Review: Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

Published Date: May 1st, 2011
Finished Date: August 12st, 2011
Publishers: StoneHouse Ink
Format: Paperback
Pages: 425
Series: Airel Saga Book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: All Airel ever wanted to be was normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like sudden mysterious illness. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything she hopes for even now. Airel knew change would be inevitable as life went on. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

My Review: This book was (I'm sorry) utter trash. Seriously? All through the book, i was not touched by the story nor did i feel connected, in any way, to the characters.

So its about this girl called Airel (beautiful name, by the way) who was average and wanted to stay average and normal. Not that it's bad or anything.. Anyway, she met this guy on her way to school and acted the part of the drooling weak-kneed girl that she was in perfect sequence. Really, she gawked and then spilled her coffee on another guy. After which she..y'know what, i dont even want to talk about this book's summary because i really am in no mood after wasting HOURS of my time and leaving me feeling completely annoyed and unaccomplished.

First things first: She DROOLED at a complete stranger, poured coffee on another guy, lost her tongue whenever he talked to her at first, fell in love with him before her second meeting, and guess what? Cherry on top of the whole freaking dung cake - the guy wasnt even swoon-worthy bf material. Ok, i read lots of YA novels and have come to have very high expectations of the male protagonist in every new book that i'd pick up. I mean come on, he just showed that he "desired" her(quoted the word) and oh swoon..She "melts into a puddle of goo".

More complaints about the female lead cast? She cries a hell lot. Ok i get that her life hasnt been smooth and she's having a tough time taking it all in, but hello? Enough's enough. You'd think after bawling her eyes out 5 times would at least let some normalcy in her psyche settle in but noooo. She cries. Every. Freaking. Day. Why? I have no idea.

One plus point tho (and i tell you it will only be the only one): Lots of potential and awesome book cover. Actually, it was both of this that made me more inclined to start this book rather than the other books in my TBR list. Ok, plus point over. Now back to the bad.

Bad point number 2: On top of her not-very-independent character, it's that she blushes a lot (i dont know why, but i somehow found that irritating too..I think i was already getting close to losing it at this point. The book was awfully boring. To say the least) and she doesnt use the grey matter that i wonder if God actually bestowed upon her. Imagine this: you caught a killer red handed in a dark movie theatre and the killer saw you looking at him. Would you stay in the theatre with your friends and a whole crowd of unknowing people, y'know they say comfort in mass and all that, or would you run out of the theatre ALONE and trap yourself in a bathroom stall where the killer can obviously excuse himself politely and discreetly from the theatre and hunt you down like a trapped rabbit? Oh let's see..Option 1, option 2, option 1, option 2. Guess what? She went for..dun dun dunnnnnn. The great 2.

Bad point number 3: She talks to herself. Not often, more interspersely in the book. But..She talks to herself. I shant elaborate further.

Bad point number 4: Patterson uses weird descriptions sometimes. (Oh but there are some that are really stunning. Real ironic if you ask me. It's like this on and off thing. One moment the illustrations are vivid, magical and enchanting. The next? ..Not so) And i think her mind works too fast or something when she writes. Because the book's average pace is pretty slow, but sometimes at some random, totally non-climatical points in time speeds up real fast and then i get lost. Then she reverts back to the normal snail pace.

I have to admit that i truly am greatly disappointed with this book. There seemed to be so much potential, with the absolutely stunning cover with a gorgeous girl on it, and that cool switching back and forth of the era thing? I mean..I dont get it.. The book was absurdly..bad and i really felt like stopping so many times throughout the entire reading process, but then i still held on to around four fifths of the book cause i was still waiting for climax and the ultimate hooking feeling i get everytime i read a good book. It's like the feeling lingers just over yonder, you can actually graze it with your fingers, but you can never grasp it. Also, there was this once where the book came remotely close to being interesting, Patterson just changed scene abruptly and yeah. I mean, why keep the shit dangling right? Ok im getting vulgar and this is a sign to stop writing.

Actually even tho i've rated it a tragic one, you guys can still read it. I think it's mainly because of my foul exam mood that made me a little more impatient and grumpy. Or maybe not. Who knows?

Anyway, bottomline: Bad book. For me.

PS. I still feel so sad for my lost time.TT I took so long to read this because of how slow and draggy it was. Sigh. Haha, sorry this review seemed more like a bitching session, but it's an honest one, that i can assure you.

My Rating: