ARC Review: Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidecker

Title: Cure for the Common Universe Written by: Christian McKay Heidicker Published: June 14, 2016 by Simon & Schuster (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Jaxon is being committed to video game rehab . . .  ten minutes after he met a girl. A living, breathing girl named Serena, who not only laughed at his jokes but actually kinda sorta seemed excited when she agreed to go out with him.  Jaxon's first date. Ever.  In rehab, he can't blast his way through galaxies to reach her. He can't slash through armies to kiss her sweet lips. Instead, he has just four days to earn one million points by learning real-life skills. And he'll do whatever it takes—lie, cheat, steal, even learn how to cross-stitch—in order to make it to his date.  If all else fails, Jaxon will have to bare his soul to the other teens in treatment, confront his mother's absence, and maybe admit that it's more than video games that stand in the way of a real connection.  Prepare to be cured

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

There is nothing worse than not enjoying a book you were really excited about. But honestly, it happens. You can't love 'em all. I really wanted to like this book. It has all the trappings of the YA contemporaries that I love but unfortunately it did not work for me.

One of the reasons this one didn't work for me is the fact that I never connected with the main character. Now you are not supposed to like Jaxon/Miles. He is a self-centered jerk who frankly treats people like crap. That's kind of the point here. He's not the lovable nerd that we are used to And while liking unlikable characters is nothing new for me, that concept didn't work here for me. For most of the book I was actively rooting against the character. I wanted him to fail and be brought down a peg. But that didn't really happen for me.

And while not enjoying the character isn't necessarily a deal breaker, the character development is kind of important when it comes to a coming-of-age story like this one. The majority of the plot here is about Jaxon/Miles' development and him getting over his addiction to video games and addressing the root cause as to why he needs them to cope. That sounds like a great story. And it would have been if that happened. But instead everything went the character's way and he never really learned anything. Even when it looked like there were challenges it quickly righted itself into his favor. And honestly for me, it got a little frustrating by the end. It just didn't feel like a full-realized coming-of-age story. 

But one thing I did like about this book were the secondary characters. Everyone else at v-hab was fantastic especially the members of the guild. Their guild leader Fezzik was supportive plus really funny, Meeki was a kickass female character who said exactly what I was thinking, Aurora was a kind and caring, and then there was Soup who is the most precious of all cinnamon rolls. These were the characters I connected with and wanted to succeed. There were also some good antagonist with other guilds and the people who worked at v-hab. To be honest this book may have benefited from some multiple perspectives and given us someone to root for as an MC.

The other decent thing about this book is that it's fast-paced and had some good moments of action. When this book was at it's best it was during the less introspective moments. The competitions, the challenges, the times where you wanted the guild to succeed if not for Jaxon/Miles than for the other members. Not to mention that it's a quick read. It's something that you can get through in a few days which was nice.

On the whole, I just think that Cure for the Common Universe wasn't for me. I have seen a lot of really great reviews for it but the characterization really impacted my enjoyment of this coming-of-age story.

I give Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidicker 6 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Bypass. By no means would I say this is a terrible book you should completely avoid. I just think it is for a very specific audience and I am not in that subset. If you like very different contemporaries that play with the tropes and/or books about unlikable characters then check this out.

Have you read Cure for the Common Universe? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Discussion Post: Why I Am a Plot-Driven Reader

Last week I read a post recently from This Girl Reads A Lot where Jazmen mentioned how she is an emotional reader and needs to love the characters to love a book and that got me thinking about what type of reader I am. I read a lot of different kinds of books. Whether you are talking about different genres like fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, or contemporary. Or you are talking about age categories like young adult, new adult, and adult. Or even different formats like physical book, e-book, and audiobook. I read it all. And no matter what kind of book it is, the plot development is either going to be plot-driven or character-driven. Plot-driven books mean that things progress from moment to moment and the characters are along for the ride. Where as character-driven books the decisions made by the parties involved decides the way things develop. And now that I've gone through that I'm going to tell you, that's what not what I mean here.

