Review THE MARK by Jen Nadol

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Details:
January 19th 2010 by Bloomsbury

Hardcover, 228 pages

http://www.jennadolbooks.com/

Placement in Pile:
Bottom of the Barrel (seriously)

Summary:
Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.


Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?


Review:
Maybe I indicated this book's placement as a little low in the pile. But since I eagerly awaited its debut, and practically strong-armed my local library to order it as soon as it came out, well, it's no wonder I was disappointed enough to give it the lowest ranking My Pile of Books hands out.


To put it frankly, The Mark isn't worth the reading time.
Harsh much? Yeah, I know. But there is a certain expectation I hold for the publishing industry. First, it's my hope that there is an actual point to the story, or that the characters will be sympathetic enough to warrant my continued reading, or that the plot line will actually be engaging. One can hope, right?

In The Mark, Jen Nadol's protagonist, Cassie, lets the reader know first page that she can see an uncanny, glowing mark around a person who will die that very day.
Alright, the first chapter gripped me. So I plunged into the rest of the book.
Over the next five or so chapters the story-telling bounced all over the place in different flashback scenes. Confusing much? For sure.
Then when the book picked up in real story-line time, I found the main character jumping into lies and a thoughtless, emotionless relationship. So when the author tried to push an 'emotional' scene, well, for me it was flat and as lifeless as the writing of the book.
Am I the biggest jerk in the world for disliking this book? Maybe. My advice to you: go out and read it for yourself, and prove me wrong.

OH, and since I didn't like this book, I'll be posting another book review tomorrow, so check back.