Book Review: Not If I Save You First
Jun. 29th, 2019 08:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerAlly Carter’s Not If I Save You First is a glorious iddy delight. THERE IS ACTUAL SNUGGLING FOR WARMTH IN THESE BOOKS. Also characters saving each other’s lives MULTIPLE times, wilderness survival in fast-deteriorating weather conditions, and a bedazzled hatchet, although sadly Maddie was not carrying said hatchet on the day that she and the President’s son Logan got kidnapped, so she doesn’t get to use it.
(Quick backstory: Maddie and Logan were best friends when Maddie’s father was the head of Logan’s father’s Secret Service detail. But after Maddie’s father nearly died foiling the attempted kidnapping of Logan’s mother, he and Maddie moved to a cabin in the wilds of Alaska with no internet or phone or even any human beings for Maddie to befriend. And then Logan didn’t answer any of Maddie’s letters, that skunk!)
Also there is a Russian kidnapper who has actually been forced into the kidnapping business UNDER DURESS and is only trying to kidnap the president’s son in order to get money for his sick sister, and he’s basically my favorite character, although this is partly because he sees the amazingness of Maddie, who saves the day through a combination of intense wilderness knowledge and willingness to act the part of Annoying Teenage Girl to make people underestimate her until she tricks them into stepping in a bear trap.
Actually, Maddie might be my favorite character. There’s really no reason to choose between Maddie and Stefan. Actually, I think Stefan heel-face-turns just one time too many for favorite character status, but this is clearly a result of the need to have Exciting Twists in the story rather than an organic character decision so I forgive him mostly. If Maddie’s not holding a grudge neither am I.
At least as far as Stefan is concerned. Logan, on the other hand, is still On Notice with me for failing to answer a single solitary one of Maddie’s letters over all those years, never mind she seems to reconcile herself to it in the end (although also that thread just kind of drops?). If she wants to date him after they’ve both saved each other’s lives five times that okay I GUESS, but on the other hand he never did offer a satisfactory excuse for refusing to answer letters while she was LIVING ALL ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS WITH NO FRIENDS AND NO PHONE AND NO INTERNET (although honestly, what would be a satisfactory excuse for that? He was in a coma for seven years? He had debilitating panic attacks every time he even thought of her?)...
So, I’m just saying. If Maddie gets tired of Logan and decides to become a professional assassin, I feel like that’s perfectly fair and justified.
(Quick backstory: Maddie and Logan were best friends when Maddie’s father was the head of Logan’s father’s Secret Service detail. But after Maddie’s father nearly died foiling the attempted kidnapping of Logan’s mother, he and Maddie moved to a cabin in the wilds of Alaska with no internet or phone or even any human beings for Maddie to befriend. And then Logan didn’t answer any of Maddie’s letters, that skunk!)
Also there is a Russian kidnapper who has actually been forced into the kidnapping business UNDER DURESS and is only trying to kidnap the president’s son in order to get money for his sick sister, and he’s basically my favorite character, although this is partly because he sees the amazingness of Maddie, who saves the day through a combination of intense wilderness knowledge and willingness to act the part of Annoying Teenage Girl to make people underestimate her until she tricks them into stepping in a bear trap.
Actually, Maddie might be my favorite character. There’s really no reason to choose between Maddie and Stefan. Actually, I think Stefan heel-face-turns just one time too many for favorite character status, but this is clearly a result of the need to have Exciting Twists in the story rather than an organic character decision so I forgive him mostly. If Maddie’s not holding a grudge neither am I.
At least as far as Stefan is concerned. Logan, on the other hand, is still On Notice with me for failing to answer a single solitary one of Maddie’s letters over all those years, never mind she seems to reconcile herself to it in the end (although also that thread just kind of drops?). If she wants to date him after they’ve both saved each other’s lives five times that okay I GUESS, but on the other hand he never did offer a satisfactory excuse for refusing to answer letters while she was LIVING ALL ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS WITH NO FRIENDS AND NO PHONE AND NO INTERNET (although honestly, what would be a satisfactory excuse for that? He was in a coma for seven years? He had debilitating panic attacks every time he even thought of her?)...
So, I’m just saying. If Maddie gets tired of Logan and decides to become a professional assassin, I feel like that’s perfectly fair and justified.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-01 01:02 am (UTC)(at least I think she has quite a few books I haven't read now and I don't really know why I haven't read them) but this sounds like fun. Snuggling for warmth? Sign me up!
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Date: 2019-07-01 01:17 am (UTC)