To Book Hungry and BEYOND...ERS

I have been noticeably absent from recent Book Hungry meeting.  So much so that my fellow bookanistas attempted to whip me with a wet noodle when I finally did poke my head out of the sand.  Don't worry, folks.  I was too fast for those ladies ;)  Also, I may have pinky-promised to read and enjoy July's selection long before our mutually agreed upon posting date. 

Sadly, this did not happen.

Currently, I am only halfway through with Alyson's pick, BEYONDERS: A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES by Brandon Mull.

Summary (As stolen from Amazon):
The first book in a new series (Beyonders), A World Without Heroes is an addictive blend of fantasy, humor, and heroic quest. Jason is an ordinary 13-year-old involuntarily transported to Lyrian, a world ruled by the evil wizard Maldor. Jason stumbles across a book bound with human skin and learns of a secret word with the power to unmake Maldor--knowledge that puts Jason in grave danger. Galloran, a blind king who once searched for the word himself, introduces Jason to Rachel, another Beyonder (as people from Earth are called) who had appeared in Lyrian at the same time. Jason and Rachel set out to retrieve the word, and the resulting pages are filled with adventure, drama, loyalty and betrayal—a treat for fans of Mull’s Fablehaven series or those discovering this bestselling author for the first time.--Seira Wilson

My Thoughts (So Far):
Anyone who knows me (or has perused one or more of my many monthly reading lists...say that five times fast), knows that I read and enjoy just about anything, fiction or non.  But, I will admit that my least favorite genre of reading material is the fantasy.  I find that some stories I love, love, LOVE (Game of Thrones, anyone?), some I hate, and others I am simply indifferent to.

Unfortunately, this novel happens to belong to the indifferent category.  The idea is a strongly fantastical one.  The main character is somewhat likable, which is to say that I didn't fall head over feet for him, but he's not an assclown either.  And, the action is almost there for me.  My one big complaint is in that is feels like Jason never seems to fix/solves his own problems.  Someone else is always there to explain in detail how to get around the obstacle in front of him.  (As, I said, I'm only half through, this may change, but so far. He doesn't jump his own hurdles)  I mean, come on people. It's more than okay to get a little help from your friends, but even HP, who relied on his friends quite heavily, came up with his own bits of wisdoms.  Because, who would want to follow someone who can't solve the conundrum of how to dodge a man-eating crab or escape a jail cell himself?   Eh, maybe that's just me.

Don't get me wrong, folks, this storyline is intriguing.  In fact, I will be finishing this book, even if it takes me another month, if only because I really need to know what the six-syllable word of power is.

So, there you have it.  Take my opinion as will, especially since this is not my preferred genre of reading, and thus, I am probably being overly-critical.  What about all you fantastic followers?  Have you read this book yet?  What did you think?  I'll just be over here, slogging my way through the rest of it.

Until next month when our little club dissects Tawna Fenske's debut novel MAKING WAVES.  I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it!! (yes, I was singing that)