tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post1365741443476309983..comments2023-06-19T07:57:22.562-07:00Comments on The Sparkle Project: Review: "Ice" by Sarah Beth Durst.Ceilidhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907094027256328115noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-13595072705451017702011-07-24T02:09:41.465-07:002011-07-24T02:09:41.465-07:00Am I a horrible person for actually liking this bo...Am I a horrible person for actually liking this book? I see what you mean about the pregnancy part of the plot being awful (and it did squick me out) but I felt the rest of the book was still well-done. Then again, for me, you could write the most sexist book in the world and if it was well-written, plotted, etc, I wouldn't care. /shrugAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-52482669732785798512011-07-20T19:32:20.022-07:002011-07-20T19:32:20.022-07:00You know, the way Cassie gets pregnant reminds me ...You know, the way Cassie gets pregnant reminds me of Breaking Dawn, specifically the part where Edward promises Jacob that he'll let Jacob sleep with and impregnate Bella if Jacob convinces her to get an abortion, all of this after openly admitting that he just wants to drug Bella and give her an abortion while she's knocked out (of course, Bella's opinions on the matter don't factor in at all)<br /><br />Basically, it boils down to "...why?" Okay, the plot of West of the Sun, East of the Moon has the wife being pregnant and giving birth on her journey. So the author really wants to mimic that exactly. Fine. How about that the wife in the fairy tale knew and consented to getting pregnant? Granted at the time period having children was pretty much an obligation if you were married, but even so! If the author HAD to have Cassie be pregnant, there are so many ways it could have happened without being so squicky. So far as I could tell, the only point the hiding of the pregnancy had was that it gave an excuse for Cassie to be distrustful towards Bear and look at him while he was in his human form. If that was the point then again, many ways she could ended up there that did not involve her Dearly Beloved tricking her and hiding very important things from her. -_-<br /><br />Which, I suppose, implies that the author didn't see what she wrote. And if that's the case, that's rather frightening. O_o<br /><br />Erm, hope that all made sense. ^^;;;Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-33593389453526905042011-07-14T08:43:37.770-07:002011-07-14T08:43:37.770-07:00You know, I remember reading a book like this year...You know, I remember reading a book like this years ago (can't even remember the name at this point); it would be a shame if it was this book I was thinking about. I'm guessing there just based off of the same legend. But still.<br /><br />Either way, good review :DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-17140903569915632452011-06-19T13:05:45.146-07:002011-06-19T13:05:45.146-07:00Lol, I can see what you mean about the difference ...Lol, I can see what you mean about the difference in your reviewing - just comparing the Hush, Hush review a year ago is a massive contrast. That means good things for your writing though, right?<br /><br />On another note, this book sounds painful. Shame, I was actually thinking about checking it out - I like fairytale retellings, especially of the more obscure ones. Seriously, that whole pregnancy thing just sounds... ughhh.Phoebe Caulfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08365047754697332207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-90112914806453838882011-06-19T13:04:22.707-07:002011-06-19T13:04:22.707-07:00I'll honestly admit: when I started reading yo...I'll honestly admit: when I started reading your review, my first thought was: "Oooh, I really like this cover!". My second thought was: "A young would-be scientist living on a research station? A story set in the Arctic? With polar bears? This is shaping up to be my favourite YA ever." The synopsis reminded me of the Northern Lights (aka, The Golden Compass), and Lyra's friendship with the polar bears was very much a highlight of that book.<br /><br />Then I read the rest, and my third thought was "For the love of all that's good and holy - get this thing away from me!".<br /><br />So, all in all, thank you for writing this review - if not for your warning, I might have stumbled straight onto this landmine. Although the "if Cassie will agree to be his bride" bit did ring some alarm bells. Marriage should never become a subject of a bargain - especially when a loved one's life is concerned, unless the character proposing such a deal is supposed to be a villain or the situation is shown as all-around dramatic. Please, YA authors, get your collective head out of the Stone Age and quit painting men who force young girls into marriage and parenthood as sympathetic romantic leads, because you will not succeed. I don't care how many polar bears this book has - I'm not touching it with a twenty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.morri_delraenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-23826889522654692952011-06-18T18:42:02.097-07:002011-06-18T18:42:02.097-07:00As a woman who doesn't want children, this dis...As a woman who doesn't want children, this disgusts and horrifies me. Isn't she on birth control because she wants to NOT GIVE BIRTH RIGHT NOW? And so her feelings on the matter are clear: No, I don't want that. And yet the Polar Bear King apparently completely ignores her wishes on the matter.<br /><br />This is just horrible. I can't imagine having that kind of choice taken away from me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-19823999174469803902011-06-17T09:49:18.265-07:002011-06-17T09:49:18.265-07:00I remember liking the movie that this polar bear f...I remember liking the movie that this polar bear fairy tale was based on when I watched it as a child (can't remember the name of the film). However, this plot/romance/theme is incredibly icky and ugh. Why even go there? It reminds me of Breaking Dawn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-52824564751038227572011-06-17T01:52:50.088-07:002011-06-17T01:52:50.088-07:00I call the main characters of stories like this &q...I call the main characters of stories like this "Suitcase Women" - and all too often the suitcase is discarded once the baby is delivered.<br /><br />Oh, and pet niggle of mine - "piqued", not "peaked".Andreahttp://www.andreakhost.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-15065062773012134202011-06-16T16:35:33.535-07:002011-06-16T16:35:33.535-07:00I also did not care for this book. East of the Sun...I also did not care for this book. East of the Sun and West of the Moon is one of my favourite fairy tales. I enjoyed Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow - another retelling by Jessica Day George - much more.Ariana Ferronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14841820059012920347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-39268752922460422852011-06-16T15:59:04.203-07:002011-06-16T15:59:04.203-07:00Wow! Disappointing book. Hope your next discover...Wow! Disappointing book. Hope your next discovery has more going on than this one has.shethra77https://www.blogger.com/profile/03971554407279176971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374075192901571152.post-72648221851448970712011-06-16T15:28:03.723-07:002011-06-16T15:28:03.723-07:00I got slightly excited (well, I would have had I n...I got slightly excited (well, I would have had I not been following your tweets) when I saw "East of the Sun and West of the Moon", but I can tell from your description that I wouldn't have been able to like it any better than "one star" either if I had read it.<br /><br />I wouldn't even give it the "original source material is old" excuse. I recently tracked down and rewatched a film made in 1982 that was based on the same family of fairy tales and it had none of this "a woman is just a uterus" nonsense (it's called The Prince Beyond the Seven Seas and was still quite good on rewatch).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com