Customer Reviews

Love Is Hell

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Story collections like LOVE IS HELL allow readers to find some writing from such popular authors as Scott Westerfeld (PEEPS) and Melissa Marr (WICKED LOVELY) while waiting for their next books to be released, and it's an opportunity to sample new authors who will become favorites. Plus, this particular book benefits College Summit, a non-profit organization that helps school districts, especially in low-income areas, send more young people to college.

While there is already a lot to like here, the themes will be irresistible to fantasy and romance fans: Love is hard enough between humans, but what if you love someone who is not human or you live in a time where love is not allowed?

Laurie Faria Stolarz kicks off the collection with "Sleeping with the Spirit," in which Brenda can't explain why she keeps waking up in the middle of the night with bruises. Her family feels she's depressed over the move to a new house and high school, but she knows something even weirder is happening here. Brenda's new friends, Raina and Craig, tell her that a 17-year-old boy was murdered by his stepfather in her new house. Brenda finds information about the dead teen, Travis Slather, and realizes she's been dreaming about him. She begins falling for him and his beautiful blue eyes, though he's not haunting her just for romance. Travis needs her help so he can cross over, but Brenda knows he will go away forever if she assists him.

In "Stupid Perfect World," Scott Westerfeld introduces a future where teen bodies are totally regulated --- there are no hormonal imbalances, sleep isn't needed, diseases don't exist, and passion and intensity are absent. Kiernan is supposed to do something "old-fashioned" for his Scarcity class, so he chooses to sleep every night, which no one has ever needed to do. Maria, another student, decides to go off the hormonal regulator to feel her body's natural urges and needs. Neither thinks the two weeks of the assignment will be a big deal, until Maria starts becoming insulted more easily and actually yells. And Kiernan begins experiencing dreams like he never imagined he could. The two argue and realize that other feelings are emerging in this humorous romance.

Justine Larbalestier, in "Thinner Than Water," brings readers to a primitive time when girls like Jean, who may want to go to college, are forced instead either to handfast to a boy from the village or work for her family bakery forever. Jean dreams of being a doctor, yet when the handsome and almost magical Robbie asks her to handfast, she agrees. The village doesn't like Robbie, saying he's from the fairy world, but Jean loves him and enjoys studying and living simply with him. When her family takes him away, Jean tries to escape the village, only to be stopped. Her broken heart numbs her even as she handfasts to another boy who is not interested in women. They join forces in an effort to leave the village when Jean suddenly is offered another wrenching choice and must decide which world is her future.

In Gabrielle Zevin's "Fan Fictions, Paige thinks no one can really see her in her high school. Tired of being the second choice for dates to dances, or the friend of girls whose best friends have just moved away, she starts hiding in the school library when the librarian practically forces her to read THE IMMORTALS. A handsome boy with violet eyes begins talking to her about the book. They become friends and then more, but Aaron only comes to her house or the library and has never expressed an interest in seeing her family or friends. When Paige asks him to go to a dance, he says he can't because of a secret; some make fun of her, saying she has a made-up boyfriend. The school librarian continues to hound Paige, urging her to join a book club. When she hears the group talk about THE IMMORTALS, Paige realizes the plot sounds very familiar. She knows Aaron is real --- what else would he be?

Selchies come to life from the sea in "Love Struck" by Melissa Marr. Alana doesn't know that by picking up a fur from a man at the beach when she was cold, they have now becomes betrothed. Murrin had been watching her for a while and knew she was his mate, but she can't accept it. It all seems like something from her grandmother's stories. He quietly persists in getting to know her, and they fall for each other. But their differences may force them apart, as Alana doesn't want to pull Murrin from his home in the sea forever and they struggle to be together, in this sweet fantasy love story.

Many magical twists on love and heartbreak appear in these five selections. While short, each of the stories is unique and memorable in their creative settings. Fans of vampire tales, romance, fantasy and science fiction will find plenty to enjoy in LOVE IS HELL.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

A hot ghost with a message from beyond the grave. Two futuristic teens discovering the wonders of dreams and hormones for the first time. A hand-fasting that leads to more heartbreak - and magic - than any girl would have thought possible. A mysterious, immortal boy who may or may not be any more real than the paper he's printed on. A selkie who traps a human with his skin - though really he only wanted to date her.

That's a brief glimpse of the stories of LOVE IS HELL, an anthology of romantic and fantastical YA fiction from several of the genre's top authors.

Though most of the stories are dark, there's plenty of humor to be had, especially in Westerfeld's amusing take on a too-perfect future. Zevin's tale will make you question your own reality (in a good way), and Marr, Larbalestier, and Stolarz prove that love is a force more powerful than common sense, hate, or even death.

With plenty of swoon-worthy moments and surprising twists, there's much to enjoy from all.

I found myself wishing that many of the stories were longer, so their characters and events could have been developed more, but that's always the danger with short stories. Readers will race through this eagerly and likely find themselves hoping each author chooses to explore the worlds they've created again in the future.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

from Murphy's Library

Love isn't always just flowers, right? Sometimes it can be a little hellish, and thinking of it some authors have done a collection with little stories about how love can be a tad too paranormal sometimes. I first thought the stories would be scary, but I was wrong... Some of them were sickeningly sweet!

