The issue with most "love triangles" is that the two guys just bother the girl and have nothing to do with each other. That's not a love triangle, that's a girl pushed into a love corner
Overly Sarcastic, on UA-cam did a great breakdown on love triangles. One of the best points she makes is that a "true love triangle" needs gay/bisexual characters. I think it was in her tropes talk
YA Authors: "dont take your medicine kids, be cool and emo 😎" YAs: *doesnt take medicine and has a psychotic break, or has a massive decline in physical health* YA authors: *shocked pikachu face*
I stand with Lilith outdoor weddings are awful. Also if Daniel really wanted to just let this poor girl live he could go become a hermit in a cave far far FAR away or maybe just go to Antarctica. He's actively going places teen girls will frequent like high school. He fully wants this to happen. He wants to meet and fall in love with Luce because he ultimately is a very selfish person who only cares about his own feelings. Just like how he only cares about his own pain and ridiculous punishments when she ultimately dies instead of caring about her grieving loved ones.
I read a fanfic once ages ago abt this concept. Luce chose Cam in her newest life b/c she remembered how her old one’s ended b/c of Daniel and she was sick of him. It was actually pretty good, ngl.
I both dislike and loathe when it happens. Dislike because I didn't find something new. But loathe because holy sh*t now I have remember how bad it was, KILL IT WITH FIRE!
I remember essentially nothing from this series except a few plot points. I DO remember a super religious lady at Walmart yelling at me for getting the book because it was "the devil's work". I was like 15.
On the anti-depressants, when I’m depressed I can’t create and don’t have a any creative inclinations. I can tell when I’m getting worse mentally based on how creative I’ve been. I’ve been on anti-depressants for about four years now and have been writing and drawing more than when I wasn’t on them. So big agree.
I'm on antianxiety meds and even on these my anxiety gets in the way of being creative, the meds help so I can at least take a deep breath and do things as opposed to just sitting in a suicidal ball
my husband always can tell if I have forgotten my meds for a bit based on my motivation to do my favorite creative activities. When im depressed none of them sound interesting or engaging. I just want to nap Getting on antidepressants made me actually start drawing and even though I don't draw as often I run a game screenshot IG and consider that a very fun creative outlet
i'm always creative, but this past year (i got on antidepressants last february, so just about exactly 1 year) i feel like my overall creative QUALITY has improved by which i mean my digital art has gotten far better (people thought one of my most recent cat paintings was a photograph!!), my jewelry making has gotten more.... interesting? like my seed bead bracelets are patterned and somewhat complex and visually quite a lot better looking than the ones i made in 2021, despite just having started making them again a few days ago after a year and a half off so it's like when i'm depressed, i'm still making things and trying to be productive (i make my living off selling the art, jewelry, and crafting supplies i make), but the quality is just lower than what i'm actually capable of when i'm doing better in 2018 (this entire year was one of my worst, besides the end of 2021/start of 2022) i hardly made anything, i was slow at making what i did make, and the things i made were't of the best quality, not even matching the quality of stuff i had made several years earlier (with no other things affecting me - no disability stuff affecting how i can paint, stuff like that...and using the exact same supplies and programs) but yeah, similar experience overall 😅
I find that I'm more able to act on my creativity when I'm well medicated. Weirdly I have my strongest bursts of creativity when I change medication and my brain gets all weird.
I like how Lucifer in the end still came out as looking better than Daniel because Lucifer at least was willing to ENTERTAIN the idea of letting her go because she deserves better, when Daniel wouldn’t even remotely consider it 😂 I wish that scene could’ve gone on though!! Wtf
I am so glad you brought up the horror aspect of reincarnation soul mates! I would legit love a book that tackled that. Also man imagine being the kid who's reputation proceeds them as the kid who blows up every twenty years. I would explode simply from the embarassment.
how the hell did the author get super self aware and meta in the second book and make great points about the world they set up and the immediately backslid right into continuing with the typical horrible story you expect from YA anyway... thats like having a really important thought and then going to write it down and it just escapes your mind entirely and you go back to living your life the same as before anyway
It sounds like it would've been a fantastic ending if human Daniel had initiated meeting the newest Luce And this time with an even playing field She tells him to leave her alone 😂
The weirdness surrounding mental illness in the early 2000's/2010's was INSANE. Just like you said.. taking any sort of meds for this automatically made the character "not the real you". And that kind of "pretty but a little crazy, manic pixie" thing was SO in style. I was an older teen when this was going on and the general culture around it affected me so much that I was almost 30 before I went to a psych, got diagnosed bipolar 1, and finally took meds to help me. What a fucking MESS, and I'm glad you brought it up 💞
way back in 2010, my psychiatrist had a whole comforting speech prepared for my first visit and seemed genuinely surprised that my 14-yr-old ass actually WANTED treatment. i was sitting there like 'i am metaphorical balls deep in what's APPARENTLY called a dissociative episode, and it sucks beyond measure please be serious.' ofc, i know now that i lucked out with a great doctor, and i don't blame anyone, especially kids or teens, for being upset or afraid when they need to be treated for mental illness, but the romanticization of that shit and the stigma against seeking help back then was REAL.
