Sunday, January 10, 2010

Review: Swoon, Nina Malkin

The publisher's blurb is too perfect. I must use it rather than write my own summary:

Sin is coming... Prepare to Swoon.

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree, and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him—but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking. Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent—and irresistible—adversary, before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.

Just when I think I'm done with paranormal romance--the predictability, the frakking love triangles, the paper doll heroines--up pops a book that takes my breath away. What is that past tense of "swoon"? I'm swun. Totally floored. Floating away on a fluffy white cloud.

Unconventional heroes are a risky business. I felt no love or sympathy for Nick of The Demon's Lexicon fame. Micah raised my hackles--though in the end I did find Liar to be an interesting read. I admit to favouring righteous, upstanding but charmingly flawed protagonists. Rather vanilla of me, right? I should get out more. But Dice is flawed all right. She treads the line between flawed and downright reprehensible through every chapter of Swoon, and I lapped it up. Nina Malkin charmed the socks off me. Swoon is told in Dice's rhythmic, luscious and unpretentious manner. She levels with you. She doesn't sugar coat anything or ask for your approval. Sinclair Youngblood Powers has made her go a bit nutty. Which is perfectly understandable as I went a bit nutty for him too.

Some people are just going to hate, Dice. I've never seen so many one-starred reviews for a popular 2009 YA book on Goodreads; so many "did not finish" tags. Swoon is also rather racy, something I don't mind at all when it's part of the story and written well. Malkin writes it very, very well. Hats off to anyone who can write about sex and lust in a way that isn't clinical, cringe-worthy or dull--and still suitable for a teenage audience. Racy it is, graphic it is not.

Then there's Sinclair himself. Sin. Lets get the frivilous part out of the way first. He's described as tall, broad, half Caucasian and half Native American. I'm not on Team Jacob but I was picturing Taylor Lautner post-steroid binge the whole time. Hawt. But what makes him fascinating throughout Swoon is being unable to tell whether he's good or evil, or whether to believe a word he says. Dice, the smitten kitten, is inclined to trust him almost to a ridiculous degree. But Malkin keeps her characters on the side of believability and reels Dice back each time she strays too far into dumb-lovestruck-heroine territory.

But this book isn't called "Sin" or "Dice". It's called Swoon, and the town of Swoon is just as important as the protagonists. Many of the families who lived in the town and that were responsible for Sin's lynching (or at least, what amounts to a lynching--the trial was hardly fair) are still living in Swoon, and it's them he wants to exact his revenge on. He wants them to shed their polite, guarded exterior and expose their true nature: cheating wives, abusive fathers, repressed sexuality. There's that delightful ambiguity again: is it revenge, or is it liberation?

Swoon is a very touching tale in the end--though some of you seem to have trouble getting that far. If you can lose yourself in Malkin's lively prose, fasinating plot and wicked sense of fun, you'll have a ball. I loved this book.

26 comments:

  1. This is the best Swoon review I've read yet! It really does sound excellent, and I'm liking the sound of Sin. And Dice, actually. What cool names!

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  2. I keep changing my mind about whether I want to read this one. Having read your review, I think I should - just so I'll know one way or the other. You've basically reinforced everything I thought I'd like about it, despite the fact that someone else recently reinforced everything I thought I wouldn't like. Confused, moi? Very. Which suggests this book is challenging... which is a good thing.

    Plus, 'floating away on a fluffy white cloud'? Now *that* sells me on it.

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  3. Wowza, this one hasn't even been a blip in my radar till now. Sounds like one of those books that everyone hates until ten years later...like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Except I'm assuming there are no alien transvestites?

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  4. That's it. Next time I go to the library, I am tracking down a copy of this. Thanks for the amazing review :)

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  5. I've got this book out of the library right now, I read all the yucky reviews too but am still intrigued. Thanks for motivating me to get started reading it!

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  6. I actually like Dice as a main character-I had to put the book down because other books lured me away but from what I remember, I reaaaally hated Pen. She was so, so, so.... witchy. (just switch the w with a b...)

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  7. I have this coming in from the library soon- I was a little put off by all the bad reviews this got, but your review just got my hopes back up!

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  8. Prophecy girl--Very cool names! Everyone had one-syllable names. Apparently that's preppy...?

    Lauren--I hope you love it just as much as me!

    Dannie--Just the one, hehe

    Lea--I hope you like it!

    Emily--Awesome pic!! "Keep calm and have a cupcake". Gold!

