Model (Volume 2) by Lee So-Young

This second volume of Lee So-Young's vampire manga continues to draw me in. In this volume we learn more about Michael and a little bit more about Ken and Eva, but still not enough. Again, the story is satisfying but still leaves you with a lot of questions that draw you on to volume three. And with the arrival of Rachel, the reader is left with a whole new set of questions.

As in the first volume, the artwork is simply beautiful. I love the Korean style of drawing and feel this series does a wonderful job of showcasing the Korean style at its best.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

I don't know how many books Stephenie Meyer had written prior to the third book in the Twilight series. At least I know for sure she wrote two. One would think her writing would have improved over the course of two or more books. I suppose that's what I get for thinking. Believe it or not, her writing has gotten worse! She carries forward the same problems from the first two books -- elementary writing, poor grammar, cliched plotting and characters -- and then adds to them! Instead of her writing maturing, it seems to digress. Instead of her characters really coming to life they remain stagnant. This is the third book in the series! By now the reader should be enjoying well developed characters that have really taken on a life of their own. Also, as this is the third book in the series, the plot should really be ramping up and drawing you in -- it should be building up to the fourth book and making you want to read the end and know what happens. Instead the plot leaves me cold.

In short:

The books get worse and worse.... Ridiculous plot (even for a vampire book), no character development, poor prose.... The list goes on and on. If you've read my other reviews for the series then you know I don't judge mind candy very harshly at all. But this book was just too poorly written to let off easy...even as mind candy. The author is ruining what could have been a great series. I'm almost afraid to ask what she has in store for us in the last book.

Model (Volume 1) by Lee So-Young

This series was recommended to me years ago by a friend because of my love for breathtakingly beautiful vampires. I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. This first volume was a great introduction to the series. The characters are flawlessly introduced and well developed. Although the storyline is satisfying, you’re left with enough questions to want to pick up the next volume to get your answers. And the answers promise to make for an amazing story. I highly recommend this series!

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

To avoid simply rewriting my review of Twilight, I submit the following:

New Moon was not as good as Twilight, but was still angsty mind candy, which, when I'm in the mood is acceptable. Even so, you can only forgive so much. I judge mind candy on a much easier scale than other books, but this book still fell short. Too much cliché and too little character development. Not to mention, the author seems to have forgotten that complex sentences are acceptable and even needed in good fiction. But, again, this is mind candy. And as such, while it didn't pull me in as the first one did, it was still an enjoyable weekend book.