Jealousy, while not a total miss for me, is thus far my least favorite of the Strange Angels series. I'm a noted critic of the overused and cliched love-triangle trope, especially in young-adult literature, that a novel based entirely around one is going to have a steep hill to climb to my good graces. Additionally, many of the key elements that had me enamored with the previous two novels (the vivid, bright descriptions, frequent and fast fights, can-do heroine with a deserved attitude, lack of love triangle) were strangely absent from this third novel. Dru herself seems to be devolving from the independent young-woman with perhaps too big-of-a-chip on her shoulder we met initially into a sulky, whiny, utterly selfish mess. I don't necessarily want a robot heroine, one who feels nothing and cares for no one but it seemed that every ten pages. . . Dru was crying, Dru was upset, Dru didn't understand why such and such . . And it got really old, really fast. Along with Dru's increased. . . sensitivity. . . the complete dearth of any substantial action AT ALL for most of the novel made this the hardest Strange Angels novel for me to finish. I repeatedly wondered what had happened to the rapid-fire, up-tempo series I was reading? As dreaded and as hinted at in the above blurb from Goodreads, the love triangle is firmly established between Dru, her loup-garou best friend Graves and the dangerous, protective djamphir Christophe. The love triangle itself brings an interesting question to mind, for all its banality: should Dru date the "safe" choice (Graves) or the one that excites her (Christophe). Dru herself does no favors when asking these questions, as she clearly states her attraction to Graves as "home" and "comfortable" and "familiar", while Christophe practically causes her palpitations from standing in the same room. I'm not saying Christophe is the right choice - I hate relationships that begin with the girl constantly wondering if the boy is going to kill her as Dru did with Chris for the first two novels (though that was mostly because of her paranoia in Betrayals than his doing, but I digress) - just that it is interesting how starkly different they are, and Dru's conflicting attraction for both. I'm also sick to death with being beaten to death with just how bad Dru feels, just how responsible she is Graves' being bitten - TWO BOOKS AGO. Move on, Dru/Lili! He's fine, he's happy and he's clearly and repeatedly told Dru he does not blame her. Why the needless melodrama, St. Crow? The added guilt does nothing for Dru's character and just seems to make her more self-centered: even her friend's condition is all about her.To finish this review, just click here.