Another implication to me with the anti-medication themes of this book in particular that I've also seen elsewhere is that being on medications "changes you", like your personality becomes totally different and you become a lesser version of yourself. That was something that I worried about before I as put on anti-depressants in freshman year of high school. And they did make me different, but how they made me different was that I was no longer constantly suicidal. It's funny how that works.
Imagine a version where Lucifer showing up as a gargoyle is just him trolling the main character. Lucifer as a self-assured guy who got over her pretty quickly and the Fall has nothing to do with her. "Honey, you need to get over yourself. It's not all about you!" Maybe Lucifer took up with her mom, Lilith is pretty hot. Then you could have the curse be something that the main character placed on herself out of guilt because she thought her love led to the fall. Her own narcissism/self-loathing creating a literal shadow that will never let her know peace. Meanwhile, Lucifer has just been getting on with his own plans and occasionally checking in to laugh at his crazy ex-girlfriend.
It helps that she has a few years of book review backlogs that she's working to put into video form. The release schedule will slow down once she gets through those, as reading the books and writing the script take far longer when you haven't done it months in advance of starting the video. But I'm glad it's working out for her, because these are entertaining.
The soulmate thing has always been horrifying to me, too. I one time was wondering about one of those soulmate worlds and tried to imagine what would happen if your soulmate was abusive... Long story short, I now have an idea of a girl who broke up with her abusive soulmate being part of a support group with others who have abusive soulmates. Don't have a story to go along with it, but it is something that exists in the back of my head.
I’ve read a fanfic where people are immortal until they meet their soulmate, and if one is killed they reincarnate while the others age pauses. and so one dude is evil and keeps murdering his soulmate so he can live forever. I can’t remember the ending exactly, but it did involve a family member of a previous reincarnation interfering to prevent the next murder.
Luce's approach to time travel sounds ridiculously like how I deal with my anxiety: "if this thing has disastrous consequences, I'll still be here so better just keep going"
I'm actually on anti-psychotics and I watched the movie with a person thought it was super sweet and romantic as opposed to mind numbingly boring. The anti-medication message really enraged me, especially because with a psychotic illness no doctor in their right mind wouldn't prescripe some form of anti psychotic medication. Experiencing psychosis is a complex, harrowing experience that impacts your entire life, and you don't take your meds to "fit in", you take them so you can go on living without constant terror and (ironically, considering whtat Luce days in the movie) be MORE yourself. hallucinations and such (at least how I experienced them) remove you more and more from your true self, it sort of gets swallowed up by the illness. Of course in the wrong dosage neuroleptics can also cause a lot of negative symptoms, but that's another can of worms... my point is these books and movie were in no way equipped to handle those subjects with anything approaching depth and respect, and I just wish that prejudiced, uninformed stuff like this would've been left out. Like, just write about angels and love triangles, but leave actual psychiatric conditions out of this!
one thing i appreciate about the marble hornets series is its very established that taking medication means slenderman Cant Get You. so like very cool good job guys
oh, fun fact: it actually has 6 books. one came out about Cam specifically, called Unforgiven, then a short story collection called Fallen In Love that takes place between the 3rd & 4th books. not to say you SHOULD read them BUT 👀😅
I remember reading this is a child, i faintly remember reading the first 2 books and skipped to the last one and realized it was so bad that i didnt feel like i had missed anything at all by skipping the middle and going straight to the ending
I loved the name luce because in Italy it actually means "light" so I always thought that it meant she was like associated with heaven, and now I see that in English it's actually short for Lucifer 😬
@Crowcaller And, for a bit more context, "Lucifer" is a pretty spot-on Latin translation of the Greek "Phosphorus", also meaning "light-bearer." (They both share the "fer/phor" root even if the root referring to light is different, which can also be found in names like Christopher, or "Christ-bearer.")
