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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 13, 2018
Heeheehee.
This is the topmost thought that happened to be in my head while reading this highly enjoyable, surprisingly well-written book of approximately 137,000 words that can be found here. Unfortunately, this comical farce from the viewpoint of a soon-to-be-redeemed hermit Draco had to be utterly ruined by that book cover.
Poor Draco Malfoy. Super unlikable chap. Sad possessor of only two friends. Has been in a hermit-like, broody mcbroody state for eight years. Sets off on a mission to find friend number #3 and comes across a wizarding world now immersed in the Muggle culture of jeans, lattes, and CDs.
The plot, now, is nothing hugely spectacular. But it is saved from utter mundaneness by the sheer joy of this author's voice. I have it on good authority that everything she writes (even her personal bio) carries with it the same endearing tone.
Here's how his life is going:
-----------------------
To recap, almost everyone was usually unhappy to see Draco.
As he exited a building for the first time in weeks, even the half-hearted evening sun was enough to make him squint. He didn't need such a heavy cloak, but having one on allowed him to pull up his hood. Unfortunately, this made him look dodgy, so the people who did still recognize him were probably even more convinced that he was up to no good.
They'd see soon enough - he was in the process of changing his image. Maybe someday, he thought dreamily, people would see him on the streets with his hood down and point him out to their children. He'd just give them a humble smile, almost embarrassed, as though he didn't want so much attention just for doing good things.
That was supremely unlikely on all counts, especially the humble smile; however, maybe someday people would walk past him without pointedly averting their eyes, like they were afraid being a prat was a contagious disease that they might catch just from looking directly at him.
-----------------------
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"She looked at him like he had six heads, one of them was a turkey, and all of them were on fire."
"If he had to arrange all the adjectives he knew in order of how well they described his father, 'innocent' in the colloquial sense wasn't very high on the list - in fact, it would probably fall somewhere between 'crunchy' and 'hexagonal.'"
"The only possible cure was to put it out of his mind permanently, but that meant that he would have to find enough other things to occupy his thoughts for the foreseeable future. He wondered if thinking about thinking about it counted as thinking about it, but then he realized that he was now thinking about thinking about thinking about it. This was getting out of hand."
"'No,' he said. Maybe it was liberating, but only in the same way that jumping off a cliff would liberate him from gravity."
"Physical contact really was the rule around here. He got that touching someone was a subtle way of saying 'hey, I don't think you're disgusting,' but he'd just as soon let that be understood."
"There was an awkward moment before either of them spoke, and his friend used the time to work out the perfect facial expression. He went from shocked to derisive before looking as though he were about to show some real vomit, and then he finally settled for the combination platter."
"No, he wasn't disappointed: he was an ocean of apathy, a study in stoicism, a monument to 'meh.'"
-----------------------
You've got to admit that there's something really poetic and hilarious about that last line.
If you've got internet connection and fifteen minutes to kill, I highly recommend trying at least the first chapter of this.
This is the topmost thought that happened to be in my head while reading this highly enjoyable, surprisingly well-written book of approximately 137,000 words that can be found here. Unfortunately, this comical farce from the viewpoint of a soon-to-be-redeemed hermit Draco had to be utterly ruined by that book cover.
Poor Draco Malfoy. Super unlikable chap. Sad possessor of only two friends. Has been in a hermit-like, broody mcbroody state for eight years. Sets off on a mission to find friend number #3 and comes across a wizarding world now immersed in the Muggle culture of jeans, lattes, and CDs.
The plot, now, is nothing hugely spectacular. But it is saved from utter mundaneness by the sheer joy of this author's voice. I have it on good authority that everything she writes (even her personal bio) carries with it the same endearing tone.
Here's how his life is going:
-----------------------
To recap, almost everyone was usually unhappy to see Draco.
As he exited a building for the first time in weeks, even the half-hearted evening sun was enough to make him squint. He didn't need such a heavy cloak, but having one on allowed him to pull up his hood. Unfortunately, this made him look dodgy, so the people who did still recognize him were probably even more convinced that he was up to no good.