What I mean is what about a book blows you away. When you find yourself loving a book is it because of the plot or the characters? If one part of the book is lacking what would you rather have? Can you forgive the lack of plot development if the characters are fantastic or would you rather have great plot development but lackluster characters? For me it's the latter. I really don't need to love the characters to love a book.

In fact, sometimes I will like a book despite not really liking the characters. One of my favorite fantasy series is The Magicians series by Lev Grossman, a very hit or miss series for people but I'm a big fan. That being said, I kind of hate these characters. Quentin Coldwater is a whiny brat who is never happy even when he gets his heart's desire but I still love this series and want him to succeed. And then there is one of my favorite books, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Heathcliff and Cathy are terrible people but I love this book because the plot is full of mystery and their tortured love story makes for an engaging plot. I've done a whole post on my feelings on unlikable characters and for me liking the characters is not really tantamount to liking the book

When I think about the books that have been 10 star reads for me, and the books that I have been blown away by this year, it is because of the exciting plot, the fact that it built to a thrilling conclusion, or that I loved the larger theme that the book examined. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, despite being very character-driven, worked because it was a story about friendship in a historical setting fraught with danger, the stakes were high here. Same thing with Under A Painted Sky by Stacey Lee. It was a story about friendship but there was a lot of action and suspense in a historical period full of drama. The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury is another one with amazing world-building and while the pacing was slower, it had tons of mystery and the plot built to a thrilling conclusion that incorporated the world-building in a big way.

On the other side of the aisle, the books that I have not loved were those where one of my pluses were the characters but I found the plot to be lacking. Yesterday I reviewed Legend by Marie Lu and that is a perfect example of what I mean. I loved June and Day. I found them complex, likable, and I wanted them to succeed but I was missing the action and the complex world-building. Whereas The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey had a really amazing world and likable characters but the plot was so basic and convenient I wasn't as engaged as I could have been.

The best books of course do both. A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab had phenomenal characters, I mean Lila Bard, Kell, Rhy, the Dane Twins! All amazing and all complex, dubious, and in some cases diabolical. But it also had a thrilling plot. I was on the edge of my seat with the high stakes magical adventure and when it all ended in a thrilling conclussion I was left wanting more. Same thing with The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace. I absolutely adored everyone of these characters and they had some truly amazing ships but that plot development and that climax, so fantastic!

A feeling I often get with amazing books!

That's mostly why I don't read a lot of contemporary romances. They are more character-driven novels. I like a good coming of age story as much as the next person but I need a really engaging plot. I need a goal and something to look forward to at the end of the book. Something to strive for and something that hold the book together. I loved Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson because there was the added plot device of completing the list and finding Sloan. It was working to something. Same thing with Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. It was working towards something. The plot revolved around the subtle mystery of figuring out who Blue is and him and Simon meeting. Even though it was subtle, it was there and that's what I liked.

On the whole the thing that engages me in a book is a really sold plot that slowly builds to a thrilling conclusion. I don't really need action and mystery but those are an added bonus but something that keeps me wondering and reading from page 1 to 1,000. The books that I love had me hooked and when they were all said and done that WOW Factor is always because of the plot points. I think that's why I tend to read and enjoy genre fiction like Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Mystery over Literary Fiction and Contemporary.

What about you? Do you prefer a really strong plot or do you need great characters? Are you more of a plot-driven reader or a character-driven one? Also what do you think about my new name for my discussion posts? My Thoughts Figuratively. I mean they're not necessarily non-literal thoughts I just found it funny to call them that. Leave me me a comment with your thoughts (literal or figurative). Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Discussion Post: On Unlikable Characters

About a week ago I was taking part in a live chat on Book Riot with Rainbow Rowell, where she was talking about Landline. Someone asked about unlikable characters and I was shocked that they would think that about her characters. I LOVE her characters, I had never considered that they could be "unlikable." But that got me thinking. That same day I had posted my review of The Magician's Land where I said that even though the characters are not very likable, I like that about them. More than once I have told someone who my favorite character in a series is and people are shocked by my answer. I then feel the need to defend not only the character but also myself. So allow me to do just that and explain why I like "unlikable" characters.

