Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Me on Fairest

Title: Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan imprint)

Fairest is a look into the past of a cruel and controlling tyrant, the beginning of her and her rule. The beginning of everything.

It's hard to feel any small amount of compassion towards Levana, knowing what she becomes, knowing the crimes she is guilty of, knowing how much blood is on her hands, but those short moments of sympathy do exist. It's because her true self is found here, in the pages of this book. A sad, scarred, lonely girl, unloved by those she wants to love her and bullied by a crass and uncaring sister. If it wasn't for her glamour, if she couldn't hide her scars, then I imagine she would be nothing. Nothing but a shell of a person, hiding from the world. Of course, it's just as likely that she wouldn't blind everyone so they would never see what she truly looks like.

Obsession fills her. The desire to be seen as beautiful, perfect. The desire to be loved, by everyone and by one person in particular. Nothing else matters, no obstacle will keep her from making him hers. However, the most frightening thing about Levana isn't the depths of her obsession, the lengths she'll go to get what she wants, but her intelligence. Her sister's flippant attitude towards anything serious gives Levana the chance to show she can make the tough decisions needed to rule over the Moon. That, combined with her obsession, make her an unstoppable force.

The series is here in its entirety, the bits and pieces that make up the beginning are present in the background of Levana's tragic tale. The disease and its cure, the plans for an army with animal instinct, the doctors and scientists before they disappear, the plots and plans to gain control over Earth. I do wonder what it would be like to read this without reading the previous three books, how the story would unfold that way.

This is definitely a must-read for fans of the series, for those desperate over waiting for Winter. As sad as this story is, it was still interesting to see how it all started, where it all started. Why Levana is the way she is. This is an intriguing character study.

(I received a finished copy of this title to review from Raincoast Books.)

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