Post by Charlynn on Dec 2, 2010 18:42:40 GMT -5
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Growing up, I remember just how much my teachers apparently adored this genre. In middle school, I think all the books we read could have fit into this category. As I sub now, I can see that this hasn't changed much. In fact, this is my third year as a substitute teacher, and not once have I been in a middle school English class where they have NOT been reading a Gary Paulsen book. Personally, I've never liked his novels, finding them geared more towards boys. So, when it came time for me to pick a book to read for this category, I searched for an action/adventure book which was geared more towards girls, curious to see if, first of all, they were any and, if there were, what they were about and how good they were.
I ended up picking up I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter. This book is a part of the popular Gallagher book series. In fact, it's the first in the series. In it, readers are introduced to Cammie Morgan, one of the 100 teenage girls who attend the prestigious Gallagher Academy. While the rest of the world think that it's an elite, expensive boarding school, the girls who actually go there know better. Rather, it's a school for spies, taught by former spies. Not only is Cammie a student there, but she's also the headmistress' only child, she's a descendant of spy royalty, and she's known as the chameleon, for she's already that good at blending into her scenery.
Sounds like a good premise, right? I thought so, too, but then I read the book, and I was extremely disappointed. Now, keep in mind that I am an Alias fan, and I am also a fan of the Jason Bourne series of books and movies, but I tried to divorce my mind from these works and absorb this one for what it was. The only problem was that it wasn't very much. The characters really aren't described. They're generic. I couldn't even tell you what color of hair Cammie has. As for the action itself, it was elementary. As someone who has read about and watched shows that featured spies in the past, I'm pretty sure my knowledge is far broader on the subject than Carter's. After reading the final page of the story, I came away with the impression that the author did absolutely no research. What's more, as the characters were experiencing these moments of action, there was no further description. What did it feel like to use a zip line? What did it feel like to take down a man far bigger than one's self, and, for that matter, how exactly did these teenager girls accomplish such feats? Needless to say, I was very disappointed. As for the other characters besides Cammie: there was a genius, a rebel, and a brat who eventually turned into a friend once the girls got to know her better. And there was a boy who possessed not a single remarkable, memorable characteristic. On all fronts, I felt cheated by I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. I really do think that it has a promising premise, but the follow through was terrible.
Growing up, I remember just how much my teachers apparently adored this genre. In middle school, I think all the books we read could have fit into this category. As I sub now, I can see that this hasn't changed much. In fact, this is my third year as a substitute teacher, and not once have I been in a middle school English class where they have NOT been reading a Gary Paulsen book. Personally, I've never liked his novels, finding them geared more towards boys. So, when it came time for me to pick a book to read for this category, I searched for an action/adventure book which was geared more towards girls, curious to see if, first of all, they were any and, if there were, what they were about and how good they were.
I ended up picking up I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter. This book is a part of the popular Gallagher book series. In fact, it's the first in the series. In it, readers are introduced to Cammie Morgan, one of the 100 teenage girls who attend the prestigious Gallagher Academy. While the rest of the world think that it's an elite, expensive boarding school, the girls who actually go there know better. Rather, it's a school for spies, taught by former spies. Not only is Cammie a student there, but she's also the headmistress' only child, she's a descendant of spy royalty, and she's known as the chameleon, for she's already that good at blending into her scenery.
Sounds like a good premise, right? I thought so, too, but then I read the book, and I was extremely disappointed. Now, keep in mind that I am an Alias fan, and I am also a fan of the Jason Bourne series of books and movies, but I tried to divorce my mind from these works and absorb this one for what it was. The only problem was that it wasn't very much. The characters really aren't described. They're generic. I couldn't even tell you what color of hair Cammie has. As for the action itself, it was elementary. As someone who has read about and watched shows that featured spies in the past, I'm pretty sure my knowledge is far broader on the subject than Carter's. After reading the final page of the story, I came away with the impression that the author did absolutely no research. What's more, as the characters were experiencing these moments of action, there was no further description. What did it feel like to use a zip line? What did it feel like to take down a man far bigger than one's self, and, for that matter, how exactly did these teenager girls accomplish such feats? Needless to say, I was very disappointed. As for the other characters besides Cammie: there was a genius, a rebel, and a brat who eventually turned into a friend once the girls got to know her better. And there was a boy who possessed not a single remarkable, memorable characteristic. On all fronts, I felt cheated by I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. I really do think that it has a promising premise, but the follow through was terrible.