They'd see soon enough - he was in the process of changing his image. Maybe someday, he thought dreamily, people would see him on the streets with his hood down and point him out to their children. He'd just give them a humble smile, almost embarrassed, as though he didn't want so much attention just for doing good things.
That was supremely unlikely on all counts, especially the humble smile; however, maybe someday people would walk past him without pointedly averting their eyes, like they were afraid being a prat was a contagious disease that they might catch just from looking directly at him.
-----------------------
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"She looked at him like he had six heads, one of them was a turkey, and all of them were on fire."
"If he had to arrange all the adjectives he knew in order of how well they described his father, 'innocent' in the colloquial sense wasn't very high on the list - in fact, it would probably fall somewhere between 'crunchy' and 'hexagonal.'"
"The only possible cure was to put it out of his mind permanently, but that meant that he would have to find enough other things to occupy his thoughts for the foreseeable future. He wondered if thinking about thinking about it counted as thinking about it, but then he realized that he was now thinking about thinking about thinking about it. This was getting out of hand."
"'No,' he said. Maybe it was liberating, but only in the same way that jumping off a cliff would liberate him from gravity."
"Physical contact really was the rule around here. He got that touching someone was a subtle way of saying 'hey, I don't think you're disgusting,' but he'd just as soon let that be understood."
"There was an awkward moment before either of them spoke, and his friend used the time to work out the perfect facial expression. He went from shocked to derisive before looking as though he were about to show some real vomit, and then he finally settled for the combination platter."
"No, he wasn't disappointed: he was an ocean of apathy, a study in stoicism, a monument to 'meh.'"
-----------------------
You've got to admit that there's something really poetic and hilarious about that last line.
If you've got internet connection and fifteen minutes to kill, I highly recommend trying at least the first chapter of this.
September 16, 2022
not as good as Sucker Punch for me, completely different from it though/ thinking about how Sucker Punch would hold on a second read: was the brilliance more about the book or the circumstances in which it was read; isn't that questioning the whole idea of criticism and opinions
I love the author's voice so much, even though here it is Draco and in Sucker Punch it is Hermione and they are different voices (even the characterisation is different in both works) yet there is something so sharp and darkly funny with just enough undertones of sincerity and love and fluffy goodness (the undertones are more on the surface in this work so idk if i should call them undertones) [this is possibly the most rambling and self-indulging review I've written but I'm doing it].
I hated Will. At first, he was annoying but I was willing to give him a chance. He continued to fail in winning me over and warming me up to his antics and meddling puppy dog 'charms'. I was also under the impression that the author is trying to make the Maggie family the new Weasleys of Draco's world. I was wrong and very paranoid. The rest of the Maggie family was okay, I didn't have a problem with them; in fact, I might have even liked them. Will, though, was annoying to me and I thought the author doesn't recognise that which continued to piss me off as much as you can be pissed off reading something so witty and charming (not puppy dog charm which although sounds cute, really isn't in the way I am using it, it's more like drooly dumb idk shutup). I am really making a huge deal out of the whole Will thing because after a point I realized that everyone saw the annoyingness of Will, even Will himself.
Okay onto a more important point, i don't know if I am just missing every 'dark comedy' where women go off the rails a la Fight Club style, like destroying others and themselves in self-indulging ways but ending with some catharsis (sucker punch yes yes yes). I want it. anyway, if I can't find any or cant think of any, whereas Fight Club is SO MASSIVELY overhyped says something about how much we are willing to use EVERYTHING to develop male characters whereas female characters are just not given that courtesy. like let everyone shit on things cause their life is fucked up or just cause it's fun (a la Ferris Bueler's day off; i hated watching that movie btw but then again it might have been more about the circumstances in which it was watched). now that I have achieved some distant semblance of a full circle I am going to stop holding you hostage while forcing my rambling opinions on you.
In case you made it to the end, reading Riptey won't disappoint you. And if I may be so kind and offer some more of my superior Dramione takes; might as well try the works of everythursday, speechwriter and pacificrimbaud.
