A Spoiler Free Bit About The Book
David, a runaway from Cardiff desperately trying to find his way in the world stumbles across Heaven, a girl who's heart has just been cut out. Together they must discover what is really going on with Heaven and the man pursuing her, trying to finish what he started.
My Review
At the beginning, I really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to read big chunks of it at once as the information was given in such a way that I could take it in. However, as I read on, I got increasingly more bored of the characters and their plot line and didn't really want to pick the book up. Once I did, I read quite a lot but I didn't feel motivated to pick it up. It was also way too long. It felt like it took me forever to read. I would just look at my bookshelf and all the wonderful books there waiting to be read but I was stuck with 'Heaven'.
Saying this, however, it was a great decision to have David as the narrator rather than Heaven because it made it much more mysterious, even though the book was really about her. It makes a change from all the female protagonists I've read about recently.
There was also a line I loved that I feel was put there solely for other authors to read: "he'd never known how the stories would end when he began them - but who did?".
However, to counter this, there was the most redundant sentence I've ever read: "Then, after a pause that was neither long nor short". I mean, what is the point of that? What's wrong with just saying "Then, after a pause"? Or maybe just take the sentence out all together. I just wasted valuable seconds of my life on that sentence. More so in fact because I had to share it with my house it was so ridiculous and now I'm sharing it with you.
I haven't had this problem for a long time but there were also far too many adverbs all over the place. E.g. "she asked bluntly" which was a completely superfluous phrase as the dialogue made it very clear she was being blunt. I just cannot get over how many published authors get away with using so many pointless adverbs. It drives me mad.
Another problem I had with 'Heaven' which I've never had before was the information about London streets. Every time David moved from street to street we were told about it. Which street he was on, which way he turned, which tube station he was in and which tube station he ended up at and on which line. It was far too much. And the descriptions of London seemed to go on forever. There were three separate descriptions of Canary Wharf even though I know exactly what it looks like. I looked it up and it turns out that Marzi is German which explain all the description but the street names, really? Does it matter where he is and where he's turning. No. It does not.
There was nothing particularly special about this story or the writing itself. Nothing about it took my breath away.
Evaluation
Plot - 7/10 - It was a bit weird
Way Plot Was Pursued - 7/10 - the chapters were too long and the explanation took a long time coming
Characters - 7/10 - I grew bored of them and didn't care about what happened to them
Style - 6/10 - there were a few nice phrases in there
Pace - 6/10 - the whole thing lasted too long
Would I recommend it? - No. There was nothing special about this book at all.
Would I look up the author? -No, for the same reason.
'Heaven' was just too long and non-spectacular.
Molly Looby
Author / Editor / Ghostwriter / Blogger / Reviewer / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready
Contact me about books, writing, and all things awesome here: molly.looby@hotmail.com
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