I was struggling to figure out what to write about this week, and seeing as how I never got around to it last week I knew I needed to come up with something. So far with this blog I've been writing about things that have to strictly do with writing for the most part, and I've decided to branch out a little this week. Instead, this week I'm going to share one of my other passions with you; travel.
Now, this is in part spurred from the fact that this fall I'm going to Scotland. It will be my first time overseas ever, and my first time out of the country alone. I've been on trips within the country by myself, but this is my first bit out of the norm solo trip. I'm looking forward to it, and it can't see to get here fast enough. My experience with travel isn't large by any means, but I still have some mileage under my belt. I've been over most of the US so far through road trips and things like that, a lot of them being trips with my family.
The first trips I can really remember were the times that my mom, sister and I would drive up to Washington to visit my aunt that lives up there. I remember one night when we were on our way back when a motorcycle that was driving behind us just seemed to disappear, the time we hit the raccoon who surprisingly got up and walked it off, the semi-truck that clearly saw us besides him but still started to move over (I say clearly saw because we were right next to his cab looking at him staring right at us when it happened). One of my funnier memories was when we drove through Yellowstone National Park and my mom told us to yell out if we saw an animal so she could stop to let us look at it. Immediately after this my sister yelled out animal and my mom slammed on her brakes in the middle of the road. The animal my sister had saw? A man walking his dog down along the side of the road.
I've always loved the road trips I use to take with my family. Whether we drove to the Oregon Coast for a week to see the tidal pools and oceans and get snapshots of my mom and sister changing the flat tire or the trip where my entire family (aunts, uncles and cousins included) all went out to Tennessee to see Dollywood and stay in an overly cramped cabin house together. These trips are where I learned that there really are flying fish and that they swim out in front of cruise ships, that Florida has leech like creatures that come out when it rains and may very well be leeches, and that Gator World doesn't always live up to the excitement it promises. They're where I've seen the rain forests up in Canada, where one wouldn't picture rain forests being, and where I've been out on a boat the first time whale watching.
The thing is; travel can have its ups or downs and this especially includes road trips where everything that can go wrong often will. However, they are also those experiences that shape you and give you memories that you'd never experience within the confines of your normal routine. Even on my last trip I took alone out to the Oregon Coast (a part of the country I adore and hope to move to someday) I've had these amazing experiences. Having the sweet old lady at the Tea house I went to tell me she's sure I could find a Forensics job out there once I have my degree, because didn't I hear how that man killed his family and left the under the bridge? Standing out on the beach combing for shells and finding a crab instead. Waking up to a coast guard helicopter outside your hotel, and watching as they search and rescue someone out in the ocean in the early morning. (Then there's always the drunk guy who's twice your age who spend ten minutes awkwardly hitting on you, and then pretending not to know how an ATM works to get you to talk to him longer).
I believe the travel is important for everyone, even if you never do make it out of the country, as it shows you a different way of life. You see the cultural changes and can meet amazing people while in a completely unfamiliar setting. There really is so much to see, and I find it sad that in someways the art of the road trip seems to be disappearing.
I'm looking forward to Scotland and the things I'll see there, not to mention the people I may meet. After that I'm hoping for Alaska to be my next big trip, and have a family trip out to Oregon next year in the works. It can be hard to get away sometimes, believe me since between school and work I'm surprised I ever manage it. I've saved up for Scotland for two years at this point, and now that it's finally close I'm getting more and more excited with each week. I'll never give up traveling even if I go through times where all I can afford is a short three day weekend up to the mountains or out to the coast. How can I when there's so much more to see in the world?
Until next week, my dears.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare Review
I debated for a while about picking up this book, mainly because I've been steering clear of a lot of Young Adult books recently due to the sudden onslaught of 'Twilight Syndrome'. I thought this one could be different, but having not heard much about it I still wasn't sure. I had two friends recommend it though when I asked them if they'd read it, and finally picked up it. I can say I was pleasantly surprised, and have the next book, Clockwork Prince, sitting to read after I finish my current book reading endeavor.