Gale, the war criminal who killed katniss's sister, kind of mirrors Coin, hard, and keen on revenge. Peeta, the skilled and more unassuming person, has traits Katniss doesn't understand but is kind, tries to learn, rather than revenge. It's significant, the way Katniss starts thinking of Gale as almost family, is told to pretend he's her cousin, then he is in part responsible for the atrocity that kills Prim whom Katniss strove to save
I used to be a library aid at my high school during the peak of this kinda thing, and I remember shelving these books CONSTANTLY but never felt compelled to pick them up. Glad that mystery has been solved without having to read them myself lol great video!
The moment you said that it sounds like the plot to an entirely different book I went "yeah, wait a minute" this is definitely just a coincidence but there's a german ya trilogy that came out around the same time that was very popular with me and my friends here in Germany at least, about a girl who time travels, falls in love with a boy and she meets a weird gargoyle sidekick at some point I'm pretty sure that's where the similarities end and it's been a decade since I read it. I'm sure it's just the ya formular and tropes reminding me but it awoke some really fun memories.
@@twujstary8680 yes that's it i honestly don't remember alot from the series but i assume it had alot of similar weird stuff going on as other ya books haha
One bone to pick: IRL, putting young children on antipsychotic medications is not something to be taken lightly and can't really be compared to antidepressants. These drugs have high addiction potential, serious side effects and can have severe withdrawal symptoms. Source: besides my biology degree and career in big pharma, I was prescribed Klonopin from ages 9-12, when I almost died of an overdose, was hospitalized for months and had a seizure from withdrawal. I am happily medicated now that I'm an adult capable of understanding, consenting to, and having input on my treatment plan. Kids can't do that.
oh twinsies. klonopin, my beloathed. i had the misfortune to be prescribed it for 6mos while my mom was overseas for the yr (she wouldve taken me off it asap) and by the time i stopped taking it myself i had alrdy dropped out of high school and stopped being able to eat or sleep for 3 days at a time. dosing for kids is so tricky even assuming the medication even works on young brains. most of the time antipsychotics for minors r overdoing it imo, usually ppls psychosis doesnt become debilitating until theyre adults. anyway its a difficult convo that i feel is being held back whenever media wants end it at "medication bad!"
I'm kind of surprised and I don't mean to question your credentials here, but--Klonopin's not an antipsychotic. Side effects definitely a big deal, but I don't think any of them are considered classically addictive? So you can have withdrawal symptoms but people don't go seeking them out. I've been prescribed benzos and they can definitely be scary, but they're a completely different thing.
@@Nassifeh they can be used in the treatment of schizophrenia, i think i see what u mean tho. both statements are true separately, that antipsychotics can be dangerous for children and that this person had bad experiences as a child with a non-antipsychotic medication that couldve been prescribed to deal with psychosis. i think they r both part of the same problem anyway. kids get put on adult medication/doses way too often, cant seek help on their own, and if adults dont check on them theyre SOL.
@@grimlesbians Yeah, I definitely didn't mean to imply giving either to kids is risk-free. Just in general it feels dangerous to miscategorize things like this while attaching credentials to them, and there's a real but very DIFFERENT set of risks between the two categories of drugs so mixing them up could get someone hurt.
When I started my antidepressants I was on course to go to university and finish with a biochemistry degree, three years into that I was the most creative I've ever been and I've since dropped out and am pursuing a fashion diploma and career. I've had people in my life who demonized taking meds for mental health matters and *that* was what hurt me, not the correct meds and support. I never made the connection between YA and this idea, but it makes sense looking back, thank you for bringing this to light and discussing it so tactfully and respectfully!! ❤️
They had the chance to turn "Lucifer and Luce have similar names for no reason and it's aggravating" into some sort of direct connection. I was hoping it was foreshadowing that maybe she was a reincarnation of Lucifer, or maybe Lucifer used to be Samael but he renamed himself after her after the fall, or fate always ended up with her parents giving her a Lucifer-related name.
Currently still listening to the video (I was savoring it for when I had free time). I'm a sucker for soulmate and reincarnation romances. You have angels, I have that. One book I worked on I had a teen who was a soulmate to a vampire. The Vampire runs as soon as he learns how old she is going 'I'll be back in ten years when you're out of college BYE', that book was a dumpsterfire for other reasons but I really want to take up the chance to write a horror with these themes. Hell, start it like a YA but as the female character grows up she sees how disturbing it is and then she takes action on her own life. Probably bettering herself and learning how to keep the creepy guy away from her. The ending she breaks the soulmate bond so she can have a choice of her own.