To me there is a big difference between unlikable characters and unsympathetic characters. A lot of the time I find it hard to like people who do terrible things but if I understand why they are doing these things then I'm going to enjoy them and their story. When I was reading Side Effects May Vary I felt like the main character Alice was treating people with absolutely no respect and it made me not like her very much. But I did understand why she was acting this way, and despite the fact I hated her behavior it made her a sympathetic and compelling character. If I can understand a character's motivation then I will easily empathize with them and like them no matter how outrageous and inappropriate their actions may be.

Source

And honestly I don't even really need to agree with their motivation to sympathize with a character that is difficult to like. I mean one of my favorite books is the tortured Gothic love story, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This is not your typical Austenian romance about misunderstandings and love developing over time. No, this is a book about two spiteful and vindictive people ruining the lives of everyone around them because they're in love and they can't be together. They even ruin each other's lives despite the fact that they are hopelessly in love. They are not easy to like but they are incredibly compelling because I am able to get inside their heads and know why they are doing these terrible things.

Another big thing for me with unlikable characters is, are they realistic? We all know those people who whine all the time, are conceited, and act like they're better than everyone else. I once heard that as readers we like characters who have traits we like about ourselves and dislike characters who have traits we don't like about ourselves. For me this is not entirely true. If I can relate to a fictional character to someone I know in real life (even better if I can relate them to myself) then for me that is a realistic and enjoyable character to read about, even if they are difficult to like. The best example for this one I can give is Quentin Coldwater in The Magicians trilogy. Quentin is annoyingly whiny and never satisfied despite getting everything he ever wanted. But that's part if his charm. Quentin has spent his whole life wanting to escape into something he thought was better. It's his main character flaw. He's the eternal pessimist and I can completely relate. Sure, it's frustrating at times to be on his side but these attitudes of being perpetually unhappy makes him seem realistic and unique. If I can relate at all to the character then I will like them.

 Finally, I will like an unlikable character if they are complex. Similar to the two previous reasons, but if a character does terrible or annoying things but they aren't just a caricature and have something under the surface then I'm going to enjoy them. My example for this one is my favorite unlikable character who I love and will defend until I am out of breathe and friends, Sansa Stark in A Song of Ice and Fire. So yes, when I first met the Starks I found Sansa vapid and annoying. But then I realized something, she's a teenage girl and I'm hating her for being just that. Then I understood her motivation, she's been brought up on stories of love and gallantry and she still believes that the world is good and romantic. She's an idealist. Then when I saw her in that way I realized she has this incredible inner strength that I didn't notice at first because I was fixated on the superficial layer of her personality. Maybe it was a character arc brought about by the hardships she faced or maybe it was always there under the surface and we never noticed it because she wasn't as obviously badass as those around her. But believe me when I say Sansa is one of the toughest characters in that series. A lesser person would not have been able to handle all the hate she received at the hands of the Lannisters! Despite the fact that she is one of the most disliked people within the fandom, Sansa has quickly become my favorite character in the series and it's because of her complexities.

But before I wrap this all up I feel like I would be doing the topic a disservice if I didn't mention some villains. Villains and anti-heroes are pretty much the perfect unlikable characters. You're not supposed to like the evil characters in a book, especially if there is a likable hero in the story. But for me that is so hard sometimes. For awhile my favorite characters in a book or series were the villains because they are so compelling. You know those people. The ones you love to hate! Who are so bad it's good. For all the reasons listed above I will often love a totally unlikable villain if they are sympathetic, realistic, and complex. Like Queen Levana in The Lunar Chronicles, Circe in The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, and The Darkling in the Grisha Trilogy.

How do you feel about "unlikable" characters? Has there ever been a time you felt like you had to defend your love of a character? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!