Die Erfindung Der Violet Adams (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
No. Just, no. This book was a conglomeration of blegh. Apologies now, because I'm about to go on a rant. Also, as a disclaimer, this review is being written several months after actually reading the book. I was looking through Goodreads' recommendations for me just now and saw this recommended. I then came back here and looked at all the glowing reviews and had to at least add my opinion to the mix so that like-minded people would be forewarned. Beginning of rant:I actually really liked the premise of the book. Steampunk is a fun genre and the concealing gender plot line is one of the scenarios that just plain amuses me. Plus: smart girl character, making inventions! All in all, it sounded pretty spiffy to me. I was wrong. Execution makes or breaks a book, and this one broke into a million different pieces. If I had to distill it into one element that most exasperated me, it would be that the author would not let ANYTHING be written between the lines. It seemed that they felt that everything had to be spelled out. Part of the fun/interest and engaging part of a book is figuring out people's motivations. It's not like they have to be *hard* to figure out- I'm usually not planning on needing to bring out a notepad and analyze the book. I would simply (greatly) appreciate it if the author thought that I was capable of suspecting that a character was confused/angry/happy/in love/crazed/etc without having every single thing spelled out. You would finish a paragraph, and think "I bet this character was mildly bewildered by--" and your brain would cut off, because the author would change viewpoints and start narrating that character's thoughts. It was supremely irritating.Also, the main character is able to do insane inventing things. Like invent a machine of perpetual motion/energy. You know, that machine that your physics teacher used as an illustrative example of something that could never exist because the laws of physics just don't work like that? Yeah, that one. And, yeah, I know, this is a fantasy book and suspension of disbelief and all. But it just hurt my brain so much. So much. Maybe because the book was busy telling me (and not showing me) about every motivation of each character, my brain needed to occupy itself by dissecting the horrible horrible science. Hey, I was able to mildly suspend my disbelief that when you transplant a voice box from a parrot into a rabbit, it would vocalize the same vulgarities as said parrot...without the brain from the parrot....ok, I lied. Suspension of belief level not obtained. Ugh. This all is layman's knowledge- can't make energy endlessly from nowhere, knowledge isn't transplanted with vocal cords, etc. Maybe that's why it bugged me so much? By the way? The evil character? Is evil. In a multitude of different ways. Think that there might be a twist? Nope. None. ...Sorry, this was a side note, and it probably shouldn't bother me. I rather suspect that,by the time I read to the end, I was just looking for things to cause me to dislike the book even more because I was so irritated over all. In short, usually I forget books I disliked. However, this book seemed to assume I was an idiot. It's rather sad to get mad at a book for insulting you when it meant no harm and only wanted to tell me a story, but I'm taking umbrage. It was too irritating not to. First, I would NOT consider this as YA! Its many different subject matter definitely leans far more towards adult, even though the characters are mostly aged somewhere between 15/16 to early twenties. I would say this is more appropriate for 18 and older. Just my opinion.Second, your knowledge of reality must be suspended and take this tale as a journey into the fiction of fantasy/sci-fi. I am torn in my opinion. In some ways this was brilliant! In other ways it was cringe inducing. Then yet, some other ways it was yucky or mushy or too simplified. And again, it would be hilarious and made me laugh, snicker, or grin. This tale was all over the board, trying to please everyone, I am as yet unsure if it succeeded in really "pleasing" anyone. I found myself thinking about it quite often while I was away from the book. The end seemed too simplified, to easy after all the previous intensity. I give this 3.5 stars.Rights of all kinds - women, race, youth, age, religion, intelligence, family, gay, station, the list goes on. Wondrous - marvelous steampunk in all it's magnificent clockwork automaton glory. Mystery, Science fiction, horror, romance, drama, silliness, friendship, identity, family, right vs. wrong, blackmail, drinking, pubs, flying ferrets, chopped off buttock, Victorian era, trains, school, Christmas, loyalty, chemical warfare and last but not least... one horribly foul mouthed rabbit. I think there is nearly every type of subject addressed in some way within this story.
What do You think about Die Erfindung Der Violet Adams (2012)?
This story wasn't quite what I expected...it was better!
—Pandaaa
Delicious!Sincerely hope Lev AC Rosen is prolific.
—cramerjm85