A quick summary:
Clockwork Angel is the first in the Infernal Devices series, a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series that I now plan on reading as well. It takes place in 1878 in London, where Tessa (our main protaganist) has just arrived with the expectation of meeting with her brother, Nate, who sent her the tickets to make the voyage after their aunt's dies leaving Tessa alone in the US. Tessa finds herself sudden immersed in a world she didn't know existed when, instead of her brother, she is met by two old women who in effect kidnap her and through force teach her how to use a power she didn't know she had before. They are doing this for a man they call the Magister who plans on marrying Tessa once her power is developed, but before this can happen she is rescued by a group called the Shadowhunters. With her new friends Tessa works to find out who the Magister is and what has happened to her brother who she's been told is being held captive. She also finds herself developing feelings for two best friends, Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs.
That's the basic information you're given when you go into this book, and that is all I'll give in respect to not spoiling things for you.
Characters:
I found the characters in Clockwork Angel grew on me as I got further into the story. I wasn't sure about Tessa as the heroine at first, but as she adapts to this new world she's thrown into she grows into her own. There's one scene where she makes a comment about a cross-dressing midget misunderstanding someone's intentions that seemed to seal it for me and I decided I enjoyed her. The story is told through her eyes for the most part other than a few detours to Will or Jem throughout the story. They are the three main characters that you deal with. Tessa becomes stronger through the book, though she seems to remain confused and conflicted about her feelings through it all though in a fairly understandable way. In the end she was someone I enjoyed reading about, and felt real in how she handled the strange things she faced. She proved that she could be strong, quick on her feet and humorous.
Will is the bad boy hero sort in the story, though Cassandra Clare lays the brickwork for what seems like a detailed past for this character that will (I'd assume) blossom more through the other books in the series. You get the feeling that he's trying to keep people at a distance at all times through his actions, and often comes off rude or downright mean. His friendship with Jem is his main saving grace through most of the book, though despite his nature I found I love this character. His unpolished sort of touch adds something that I think the book would have felt a little flat without. Those scenes he has with Tessa where he's not being purposefully rude can be touching. You slowly realize this is someone who cares dearly for all the people around him even if he treats them as though it'd barely faze him if something were to happen to them. He's reckless, abrupt and blunt; and I loved him.
Jem is our final main hero of the story, and he has a different touch than Will. He's kinder and gentler than his counterpart, and patient beyond belief even when Will is pushing everyone's buttons. We find out quickly that he's sick in the story, though it isn't revealed what his illness is until pretty far into it. He handles Tessa in a more sensitive fashion, and still has some wit about him. I liked Jem though I felt his character didn't come through quite as strong in this first book. You got the feeling, as with Will, that he starts to have feelings for Tessa but he has a more subtle way of handling it. He's a more supportive presence for Tessa as well. Though he lacked some of the spunk that Will had, he still came through as a strong personality on his own. We learn more about his back story in the first book than we do Will's, and you get a sense of bitterness that he otherwise lacks when you finally do learn what happened. He's more sensible, kind and a bit damaged.
There are a few important side characters in the first book that I have little doubt will carry over into the next. They are the other Shadowhunters of the institute and their few human helpers that work there. Charolette runs the institute for the Shadowhunters of London with her husband Henry, and they were a bittersweet sort of couple. You get the feeling that Charolette loves Henry, and that in a way he loves her too though his work is more important. He's a bit spacey at times and the things he makes don't always seem to work quite right, but you feel that he really is a very intelligent man. Charolette is a strong and motherly presence even though I got the feel she wasn't much older than the others at the institute, and fought to run things the best she could under the scrutiny of the other Shadowhunters. They were both likable in their own right, and those moments when the affection happens to slip through between the two of them are sweet and sad at the same time. Jessamine is the other Shadowhunter who lives at the institute, and she wasn't as likable as the other characters. This is, mainly, because I don't think she's supposed to be. You feel bad for her and understand her desire for other things in life, but she goes about them with little care for who she may be stepping on. She sees herself as a lady first above anything else, and has the attitude of a slightly snobbish friend who not-so-secretly feels she's better than you. She's a strong character that stands out, but usually in a way that rubs you wrong. There are three others that live at the insitute that are humans who have a 'touch of the sight'. The one we learn the most about is Sophie who acts like a lady's maid to Tessa and Jessamine, as well as helping out in other areas of the house. She has a rough background and is kind towards Tessa, abrupt and short with Will, annoyed by Jessamine, and fond of Charolette, Henry and Will. She becomes a sort of friend to Tessa throughout the story. The other two human characters are Thomas, who is in charge of the weapons and driving the carriage, and the cook, Agatha. We don't learn much at all about Agatha in the book, and we only learn a few things about Thomas that endears you to him. There are other side characters through the book, but they don't have as large of parts.