The vampire waiting till after college is better than all the forever 16 kinda stuff that's often made up, still weird but better. Having these kinda stories as horror wiuld be amazing
It was a book I was writing and sadly was the subplot for the main plot. The main plot wasn't nearly that good so it's been trunked.@artofcreation_photos
I’m so glad you talked about the medication thing. I have adhd and an autoimmune condition called sjogren’s which both cause symptoms that make it nearly impossible for me to function without medication. Being medication free is not quirky or fun or “the real me” it’s suffering. Also would love for you to do a video on Alyson Noel’s The Immortals series. It has the same reincarnated soul mates trope (bonus points for the female lead being a literal slave owned by the male lead in a past life), a really cool premise where they have psychic powers and talk to ghosts and the main plot for 5 out of 6 books is the two leads trying to have sex 😂
@@9gagHasMySoul Yup. I might be misremembering some details but in one of the female leads past lives the male lead buys her from another slave owner who treated her badly and in the process ripped her away from her family and lover (who is a past incarnation of the rival love interest). He basically coerces her into a relationship but it’s ok because he’s one of the nice slave owners. They also only address it for like one paragraph where she’s more angry that he was hiding things from her (because he tried to hide this life from her) than the actual slavery/coercion thing. It’s basically never brought up again after that
Few minutes in, but I liked how you explained how a good love triangle can work in a narrative, especially reminding me about how Hunger Games did it. I've been turned off on love triangles because of how shallow latter YA media does it but I remember Katniss' relationships did define what she would want out of life in the story is a good use of it.
i think i would much prefer love triangles if they were both good and viable options lol, like in most YA fiction there is always one thats the obvious endgame and then the other guy thats there for tension and they have to make up a plot for why it has to be guy 1 and can't be guy 2, why can't they both be fuckin solid choices lmao
I never read Rapture so for years I just assumed the reveal was going to be that Luce was Eve or Lilith or Mary. The actual ending was a much wilder take.
I'm a writer and love listening to book reviews of bad books, because y'all bring up ideas that would make it better and that gets my brain going. This is how I would start to fix this series, well, at least the romance of it. I feel like I'd actually have to read the books myself to have a better understanding of the events, before deciding how to fix the overall plot. Anyway, keep her romance with Daniel in the first book, since I think it makes sense. I would have a bit more drama that isn't stereotypical, but keep her with him, since IMO it makes sense when she doesn't know any better. Then the 2nd one have her questioning things as she's discovering that there's a LOT he's keeping from her. Start working on her determination of figuring out his secrets, while brining her closer with either Cam, or someone else entirely or both since being close to people other then their romantic interests is necessary. Her feelings for Daniel are sometimes reaffirmed, but something about it feels forced, she just can't figure out why. As the books and plot progress, she would start to figure out these secrets and start to realize how horrifying this all is. 'It's his fault? Why would he put me through this? How could he?' just seriously questioning everything. For more interest and drama about Satan, he should be someone new instead of Bill, like maybe the guy she's been getting close to since the 2nd book. Cam is starting to be weird about this new friend she has and starts to try to warn her about who he is, as he figures out it's Satan (because I would fix his backstory that fits more to why he likes her and wants her the way Daniel does in the first book) only for her to not heed his warning and find out when he reveals himself. He tells her everything and girl is absolutely horrified that not only was she so selfish, but that Daniel continues to be so. Things end with Daniel and comes to find out that he has been manipulating her this whole time, because he NEEDS her. No one else is allowed to have her. 'If I can't have you, then no one can. It'll be fine. You'll die and I'll restart. It's going to be okay.' Boom Daniel is the true antagonist lol Seriously, though, that alone sounds better then the usual.
this book is so so so 2010s para-ro. i love this stuff. if you have the stomache for it, the house of night series and fallen series were often lumped together- and i always saw fans of h.o.n say that fallen was really good, but some how it being like this doesnt suprise me at all??
I dropped both series after 2 books in as a teen I was sick of both of them. Alizee reads and reviews house of the night and lemme just said it's a joy to watch that too. I would love to see Crow's take on it!
A good example of a series going off the rails is the tv series Riverdale. Starts off as a murder mystery and somewhere down the line the town is attacked by a supernatural cult 😭 Edit: Also, an actor was replaced, then brought back to play another character iirc
I remember reading fallen (and hush hush) and racing through the series and loving it. I tailed off somewhere around the middle of book three and never knew why. As I got older I tried to go back to it but by that point I was on my own medication for mental health issues and was horrified to realised how anti-medication the whole thing was. I didn't get far into it a second time and without this recap I actually couldn't tell you a thing that happens in any of the books.