In Sleeping with a spirit we are presented to a girl who can't sleep without having very strange dreams that make her wake up startled since she's moved to her new house. She is scared, because the dreams feel truly real, and her parents are starting to think she's gone crazy. It is when she meets Raina and Craig, her new friends, that she starts to see her dreams for what they truly are--or can be.

Scott Westerfeld contributes with Stupid Perfect World, using his dystopian abilities to tell a tale about a world where people are almost robotic. But if the world is robotic, is there space for such a thing like love? Maybe when they need to incorporate some human experience for a class it will help them to fell human emotions too.

There is a story about a girl who is forced to forget her dreams of being a doctor for a tradition, but sees herself falling in love in the process, just to have her heart broken after that. Can a broken heart be mended by a right choice?

We read a little fan fiction--yeah, your read it right--in a short history about a girl who is a little intertwined with The Immortals plot.

And last but not least, we read a short story by Melissa Marr about a girl who needs to accept her mate, but is struggling with it.

As you can see by my descriptions, my favorite stories were the first two. All of them had some appeal, but the first two were the ones that truly got my attention. The book is fast paced and I read everything really fast. You can read a short story each time and when you less expect it, the book is finished. A good read!

I picked this book as an introduction to some popular young adult authors. I have previously only read work by Melissa Marr and Gabrielle Zevin, all the other authors are new to me, even though I see Westerfeld's books everywhere! Now that I have read Westerfeld's Stupid Perfect World I can see what all the talk is about, he is an amazing writer. If an author can get me hooked with a short story, that is a feat, and it makes them worth checking out further.

All of the stories were completely different from one another and dealt with different aspects of the fantasy world and each were lovely in their own right. The book is definitely a young adult, paranormal romance readers dream of a good time. Some of the stories didn't draw me in as much as Westerfeld's did, but they were all unique and charming in their own way. I will be looking up the other author's works to see how I feel about their novel formats. All in all, pick up this book if you are interested in an intro to an author you may have not tried reading before.

Two of these stories I don't feel belong at all: Westerfeld's and Stolarz's additions. In Westerfeld's, I just don't see where love comes in at all! Even calling it a crush seems like pushing it. The only real hint of romance between the two is them being called "lovebirds" by their teacher and them holding hands. Stolarz's has some romance, I suppose, but it is very fleeting and does not seem to be the main focus of the story. That's not to say that both of the aforementioned authors did not have good stories, but I just didn't understand why they were in this anthology. Otherwise though, this is a fair collection of stories; some were far better than others (Marr's for example), but for being short stories the rest weren't terrible. I don't think this book was for me though and probably will not continue with the "____ is Hell" collections. I had high expectations for this book, having read most of the authors' other works, and I was disappointed.

LOVE IS HELL is a neat little anthology composed of five paranormal romances from five popular young adult authors: Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, and Laurie Faria Stolarz. The stories include a tension-filled romance about a ghost with unfinished business, a futuristic perfect world where hormones and sleep are turned off, and a seal faery's struggle with the two tugs on his heart, the sea and his mortal love. (Plus two more tales.)

Reading this anthology was a great way to sample each author's work, and I enjoyed four of the five stories. Each tale had a distinct beginning, middle and end, even though they were short. I was most impressed with Marr's "Love Struck" and Larbalestier's "Thinner Than Water." Both of these stories featured faeries and strong female protagonists. I could have easily enjoyed a novel-length story about each setting and the characters that were created.

Westerfield's futuristic tale about a world where sleep isn't needed and the ups and downs of teenage hormones are suppressed was interesting with likeable characters. With a short story, though, there wasn't as much time as I would have liked to become comfortable with the brave new world he created for his characters. Stolarz's tale about a romance between girl and ghost was nice but predictable. Zevin's tale about the blur between fantasy and reality was the one story that I did not enjoy. The author tried to make what seemed like an obvious point about the potentially dangerous blur between the two, but I didn't feel that the story was well-executed.

Overall, this book was a great way to check out new authors and a nice way to finish each evening with a complete story each night before bed!

Love is Hell is a sequel of sorts to the anthology Prom Nights from Hell, both recruiting five popular YA authors to spin romantic supernatural tales. However, this anthology is an improvement from the previous one, for the mere fact that all the stories have some sense of closure that doesn't leave you wanting -- or needing -- future stories just for story arc completion.

The anthology begins with Laurie Faria Stolarz's Sleeping with the Spirit, where Brenda finds herself being haunted as she sleeps after moving into a new house. Although the story initially grabs you with a chilling opener, it turns into a more sweet, endearing ghost story without many surprises, but enough heart to keep you reading and genuinely care about the characters.

The next story, Scott Westerfeld's Stupid Perfect World, stands out from the others by being more sci-fi than fantasy. Set in a futuristic world where sleep, the common cold, and even teenage hormones are outdated, Kieran and Maria find themselves falling for each other when taking part in such things for a class project. The world is clever and fascinating, and the interchanging firts person points-of-view don't hinder the story. The story was more tame than I expected, but it still turned out to be one of the better ones of the anthology.

Justine Larbalestier's Thinner Than Water is a dramatic shift from Westerfeld's story, taking place in the modern world, yet within a village that values old-fashioned customs that would have been common a hundred years ago. Jeannie wishes to escape this life for one in the city, even after handfasting with Robbie, who's feared by others to be one of the fey. The story sometimes drags a bit, and I wasn't entirely convinced of the attraction between Jeannie and Robbie, but Jeannie's struggles alone are compelling enough to keep reading, to see what will happen to her after all the twist and turns she must go through.

Gabrielle Zevin pokes fun at cliché romantic YA fantasies in her story Fan Fictions. Told in a storyteller-like manner, we're introduced to Paige, an Every Girl who always parts her hair in the middle and enjoys books more than people, as well as Aaron, the mysterious new boy who notices her despite being the one that never is. It's a fun, purposely familiar read with a dark twist that leaves you wondering what the truth really is about Paige's reality.

The final, and perhaps most compelling, story in the anthology is Melissa Marr's Love Struck. Alana finds herself cornered by not one, but two selchies, and will do anything not to be entrapped by one...if she can resist them. The story sweeps you in, then refuses to let go once the romance develops, much like the ocean from which the seal-shifting faeries derive. Both endearing and enchanting, this story is a thoroughly satisfying read, ending with a message that all couples should keep in mind -- and is impossible not to leave you with a smile on your face.

Overall, the stories are equal in enjoyability and only make you crave more from the authors, not for further closure like the previous "Hell" anthology. Given the title, I would have liked to see some more twisty, darker plotlines, but other than that, I have little complaints when it comes to Love is Hell.

I was starting to get tired of the books that I had been reading and was anxious to find some new authors so I thought I would try some anthologies. This one was AMAZING.

Each story was interesting enough (and written well enough) that I would have happily read a whole novel of each. There were only 5 stories but they were well developed.

I enjoyed Scott Westerfield's (Stupid Perfect World) in particular and I hope that he writes a novel set in that future. Anyone familiar with Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely will like her story exploring the myth of the selchies (still fey but different than the usual ones she's been writing about). I LOVED the different take on the Selchie legend.

All in all, this is highly highly recommended book :D

LOVE IS HELL is a collection of short stories from various popular YA authors and as so I thought it only fair to rate each story independently. But first I'd like to state that I'm not usually a fan of compilations books and was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one as a whole. So here we go...

Laurie Faria Stolarz's SLEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT is a well told and very sweet, touching ghost story; setting great pace and a promising start for this style of book... think The Ghost Whisperer. 4 stars

Scott Westerfeld's is a favorite author of mine and one of the reason's I decided to give this book a read. STUPID PERFECT WORD is unique, a funny futuristic sci-fi with an interesting concept for sure, truly an enjoyable short from start to finish. 5 stars

Justine Larbalestier's THINNER THAN WATER is a disturbingly luring and heartbreakingly tragic love story of the fay nature. 4 stars

Gabrielle Zevin's FAN FICTONS is twisted little vampire-esk paranormal tale that although, lacks depth, still makes for a quick fun read, closing with a great little notion at the end. 3 stars

Melissa Marr's gift for writing lore shines yet again with LOVE STRUCK, a new kind of Fairy Tale, one with sea-fay seals who shed their skins on land to take human form, fay called Selchies. This is a completely unique legend to me, and there for, the story held a freshness and wonder that tends to be rare for fans of the Faerie genre. Kudos to Marr for creating a story that is strong, well paced and entertaining through to the end. 4 stars

My boyfriend and I used to have insomnia like really bad so we would go to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night. I always went to the book section, every time; and every time this book would jump out at me but I would never get it. It wasn't until I went to Melissa Marr's book signing in May that I ended up getting it. This book has some of the best short stories ever.

Like the first one, "Sleeping with the spirit", was about this girl and her family and how they moved into this house and she kept having these dreams about this boy. He would kind of hurt her (in the dream) and it felt so vividly, but when she got up early in the morning she realized that the marks were real. He just wanted her to listen. This short story had me wanting to know more after the ending! It was so good. I have actually never read anything by Laurie Faria Stolarz but now I'm very curious to see what her other novels hold.

The second one was, "Stupid Perfect World", this one is by Scott Westerfeld. I personally did not like the specials series and I was very specitical about reading this short story but in the end I actually really loved it. It was just amazing what he did about the future and this "Perfect World". I think it had to be my second favorite out of all the short stories!

"Thinner than water" by Justine Larbalestier was the third story and this one was very unique. I don't really want to elaborate because I'm afraid I'm going to give it away, but let me say it was so good.

This is my favorite story out of all them! It's called "Fan Fiction" by Gabrielle Zevin. No joke, when I got to the ending I was so freaked out that it was just insane! It was written so, I don't even know how to explain it! It's very good!

Last but not least, "Love Struck" by Melissa Marr. This was a very enjoyable one. It of coarse had to do with fey and she just surprised me by how she decided to end it. Love triangles are so interesting to read!

Anyway, this book is pretty awesome. The stories are unique, with amazing and unforgettable characters. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 paws.