Krazykiwi @ Kiwitopia

Blegh. Godawful book and I'm only a couple of chapters in and going to DNF this. Even this far in it's stereotype central, all wrapped up in some insta-googly eyes and tied off with a plot-inconsistency bow. 

I'm just gonna mostly quote chunks:

On page 1:

"Caitlin couldn't understand why she was so conspicuous. At five foot five she wasn't especially tall, and with her brown hair and brown eyes (and normal weight) she felt she was average. [...]

 

There was something else. There was something about her that made people look twice. She knew, deep down, that she was different. But she wasn't exactly sure how."

 

Right. Average, but special. Missing dad, mean abusive mum, sweet little brother, moved around a lot. Poor special little Kaitlin.

Followed by "let's tick some politically correct boxes" on the next page:

"[...] she felt alone. Not because she was the only white girl--she actually preferred that. Some of her closest friends at other schools had been black, Spanish, Asian, Indian--and some of her meanest frenemies had been white."

Because yes, she is the only white girl in this New York high school. Not that she's special or anything though, just you know, different.

By another page in, she's saved from the horrific dilemma of not having a chair to sit on in the classroom by a boy.

"She tried not to look up into his eyes--large, glowing green eyes--but she couldn't help it. He was gorgeous. He had smooth, olive skin--she couldn't tell if he was Black, Spanish, White or some combination--but she had never seen such smooth and soft skin, complimenting (sic) a chiseled jaw lline. His hair was short and brown, and he was thin. There was something about him, something so out of place here. He seemed fragile. An artist maybe."

Luckily we find out right away he's in fact all of Black, Spanish and White. I mean, Hispanic. I expect the author did too. And he plays the viola. 

So by another chapter in, she runs into a street fight where mister glowy eyes is getting his viola smashed in, and lures his attackers away. As an 18 year old girl alone on a New York street in the middle of a fight obviously would. Straight into a blind alley - where she discovers she has a super power, and is naturally freaked out. At this point, I started to get a bit interested. Discovering that when you get angry enough you can Black Canary people hurting you and knock them down like bowling pins would freak anyone out.  

Anyway, then she goes home. Doesn't go see if the boy she just rescued is alive, seeing as she left him unconscious on the ground around the corner. She goes home, to feel sorry for herself, and to think about things. Oh poor Caitlin, what was that freaky thing that happened? Oh yes, could it possibly be the exact same thing that happened already three years ago? 

I gave up about half a chapter further in. And yes, I think I spent longer on this review than I did reading it, I don't care :)

Idiot "heroine", lazy writing, this crap is why I don't read YA. And every single time I pick up one thinking, well the blurb is cute, maybe this one will be different... it wasn't.