*Me, an aroace person who gets extremely wigged out by the disregard for the characters' consent and autonomy in so many soulmate stories:* Thank you! Finally, someone who gets it!
Imagine if the beginning of the first book was Luce being sent to a boarding school, but then intercepted by supernatural beings who heard of the shadows she saw. She then goes to the school with all the lilim in the second book.
On point about the medication bit. I was nervous to start antidepressants but I'd have never recovered mentally I'd I hadn't, no shame in that. Love your choker and your content, you always choose such interesting book series!
The face I pulled when you said book 4 was a fetch quest! The author really bookended some potentially interesting ideas (magical school for nephilim! time travel!) with the most mundane plots ever to exist (school romance? fetch quest?!?!?!)
This was mine and my best friend's favourite series when we were in middle school ! I even had the sequel with Cam and his dead lover. I know it's not the best books but the time travel thingy was my favourite part.
Btw if someone was curious about the sequel, Lilith is trapped in Hell forced to live lives after lives where she suffers (as does everyone in those lives). Cam makes a deal with Lucifer. If Lilith falls in love with him, she can live again. If she doesn't, Cam stays a demon forever. And Lucifer makes sure that Cam has a disgusting appearance (that worsens) in hell or else it's too easy. I liked the book ! Lilith has a personality (at least i thought she had one idk it's been some times) and we have insight on Cam's backstory and how Lilith ended up in Hell. Cam becomes an angel btw ! He stands up against Lucifer.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the Angelfall series. I was similarly obsessed with the weird YA angel genre (enough that I GOT A BA IN RELIGION) and it was always my favourite as a teen. Reread it recently and it has... some interesting takes on eugenics??? Like explicitly? I can't figure out what to make of it but it's something.
18:08 In my own experience, modern YA either goes in the direction you said, forgos them all together or makes them diverse (like making them a poly relationship in the case of Iron Widow or a guy and a girl in the case of Perfect on Paper). I'm not complaining about that update in the slightest.
Woah omg one of my favorite video essayists posted again yay 🥰 It's pretty amazing how frequently you post lol, especially given the quality, thought, and effort put into your videos
i honestly hope you do write a book about a woman trying to escape from an immortal that will not let her die. that is an extremely compelling narrative hook
I remember trying to read Fallen so many times but I could never really get into it… thank you for solving this mystery for me! Also I just relized this episode came out a few hours ago, you are really rolling out amazing videos in a short period of time, thank you for feeding us good content!
Listening to this video while drawing and i haven't finished it yet, but i want to say how much I appreciate how you discussed medication. As someone who was afraid for ages of going on meds for much the same reasons as you because of a lot of media, it was very nice to hear from someone else who had a similar experience! I've seen a few more modern books (destroy all monsters, a noblemens guide to scandal and shipwrecks, etc) have much kinder takes about medication which makes me feel a lot better that ideas about meds are turning around a bit, but its such a prominent and insidious issue in YA and I'm glad that I'm not the only one who noticed. Also, to your point about love triangles (as someone who reads a lot of more modern ya, though not much romance so my perspective may be skewed a bit), I think in fantasy they have become either less popular, or get heavily subverted, though I do occasionally see them. At the very least, I don't see many books advertised as being 'love triangles', which I am quite happy about, though I do enjoy some of the subversions of those tropes such as in all of us villains (which I highly recommend lol). Now to finish the rest of the video, I might add to my comment later, but I'm highly enjoying it so far !!
I really appreciate your section about medications and how they're misrepresented in media. That scene you showed from the movie really got under my skin because I've met people like this IRL who would refuse to take medication - and were blatantly worse off for it. I take mood stabilizers for my bipolar disorder and go off the deep end without them; I'm a BAD person off my meds. So to see media aimed at kids and teens saying "be free, man, don't bend to the man and shape yourself to society," or some BS regarding meds I'm just like, "Mam, this is a Wendy's."
I remember ADORING these books as a teen, but I also remember at the very end being like “uhhh… what about her parents??? Did she leave at thanksgiving and then just fuck off and die????”
I use to feel so guilty for wanting to kiss my "guardian angels", and while I am finding it kind of difficult to tell if you read romantic angel media outside of criticizing it because of a conceptual/religious/historical interest, it is still comforting to my childhood self.
