Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

An avid reader whose current interest lies in mysteries and thrillers. Line 'em up! Also personally love fantasies and any stories to do with magic, and a sucker for the occasional (good) romance.
discussion

Let’s Talk Bookish – First or Third Person Narration?

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits will be the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

June 10: Do you prefer first or third person narration?  (Mikaela @ Mikaela Reads)

Prompts: What kinds of narration do you prefer? First person? Third person objective? Third person omniscient? Third person limited? What are the pros and cons of different kinds of narration?

* Third person objective: The facts of a narrative are reported by a seemingly neutral, impersonal observer or recorder. | Third person omniscient: An all-knowing narrator not only reports the facts but may also interpret events and relate the thoughts and feelings of any character. | Third person limited: A narrator reports the facts and interprets events from the perspective of a single character.

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH! Ever since I saw this on the schedule last week for the month of June, I was excited to share my thoughts a bit on this topic. But not only that, I also want to know if there’s a divide in the community with a preference over one or the other. Can’t wait to here what you all have to say!

For me, I’m not sure if it’s actually my preferred, hands down all the time, but I think I tend to like the first person narration. Of course, this is probably unsurprising because I enjoy mysteries and thrillers. For me, the first person narration certainly adds a level of suspense, and I like “finding out” the mystery and going through the suspense in the perspective of the main character. It’s also nice to get their thoughts on it to really help me immerse in the content.

I also enjoy third person limited for basically the same reasons. The limited knowledge can really add to the suspense and sometimes it’s nice to be on the close sidelines without being in the actual perspective of the main character(s). This is also more effective when there are multiple POVs and it may not be the most appropriate to use first person for all of them, though I have seen that as well.

Third person omniscient can also be good for mysteries and thrillers but the crafting will take more finesse, and the story usually has to be more complicated and messy. That is because the reader will know more than the characters, and will generally be able to predict, or at least see ahead a little bit of the characters. This can be used to create effective foreshadowing if executed correctly. Third person objective can also be used in a similar way without this drawback, but it also has some execution challenges because you don’t want to be so much on the bystander lines that the reader is not engaged.

The POV or narration that is chosen greatly affects the tone of a book. While I have never liked a book except for its chosen narration, it certainly frames how I think about each book, and even lends certain emphasis to things (like character development, etc., depending on the perspective). I find myself tending to prefer the exciting ride of first person, or at least, any perspective that really throws me into the drama as well so that I can experience the confusion and the clearing up, and that really gets me engaged. I am probably less picky about general YA, and for something like fantasy with a lot of description, a more wide-scope view like third person omniscient or objective can also provide a lot of value.

What perspectives do you all enjoy? Is it because of the genres you read, or just because you enjoy the perspective overall? Let me know in the comments below!

2.5 star

Review: Magpie by Elizabeth Day

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

She has almost everything. The rest she’ll take.

Single White Female meets The Perfect Nanny in this taut, psychological suspense novel about a perfect couple and their seemingly perfect roommate—that is until she threatens to destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to create.

Marisa and Jake are a perfect couple, and Kate, their new lodger, is the perfect roommate–and not just because her rent payments will give them the income they need to start trying for a baby. Except no one is perfect. Sure, Kate doesn’t seem to care much about personal boundaries and can occasionally seem overly familiar with Jake, but Marisa doesn’t let it concern her. Kate will soon be gone, and it will just be her, Jake, and their future baby.

Conceiving a baby is easier said than done, though, and Jake and Marisa’s perfect relationship is put to the test through months of fertility treatments and false starts. To make matters worse, Kate’s boundary-pushing turns into an all-out obsession–with Jake, with Marisa, and with their future child. Who is this woman? Why does she seem to know everything about Marisa and Jake?

In her quest to find out who Kate really is, Marisa might destroy everything she’s worked so hard to create: her perfect romance, her perfect family, and her perfect self. Jake doesn’t know the half of what Marisa has created and what she stands to lose. Magpie is a tense and twisting novel about mothers and children, envy and possession, and the dangers of getting everything you’ve ever dreamed of. 

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster. All comments are my own.

Exciting premise. And a classic case where I expected there to be a lot of intrigue, and confusion between what was real and what wasn’t. Unfortunately this kind of fell flat for me, and I will divulge why further in this review.

Magpie revolves around Marisa, who has moved in with her new boyfriend Jake, and everything seems perfect with their baby coming around. However, a new lodger comes in, Kate, who is acting quite dubiously, perhaps following Marisa around and being unnecessarily nosy for being a stranger. Just who is this Kate and what does she want with their lives? That is the question that the book attempts to answer through its suspense and intrigue.

Continue reading “Review: Magpie by Elizabeth Day” →
discussion

Let’s Talk Bookish – Quitting Blogging?

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits will be the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

June 3: Have you ever considered quitting blogging?  (Kristin @ Lukten Av Trykksverte)

Prompts: Have your reasons for blogging changed since you started? If so, what changes have you noticed? Have you ever taken a break from blogging, or thought about it? Have you ever thought about quitting blogging entirely? What stops you? What gives you motivation to keep blogging?

Welcome to another week here of LTB at DTRH, everyone! Today’s topic is a little bit more sombre, but hey, it’s also part of the reality of anything we do. Can’t wait to hear why you all blog, and what drives you forward!

Personally, I really didn’t start that long ago (though the years do begin to fly by). However, the commitment isn’t really that huge, and the connection and structure that I get from co-maintaining this blog really adds a lot of value to my life, so that’s my main motivation for going on. In the beginning it was really just to kind of help Andge out, and to re-acquaint myself with the bookish world and to really start reading many books again, something that I had neglected to do during my undergraduate studies.

Nowadays, it’s much more for my own interest that I want to keep reading. It’s fun to work together with a co-host, and we each get more exposed to new things about the bookish community as we work together on this path, which I think is super exciting. I suppose it started off much more as “understudy” type of role, but I think I’ve really grown into it, much more like a true partnership nowadays, though I really do attribute most of the effort to Andge still!

We have never taken a break here at DTRH. Just kidding. If you’ve been following for some time, you’ll definitely have noticed where some unannounced hiatuses (hiati?) have crept in here and there. Though we have had a really good streak in the past year and a half! We take a break when we need it. Let’s face it, life can be overwhelming for so many reasons, and there’s no need to be tied down to something that isn’t helping your recovery. For those of you out there who also need a break, I highly recommend it, you won’t regret it. Your personal (physical and mental) health is so much more important and should never be taken for granted.

I can only speak for myself in motivation to keep going and not quitting, but really I wouldn’t be totally against quitting if there’s no longer an interest, or if blogging just becomes a huge chore. Hopefully (fingers crossed) it will never come to that, but really the community and also the chance to express yourself and keep track of the books you read are all the pros I need to keep going with this hobby. I know in my heart of hearts that if I need a break or if I can’t handle it, I can also just take a break! Which I think is basically what has happened so far.

Keep going if you want to keep going. This I definitely encourage. However, if you have any doubts, don’t be afraid to take breaks as well. It’s a hobby, after all. It’s supposed to be fun, and stimulating, and life-giving. If it’s just a bore or a drag and just getting you down all the time, maybe it’s time to revisit why you’re doing it in the first place. Can’t stress enough how much things should be adding value to your life in some way at least, and if it’s not, maybe it’s time to reconsider.

Do you agree? Why do you all blog? Are there any interesting reasons why you all do what you do? Let me know in the comments below!