The Readventurer
  • Home
  • YA Reviews
  • Adult Reviews
  • Contests and Giveaways
  • Policies
  • About Us
    • Flannery's Challenges
    • Catie's Challenges
  • Contact Us

YA Review: Preloved by Shirley Marr

4/13/2012

14 Comments

 
Preloved Shirley Marr cover
Preloved
Author: Shirley Marr
Publication Date: 4/1/12 (Aus)
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
[Goodreads | Fishpond]


Blurb (GR):If you had a second chance at love, would you do it all over again?

Amy has enough to deal with for one lifetime. A superstitious Chinese mother. A best friend whose mood changes as dramatically as her hair colour. A reputation for being strange. The last thing she needs is to be haunted by someone only she can see.

Logan is a ghost from the Eighties. He could be dangerous. He's certainly annoying.

He might also be Amy's dream boy.

Review:

When I found out that Preloved involved ghosts, I immediately wondered what I’d gotten myself into because ghosts and I just don’t get along. If a movie with ghosts is in the theaters and my friends want to go see it, my face starts to have this weird twitch and then my voice raises a few octaves. "Oh that one? Oh, I've heard it is, like, TERRIBLE. Like worse than that Adam Sandler movie where he plays a guy and a girl. Worse than the worst Lifetime movie ever was. No I'm not just saying that because it has ghosts in it!" (that last bit is because they know I am saying it solely because it has ghosts in it.) As it turns out, I will have to carve out an exception in section of my ghost hatred for Preloved. Here's a very scientific chart to explain my interest in literary and/or cinematic ghosts:

My Interest in Ghosts
If I was being completely accurate, I'd add a few ghosts or pseudo-ghosts from history that I find marginally entertaining: Kevin Costner's dad in Field of Dreams, Marley & Marley from Muppet Christmas Carol (ONLY the Muppet one), Slimer from Ghostbusters, whatever it is going on in The Sixth Sense, and the ghosts from Heart and Souls with Robert Downey, Jr. And now I like them in Preloved. 

Whether or not you are familiar with Marr's debut novel, Fury, doesn't matter one iota going into this book because it reads in an entirely different way. Say Shirley Marr's books are Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fury would be at the serious level of a big fight scene. Preloved is like reading a book about Willow meeting a ghost from the  1980s, if Willow were Chinese with a superstitious mother who ran an antique shop. Amy Lee, the protagonist, is someone who would be the "wacky best friend" or "forgotten girl" in most other stories and television shows. Her best friend is always overshadowing her, she isn't really exceptional in any way, and guys seem to look right through her. On a costume day at school, she finds a locket that makes Amy the only person able to see a boy from the 1980s. The plot follows Amy on her quest to figure out who Logan is and why she is the only person who can see him.

Overall, I liked the campy tone and the numerous pop culture references. I liked being reminded of just how far technology has come in such a short time. And honestly, I don't know if there is such a thing as too many movie references in a book for me, especially when it comes to The Princess Bride and Labyrinth. Another highlight throughout the book was Amy's mother, who peppered the story with her little anecdotes about ways to avoid ghosts or other superstitions. I wish Marr dug deeper into the emotional elements in the story--the moments with Amy and her mother were lovely, but I wish there was more development of their relationship. Preloved moved very quickly, which is fun, but it was to the detriment of the story. Near the end of the book, there is quite a surprise, at least it was surprise to me, and the book takes a more serious turn.  I'm not going to say I wish it hadn't done that. It was refreshing to be surprised, even if I felt a bit foolish to not see it earlier, but I still think the resolution was too hurried. All in all, the book could've used about twenty more pages of emotional depth. I have a lot of unanswered questions. 

I think readers who enjoy humorous YA will eat this one up. It is a fast read with entertaining characters and I learned a thing or two about Chinese culture. Don't forget to enter to win a copy from us (and Walker Books!) here and visit Shirley on her blog tour stops starting next week. There will be tons of fun information to be had, for sure. 

3.5/5 stars
Readventurer F Signature
14 Comments
Rachel
4/13/2012 08:31:01 am

Oh how I love your charts, Flan! Just the fact that you referenced Buffy made me love your review (I so miss Buffy!) Didn't know about ghosts in the Muppets but so glad you enjoyed them. Sixth Sense was awesome, IMO. This book sounds more my type than Shirley's book Fury. I do want to read both, but I'm more of a vanilla girl, so I think this is more to my liking. Shirley is entertaining even when commenting on GRs, so I have high hopes for her books. :)

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
4/13/2012 08:42:10 am

If you love her comments on Goodreads, you'll really like her humor in Preloved. You can totally tell she wrote it, which is fun:)

I love The Sixth Sense. I didn't expect that ending when I saw it. It STILL gets me when I watch it.

Reply
Wendy Darling link
4/13/2012 08:43:52 am

I had no idea you didn't like ghosts. What's wrong with you?!

You're totally right, Amy really is like the BFF in every movie. It's nice the BFF gets her own book for once.

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
4/13/2012 08:46:39 am

You're not surprised I don't like ghosts. I bet you were more surprised about me not liking icing or seafood.

I like that about Amy. It felt weird to be reading a book where an overlooked person gets to be in the spotlight.

I think I'll go through the book and pick out every little saying her mom says to her. They cracked me up.