Liked and commented for the algorithm. You are one of my absolute favorite video essayists right now due to your presentation, thoughts, and book choice. Thank you very much for your hard work.
RE: anti-depressants, I remember people when I was in high school people expressing that exact sentiment, that it will kill your creativity and turn you into a zombie. When I finally started them as an adult it was one of the best decisions I made, I had energy to be creative and spend time with people etc. I'm glad you're talking about this problem that pops up in media, especially media aimed at teenagers.
one thing that i really enjoyed about this series, was that the final, book 4 twist was actually foreshadowed as early as book 1 [i'm only 15 mins into the video rn, so I may be forgetting a little] from book 1, we know a few things: lucinda is Important (tm), she's some degree of immortal (the reincarnation bit), and she's especially Important this time around because she's unbaptised, that is: she hasn't been "given" to g-d, she had the ability to chose. in short, lucinda's Importance is strongly tied to her ability to... pick a Side. the only other characters for whom picking a Side is important are the fallen angels. i was really proud that I saw the final twist coming as far back as book 1. I didn't see the whole "lucifer's ex" bit though. when that reveal happened I thought she was incredibly boring for not going the persephone route and becoming queen of hell. lucifer was canonically the most beautiful of all the angels, (and of course, Evil is Sexy) while daniel was boring, Perfect (tm), pushy and in general all edward cullen-y
I remember reading and enjoying this series well enough when I was younger (13 maybe?) but even tho I had all the books I just never read the last one so I just never got to see how it ended. I think it's going to be fun to revisit it with this video cause I don't actually remember much of it lmao
2:16 looooool I have not seen this video before but me and my partner where talking about your Chanel and I mentioned this exact book as an example of the horrors of the YA boom era
the entire time of the intro i kept thinking "where have i seen this book before? *what* was the plot?" but the exploding thing is absolutely wild and i'm pretty sure wherever i saw fallen in before it did not mention the exploding (7:10 edit) FUCK WAIT IS THIS THE BOOK WHERE THE MC IS LUCIFER (edit2) very disappointed that this is not the lucifer mc book. i swear i saw a book review on yt once where a later book revealed the mc was lucifer all along but i can't find it again
fantastic review as always and I really like how you talk about the horror of the whole thing in this video, in fact, to really sell that home; I was in an emotionally abusive relationship a few years ago and what you were talking about around 35:00 was my exact experience. I would feel so good about it all when I was around him but the second we were apart it became so obvious that he sucked. So, like, it's really interesting that this book series (probably accidentally) hit the nail on the head with that relationship red flag
Love hearing your thoughts on these oddly executed books, no matter how they are organized!! Also, your cat plush is so cute, very wtnv Khoshekh esque, although I doubt that's it's intended look
I actually never got into welcome to night vale..... I...... Really couldn't vibe with Cecil's voice! Straight up tried more than once and just couldn't. I was very much on Tumblr at the height of popularity too and was sad to miss out. I did read the book though. The plush is by eyewhiskers! From a Kickstarter but can be got still on their Etsy. They're my top plush designer. I love. Cool plushies.
Had to comment again and let you know that these videos have been so important in helping me fall asleep. Sometimes I really need something to listen to in order to drift off and I've probably watched/listened to this review like five times at this point lol so these rants are super appreciated
Thank you for covering the medication thing. I’m a psychiatric nurse and I have adhd and depression which are medicated now for years and I am thankful every day for it. Bc I could never be where I am now or experience life without being miserable without them. The right medication doesn’t make you feel like you aren’t yourself - the right medication makes you feel like the self you always knew was in there- your best self- unencumbered by serious and pervasive mental illness symptoms that can totally take over your life.
I have this rule where I don’t subscribe unless I’ve been thoroughly entertained by three videos because I’m weird idk but this was ur third vid to grace my recommended. I actually hated reading in school and fallen was one of the books I forced myself to read in middle school for a grade or whatever. I like listening to stories now and I like to listen to video essays about things I think are neat and I saw the book cover in the thumbnail and had like flashbacks and I was like “ah wouldn’t it be so cool to hear about how that story turned out” and I gotta tell you I never realized how boring it was, I was more into the aesthetic of the cover art so tbh I was just imagining this really elaborate scenery (it’s like a sensory thing but in my head idk??) and I just watched the visuals in my third eye and ignored the whole plot
I love doing art and creating art and I can without a doubt say that though I've had some bad experiences with medications that I've had to discontinue, the current antipsychotics I'm on were the best thing I could have done for my art. You can make art when manic and psychotic, but the art you make when you're sane is much better and much more fulfilling. If you need help, ask for it ❤
I remember reading these and for some reason my brain blocked out the fact that she legit explodes. It was like a bad dream I blocked out of my memory.
