there - because it is the best part of the book.

I was actually quite excited about this book (again, look at the cover! It is so pretty!). Whenever I hear "re-telling" or "myth" or "fairy tale," I get kind of excited. I've always loved old, well-loved stories.

Except, actually, the story of Tristan and Isolde. Granted, my only other exposure to it was the movie that came out when I was in high school (so like, seven years ago? I'm starting to feel old). But I actually really disliked the movie. It was so violent (severed hands). And the romance was not romantic at all, but torturous and deceitful and painful. I like sad stories, but I don't like unending, irrevocable pain. There has to be a little sweetness among the bitter to make the story worthwhile for me.

After turning the beautiful cover (or pretending to turn it, since I read this book on my computer) and realizing it was a retelling of a myth that I don't like, the book went a bit downhill for me. While it wasn't hideously depressing like the other version of Tristan and Isolde I've experienced, it had some significant flaws.

First of all - the dialogue. I realize that this is a YA book, and that YA books are sometimes written to an easier level than adult-level books. However, I have read many, many YA books that are beautifully written, even those with simpler language. The dialogue was somewhat stilted in Tris and Izzie. For example,

"What makes you think that you can do anything for me, Izzie? What are you, the queen of the world?

"Maybe," I said, looking up at her. "I'm the queen of the high school, at least, since I'm dating Mark, and he's the king."

Slight wince.

I also struggled with the characters, especially Tristan. He didnt' strike me as heroic, the type of guy that would sweep a popular girl off her feet and lead her away from her sweet, perfect (except for the fact that he ignores Izzie when he watches football - and what guy doesn't?) boyfriend. He was awkward, stubborn, and a bit of a caveman. He seems more like an accessory for Izzie to hang onto than a developed character.

Some positives: I think the paranormal spin was a clever addition to the story. I also think the (slight spoiler, but not really, because this is a familiar legend) breakup between Mark and Izzie was handled very well, albeit a bit quickly. I felt some real emotion during that part, especially when Izzie realizes she really does love both men, but she feels more passion for Tristan.

Overall, however, this book was lacking in writing and character development. It was an interesting spin on the Tristan and Isolde legend, but was ultimately unsatisfying for me.

1.5 stars

Warnings: Parnormal violence, very slight innuendo

Mythology by Edith Hamilton

Title: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Author: Edith Hamilton
Genre: Mythology
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1942
Source: Personal copy
Read for: Mythology Challenge

When I was younger, I was absolutely thrilled by Greek and Roman mythology. I remember sitting in my sixth grade classroom, and whenever there was a break or I finished my schoolwork early, I would find a big illustrated volume of the myths and look up the "Big Twelve" on Olympus. Years later, during my senior year of high school, we had a mythology unit and I essentially had to memorize this book. I loved every minute. In fact, I remember being at Disneyland during spring break and waiting in long lines, and telling my younger brother and sister all the myths that I could remember. On my trip to Paris, I realized that I was slowly forgetting the myths and vowed that I would reread this book soon. Four years later, I finally got around to it.


I read this book much more critically than I did when I was seventeen, and it was not quite the same experience. I remember a long time ago in a class on C.S. Lewis, we discussed what a myth was. I wish I had sources, and I just attempted to google them, but to no avail, so I will have to summarize from memory to the best of my ability. If you are aware of any of this, jump in at the comments section. The essence of what I learned was that myths are familiar. It doesn't matter if you know the ending. They are still good when they are told again and again. There is something essential about a myth that touches the human experience. "The Value of myth is that it takes all the things you know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the veil of familiarity," says Lewis (the one quote I was able to find). So regardless of the form in which it is presented, the myths should still be powerful, moving, intimately familiar. 


And in some ways, they are. There are many myths that I absolutely love (namely: Orpheus, Vertumnus and Pomona, Cupid and Psyche, to just name a few). I still enjoy reading about the gods of Olympus. I still enjoy revisiting those myths. And for the purpose of becoming acquainted with the myths and learning brief summaries of a high volume of myths, this book is the best guidebook you could find. Hamilton takes her information from a wide variety of ancient writers, always refers to whom she is using, and specifies when the story has changed from author to author. And there are literally hundreds of mythical events and figures described. She even dedicates a few pages to Norse mythology (a subject I would really like to delve into further). 


