DNF Review: The Keepers by Monique O’Connor James
Author:
Book: The Keepers
Release: June 5, 2011
Series: N/A
Reviewer: KittNLuv
Source: Author
Purchase: Astraea PressJess denies God. In his infinite wisdom, he’s taken everyone she’s ever loved. Moving to the French Quarter was a ploy to erase the guilt she felt for rebuking her faith. Perhaps, if she hadn’t met Justin, an angel preoccupied with getting back into God’s good graces, and drowning in his hatred for humanity, her plan would have worked.
Justin’s general disdain for the human race makes him difficult to like, but some higher power has appointed him her keeper. Justin’s convinced he can mend her broken relationship with her maker, but in the process he learns a thing or two about his own humanity.
Never mind falling in love, that’s not supposed to happen. In fact, it may even be forbidden. Jess just wants Justin to understand her plight, and he wants to protect her from a world she doesn’t know.
If neither are equipped to save the other, then whose soul will live and whose will perish?
It’s not very often I come across a book that I just cannot finish. I’m one of those people that just have to keep going and find out what happens next even when I don’t like the heroine/hero/world/story. I made it about 70 pages into The Keepers by Monique O’Connor James before I just completely gave up.
First thing that bothered me was that the flow of the story was so disjointed that I always felt left out and behind in what was happening. There were several times I had to back up a couple of pages because I was certain I missed something, but the information would never be there. There’s actually a point when I didn’t even know which state – let alone the city – everything was taking place. One minute they’re in NOLA, the next they’re vacationing on a beach. But which beach on the Gulf? For chapters this went on and then finally a place is mentioned! Our heroine says her and her brother would sneak out at night and go down to Destin – which just so happens to be where I live – and take in the night life. Aha! They’re in Florida! Wrong. Turns out after she comes back, she tells us she was in Alabama! WTF? Anyone who lives in between these two places knows that sneaking out at night from (what I’m assuming based on the condo she stayed at ) Semmes, Alabama to take in the night life in Destin, Florida and be back before you’re caught by your parents is just ludicrous – that’s a three hour drive one way.
I also had trouble in seeing what the heroine, Jess, saw in our hero, Justin. At no time is he ever sincere towards her and even though she knows this, she keeps coming back to him for more “because she just can’t help it, there’s something special about him”. He comes off as egotistical, rude, moody and self-loathing – all traits that Jess comments on herself. If he’s not belittling her, than he’s just laughing at her. I know as much as the next girl that we females have a warped since of attraction and usually end up going for the guy that’s mean to us, but jeez this guy was a dick.
In the end The Keepers was just not for me, but in looking at the reviews on GoodReads, it makes me think I must have missed something, but alas, I just don’t have it in me to find out.
As a side note: 8/14/11: Ms. James put a post on her blog announcing that she is temporarily pulling the book from vendors so that she she and her publisher can go through and fix the typos, grammatical errors, and other copy editing issues. After it’s fixed, it will be re-released.
Also Reviewed By: – – Bona Fide Reflections
You didn’t miss anything by not finishing. It took me almost 3X as usual to read it. It’s gotten some good reviews on Amazon and it was like we read different books. It’s definitely a book to skip.