50 seconds in and oh no! That cat in the background! It has so many eyes. It's amazing. And it super fits the angel aesthetic. OK now to actually watch the video.
Firstly: with your interests, you should try Son of the Morning by Mark Adler. It's adult medieval fiction with a FASCINATING take on angels and demons and their interactions with humanity. As someone who was raised Christian and has two degrees in Medieval history, I loved it and the sequel Son of Night. Secondly: thank you for talking about medication and the ya theme of medication changing people. Being medicated makes me a better version of myself to put it simply. I don't have brain fog, I am less irritable, less sensitive to rejection, less impulsive, less forgetful. Meds help me be a clearer, more content version of myself. Admittedly, I would have likely been misdiagnosed in high school. But with the correct medication and diagnosis, there's no repression of creativity or suppression of my "real self." Instead I've got real hobbies, a better relationship with myself, and a better ability to manage my life.
Somehow, any time I curiously search a random bad YA book series, I wind up on your channel. You are out here doing the lord's work LOL - thank you for your wonderful descriptions and opinions and commentary! I could just listen to you ramble about books for hours. Oh wait... that's uh, what I've been doing.
Great video, Crow Caller! I was interested in this in middle school when it was more popular (over 10 years ago) and never actually tried reading it. As an adult I watched someone else's synopsis but I like how you went into a lot more detail about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the series.
I adore your videos, especially when they take on a series I started as a teenager and never finished but yet desperately want to know what happened. This made my day.....until I found out there's a spin off book and a novella collection (that does explain the scar!) Seriously though, you do amazing work, if there's any weird angel YA romance/ strangeness you haven't read, I have a series I...well I don't necessarily recommend but remember from way back was "The Beautiful Dead" series. Been forever but these kids were murdered and resurrected as dark angels complete with wing tattoos. The covers all have broody teens with small wings and it's .. something,first book is The Beautiful Dead :Jonas
The premise is almost exactly the plotline for the backstory of the main couple (Meliodas and Elizabeth) in Seven Deadly Sins(a manga/anime). One half of the pair was cursed to never die(Meliodas), while the other half was cursed with reincarnation(Elizabeth). She reincarnates without her memories but, they always seem to come back and when they do she dies within like, 3 days. And the cycle repeats. Except in this instance Meliodas was a demon and she was an angel (well "goddess" race), and them falling in love is why they were cursed. But like, that's literally the plot/backstory of Seven Deadly Sins. Edit to add: I should have waiting till the video was finished to comment. It even has the 'she dies when she regains her memories of her past' bit as well! This is just Seven Deadly Sins fanfiction oh my god.
My question is which came first, and whether they are connected... Arguably it's better done here as it doesn't involve the immortal one clutching their baby soul mate and saying "keep your hands off my woman!", and the MC questions the relationship a bit...
Oh my god YES! Taking anti-depressants is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and yet I resisted it for so long because I was so convinced that it would turn me into a zombie or zap my creativity. Because that is what every story I'd ever read or watched told me that. It's such a dangerous message, and I'm so sensitive to it now. Anyway, I never read these books but I'm glad you did because this video is very entertaining 😂
Your angel YA content has made me warg back to my middle school self and I finally dug up an angel/vampire YA book that stuck in my mental craw due to a whole Thing about pumpkin bread being used to soak up blood. It were some weird stuff. If you have thoughts on the Tantalize series by Cynthia Leitich Smith, I'd love to hear about it sometime! One day I might reread it to see how it holds up in memory, but middleschool me was a fan, apparently.
I will say that the audiobook for Fallen is the perfect rhythm I need for when working. The narrator is one of those rare voices I actually enjoy. I use a library app to listen to them.
okay the whole 'angel-demon married couple who are in love but still on separate sides' thing just SCREAMS aziraphale and crowley to me (probably because i'm obsessed with them and this trope/relationship dynamic)
love that the anti-medication thing was brought up. I didn't start taking medication for my mentall ilness until 17, and only because my mum basically begged me to. I was so against it because anti-meds is so common in media, but all it achieved was setting me back many years in getting better. Also, I love time travel. Back To The Future is my fav movie of all time, and Prisoner of Azkaban is my fav HP movie/book. Anything that has time travel is interesting to me, because there are multiple different ways it can work depending on what the writer/creator wants it to be, and I love the almost paradoxical circles of thought it sends me down to understand how things work.