However, as a reread from cover to cover, this book lacked the magic that it had the first time. While I didn't have all the myths memorized any more (far from it!), I was familiar enough with them that I didn't want to read them all. I think now that I have had a decent introduction to the myths, I crave a presentation in a unique style. Which may go against Lewis' hypothesis. Or maybe not - new presentations of myths reveal a classic story in new clothing, allowing us to enjoy it again and again. 


At any rate, this book is a fantastic introduction to the myths, and a great reference if you don't want to read all of the myths from cover to cover. 

YA Friday: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Title: Abandon

Author: Meg Cabot

Genre: YA, Paranormal

Publisher: Point, 2011

Source: Library (Audio book)

Pierce Oliveira's life is a little dysfunctional right now. She was legally dead for a few minutes after drowning. During those few minutes, she met a dark and mysterious stranger that now won't leave her alone and has gotten her into serious trouble. Pierce and her mother have moved to her mother's childhood hometown, Isla Huesos, in an attempt to make "a new start" (a phrase you will see about 389 times in the book), but what they don't realize is that they've walked right into a new danger.

Let me preface this by saying that I love Meg Cabot. Princess Diaries? Yes, please. I am working my way through the last half of the series after discovering that there are ten books (plus several novellas). I devoured her historical fiction romance, Victoria and the Rogue. One of my roommates gave me a much loved copy of Avalon High for Christmas. I was gushing over Teen Idol for weeks. So it's not as if I don't like her style.

But.

It didn't work for me in Abandon. I'm not sure why. My favorite Meg Cabot heroine, Princess Mia, is whiny, neurotic, and overly-obsessed with caring for animals just like Pierce. With Mia, it is endearing. With Pierce, it wasn't. I think this may partly be a result of the overall tone of the story. All the other Meg Cabot books I've read have been light-hearted, humorous, and fluffily romantic. This is a loose retelling of the Persephone myth, so it's going to be dark. But Pierce continually referred to her self-imposed social isolation as a coffin and referenced death images. I know, I know, she is dating Hades (okay, not exactly - if you read the book you will understand what I mean), but must she reference the blackness and evil and death she sees so very often?

I also wasn't exceptionally impressed with the supporting characters. Pierce's grandmother is creepy and her actions are too out there to be considered realistic, even when you take into account some of the little secrets that come out at the end of the book. Pierce's new friend Kayla calls her "Chickie" instead of by her name (need I say more?). The cemetery sexton goes back and forth between being a benevolent gentleman with some strange hobbies to a nasty control freak. John, the love interest, is controlling and self-absorbed.

With that said, I was interested in the story, enough that I might read the rest of the books just to find out what happens next. The mythology component was interesting and kept the book from falling too flat on its face - instead it just tripped and dropped its books in the hall, bruising its knees but not inflicting any lasting damage. The book was still entertaining and interested me enough to keep me invested, but my expectations for the remaining books aren't too high.

2 stars

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

Title: Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Author: Salman Rushdie

Genre: Contemporary literature, fantasy, children's

Publisher: Granta, 1990

Source: Library

Haroun and the Sea of Stories is the fantastical tale of Haroun, son of the greatest storyteller that ever lived (called the Ocean of Notions by his admirers and the Shah of Blah by his enemies). Haroun and his parents live in a city so sad it has forgotten its name, but the Ocean of Notions manages to bring smiles and entertainment to its residents until the sadness of the city creeps into their own family and he loses the Gift of Gab. Haroun is determined to help his father and ends up on an exciting journey on the Sea of Stories, meeting the Chups and Gups and finding the source of all stories.

I read this book as an(other) introduction to Rushdie's work - I heard that this story, written for his son Zafar, gave a good glimpse into the world of magical realism without stretching too long or confusing.