I love the author's voice so much, even though here it is Draco and in Sucker Punch it is Hermione and they are different voices (even the characterisation is different in both works) yet there is something so sharp and darkly funny with just enough undertones of sincerity and love and fluffy goodness (the undertones are more on the surface in this work so idk if i should call them undertones) [this is possibly the most rambling and self-indulging review I've written but I'm doing it].
I hated Will. At first, he was annoying but I was willing to give him a chance. He continued to fail in winning me over and warming me up to his antics and meddling puppy dog 'charms'. I was also under the impression that the author is trying to make the Maggie family the new Weasleys of Draco's world. I was wrong and very paranoid. The rest of the Maggie family was okay, I didn't have a problem with them; in fact, I might have even liked them. Will, though, was annoying to me and I thought the author doesn't recognise that which continued to piss me off as much as you can be pissed off reading something so witty and charming (not puppy dog charm which although sounds cute, really isn't in the way I am using it, it's more like drooly dumb idk shutup). I am really making a huge deal out of the whole Will thing because after a point I realized that everyone saw the annoyingness of Will, even Will himself.
Okay onto a more important point, i don't know if I am just missing every 'dark comedy' where women go off the rails a la Fight Club style, like destroying others and themselves in self-indulging ways but ending with some catharsis (sucker punch yes yes yes). I want it. anyway, if I can't find any or cant think of any, whereas Fight Club is SO MASSIVELY overhyped says something about how much we are willing to use EVERYTHING to develop male characters whereas female characters are just not given that courtesy. like let everyone shit on things cause their life is fucked up or just cause it's fun (a la Ferris Bueler's day off; i hated watching that movie btw but then again it might have been more about the circumstances in which it was watched). now that I have achieved some distant semblance of a full circle I am going to stop holding you hostage while forcing my rambling opinions on you.
In case you made it to the end, reading Riptey won't disappoint you. And if I may be so kind and offer some more of my superior Dramione takes; might as well try the works of everythursday, speechwriter and pacificrimbaud.
November 29, 2023
Solid 3.5
Low angst (literally no angst) fic of Draco deciding after a lengthy talk with Blaise to find a third friend. He, in turn needs be much a better person. He starts by getting a job a local coffee shop. Here he finds new friendships with the owners family. He eventually befriends Hermione and helps her take down a corrupt ministry that then morphs into them trying to save a business with a friend of theirs plus write a book together. The whole things is basically a huge character development for Draco.
I thought the writing was quite well done and entertaining. It kept me interested the whole time. I was disappointed in some of the more imitate scenes with the Draco and Hermione. The burn was slow with not much to give the reader so I clung to the writing style and the story to keep me interested. I also felt it ended oddly, very abrupt.
Slow burn, Fade to black scene, crookshanks, Blaise/Pansy, Draco is a godfather, caring Narcissa with uncaring Lucius, Weasley/Malfoy Feud, Harry Potter for 5 seconds
Low angst (literally no angst) fic of Draco deciding after a lengthy talk with Blaise to find a third friend. He, in turn needs be much a better person. He starts by getting a job a local coffee shop. Here he finds new friendships with the owners family. He eventually befriends Hermione and helps her take down a corrupt ministry that then morphs into them trying to save a business with a friend of theirs plus write a book together. The whole things is basically a huge character development for Draco.
I thought the writing was quite well done and entertaining. It kept me interested the whole time. I was disappointed in some of the more imitate scenes with the Draco and Hermione. The burn was slow with not much to give the reader so I clung to the writing style and the story to keep me interested. I also felt it ended oddly, very abrupt.
Slow burn, Fade to black scene, crookshanks, Blaise/Pansy, Draco is a godfather, caring Narcissa with uncaring Lucius, Weasley/Malfoy Feud, Harry Potter for 5 seconds
June 24, 2022
Good writing, nice plot and one of the best and most canon Draco characterisation I’ve ever seen in a fanfiction!
The ending was a little rushed and the romance was a little disappointing…so 3,5 stars!!
The ending was a little rushed and the romance was a little disappointing…so 3,5 stars!!
June 28, 2017
This fic is a good embodiment of the saying, “Do the best you can. But when you know better, do better."
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews