:: book bound

I haven't been running on the treadmill as much in the last week or so which has resulted in my reading far less than normal. Apparently, the treadmill is the only place I am able to read large chunks of a novel, uninterrupted, whilst not feeling as if I am wasting time not doing something else.

... That's kind of terrible actually. I miss the days of last summer when I would sit around reading all afternoon, not worrying at all that I should be doing something else, because quite frankly, there was time to do that something else then.

I digress.

I'm about halfway through Daughters of Darkness right now and it seems that, the more I get into it, the more I cringe every other page or so. It just feels so... I don't want to say unrealistic, because, come on, we're dealing with vampires, witches, shape shifters and what have you, but it's something about the whole soul mate issue that drives me nuts.

In talking with the friend of mine who originally told me about how much she loved these books, she mentioned how much she adored them as a teenager, but wasn't sure how much she'd love them now. I can understand that. I'm beginning to realise that if I were 13, I would probably love each and every word on each and every page. As an adult however, they're making me roll my eyes.

The basic premise in every story seems to be an issue of soul mates meeting each other, amidst a plethora of other things going on to cause conflict. The soul mates always immediately know that they've met their other half by the sheer power and energy they feel when they see each other and/or touch. In Daughters of Darkness, two characters absolutely despite each other but cannot deny the energy they feel when they touch each other -- the girl actually kicks the boy repeatedly because of the emotions he stirs within her, and she doesn't understand why, at first.

Two other characters fall madly in love with each other in what feels like two seconds. The character development is poor at best because I feel absolutely nothing for the characters. I do not empathize with the dangers of their relationships possibly coming to end because of external trouble, nor do I believe their love to begin with.

If I were 13, perhaps I would. The fact of the matter is, sometimes, young adult novels strike gold with audiences of all ages and sometimes, they're written perfectly for their age bracket. I'm not going to not finish the series, but at the same time, reading seven more feels like a chore.

... My friend said it would get better. I am holding her to that.