Story:
The story in Clockwork Angel fits together and runs smoothly. It felt like a well thought out story line that kept just enough back throughout that it left you guessing. It was driven strongly by the characters different interactions so that the world you are dealing with slowly opens up to you like it does for Tessa. Much of the story seems to build around the relationships, and Tessa's experiences with her new surroundings. It has a good amount of twists and turns that keep you wondering what's going to happen, and though there were a few things that came off a little cliche at turns it never felt like something you've read before. Cassandra Clare does an excellent job making sure there are no loose ends left hanging other than those that can be dealt with in the next book (character back stories and the like). Though there are a few things that seem to be thrown in here and there for little reason they are few. The only main complaint I could have is that Tessa comes off at times as the plain girl that everyone wants to be with. I did enjoy the relationship parts of the book and felt like they did grow closer throughout the story; it just seemed like the two main heroes quickly had feelings for her. There are also a few points where it's revealed one character has feelings for another in the story, and often times they seem to be revealed simply to add a touch of drama or make you feel sympathy before that character experienced some hardship. There is one such instance where it's revealed someone has feelings for another even though you see little interaction between the two, if any, until that dramatic pivotal moment.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more. Cassandra Clare may become one of my new Young Adult authors if her other works are like this one. Good for those rainy days or mornings on the train, it's a read that goes by quickly because its enjoyable. It never felt like something I'd have to force myself to read to get through those parts that are too slow or due to exposition that isn't integrated smoothly.
Overall, if you enjoy a good story with a touch of romance and paranormal themes, I'd suggest this. It's a fun jaunt through a world that feels fully realized with characters that are enduring and full. I'd give it a 4/5 star rating. It had good characters and an interesting plot even though it had moments the building of relationships felt rushed.
A quick summary:
Clockwork Angel is the first in the Infernal Devices series, a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series that I now plan on reading as well. It takes place in 1878 in London, where Tessa (our main protaganist) has just arrived with the expectation of meeting with her brother, Nate, who sent her the tickets to make the voyage after their aunt's dies leaving Tessa alone in the US. Tessa finds herself sudden immersed in a world she didn't know existed when, instead of her brother, she is met by two old women who in effect kidnap her and through force teach her how to use a power she didn't know she had before. They are doing this for a man they call the Magister who plans on marrying Tessa once her power is developed, but before this can happen she is rescued by a group called the Shadowhunters. With her new friends Tessa works to find out who the Magister is and what has happened to her brother who she's been told is being held captive. She also finds herself developing feelings for two best friends, Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs.
That's the basic information you're given when you go into this book, and that is all I'll give in respect to not spoiling things for you.
Characters:
I found the characters in Clockwork Angel grew on me as I got further into the story. I wasn't sure about Tessa as the heroine at first, but as she adapts to this new world she's thrown into she grows into her own. There's one scene where she makes a comment about a cross-dressing midget misunderstanding someone's intentions that seemed to seal it for me and I decided I enjoyed her. The story is told through her eyes for the most part other than a few detours to Will or Jem throughout the story. They are the three main characters that you deal with. Tessa becomes stronger through the book, though she seems to remain confused and conflicted about her feelings through it all though in a fairly understandable way. In the end she was someone I enjoyed reading about, and felt real in how she handled the strange things she faced. She proved that she could be strong, quick on her feet and humorous.
Will is the bad boy hero sort in the story, though Cassandra Clare lays the brickwork for what seems like a detailed past for this character that will (I'd assume) blossom more through the other books in the series. You get the feeling that he's trying to keep people at a distance at all times through his actions, and often comes off rude or downright mean. His friendship with Jem is his main saving grace through most of the book, though despite his nature I found I love this character. His unpolished sort of touch adds something that I think the book would have felt a little flat without. Those scenes he has with Tessa where he's not being purposefully rude can be touching. You slowly realize this is someone who cares dearly for all the people around him even if he treats them as though it'd barely faze him if something were to happen to them. He's reckless, abrupt and blunt; and I loved him.
