Thursday, April 12, 2007

Dirty by Megan Hart

Dirty by Megan Hart

This is what happened...
I met him at the candy store.

He turned and smiled at me and I was surprised enough to smile back. This was not a children's candy store, mind you--this was the kind of place you went to buy expensive imported chocolate truffles for your boss's wife because you felt guilty for having sex with him when you were both at a conference in Milwaukee.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

I've been hit on plenty of times, mostly by men with little finesse who thought what was between their legs made up for what they lacked between their ears.

Sometimes I went home with them anyway, just because it felt good to want and be wanted, even if it was mostly fake.

The problem with wanting is that it's like pouring water into a vase full of stones. It fills you up before you know it, leaving no room for anything else. I don't apologize for who I am or what I've done in--or out--of bed.

I have my job, my house and my life, and for a long time I haven't wanted anything else.

Until Dan. Until now.


I read this one a while ago and wanted to blog about it but never did. I'm not going to go into the storyline, if I do it will ruin it for the readers, but I will say this: The blurb above? It doesn't do this book justice. Not at all. This book is so much more than that.

Like Rosie, this book knocked me on my ass. Seriously. I was expecting something shallow and just all about sex, but Dirty is so much more. The angst in this book is experienced by the heroine, and oh my God is it intense. For the longest time my eyebrows were furrowed trying to understand why, then it all became clear. Dear God. Through this book I kept saying, "I'm putting this down and not reading it anymore" because it was seriously deep and emotional and I wanted to get away from it. But reading Dirty is like watching a train wreck... you want to look away but for some reason you feel compelled to watch. I was compelled to finish this book. I had to. No matter if it was hard, emotional, and deep. And finish it I did. And I am very, very glad I did.

Dirty is done in first person, and anyone who knows me knows I don't DO first person. But I wanted to read this book, this story, to see why everyone was taking about Ms. Hart's latest. So, I read it, and first person worked for me--sort of. Just once I'd have loved to have known what Dan was thinking. Just once while he stared at Elle, not saying anything, just looking at her, I wanted to know what was going through his mind. Disappointment? Curiosity? Confusion? I'd have loved to have been there when he fell in love with her... or was he in love with her all along? Falling a bit more each time they were together? This is the perfect example of why first person doesn't do it for me. I want more. I want to know what he's thinking. I'm female, so I can kinda guess what she's thinking minus her personal issues... so insight into his thoughts, feelings, emotions, fears, etc., is what I need and want from a book, hence my love of third person.

My overall grade of the book: B+.
Had it been in third person and showed me Dan's POV, I'm positive it would have been an A+.

9 comments:

  1. Despite the rather insulting perspective that my opinion doesn't matter because I know Megan, I think this review is one of the most spot on reviews I've read because it gets at the compelling nature of the story. The way you don't want to look sometimes but you have to to know what happens.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds awesome, but I'm with you on the lack of male POV in so many 1st person narratives. I want HIS side of things. *sigh*

    Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is one of the most compelling reviews I've read in awhile Anne. I have to read this book now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Like I said at Rosie's I'm only about 50 pages in, but there's something about this book that really sticks with you--I think the word I want is evocative (and clever *g*)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Why didn't you tell me you were going to comment on this book!!! Love your review and I totally agree with wanting to know what makes Dan tick. First person POV aside there has to be a way to let us in a little. But OTOH maybe that's what makes it so compelling because we are so caught up in Elle's experience.

    Very cogent review.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I keep almost buying this book. After reading this I think I have to read the book. It will be mine next time I allow myself to enter a book store. (those are dangerous places LOL)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I loved, loved, loved this book. And I cannot wait for her next one, I believe titled "Broken", a May release.

    For me, the lack of Dan's POV worked, because we saw him as the same cypher that Elle did. Why would he want to be with her? Why did he keep putting up with the way she treated him? Why did he keep coming back? What was the attraction? She didn't understand it, and neither did we get to.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great review. I picked this up and read the blurb a bunch of times, but it never seemed like anything I wanted to read.

    You make me want to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like your review Anne. I felt the same way when I read it. I don't mind 1st person, much, and this one was more effective because of it. But yeah, I definitely wanted to know more about Dan too.

    I almost didn't buy it because of the blurb. It didn't grab me. It wasn't until I saw Wendy's review that I finally picked it up. The book is so much more than what's on the back cover.

    ReplyDelete

Have you read it? What do you think?

Related Posts with Thumbnails