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Shannon's Reviews > Tithe
Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1)
by
by
Shannon's review
bookshelves: favorites, my-reviews, home-library-read
Mar 17, 2009
bookshelves: favorites, my-reviews, home-library-read
Read 2 times. Last read June 4, 2019 to June 5, 2019.
Read #4? probably
Started on June 4, 2019
Finished on June 5, 2019
Still a hoe for Kaye and Roiben and I'm not sorry about it
( made me do a re-read. My eyes will never be the same. Petition for more Kaye/Roiben fanart)
OG REVIEW THAT I'M STILL AMAZED SO PEOPLE HAVE LIKED SO *THANK YOU* IF YOU'RE ONE OF THEM
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
I'm going to be up front... this series? You will either love it or hate it. Personally, I absolutely love gritty real-life/fantasy stories when they're written well, and I think Holly Black does the combination so much freaking justice. It doesn't try too hard to be overly badass. Kaye is such a great lead -- although I don't always see myself in her actions throughout the book, I still liked her because she was real. I never got the sense that Holly Black was trying to impress me; she was just writing about a real girl. And honestly, when I compare female leads in other books, I always think about Kaye and if they live up to her standards (which is not often enough for me).
So many people cut down Tithe for its "objectionable" content, but I was actually able to find a lot of realism in the way most of the characters behaved. As I was growing up, the teenagers I knew cursed like sailors and were always trading stories about sex. Unfortunately or not, it's a way of life nowadays -- teenagers are naturally curious. I think in this case, Holly Black's choice to include these situations and words make her characters come alive. However, that's not all Tithe is about -- people want to focus on that, but it's only a small portion of the entire book. Tithe is different, and some people just don't enjoy or understand how YA can fit that profile. But that's the one thing I appreciate about Holly Black: her ability to take YA to another level. She proves that the genre doesn't have to be a complete trope-fest with beginnings and ends that fit together perfectly.
For me, Holly Black's writing in Tithe is really hard to pin down. It's like a combination of trippy and poetic. The way she describes things, you feel like you're reading poetry -- I love the detail she pours into Tithe. I think my favorite sections have to be when she describes the faeries and where they live -- she makes it all gothic-y and enchanting and it just makes me feel like I have a spell cast over me that forces me to be in this complete daze. I can't get out of it if I wanted to. I just keep reading every sentence she writes and loving them.
Started on June 4, 2019
Finished on June 5, 2019
“If you would help me, draw this arrow." His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "If not, then push it in as deep as you can and hope it kills me.�
Still a hoe for Kaye and Roiben and I'm not sorry about it
( made me do a re-read. My eyes will never be the same. Petition for more Kaye/Roiben fanart)
OG REVIEW THAT I'M STILL AMAZED SO PEOPLE HAVE LIKED SO *THANK YOU* IF YOU'RE ONE OF THEM
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
I'm going to be up front... this series? You will either love it or hate it. Personally, I absolutely love gritty real-life/fantasy stories when they're written well, and I think Holly Black does the combination so much freaking justice. It doesn't try too hard to be overly badass. Kaye is such a great lead -- although I don't always see myself in her actions throughout the book, I still liked her because she was real. I never got the sense that Holly Black was trying to impress me; she was just writing about a real girl. And honestly, when I compare female leads in other books, I always think about Kaye and if they live up to her standards (which is not often enough for me).
So many people cut down Tithe for its "objectionable" content, but I was actually able to find a lot of realism in the way most of the characters behaved. As I was growing up, the teenagers I knew cursed like sailors and were always trading stories about sex. Unfortunately or not, it's a way of life nowadays -- teenagers are naturally curious. I think in this case, Holly Black's choice to include these situations and words make her characters come alive. However, that's not all Tithe is about -- people want to focus on that, but it's only a small portion of the entire book. Tithe is different, and some people just don't enjoy or understand how YA can fit that profile. But that's the one thing I appreciate about Holly Black: her ability to take YA to another level. She proves that the genre doesn't have to be a complete trope-fest with beginnings and ends that fit together perfectly.
For me, Holly Black's writing in Tithe is really hard to pin down. It's like a combination of trippy and poetic. The way she describes things, you feel like you're reading poetry -- I love the detail she pours into Tithe. I think my favorite sections have to be when she describes the faeries and where they live -- she makes it all gothic-y and enchanting and it just makes me feel like I have a spell cast over me that forces me to be in this complete daze. I can't get out of it if I wanted to. I just keep reading every sentence she writes and loving them.
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Quotes Shannon Liked
“She loves the serene brutality of the ocean, loves the electric power she felt with each breath of wet, briny air.”
― Tithe
― Tithe
“There is something of yours I would like to return to you."
"What?"
He leaned across the distance between them and caught her mouth with his own. Her eyes fluttered closed and her lips parted easily as she felt the kiss sizzling through her nerves, rendering her thoughts to smoke.
"Um..." Kaye stepped make, a little unsteadily. "Why does that belong to me?"
"That was the kiss I stole from you when you were enchanted," he said patiently.
"Oh...well, what if I didn't want it?"
"You don't?"
No," she said, letting a grin spread across her face, hoping her mother would take her time of the drive over. "I'd like you to take it back again, please."
"I am your servant," the King of the Unseelie Court said, his lips a moment from her own, "Consider it done.”
― Tithe
"What?"
He leaned across the distance between them and caught her mouth with his own. Her eyes fluttered closed and her lips parted easily as she felt the kiss sizzling through her nerves, rendering her thoughts to smoke.
"Um..." Kaye stepped make, a little unsteadily. "Why does that belong to me?"
"That was the kiss I stole from you when you were enchanted," he said patiently.
"Oh...well, what if I didn't want it?"
"You don't?"
No," she said, letting a grin spread across her face, hoping her mother would take her time of the drive over. "I'd like you to take it back again, please."
"I am your servant," the King of the Unseelie Court said, his lips a moment from her own, "Consider it done.”
― Tithe
“So what are you really wearing?" The words left her mouth before she could consider them. She winced.
He didn't seem to mind; in fact, he flashed her one of his brief smiles. "And if I said nothing at all?"
"Then I would point out that sometimes, if you look at something out of the corner of your eye, you can see right through glamour," she returned.
That brought surprised laughter. "What a relief to us both then that I am actually wearing exactly what you saw me in this afternoon. Although one might point out that in that outfit, your last concern should be my modesty.”
― Tithe
He didn't seem to mind; in fact, he flashed her one of his brief smiles. "And if I said nothing at all?"
"Then I would point out that sometimes, if you look at something out of the corner of your eye, you can see right through glamour," she returned.
That brought surprised laughter. "What a relief to us both then that I am actually wearing exactly what you saw me in this afternoon. Although one might point out that in that outfit, your last concern should be my modesty.”
― Tithe
Reading Progress
May 1, 2004
–
Started Reading
May 1, 2004
–
Finished Reading
March 17, 2009
– Shelved
January 26, 2011
– Shelved as:
favorites
October 14, 2011
– Shelved as:
my-reviews
September 14, 2017
– Shelved as:
home-library-read
June 4, 2019
–
Started Reading
June 5, 2019
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)
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Dec 09, 2012 08:49AM
I think its a really bad take on the much loved Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. I just think it didn't live up to the way the faerie world was portrayed in Kagawa's books.
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Ramieem wrote: "I think its a really bad take on the much loved Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. I just think it didn't live up to the way the faerie world was portrayed in Kagawa's books."Tithe was written well before the Iron Fey series. I can't compare the two because I haven't read Iron Fey yet.
Thank you Shannon! It's funny to see some of these other reviews talking about how weird it is. I just want to shake them and say "did you not get the context of what is going on?" I really apperciate your review because some people forget that not all teen stories are going to be about fitting in with the popular crowd. Also i tried the Iron fey series and was not impressed. I am like you and compare other female protagonists to Kaye. People really only want to believe that Faeries are small and cute. I think this is why people think Tithe is so weird. Give wicked lovely a try. Not as good as tithe but it's pretty good.
Nikole wrote: "Thank you Shannon! It's funny to see some of these other reviews talking about how weird it is. I just want to shake them and say "did you not get the context of what is going on?" I really apperci..."Thank you for the kind words! :) Honestly, it amazes me that so many people have liked this review since I wrote it on the fly and it really doesn't encompass all of my emotions about the book. I definitely agree with what you said -- I think some people read this book expecting "Disney-esque" fairies, or further, incredibly straitlaced storytelling, and when they don't find either, their brains don't want to comprehend the "weirdness". While I don't have anything against fluffy writing when it's done well (I'm a big Disney fan personally!), I also appreciate writers who want to try something different, and Holly Black is one of those rare writers who has always done "different" and excelled at it.
I actually have Wicked Lovely in my pile of TBR books! It will get read one of these days. ;) Again, thank you for your comment!
Oh this review just perfectly sums up how I feel about this book, you said it perfectly. It's real, it's showy or flashy. Yes it's fantasy, but the characters are believable. I don't mind the swearing. My friends and I when we were younger were always swearing. And sex stories were as common as any other story. It's just how we were, and how a lot of teens are. You are a genius, and I loved your review. :)
you're right about Kaye. she's REAL. :))) she's not a character who's made out of personalities/attitude... she is herself and i like her :D
Thank you. These people focusing on "language" is so foreign to me. I don't know where they grew up, but I was in the bible belt and this was perfectly normal in the non-churchy teens. Hell, even some of the ones that went but only because they always had. I still talk like this in my mid twenties so I barely noticed except that YA novels RARELY drop one f bomb.
Also, on the comparison to the iron fey, I was expecting something similar (really how much variation can you get when using faerie lore) but it was refreshing that it was different. Much better than vampire academy and the (covenant?) series. If you don't know what I'm talking about, really just read the comments.
I can't wait to read it! I just bought the whole series!!!
I hope you’ve read ‘The Cruel Prince� by Holly Black because it’s just...wow
Pippa wrote: "I hope you’ve read ‘The Cruel Prince� by Holly Black because it’s just...wow"So sorry for the late response! I feel like such a bad HB fan, but I haven't gotten to this yet. I'm a weird seasonal reader -- by the time I got my hands on it, it was like... March, I think? I'm waiting until later this year because it seems like a good fall read. :) I'm so excited to get to it, though!
But... This is better than 'The cruel Prince'? Or not? ...
same! kaye and roiben own my heart
