RTW: Best Book of September

Today YA Highway asks, “What was the best book you read in September?”

This gives me the perfect opportunity to review The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, which I read through a SBB ARC tour. The Assassin’s Curse debuts October 2, 2012.

 
The summary:
 
When teenage pirate Ananna refuses an arranged marriage, the intended groom’s family orders her assassination. Instead of killing the hired assassin Naji when she has the chance, Ananna saves his life, activating a curse that binds them together. Forced into partnership, Ananna and Naji must work together to break the impossible curse and evade enemies coming at them from all sides.
 
The review:
 
I really loved The Assassin’s Curse, enough to make it my best book of September. (And I read some great books this month — Throne of Glass, Starters, A Need So Beautiful, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, and Cinder.)
 
From the opening chapter Clarke displays a powerful voice, complete with slang and dialect that teeters on the line of “over-the-top” without ever crossing it. The intrigue of magical pirates and assassins hooked me, but the characters really captured my heart. Cursing, thieving, and headstrong, Ananna felt more real because of her faults. And Naji was perfect as the brooding, dangerous leading man with a mysterious past. If you like a slow-building romance with plenty of action, The Assassin’s Curse is the book for you.
 
5 out of 5 stars
 
Sometimes before I write a review, I visit Goodreads to help with the summary or to see what other readers have to say. The Assassin’s Curse has many great reviews there, with an average over 4 stars, but I came across one that was truly awful. The reviewer trashed the book, and while I know readers can have vastly different reactions to a book, this one really bothered me. The reviewer felt that the romantic element was completely thrown in at the end, and I couldn’t disagree more. Clarke does an excellent job of “showing” Ananna’s feelings for Naji without “telling.” As a writer, I couldn’t help but wonder if the reviewer missed the subtlety, or if she just didn’t connect with the characters like I did. Is it just me? Does it bother you when you read a terrible review of a book that you loved?
 
Music for today: Help I’m Alive by Metric 
14 Responses
  1. First of all, I LOVE Metric. And that song. I know what you mean about stumbling upon those really negative reviews. Even if they are tactful, it's a real show of how subjective reading tastes are. I'm currently reading Cinder since I've heard such great things. So far I really like it. My favorite this month was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Here's my pick for September: http://www.agirlandherdiary.blogspot.com

  2. Teenage pirates? That's new–at least to me! This might be fun to read. Thanks for the recommendation, Laurie!

    And yes, sometimes bad reviews annoy me. But as long as the reviewer does more than say "this books sucks," then that's okay. I can accept that not everyone will like books equally, and some will hate books that I love. As long as the review is reasonable (i.e., the reviewer actually gives reasons I can understand, even if I don't agree), I can put up with it.

  3. This sounds fantastic! I love this type of story. I just added it to my Goodreads TBR list. 🙂 And I have to agree with you that overly harsh reviews are bothersome. I think they have no place on Goodreads. There are plenty of books that I dislike, but I either don't bother reviewing them (If you don't have anything nice to say…), or I try to temper the criticism with what I liked and with suggesting who it might appeal to. That's not so hard, is it?

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