Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Review: Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

* This review may contain spoilers for the previous book, This Dark Endeavor. *

Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
Such Wicked Intent (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein #2)
By Kenneth Oppel
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

To Sum It Up: Victor has failed and now Konrad is dead. In a fit of frustration and grief, Victor and his father burn all of the books from the Dark Library and begin to seal up the entrance. Victor spares a single book from the fire, which claims to hold the secret of bringing the dead back to life. Victor sees his second chance and vows that he will not fail his brother again. Soon enough, Victor, Elizabeth, and Henry are on a quest to save Konrad a second time. But, this adventure is far more dangerous than the last, and the stakes are much higher.

Review: I have to say, I think I liked Such Wicked Intent better than This Dark Endeavor. I found the story line to be more gripping and original. The spirit world of the Frankenstein mansion was terrifying and new. The plot is what really made both of these books. I find it hard to communicate how awesome it was, so instead, I'll just keep saying that it was awesome. I also felt like it was a seamless continuation of the first book. The sequel wasn't just an afterthought to continue on with the characters; it was the continuation of a fantastic story.

I did continue to have trouble connecting with Victor, which made me a little sad because it's supposed to be easier to love characters when you keep reading about them, but it was only more difficult. I also really came to dislike Elizabeth. I was upset because I kind of liked her in the previous book. I thought a lot of her actions were very uncharacteristic of the person she was in the first book. Then again, the more I think about it, the more I question whether or not I know who she was/is. She flip-flops all the time, and it’s weird and frustrating. I did continue to like Henry and Konrad.

Once again I was frustrated with the ending. I felt like it wasn't good enough for the end of such a magnificent adventure. However, I can begrudgingly understand how it may be fitting when you take a step back and reevaluate things.

All in All: Although I did enjoy this book more than the first, I felt like it shared the same exact problems. The plot line was sooooo good, but these issues kept it from being half as great as it could have been. It was a very enjoyable read despite my criticism.

4 comments:

  1. This is the frankenstein book/adaptation that I want to read! Too bad the execution fell off your expectations. I do hate it when that happens, like we can see where it can be improved and yet the beta readers and editor failed to point it out. Of course I have a superiority complex sometimes to this opinion is self serving LOL.

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    1. I know exactly what you mean! If we can see the problem, why didn't they? It could have been so much better with only a few improvements! :)

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  2. I've heard such mixed reviews of the first book that I wasn't sure I should get into this series - but the second book has such a beautiful cover! /shallow I might pick this up someday as I like spooky atmospheric reads. I am glad that it is an enjoyable read despite the issues!

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    1. These books have gorgeous covers! That's partially why I was so excited to read them. :)

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