And I have to say it - I. Love. Magical realism! I've heard so many negative reactions to this sub-genre, and I expected to have a similar reaction. I hate not understanding a book or feeling like I have to read a research paper or nonfiction explanation in order to understand a story. I enjoy getting at the deeper layers of meaning, but I don't like being completely incapable of grasping a story on any level without having done research beforehand. I thought this would be the case with magical realism, but I was mistaken, at least in this case. It was fun!

This book really reminded me of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, a book that I really thought I'd enjoy after seeing the various movie incarnations, but that didn't end up working for me at all (I think I was just too old when I finally read it). I know there are all kinds of hidden agendas in Alice, but I wasn't familiar with them or desirous to ferret them out.Haroun also had these hidden agendas and clever wink-wink moments, but they delighted me instead of eluding me completely. (A little glossary at the back of the book helped immensely - many of the names in the book have double meanings). There were several allusions to other works, including "I Am the Walrus" by the Beatles, which I wrote about a few weeks ago. Two of Haroun's companions are named Iff and Butt. These little elements could have been distracting, but they added up to a tight and cohesive story - everything had some importance, some meaning. Loose ends were not left untied.

The story itself was beautiful and charming - an intriguing fairytale of how stories come into existence. The stories themselves are described as beautiful colored threads in the waters of the ocean, and the pains the Gups take to save those stories are both fascinating and heroic. While this story was written for children, it definitely appeals to the adult as connections are made and Haroun is taken on an epic journey to save stories. Rushdie examines why we should care about stories instead of allowing them to be extinguished by Khattum-Shud (the evil prince of the Chups and the word for "The End"). He incorporates romance, adventure, and fantasy into a story with a simplicity that allows the beauty to be more clearly manifested, rather than dumbed down. Children will probably enjoy this odd adventure, but I think adults will also find meaning and enjoyment in Haroun's adventures.

4 stars

Warnings for the sensitive reader: very vague allusions to infidelity in marriage

More Challenges

I was planning on spacing out my challenge posts to keep them all separate, but the time has come to just write the rest of them and get on with it. There are three more challenges I am planning on entering at this point, but I will probably also add the Birth Year Challenge again once it is announced.

I've been planning on participating in the Read A Myth Challenge for several months, but have never gotten around to writing my start-up post. The challenge has its own blog and encourages you to read - what else? - mythology. I have loved mythology ever since my AP English class in high school, where we did a unit memorizing some of the more famous myths, so I was very excited to expand my myth-reading horizons with this new challenge. I plan on level 3, Mimir: World Myth. There are eight different books I want to read, but with all the challenges I have already entered, I don't know if I will get to all of them. Level 3 calls for reading six different books, and one of them must be nonfiction, Karen Armstrong's A Short History of Myth, or the original text of a myth. I hope to read:

1. A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong
2. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
3. 'Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
4. Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson
5. The Prose Edda
6. Penelopiaid by Margaret Atwood
7. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
8. A book of Hawaiian mythology that has been lurking on my shelves since I went there five years ago

The next challenge I hope to enter is the Chunkster Challenge, which is also hosted at its own blog. I am hoping to complete the Chubby Chunkster level, which requires completion of at least four books over 450 pages. I would probably be able to aim for a higher level, but they do not allow ebooks (sad face) so I am aiming for the minimal level this year. I am planning on reading The Lord of the Rings in a read-along I am hosting and A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth for the South Asian Challenge, so this should be quite doable.

Finally, I am entering a challenge for people addicted to challenges, which also has its own blog. Last year was the first year I started blogging, and I didn't really get involved until October. I was able to enter and complete two challenges. I really love having my reading directed - I am competitive and goal-oriented, so the idea of challenges really appeals to me. I have joined seven challenges for this year (not counting this one) and will probably add one more once the Birth Year Challenge post is up, so I qualify for the second level, On the Roof. My challenges are:

• Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Sarah Reads Too Much
• Victorian Challenge hosted by words, words, words
• South Asian Challenge hosted by skrishna's books
• Read A Myth Challenge
• Chunkster Challenge
• Just for Fun Challenge hosted by Dollycas's Thoughts
• Middle East Reading Challenge hosted by Helen's Book Blog

Here's to hoping I complete them all!