Monday 30 June 2014

Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent

I've never been very good with the word no.

This person is obviously not Canadian.

This first-person, singular, personal pronoun explains that it has trouble saying no and hearing no. As gripping as this little psychological sketch is, one can't help but think that its hidden purpose is to provide an easy transition to a scene - that this first-person, singular, personal pronoun is at a gate and has been refused entry. The pronoun's desire to pound in the guard's teeth further reveals character, in this case, the aggressive nature, illogical desires that defines us as humans. Of course, we tell ourselves that such violent thoughts and deeds are the exception - aren't really us - and that we are really fun-loving and angelically spiritual beings with souls that commune in the higher dimensions of pure reality and selfless love. When the world conspires against us, we have good reason to get pissed off, because we deserve so much better than what this measly world is offering.

However, this first-person, singular, personal pronoun overcomes the desire to beat someone up and takes a breath and counts to ten and tries again. But anger management fails and the pronoun must resort to violence just like Spiderman does here.

As soon as she's done kicking some butt, she realizes she is mistaken! She used the wrong name (you silly girl) when introducing herself. Oh, well, that's life. Too bad the guard has a broken nose, bloodied face, and a concussion, but, well, it's the mistakes that make all of us human. It's all part of the evolutionary process, so no need to apologize. Though after a closer reading of the text, I can't help but think she wanted to kick some butt as she says she had waited until there was only one guard before she introduced herself at the gate to avoid the snag of a second guard shooting her. Why would she wait for a guard to take a break when she was sure she didn't need an appointment and that these people would see her - unless she wanted to beat someone up? We may never know the answer as it got sucked into a plot hole the size of Rick Ross's toilet bowl.

A few pages later we start to learn why this pronoun is trying to meet someone, but not before we get some more violent back story of this character punching someone in the nose in kindergarten. The narrator goes on to say that in retrospect she overreacted, which suggests this person never learns, as the guard will gladly testify to.

Whoever this character is, they are annoyingly aggressive, pushing past or beating up every character in the opening pages, behavior that looks irrational, almost cartoonish and even garish. I personally don't believe it and without the believability factor, I can't get hooked. Plus, with such a character, I don't want to care. She sounds like a spoiled rotten child who is in desperate need of some spank therapy.

First thing said:

"Let's try this again."

The narrator is talking to herself.

I can't read past the first several pages. If anyone has read more and can verify that this annoying character is killed by page 8-9, let me know in the comments section, in which case, I will rush out, grab this book, gladly read on and savor her demise so as to redeem my faith in the human race.

Verdict: Fail

Sincerely,
Rudy Globird

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