"Hauntings" Review
Jan. 15th, 2003 05:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serafina20My review of the Smallville novel Hauntings. It starts out with vague stuff (mostly characterization, etc) but get's very spoilery at the end.
Hmmm. I'm trying to remember if there's a COTW titled "Hauntings." If there is, it's not my best title, but then, none of the titles I come up with are very good. That's why I rely on my betas to do it for me.
Ok, so Hauntings is written by Nancy Holder, which means nothing to me except I know she wrote Angel novels. I own one, and I've never gotten through it because it was bad. However, anything has to be better than Dragon, so I wasn't too worried.
And it was better than Dragon. The characterization was pretty much dead on. Lex never called Clark "buddy," "tiger," or "champ." He never called Clark "angel," "baby," or "lover" either, but what can you do? Whitney didn't appear much in the book, but when he did, it felt like Whitney. He wasn't thuggish, unnecessarily cruel, or out of control depressed. He was what he was on the show: a teenage guy who has a lot to deal with.
The plot was interesting. A scientist and her daughter move into a haunted house. The gang at school then tries to solve the mystery. It was very Buffy-esk, but it worked. The pacing was nice and I was interested to see where it was going. Plus, there was a character named Joel. I like that name; Joel isn't my favorite prophet, but his book in the Bible fits very well with one of the novels I'm trying to write.
I also liked the character of Ginger. As with most outsiders, she noticed right away that Clark is the most beautiful person on the planet. I like that Lex was trying to subtly set them up (even though it conflicts with the Ho!yay unless you figure that Lex wants Clark to get his heterosexual kicks before committing to him). I'd almost like to see that on the show were Lex tries to wean Clark off Lana by throwing him at other girls. And it would still be slashy.
The only thing I didn't like about Ginger is how much she cried. Not that she didn't deserve to cry that much. After all, her father was killed in an accident, and her emotionally distant mother thought she'd killed him. However, Ginger cried in almost every chapter so the emotional effect of the confrontation between her and her mother in the middle of the book was weakened. I didn't *feel* it as much as I think I would have. However, I still thought it was a good scene.
There were a few slashy scenes between Clark and Lex. Clark got to drive Lex's car, which is always nice. During one scene, Clark got sick and Lex made Clark his priority even though he was dying to see what else was going on. I'm tempted to rewrite the book including slash, but I won't.
I don't understand why Clark keeps losing his powers in the novels. He did in this (sort of), he did in Dragon. I can't remember if he did in Strange Visitors, though. I wonder if it's a mandate from the publishers/creators, or if it's the only way the authors can think of to create tension.
I found it odd that Chloe was so anti-Lex. It wasn't as blatant as Pete in the show in S1 when it was revealed, but it was there.
Favorite line: She'd always been smart, and it was both her blessing and her curse, because it meant anything that she did had to mean something.
I liked that line because I had that same thought when I was in high school. I thought I was going to be an actress or teacher, and it occurred to me that I might be wasting my intelligence and not 'fulfilling my potential.' I felt guilty. Later, I realized that teaching and writing would "mean" something, but I still feel that way when people hear I'm going to be "just a teacher." Then I realize that they're dumb.
Ahem... anyway. The ending was a little abrupt and hasty. A lot when on, but little was explained. For example, the people who were trapped in the field were killed well before he meteor shower, yet the rocks played a bit part. How did Ginger's dad get trapped? If Hiram was so evil, why wasn't he a mass murderer instead of a politician who didn't seem all that bad? *shrug* Ok, so there was a lot wrong with the end, but I still enjoyed the book because all the characterization stuff felt right. I still think that the teen books are better, but this book wasn't a waste of time. Not like Dragon was.
So, overall I was pleased with Hauntings. It was well written and enjoyable.
Oh, and "Dreamwatcher" magazine said that Strange Visitors was sub par but Dragon was excellent. And that it was obvious that the author had the characters down. Of course, in the same issue, they said that Michael Rosenbaum was playing a "teenage Lex Luthor" on Smallville, so obviously the magazine is run by dumbf*cks. But I'll still buy the issue. ;)
And a theory on the whole Helen thing in Smallville.
I think that Lionel set the whole thing up. He can't not know that Lex is having him followed; I refuse to believe he doesn't know. I'm not srue if he set up the pictures of him and Victoria, but I'm sure he deliberatly met with Helen in a public place where he could be seen. He knows his son, so Lionel knew that if Lex found out, he would jump to conclusions and break up with Helen before she got a chance to explain. That's why he still wired the money to her account: he knew that Lex would check and come to the conclusion that she was working for him.
Now, I'm not quite sure why he'd do this. Someone on Lexslash suggested it was to teach Lex that women (well, no one) can't be trusted. I think it's either that, or Lionel is finally getting Lex back in his power, and is afraid that if Lex falls in love with a woman not out of Lex's money or prestige, Lionel will lose him. I'm interested to see where it goes. I just wish the whole arc had been executed better.
