REVIEW: The Poison Eaters by Holly Black

Let me say, this was an enjoyable book, but I feel the need to explain my Three Squid rating of it.

This is something that is actually a pet peeve of mine.
I got this book thinking "Yay! A bunch of new short stories from Holly Black!"
I was wrong.
Only 2 stories in here are new, and much to the wily wisdom of the publishers, one of them is a Tithe related story that probably would have made me buy the book regardless. Curse them.

All of the other stories come from other short story compilations, many of which I've read recently. It's very annoying to get a book that does not mention anywhere except the last page... that you are getting a bunch of reprinted stories that have surfaced in other short story compilations books (many of which I already own).

I didn't appreciate that at all. Therefore, the book itself gets 3 squids, because while the stories are entertaining, they aren't new... except for two of them... and those two are wonderful... but a tiny bit of a letdown in a sea of already read stories.

Stories Reviewed Individually:


 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Synopsis:
This is the story of Matilda, a girl who has been infected with Vampirism.
Supposedly, if you are infected, but don't drink blood, then 88 days later the virus leaves your system and you are fine again.
Unfortunately, things go a bit wrong for Matilda and she ends up on an insane rescue mission with the right idea in her heart... but possibly the most convoluted method of going about it.

Character Likability:
I found the main character extremely likable, despite her sometimes questionable actions. The supporting characters were mostly unlikable, except Dante (Dante was likable)... but they were supposed to be, and it worked out incredibly well for the story.
Quality of Writing:
Typical Holly Black excellence... she does not disappoint in the quality of her prose.
Ending:
This story, for me at least, had a very enjoyable ending. Although it makes me wonder if the story shouldn't have been titled "The Warmest Girl in Coldtown"... seeing as how humanity never flees from Matilda... in fact, with her infection, she only fights for it harder.
Plot:
A good plot, not wholly unpredictable... you could pretty much see where the story was going from the beginning... and it goes just about where you expect it to, but an enjoyable read none-the-less.
Believability of World:
filled with grit, sex, murder, lust, betrayal and truth. The characters and their reactions feel real, and as a reader, you can taste Matilda's panic on your tongue. This makes for a believable world and an entertaining tale.


A Reversal of Fortune

Synopsis:
This is the story of Nikki who is pretty much just having a lame summer. Nothing really truly awful... yet, as per teen-aged fashion, a 'boring' summer equates to 'the-end-of-the-world'.
Then she meets a smelly old man on the bus... and things get interesting.

Character Likability:
I generally liked the characters in this story, although they didn't feel quite as solid and fleshed out as the characters from The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.
Quality of Writing:
Again, quality is never in question, it flowed beautifully, word-wise.
Ending:
Decent enough... the story really could have gone either way and still have felt like something the reader has heard before... just because this scenario is a favorite in fiction.
Plot:
A good plot, a typical plot, a plot we've all heard before. That doesn't make it less enjoyable, it's always fun to see people tread these waters... and Holly Black's solution is both disgusting and believable... and I enjoy her willingness to do 'gross stuff' in her stories.
Believability of World:
While I enjoyed the story, I found I kept coming back to having a problem believing the reactions of the characters in this world. Especially the main character's brother. He took the whole situation in stride... and quite frankly, showed exceptional calm when, honestly, I think most mortals would have been flipping out. I think this detracted from the believability quite a bit, because it pulled me out of the story to wonder, "Whoa... why isn't he losing it right about now?"


The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Synopsis:
A boy, on a family boating trip, is reading a local legend about a special flower that will change man to wolf... when they stop for lunch, he finds the flower and can't help himself...

Character Likability:
While the characters are likable enough, I didn't feel particularly connected with any of them, I was definitely the outsider looking in here.
Quality of Writing:
Again, quality is never in question, it flowed beautifully, word-wise.
Ending:
A gruesome finale... I enjoyed that actions have consequences.
Plot:
I liked this story, because it's one of those where the kid is thinking, "That local legend is silly... but what if..." and is willing to test it out to see if it's true. This story ends how these kinds of stories almost always end, but it's enjoyable.
Believability of World:
This world was believable... but didn't feel like my own, I didn't have that connection to it where I could relate and step into the main character's shoes.


The Night Market

Synopsis:
It was the story of a young girl trying to save her ailing sister from the heart-sick aspirations of a Faerie... of course, as per usual when mortals mess with Fey, she messes things up a bit, isn't as wily as she thought, and eventually finds out that her perception of the situation was slightly off.

Character Likability:
I found myself liking all of the characters in this story, even the despicable ones.
Quality of Writing:
Again, quality is never in question, it flowed beautifully, word-wise.
Ending:
Predictable but enjoyable.
Plot:
Not bad, not complex... but then, it's a short story. Based on the title of the story, I expected more from the Night Market... but what we did see of it was enjoyable. Certainly the most interesting place in the story. I would have liked to have seen more of its curiosities.
Believability of World:
Perfectly believable. I felt more of a connection with the main character in this story... possibly because she made foolish choices without getting all of the facts, and I found it believable that a young girl would do such things.


The Dog King

Synopsis:
There are legends of wolves who turn to men and come into towns to feed their ravaging hunger. There is a boy in the castle and no one knows him. There is a king with a pet wolf, taken as a pup and raised... and they both have a secret.

Character Likability:
Love the characters in this story, even though I'm not sure any of them are truly worthy of being liked. They are all a bit nefarious.
Quality of Writing:
Choppier than the other stories, because it jumps from one thing to another... however, the story itself is not choppy, the jumping makes it flow, and allows a lot more information into this one than we had gotten in previous stories... the prose themselves were chopped up in a fashion that added to the suspense.
Ending:
Excellent end. You saw it coming, it was set up... but it was still beautiful and horrifying.
Plot:
I love the story here, a lot is packed into a very small space. The background, the emotions of the characters, their histories, their motivations, all of it comes together beautifully.
Believability of World:
Incredibly believable and something I'd like to see drawn out into a longer story. This one was just downright creeeeepy! It was a dark hallway filled with unfamiliar noises, and you were left with only the nub of a candle, already flickering, threatening to go out. Masterful in its ability to let you visualize it internally.
This one was truly amazing.

Virgin

Synopsis:
Girl meets boy, girl finds out boy has a tragic past and lives with a Unicorn in the woods. Girl messes everything up.

Character Likability:
I didn't really find the main character all that likable in this one.
Quality of Writing:
Prose were lovely, as usual.
Ending:
I had a problem with the ending of this one... the beginning of this story implied one thing, and the end another. It left me confused and wondering if I had missed something in my reading of it.
Plot:
It's an interesting plot, and I enjoyed the concept of it, but I felt it was perhaps a bit to lofty of one to try to shove into a short story. The main boy's background is quickly stated and really glossed over... while it's obvious there is a larger, interesting story there... as well as a more interesting story concerning him and the Unicorn.
The main girl's story didn't really interest me that much, she just seemed a bit selfish, and it didn't really feel like she was doing any of this for anything more than amusement and something to do. I liked the aspect of her reading, and wanting the types of stories she read to belong to her, and I can see her desire to be involved in the boy's life in that regard... but her actions overall still felt selfish and weren't the solution to her problems.
The story ended on a strange note for me... because the beginning of the story implied one thing, while the end implied something else, and I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to think of the final sentences.
Believability of World:
The world itself was luscious and raw. The dirty, messed up world of runaways, something I have never encountered, but have no trouble visualizing thanks to the talents of Holly Black. The world itself was very well constructed.


In Vodka Veritas

Synopsis:
Nerdy boy gets stood up for an adventurous night out, and decides that he and a bottle of Vodka aren't going to let that stop them... then he stumbles across the Latin club, and finds they have their own ideas for a fun night.

Character Likability:
I really liked the main character in this story. I could definitely relate to him and enjoyed his voyage of self discovery. I found the wicked characters very likable too.
Quality of Writing:
Prose were lovely, as usual. A very smooth flowing story.
Ending:
I loved the end of this one. The story, although full of rather strange activity, was essentially and truly a story about the main character's self discovery. In that regard it ended well, and in regard to the strange events, it ended on a humorous and enjoyable note.
Plot:
I loved this one. All around amusing, graphic, and so chock full of nerd references that I never ceased to be thrilled. The story itself was cute... and more about a boy finding himself than about the nefarious deeds that occur. I felt more connected to this character than I did to some of the characters in other stories... but that's probably due to the fact that he spent a lot of time internalizing... and they were thoughts we could all grasp onto and relate to.
Believability of World:
This one I'm a little torn on... because while I find this to be one of the most believable characters yet, the world itself is a little glossed over and not fully explained. Since it was mainly a story of self-discovery though, it worked just fine.


The Coat of Stars

Synopsis:
A tailor comes home to turbulent family life and haunting memories of the past.

Character Likability:
I actually found myself liking the characters in this story a lot. The story itself is about saving those you love, redemption and love in general. The main character was set up to be your stereotypical jerk-of-a-character. He's a successful costume maker who is somewhat ashamed of his ghetto background... or so he thinks. You find out quickly though, that while he struggles with certain aspects of his family life... he is likable and deserves the readers respect.
Quality of Writing:
Wonderful writing as usual, a lot of story is shoved artfully into a very small space.
Ending:
I enjoyed the ending, although it wasn't my favorite part of the story... I found the buildup to it much more interesting and poignant.
Plot:
Another story of the character coming to realizations about himself through the wicked acts of faeries. I enjoyed this one immensely. There was ample back story to draw from, all set up through the memories of childhood, which, when going home, only makes sense to reflect upon. There are understandings reached between family members who haven't really talked for fear of being cast out, and there is obvious love among this family. This one was incredibly refreshing to read.
Believability of World:
I found everything about this world believable except the dealings with the Fae. The main character essentially played the same tune three times... and it seems doubtful it would have ever been met with success when he never modified the rules once he realized he had been cheated.


Paper cuts Scissors

Synopsis:
The story of a boy who is afraid of, and loves, books. If you've ever read Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series... this is a variant on that concept, and incredibly interesting.

Character Likability:
I liked the main character a lot. He's timid and strong at the same time. The other characters were enjoyable, except possibly the ex-girlfriend, whose actions I thought were a bit harsh and unfair.
Quality of Writing:
Wonderful writing as usual.
Ending:
While I enjoyed the concept of the ending quite a lot, I don't think the character who benefited from it deserved to.
Plot:
The plot of this story made me think of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, but on a much quicker level... and also made me think it was a vehicle for an author to play with the interactions between storybook favorites who otherwise would never meet. I have to say, it's interesting and fun to see what one thinks they would do together.
Believability of World:
This world I found only somewhat believable. It felt like certain characters were not developed well enough (example: the main character's boss) and some of these characters were given more weight than they deserved (ex-girlfriend), while others, like the main character's classmate, weren't given enough page time. Mostly this story was fun because you got to watch classic characters interact... and be envious of those who could insert themselves into the world of Harry Potter.


Going Ironside

Synopsis:
One neurotic Fey comes to our world to get herself a baby...

Character Likability:
There is really only one character with a voice in this story, and while she's crazy, she's still very likable.
Quality of Writing:
This one is written differently from the rest, a constant, streaming, internal monologue, it lets you directly into the insane little head of the main character. I liked this style a lot.
Ending:
Perfect ending.
Plot:
You learn a lot about why the character is out doing what they are doing, and you learn a lot about the success she's met so far with her endeavor. Having a story completely inside the main characters head is a lot of fun.
Believability of World:
Believable because you really only have one Point of View on it, and it's what the character makes of it. Granted, there isn't a lot of 'world' in this story, it's more of an internal landscape... but you get a feel of where the main character might be in our world... which is where she's come.

The Land of Heart's Desire

Synopsis:
A quick revisit to Kaye's world... with a return of many favorites from the Tithe series.

Character Likability:
If you have read and enjoyed any of the Tithe series, you will like the characters.
Quality of Writing:
Excellent. Holly does a lovely job drawing on what we already know of these characters to make an interesting short story of them.
Ending:
Perfect ending... and comedic.
Plot:
Another plot of self-discovery, this time for several characters. It did well to add onto and advance already existing characters while giving the readers who loved the stories that these came from a happy little taste of what became of characters they loved.
Believability of World:
This one has an unfair advantage to the rest of the short stories, as it has 3 full novels already built in this world, so familiar readers are already aware of its complexities and fully accept the world they find this story in. It's impossible for me to read this as an outsider to the series, since it is such a beloved one to me. I'm not sure how someone who hasn't read the Tithe series would feel about it... although... I have a feeling they might hit snags concerning the motivations of Corny and Roiben... not to mention that you're plunked into this world not really knowing how much the 'common folk' know about the Fae to begin with... it might be more difficult for a non-Tithe reader to believe.


The Poison Eaters

Synopsis:
The story of three mysterious sisters... sheltered and deadly, fed poison and kept as secret weapons... but remaining young girls none-the-less... and prone to young girl follies.

Character Likability:
The three main girls were very likable, despite one being rather annoying... the personality fit her character and therefore did not make her unlikable. Some of the characters who controlled the lives of these three girls were a bit vague and unexplained, even in the end... and therefore you formed little attachment to them. The narrator is a bit of a mystery to me... his motivations for his final acts (or the fact that he was even a he... something I didn't realize until the end) aren't entirely clear to me.
Quality of Writing:
This is one of the best stories in this book.
Ending:
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the ending to this one... while I can understand why the narrator chooses what he chooses... it's still a little strange to me.
Plot:
Three deadly sisters have been raised for a purpose unknown to them. They have been groomed for it their entire lives, but those are lives filled with strife, because anything they touch dies (except each other)... and they are finally overcome with a weariness for the world they live in.
Believability of World:
I found the world very believable... but more so concerning the three sisters rather than all of those around them. Other than paranoia, there seemed to be very little real motivation for everything that took place... and I'm not quite sure why the girls father would have bothered at that point... unless he was insanely greedy.