Third (and Final) Impressions: Perfect Fifths

The senryu section wasn't that bad. All in all, the rest of the book went all right. Pleasurably. Except:

There's a graphic shower scene. One that feels like it belongs more in the fan-fic of Jessica and Marcus than in one of the actual books. I was blushing. And I'm not a school girl.

Its more like my complaint about the third person and senryus: the other books weren't like this. And Jessica Darling said that writing about sex made her feel kinda skeezy, so details were few.

This is the world I had settled into. I was not prepared for a masturbatory scene in a shower. Where he "rubs the shaft of his cock" while lathering with liquid soap. Its not like I don't read sex scenes frequently in books; I just wasn't ready for this one. Despite the fact that its one of the 10 Things You Need To Know About Perfect Fifths. The warning "Four Words: Marcus Flutie shower scene" were not enough.

I did like how Marcus did acknowledge Jessica's judginess. This wasn't something I had noticed when I first read Sloppy Firsts or Second Helpings. But she started to wear on me. Its a little like the character in Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep: she holds herself apart from everyone, judging everyone, and playing herself as the victim.

And now what, Megan McCafferty? This is what you're known for. Are you going to create a new character? Write other books?

First Impressions and Second Impressions: Perfect Fifths

It had become a ritual for this week, even though I had been told that all the fiction totes had been gone through and no, no Perfect Fifths. I know to disregard this, so on Thursday, I saw they were listed in our computer. Three copies.

And by Saturday, they were shelved. I pulled one off the shelf for myself.

It is a slight book. Not that the others were big and fat, but they were substantial. This combined with the knowledge that 70-some pages are dialogue and then there is about a thousand senryus, well, there just isn't much story left, is there? Worryingly slight as a book. As a conclusion, its slim.

It sat behind me throughout work. I couldn't bear to read it at work. That isn't what it deserves. Plus, I was still finishing Bliss by Lauren Myracle (plus the downer ending).

I read a few pages on the bus home, and then this morning. I am through the third person portion, and through all the dialogue. Much better than the third and fourth books. Maybe the problem in those was Marcus was too far away? But I am most skeptical of this poetry, mostly because I am invested in prose. I do not write poetry. I am bad at understanding poetry. Why oh why would someone change their writing style for the fifth (and final) installment of a series?

Writers Note: I was originally going to write this post last night, sans the parts that I'd read, because I hadn't read them yet. So this is two posts that had been planned in my head: first impressions in the bookstore, then impressions midway through.

Where is Perfect Fifths?

A week away and its not even in the store yet. Bad sign? What if my bookstore doesn't even carry it?

(Usually books arrive the Tuesday before they come out, or exactly one week before.)

Perfect Fifths: I'm still freaked out

I'm subscribed to Megan McCafferty's blog and to lead up to the release of Perfect Fifths, she's been running "10 Things You Need To Know" about it.

I wrote about this ages ago. I loved Sloppy Firsts and Charmed Seconds. Loved it. Read them each at least ten times. Charmed Thirds, however, was mediocre. And until I reread it, I wasn't really sure what Fourth Comings had been about.

The release date draws near. I haven't seen any copies around the store yet. I just want to look at it, to reassure myself. The only way I can think that this will be good is that the two bad books have one thing in common: no Marcus. For some reason, writing Jessica Darling without Marcus (and subsequently reading her) is laborious. So maybe it will actually be good.

But I'm a little scared. Like, 74 pages of CONVERSATION? Fifty-six Senryus??????? None of the other books are written this way. Let's take an example from Twilight series: Meyer changed the way the fourth book was written, and for that and other reasons, the fan base is deeply divided.

Anyway. The waiting continues.

More bad news on the Perfect Fifths front

Okay, so I know I'm harping, but this is only because I loved this series in high school.

Megan McCafferty has changed the loved format of her books from journal entry. Behold:

Fans were shocked when McCafferty read the third-person opening of "Perfect Fifths," since the other novels in the series are written as journal entries. According to McCafferty, two sections of the novel are written in third-person, one in verse and one completely in dialogue.

Shocked and saddened? Maybe I should let fate decide this one. After all, despite all the press it is getting, it isn't due out until April 2009.