“I am grateful for my father, who keeps me good and sweet. I am grateful for my mother, who keeps her own heart guarded and safe. I am grateful for my adviser, who keeps me protected. I am grateful for the Path, which keeps me pure. Ever after.”
Princess Aislynn has long dreamed about attending her Introduction Ball, about dancing with the handsome suitors her adviser has chosen for her, about meeting her true love and starting her happily ever after.
When the night of the ball finally arrives and Nerine Academy is awash with roses and royalty, Aislynn wants nothing more than to dance the night away, dutifully following the Path that has been laid out for her. She does not intend to stray.
But try as she might, Aislynn has never quite managed to control the magic that burns within her-magic brought on by wicked, terrible desires that threaten the Path she has vowed to take.
After all, it is wrong to want what you do not need. Isn’t it?
STRAY is the first in a collection of intertwined stories, all set in a world where magic is a curse that only women bear and society is dictated by a strict doctrine called The Path. A cross between The Handmaid’s Tale and Wicked, with a dash of Grimm and Disney thrown in, this original fairy tale will be released October 7th, 2014 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
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What is this book even about.
It's not that I don't understand the plot or the background. It's just that both the plot and the background are so shallow that I don't even know the point of this book. I'm not sure about the point of this action. To get you hooked? Well, not a very good job, because I'm really bored.
Okay, so this book is basically about a society where ladies are supposed to follow the Path and not to stray. But then what is the Path? Not much explanation. Why do these girls need to follow the Path? No more explanation other than to control their "wicked" magic. And how come the Path came into existence some time in the past? No reason. Okay, you just leave me bored. Already.
This story is about Aislynn, who follows the Path almost obsessively. But then she finds something that makes her think twice about it. That's it. I'm not kidding. That is it. The plot is so straightforward that there's not even a side story to support it. And by side story I mean information. Yes, it's about information again. It's like everyone has no background besides Aislynn. All of them are so flat, and that seriously bores me to tears.
The prioritizing doesn't help either. So what is the point of like at least 5 long chapters (yes, there are short chapters, and for some reason they all exist near the end of the book) of meaninglessness? Because all I can get from those chapters are 1) Someone's a bitch to Aislynn and 2) She's dedicated to follow the Path (which is no news, because that is mentioned in the summary of the book). Does that help strengthen the plot? I don't think so. And then it takes about another 10 chapters or so to actually get to the surface of the point. Okay, I can wait. But then the end truly shocks me. And not in a good way. So I read this book for like a week and come up with nothing? That ticks me off a lot, because I know Lailah's gonna be good, and this book is keeping me from reading Lailah.
If you want a timeless story of curse and magic, you shouldn't be going for this book.
Rating: 3/10
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