So, I wrote up this review a good year or two ago I think... and for some reason it never got posted. I don't know what I was waiting for but I came across it today and thought that, I don't know, maybe it should be posted? :P SOOO my huge apologies to the author and the blog whom I won it from. This was supposed to be posted a LONG time ago. But here it is now! I hope you all enjoy it. It was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it! Yay!
Book Review:
Title: Relations that Suck: The Story of Eva and Dries
Author: Marilyn Yu
Published: August 2009 by Art and Lenny
Stars: 5 Stars
Goodreads Summary:
Relations that Suck: The Story of Eva and Dries is a fable about friendship and destiny. Eva is a creative vampire who likes people and Dries is a traveling spider; their story portrays denial and guilt.
DeLibrarie (Nic) Review:
I really enjoyed this book. At first I felt like I was just reading a picture book (a really good picture book mind you) but as I got more into it, I realized that the pictures are so much more than just pictures to go along with the story; they are unique pieces of art that create the story on their own by coming together. Each picture is so intriguing and different, with different models, backgrounds, and styles, that it made me eager to see what was on the next page.
The story itself was also incredibly well done in that it was short and sweet but moving and deep. It addresses subjects like guilt and loneliness and friendship and desire and life and several other things. The end is so heartbreaking yet meaningful and necessary that it makes you re-think life and what you (should) hold dear. It also makes me look at all of these teen vampire books coming out and how not many of them address some of these vital issues which Yu brings up and deals with beautifully; or at least gives us a view into what issues a vampire might have. If I were alive for that long, I would be having the same problems and I don't know what I would do if I were in that situation. The story is fairly simple but the connotations within are intrinsic to our own lives, even though the situation is so foreign to our own. I've read books that are longer than this yet have no meaning or are unbelievable. This book was believable and realistic and creative.
All in all, I thought that this book was surprisingly (and pleasantly) deeper than I was expecting and beautifully done. I truly enjoyed it and I'm so thankful I won it because it is a unique treasure. Now, it wasn't the longest or incredibly in-depth story I've ever read, and yet it works just as it is... It doesn't need a lot of detail. It would actually be a bit boring if this were in too much detail simply because a lot of time is spent in bed staring at the ceiling etc. But I still felt like there could have been a little more... I don't know what, but just something. Maybe more talk about why she didn't want to be a vampire anymore and why Dries does what he does in the end and just overall more explanations. I realize that Yu's style (from what I understand of it) is generally meant, in all her creations, to make the reader think about life and the story and their own selves etc... and I got that, it made me do that with myself, but I still got attached to the characters and wanted to know a bit more about their story and why the things that happened to them happened. But seriously, go check it out. Especially if you're into vampires. But if you're not, it's still a unique view on life and what it means to be alive so check it out! Give it a chance :) It's not your average type of story, but it's a good one. I totally recommend it.
