[Open Class] The Art of Seeing, and Being Seen (Lusine)

[Elda-Kun]

[Book 2]

Flylight

Flylight
Fiction; Teen Romance

This awkward and halting work hails from one of the finest fan-fiction writers of this age, the up and coming undead novelist Selena Mayard. Written for teens, it follows the tale of young Isabelly Swine - the destitute daughter of an estranged yeti couple. Belly was forced to move from her cold, northern territory home to her father's hutt in the murky swamps of central Halloween. Here, she meets and falls into a forbidden romance with the each uisge Eanruig. Their struggles as he resists the urge to take her to the water, and as she has to deal with the fact that she will never truly be as beautiful and smooth skinned as he, provides an emotionally flat and predictable plot that nevertheless has proved overwhelmingly popular with young ladies between the ages of 14 and 40.

DICE

1 - This is seriously a great book! How could people hate it?! For some reason, this read-through has you thoroughly ~*enchanted*~. You feel you can strongly identify with the characters, especially that poor undead girl. How dare Belly and Eanruig chose each other over her?! TEAM JESSY FOR LIFE!
2-4 - You read the forward. It's kind of awkward, and has a lot of notes written to the author's ex-husband...A Mr. McAdams. You've found a clue!
5-6 - It becomes increasingly clear as you bash your head against the word-vomit of each chapter that the author really has something strongly against the main protagonist. It's as if she is trying to make her as plain, boring, and utterly unlikeable as possible. Meanwhile, it seems the only half-decent character is that poor patchwork, Jessy. Destined to be locked in unrequited love forever! Hey, isn't the author an undead herself? You've found a clue!
7 - You suddenly find ponies very attractive. This book shows a side of the each uisge you never thought exsisted. A dark, brooding and sexy side. Go team Eanruig! Ok, that motto needs some work...
8 - Some of the lines in this book seem oddly... derogatory. And personal. "I know what you are." "Say it out loud." "...Hair fetish." What does that even mean?! You've found a clue!
8 - 9 - Mr. McAdams...The same last name as the artist for one of the books on your list. Could he be Selena's elusive ex husband? And isn't he also an each uisge? Odd that she'd use that as a main character in the book. And she portrays Eanruig so unflatteringly! You've found a clue!
10 - You fall asleep in the middle of a chapter. Teen romance just doesn't interest you, or maybe this section is just particularly boring.

 

[Elda-Kun]

The second book on Mr. Darcy's reading list couldn't have been more up Lou's alley if it had been personally selected for her. After checking a battered, well-thumbed copy from the school library she quickly found herself absorbed.

She read fervently; sitting on her bed, nose pressed close to the page, completely absorbed in the tremulous romance. When it was over she closed the book and held it close, legs kicking and wings fluttering in uncontrolled excitement - IT WAS SO BEAUTZIFUL!!!!!!

FLYLIGHT WAS THE BEST. BOOK. EVER. AND ANYONE WHO DISAGREED WAS JUST WRONG! WRONG!

The shocking forbidden love. Eanruig & Belly. That poor sweet beautiful undead girl, Jessy - OMG POOR JESSY! Lou's soft romantic heart ached for her.

It didn't matter that it was almost 3 in the morning, she had to read it AGAIN!  

[Elda-Kun]

Maybe it was the very, very, late hour, but the second read through of the novel seemed to be missing much of the charm and enchantment of the first. Lou felt her excitement fading and transforming into something closely resembling disgust.

What was the problem with Belly? Why was she so, so, boring? It was like Ms. Mayard was trying to create the worst character she possibly could. She was always moping about pining for Eanruig when she could be out doing something to win him! And even Eanruig was flat, in that unbearably charming and handsome way that didn't exist in real life.

She still liked Jessy though! Jessy was the only character in the book worth too poos. And poor Jessy had to be alone while Mr. and Ms. beautiful went off into happily ever after. It was so unfair! A pretty patchwork girl like Jessy hand tons to offer! Weird, wasn't Ms. Mayard undead herself? Lou wondered if that had anything to do with it. . .  

[Elda-Kun]

Ugh, the more she read, the more Lou realized that Eanruig and Belly really deserved each other. How could they be so cold to poor Jessy?

They were so shallow, mirrors had more depth. She was quickly becoming convinced that Jessy was the unspoken hero of the whole book. The level of batcarp the patchwork girl had to put up with was simply unreal.

Looking at the author picture on the back flap, Lou realized that Selena Mayard was also undead. She wondered if Ms. Mayard was trying to say something though the treatment of poor Jessy. It seemed likely. . .  

[Elda-Kun]

About two thirds of the way through her second read, Lou began to lose interest in the novel. She absentmindedly thumbed to the front of the book, feeling the pages between her fingers.

Her eye caught on the forward of the book, which she had skipped in her first read in her excitement to devour the story. It was super-weird and awkward. The whole thing read like a long rambly note to Ms. Mayard's ex-husband, Mr. McAdams. There was a lot of really, really personal stuff in here. A forward did not seem to be the type of place to be printing this information, especially where everyone in the world could read it!

Apparently Mayard was still besotted with her ex, but he clearly didn't feel the same way. Lou wondered why.  

[Elda-Kun]

You know though, this book does have some REALLY GREAT MOMENTS. Some of the lines and one-liners are almost magical. And Jessy really is a good, interesting character.

#teamJessy  

[Elda-Kun]

The more Lou though about it, the more certain she became that she'd seen the name McAdams somewhere else, and recently. Finally it hit her like a spotlight. Shifting through the teetering stack of library books on her bedside table she found the unreturned copy of My First Scaring, which she'd read previously.

AH-HA! William McAdams was the illustrator on the assigned edition of this book. Could this be the same McAdams? The one Selena wrote the weird forward to? The bio provided in the back of the book reviled that Mr. McAdams was an each uisge, just like Eanruig! How odd that of all the monsters in the world, Selena would choose to make the romantic interest of her novel the same as her ex.

What could it all mean?!  

[Elda-Kun]

Despite it all though, Lou could still see Flylight's charm and appeal. It might have some issues, but haters were gonna hate even if the book was perfect, and to Lou, it might as well have been.  

[Elda-Kun]

After discovering that Mr. McAdams had illustrated My First Scaring, Lou took another look at the forward. After reminding herself of how ramblely and saccharine it was, she cringed. Poor Ms. Mayard had some major unresolved issues.

She decided that maybe it was time to take a break from Flylight and move on to the next book on the reading list.  

[Elda-Kun]

[End Book 2]
Word count: 800

 

[Elda-Kun]

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[Elda-Kun]

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[Elda-Kun]

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