Hmmm. I'm trying to remember if there's a COTW titled "Hauntings." If there is, it's not my best title, but then, none of the titles I come up with are very good. That's why I rely on my betas to do it for me.
Ok, so Hauntings is written by Nancy Holder, which means nothing to me except I know she wrote Angel novels. I own one, and I've never gotten through it because it was bad. However, anything has to be better than Dragon, so I wasn't too worried.
And it was better than Dragon. The characterization was pretty much dead on. Lex never called Clark "buddy," "tiger," or "champ." He never called Clark "angel," "baby," or "lover" either, but what can you do? Whitney didn't appear much in the book, but when he did, it felt like Whitney. He wasn't thuggish, unnecessarily cruel, or out of control depressed. He was what he was on the show: a teenage guy who has a lot to deal with.
The plot was interesting. A scientist and her daughter move into a haunted house. The gang at school then tries to solve the mystery. It was very Buffy-esk, but it worked. The pacing was nice and I was interested to see where it was going. Plus, there was a character named Joel. I like that name; Joel isn't my favorite prophet, but his book in the Bible fits very well with one of the novels I'm trying to write.
I also liked the character of Ginger. As with most outsiders, she noticed right away that Clark is the most beautiful person on the planet. I like that Lex was trying to subtly set them up (even though it conflicts with the Ho!yay unless you figure that Lex wants Clark to get his heterosexual kicks before committing to him). I'd almost like to see that on the show were Lex tries to wean Clark off Lana by throwing him at other girls. And it would still be slashy.
The only thing I didn't like about Ginger is how much she cried. Not that she didn't deserve to cry that much. After all, her father was killed in an accident, and her emotionally distant mother thought she'd killed him. However, Ginger cried in almost every chapter so the emotional effect of the confrontation between her and her mother in the middle of the book was weakened. I didn't *feel* it as much as I think I would have. However, I still thought it was a good scene.
There were a few slashy scenes between Clark and Lex. Clark got to drive Lex's car, which is always nice. During one scene, Clark got sick and Lex made Clark his priority even though he was dying to see what else was going on. I'm tempted to rewrite the book including slash, but I won't.
I don't understand why Clark keeps losing his powers in the novels. He did in this (sort of), he did in Dragon. I can't remember if he did in Strange Visitors, though. I wonder if it's a mandate from the publishers/creators, or if it's the only way the authors can think of to create tension.
I found it odd that Chloe was so anti-Lex. It wasn't as blatant as Pete in the show in S1 when it was revealed, but it was there.
Favorite line: She'd always been smart, and it was both her blessing and her curse, because it meant anything that she did had to mean something.
I liked that line because I had that same thought when I was in high school. I thought I was going to be an actress or teacher, and it occurred to me that I might be wasting my intelligence and not 'fulfilling my potential.' I felt guilty. Later, I realized that teaching and writing would "mean" something, but I still feel that way when people hear I'm going to be "just a teacher." Then I realize that they're dumb.
Ahem... anyway. The ending was a little abrupt and hasty. A lot when on, but little was explained. For example, the people who were trapped in the field were killed well before he meteor shower, yet the rocks played a bit part. How did Ginger's dad get trapped? If Hiram was so evil, why wasn't he a mass murderer instead of a politician who didn't seem all that bad? *shrug* Ok, so there was a lot wrong with the end, but I still enjoyed the book because all the characterization stuff felt right. I still think that the teen books are better, but this book wasn't a waste of time. Not like Dragon was.
So, overall I was pleased with Hauntings. It was well written and enjoyable.
Oh, and "Dreamwatcher" magazine said that Strange Visitors was sub par but Dragon was excellent. And that it was obvious that the author had the characters down. Of course, in the same issue, they said that Michael Rosenbaum was playing a "teenage Lex Luthor" on Smallville, so obviously the magazine is run by dumbf*cks. But I'll still buy the issue. ;)
And a theory on the whole Helen thing in Smallville.
I think that Lionel set the whole thing up. He can't not know that Lex is having him followed; I refuse to believe he doesn't know. I'm not srue if he set up the pictures of him and Victoria, but I'm sure he deliberatly met with Helen in a public place where he could be seen. He knows his son, so Lionel knew that if Lex found out, he would jump to conclusions and break up with Helen before she got a chance to explain. That's why he still wired the money to her account: he knew that Lex would check and come to the conclusion that she was working for him.
Now, I'm not quite sure why he'd do this. Someone on Lexslash suggested it was to teach Lex that women (well, no one) can't be trusted. I think it's either that, or Lionel is finally getting Lex back in his power, and is afraid that if Lex falls in love with a woman not out of Lex's money or prestige, Lionel will lose him. I'm interested to see where it goes. I just wish the whole arc had been executed better.