    Pirate Penguin--I'm glad you like Dice. Pen was off the wall. The bit where she gleefully tells Dice...you know...about halfway through the book? CRUSHING.

    Lily--So many bad reviews! I can't believe it. Hope you like it.

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  9. I am definitely in the one star category. I couldn't have hated this book more if I tried. Personally I have to say the scene in the maze for my mind was graphic and highly disturbing. I cannot fault the quality of your review. Your points are well-argued, I just happen to whole-heartedly disagree.

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  10. I'm upto page 200 and summat of the book and I am loving it.....had to stop to read some review books, but I can't wait to finish it!! Amazing Review

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  11. See, I knew we were kindred book spirits!! Swoon was one of my absolute favorites last year and I was a little sad that so many people hated it...

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  12. Such a lot to read in this blog - great! And what a huge blogroll - how do you have time for any writing??!

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  13. Swoon sounds like a great read. I'm going to get this one. Thanks!

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  14. Great books! I'm listening to Life as we Knew it right now! Enjoy your books ;D

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  15. I've read so many reviews on this book. It seems that half love it, and the other half hate it. Well, there's a 50/50 chance I'll like it then. Maybe I should just read it.. LOL
    Great review. Glad I found your blog. :)

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  16. Becky--The maze the maze...all I seem to remember from the maze is Dice singing the blues...Oh no that was the hay ride in chapter 26. Oh the spanking! Yes it was a bit wrong doing it in front of Pen and her little brothers, but it was kinda in character for Sin. And the thing is ***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** SPOILERS*** it's a doomed romance--therefore lines must be crossed in order for us not to be disappointed about there not being a happily ever after ending. Well, that's how I see it anyway.

    LovesSam--Hope you like the rest!

    Lenore--*high five*

    Nicola--I wonder that myself...

    Theresa--I hope you like it!

    Sab--LAWKI is SO freaking good. I'm not sure if Dead and the Gone will match its awesomeness. We'll see...

    Brianne--Do try it, and thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Sounds like it could be a very interesting book. It is interesting what images descriptions conjure for us sometimes.

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  18. Well that certainly is a good point. But I guess that says everything about me as both a reader and a person. I am all about the happy endings. LOL

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  19. I know I want to read this book, just to see what I think (and to compare against the reviews I've seen in the blogosphere). I'm not sure I can automatically assume I'll love it, like I normally do with your favorites...after all, I hearted Nick from The Demon's Lexicon like, whoa. BUT. I'm going to give it a try, just as soon as I acquire a library card in my new city. Great review!

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  20. Cassandra--I hope you give it a try!

    Becky--Up until recently I was all about the happy endings too. Especially as a teen I could be sorely disappointed if there wasn't a happy ending when I expected/longed for one. I will admit feeling a twinge of unhappiness when I got to the end of this one, but I was glad too for the way things turned out.

    Celia--Yeah, I think I'm the only one who was immune to Nick! I'm not sure why. Let me know what you think when you do pick this up.

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  21. For a book that people seem to be hating, you really have a lot of great things to say about this book.
    Very cool that he managed to do racy without being too graphic. That seems like a feat next to impossible to accomplish. The relationship between Sin and Dice sounds exceedingly intriguing. I kinda feel like I might be on your side with this book, but I guess we won't know until I read it.

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  22. I've been putting this one off because of all the negative things I've heard, but I think I'm going to read it. The unconventional character comment was what did it, because I like unconventional, something that's going to push me a bit.
    Great review. :)

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  23. Great review!! I'm so glad someone else loved this book like I did! I leant it to a friend but she just couldn't get into it, and was constantly asking questions. I think it's one of those books you have to pay attention to as you read it, otherwise it will lose you.

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  24. Thanks for your review! I received Swoon this week and I'm really eager to read it! =D

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  25. OMG I am less than 50 pages away from the ending and it has taken me so long to read this book. Which only happens when I come across something I simply find boring. I'm sorry to say this because I've read how some people here are encouraged to read this book, but that's just my opinion. There might be many who might love this book. I just seriously do not like it, I read the summary at the book store which is why I bought it and wish I hadn't.

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  26. I've read Swoon a couple times and I genuinely do enjoy the book. The characters are unconventional, to an extent, and yet more realistic than the likes of Bella Swan and other similar heroines in teen fiction, and the plot line is both fantastical and realistic. People may balk at the drug references and sexuality but, fact of the matter is, that's what a lot of 16-year-olds are doing these days and how can you say you're an avid reader when you can't open your mind?
    I think everyone should definitely try it out. :)

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