Jem is our final main hero of the story, and he has a different touch than Will. He's kinder and gentler than his counterpart, and patient beyond belief even when Will is pushing everyone's buttons. We find out quickly that he's sick in the story, though it isn't revealed what his illness is until pretty far into it. He handles Tessa in a more sensitive fashion, and still has some wit about him. I liked Jem though I felt his character didn't come through quite as strong in this first book. You got the feeling, as with Will, that he starts to have feelings for Tessa but he has a more subtle way of handling it. He's a more supportive presence for Tessa as well. Though he lacked some of the spunk that Will had, he still came through as a strong personality on his own. We learn more about his back story in the first book than we do Will's, and you get a sense of bitterness that he otherwise lacks when you finally do learn what happened. He's more sensible, kind and a bit damaged.
There are a few important side characters in the first book that I have little doubt will carry over into the next. They are the other Shadowhunters of the institute and their few human helpers that work there. Charolette runs the institute for the Shadowhunters of London with her husband Henry, and they were a bittersweet sort of couple. You get the feeling that Charolette loves Henry, and that in a way he loves her too though his work is more important. He's a bit spacey at times and the things he makes don't always seem to work quite right, but you feel that he really is a very intelligent man. Charolette is a strong and motherly presence even though I got the feel she wasn't much older than the others at the institute, and fought to run things the best she could under the scrutiny of the other Shadowhunters. They were both likable in their own right, and those moments when the affection happens to slip through between the two of them are sweet and sad at the same time. Jessamine is the other Shadowhunter who lives at the institute, and she wasn't as likable as the other characters. This is, mainly, because I don't think she's supposed to be. You feel bad for her and understand her desire for other things in life, but she goes about them with little care for who she may be stepping on. She sees herself as a lady first above anything else, and has the attitude of a slightly snobbish friend who not-so-secretly feels she's better than you. She's a strong character that stands out, but usually in a way that rubs you wrong. There are three others that live at the insitute that are humans who have a 'touch of the sight'. The one we learn the most about is Sophie who acts like a lady's maid to Tessa and Jessamine, as well as helping out in other areas of the house. She has a rough background and is kind towards Tessa, abrupt and short with Will, annoyed by Jessamine, and fond of Charolette, Henry and Will. She becomes a sort of friend to Tessa throughout the story. The other two human characters are Thomas, who is in charge of the weapons and driving the carriage, and the cook, Agatha. We don't learn much at all about Agatha in the book, and we only learn a few things about Thomas that endears you to him. There are other side characters through the book, but they don't have as large of parts.
Story:
The story in Clockwork Angel fits together and runs smoothly. It felt like a well thought out story line that kept just enough back throughout that it left you guessing. It was driven strongly by the characters different interactions so that the world you are dealing with slowly opens up to you like it does for Tessa. Much of the story seems to build around the relationships, and Tessa's experiences with her new surroundings. It has a good amount of twists and turns that keep you wondering what's going to happen, and though there were a few things that came off a little cliche at turns it never felt like something you've read before. Cassandra Clare does an excellent job making sure there are no loose ends left hanging other than those that can be dealt with in the next book (character back stories and the like). Though there are a few things that seem to be thrown in here and there for little reason they are few. The only main complaint I could have is that Tessa comes off at times as the plain girl that everyone wants to be with. I did enjoy the relationship parts of the book and felt like they did grow closer throughout the story; it just seemed like the two main heroes quickly had feelings for her. There are also a few points where it's revealed one character has feelings for another in the story, and often times they seem to be revealed simply to add a touch of drama or make you feel sympathy before that character experienced some hardship. There is one such instance where it's revealed someone has feelings for another even though you see little interaction between the two, if any, until that dramatic pivotal moment.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more. Cassandra Clare may become one of my new Young Adult authors if her other works are like this one. Good for those rainy days or mornings on the train, it's a read that goes by quickly because its enjoyable. It never felt like something I'd have to force myself to read to get through those parts that are too slow or due to exposition that isn't integrated smoothly.
Overall, if you enjoy a good story with a touch of romance and paranormal themes, I'd suggest this. It's a fun jaunt through a world that feels fully realized with characters that are enduring and full. I'd give it a 4/5 star rating. It had good characters and an interesting plot even though it had moments the building of relationships felt rushed.
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