Reply
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
4/13/2012 09:09:07 am

Please don't tell me you you didn't love Patrick Swaze in "Ghost." All that sadness and pottery making! How can you not love that?

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
4/14/2012 03:58:11 am

Nope! Muahahaha. I've never watched it and I never will, hopefully;-)

Reply
Catie (The Readventurer) link
4/13/2012 09:43:25 am

I completely love ghosts, 80's movies, camp, and asian best friends. I am only 20 pages in but I think I'm going to really like this book.

Also, this review is completely awesome. I love that you referenced Heart and Souls. Other faves: Ghost Dad! Poltergeist, The Shining, Truly Madly Deeply, and does the guy in Chances Are count? For like a minute? Before he gets reincarnated?

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
4/15/2012 09:43:26 pm

What is Chances Are? I'll have to check it out...maybe...if you think the ghosts are not annoying. I didn't include too many scary (or any at all) ghosts because those are usually horrible--as in not scary at all. I forgot about Ghost Dad! :)

Reply
Sam link
4/13/2012 08:22:36 pm

Great review, Flannery! I actually really enjoy anything to do with ghosts and this sounds like my type of book. I think I read in a couple of other reviews too that there could have been more emotional depth to this book, but other than that, it sounds like a really worth while read! I'm looking forward to giving it a try myself. :)

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
4/15/2012 09:45:00 pm

This isn't a book that's easy to hate. I'm pretty sure that even if someone didn't love it, they'd still really like it because it is quirky and funny. I bet you'll enjoy it when you get it. At least, I hope you will!

Reply
Chachic link
4/14/2012 01:28:14 am

I'm not a big fan of ghosts either! Or wait, I should clarify that, I'm a big scaredy-cat so I don't watch scary movies. But Preloved seems like a lot of fun and not scary at all so I'm curious. I've been wanting to read Shirley's books ever since I added her as a friend on Goodreads. I just need to find a way to get them (still hesitant about trying out Fishpond but we'll see). Thanks for the fun review, Flann! Love the graph, as usual.

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
4/15/2012 09:49:19 pm

It's definitely NOT scary at all. And if you like SM's humor on Goodreads, you'll really like this as well. When I linked to Fishpond, it said unavailable, even though it was available the day before. Ugh. Honestly, though, erratic behavior with free shipping is pretty much worth it. All the other Aus sellers charge like internal organs to deliver abroad.

Reply
Heidi link
4/14/2012 11:46:26 am

Can I just say how much I love the fact that this story stars a side-kick? Because that is awesome. I am all about the 80s references, and can do a past-life romance for them. I'm also with you 100% on The Muppet Christmas Carol. It's the only version I ever watch tbqh...

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
4/15/2012 09:51:25 pm

My book club in Seattle read Christmas Carol for December and we had a long discussion about which version of the movie we'd watch together. (we try to watch the movie if there is one) Obviously The Muppets won. Fun fact: I can't NOT cry in that movie. Just thinking about it makes my throat choke up a bit:)

I loved the fact that it was about a sidekick as well. And that the main character is Chinese. So many great things going on here.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Follow Us On:

    Facebook Twitter Feed

    Subscribe:

    Subscribe
    Follow on Bloglovin

    Subscribe via email:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    What We're Reading:

    Blood of my Blood cover

    Flannery

    Goodreads
    Monstrous Affections cover

     Tatiana

    Goodreads
    Rules of Civility cover

      Catie

    Goodreads

    Archives 

    March 2014
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Categories

    All
    Author Spotlight
    Book Events
    Book Vs. Movie
    Catie's Adult Reviews
    Catie's Y.A. Reviews
    Contest Or Giveaway
    Flannery's Adult Reviews
    Flannery's Y.A. Reviews
    If You Like This Maybe That
    Library Quest
    Odds & Ends On The Web
    Randomness
    Readalong Recaps
    She Made Me Do It
    Tatiana's Adult Reviews
    Tatiana's Y.A. Reviews
    Three Heads Are Better Than One Or Two
    Year Of The Classics


    Blogs We Follow

    Angieville
    Anna Scott Jots
    Badass Book Reviews
    The Book Geek
    The Book Smugglers
    Book Harbinger
    Books Take You Places
    Bunbury in the Stacks
    Chachic's Book Nook
    Clear Eyes, Full Shelves
    Collections
    Cuddlebuggery
    For the Love of Words
    The Galavanting Girl Books
    Inkcrush
    Intergalactic Academy
    Ivy Book Bindings
    The Nocturnal Library
    Rainy Day Ramblings
    The Readers Den
    The Reading Date
    Realm of Fiction
    Sash and Em
    Stacked
    The Unread Reader
    Vegan YA Nerds
    Wear The Old Coat
    Wordchasing
    Wrapped Up In Books
    Young Adult Anonymous 

    Grab A Button

    The Readventurer
    <div align="center"><a href="http://www.thereadventurer.com" title="The Readventurer"><img src="http://www.weebly.com/uploads/7/8/9/9/7899923/custom_themes/149267861480723643/files/TheReadventurer.png?1321429794244" alt="The Readventurer" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

    Parajunkee Design
    SiteLock
    Since 2/4/2012

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
Photos used under Creative Commons from savillent, vue3d, vue3d, ljcybergal