Forget that Van Gogh did some of his most famous, absolutely lovely after checking himself into the mental hospital of Saint-Remy. Nah, anti-depressants bad.
OH ALSO you should talk about Feed! I don't remember that much about it cause I read it a while ago and wasn't really as into literary analysis back then but it's one of those books that constantly bombards you with fictional slang and, if I remember right, kinda hilariously misses the point of its dystopian world's themes (Not to mention one of the first chapters contains like a two page description of this girl drinking juice and how sexy the main character finds it 🤢)
I was about to start a fight right here in the comments, but it turns out there's two books called Feed. The Mira Grant one is good, if you're into zombie apocalypse! I'd never even heard of the one it looks like you're talking about
@@MissaBrevis yeah the one we're talking about is about a super technologically advanced future and a "love" story that takes place in it. It sucks. The vibes are just completely off
Nope, Feed is an excellent book. MT Anderson is a YA lit vet who very much know what he’s doing. I read the book in college, and I remember it feeling super ahead of it’s time in the way it depicts social media and targeted advertising. I still think about it. Ya’ll need to stop just deciding books are bad because your teachers made you read them in middle school :)
I read them all as a teen and they honestly were an inspiration for an original work I'm currently finally working on where everything starts because lucifer falls in love leading to the rebellion and fall with some twists. And as I listen to your takes on the fallen series I slowly fall back into the pit of author despair that my story is gonna suck cuz it draws inspo from these books I read as a teen 😅
I was seriously hoping you would do these books! I remember even as a kid being like "lol what" and a bad book with angels seemed exactly like your type of thing :)
I love how the ending of the book is just God being positively sick of this shit and going “alright, you can have your fucking love story, just STOP”
I honestly don't blame her lol
The issue with most "love triangles" is that the two guys just bother the girl and have nothing to do with each other. That's not a love triangle, that's a girl pushed into a love corner
YES i was trying to remember the chart with the actual triangle like A likes B likes C likes A hcxfhkhgsf
it's a sexual harassment right angle.
If it was a love triangle, 1st guy would love the FL but the FL loves 2nd guy, but 2nd guy loves 1st guy.
Overly Sarcastic, on UA-cam did a great breakdown on love triangles. One of the best points she makes is that a "true love triangle" needs gay/bisexual characters.
I think it was in her tropes talk
@@AuroraPaintBrush4444 Or a shapeshifter.
Or an incorporeal being.
Or a hive mind.
YA Authors: "dont take your medicine kids, be cool and emo 😎"
YAs: *doesnt take medicine and has a psychotic break, or has a massive decline in physical health*
YA authors: *shocked pikachu face*
This video came out the same day I learned about this series talk about perfect timing
I stand with Lilith outdoor weddings are awful. Also if Daniel really wanted to just let this poor girl live he could go become a hermit in a cave far far FAR away or maybe just go to Antarctica. He's actively going places teen girls will frequent like high school. He fully wants this to happen. He wants to meet and fall in love with Luce because he ultimately is a very selfish person who only cares about his own feelings. Just like how he only cares about his own pain and ridiculous punishments when she ultimately dies instead of caring about her grieving loved ones.
Of course. His affair with Shelby who is a teen even if she’s Nephilim? Weird. Can’t go to a bar and find an of age girl?
I read a fanfic once ages ago abt this concept. Luce chose Cam in her newest life b/c she remembered how her old one’s ended b/c of Daniel and she was sick of him. It was actually pretty good, ngl.
@@kkaugustine1958I need that to be canon 😢
@@kkaugustine1958 drop the name
There no way of describing the feeling of going 'hey I read this one' and then immediately going 'on no I read this one'
*stares down at hands, beginning to hyperventilate*
I both dislike and loathe when it happens. Dislike because I didn't find something new. But loathe because holy sh*t now I have remember how bad it was, KILL IT WITH FIRE!
*War flashbacks to middle and early high school*
Not my favorite series in middle school…
I remember essentially nothing from this series except a few plot points. I DO remember a super religious lady at Walmart yelling at me for getting the book because it was "the devil's work". I was like 15.
On the anti-depressants, when I’m depressed I can’t create and don’t have a any creative inclinations. I can tell when I’m getting worse mentally based on how creative I’ve been. I’ve been on anti-depressants for about four years now and have been writing and drawing more than when I wasn’t on them. So big agree.
I'm on antianxiety meds and even on these my anxiety gets in the way of being creative, the meds help so I can at least take a deep breath and do things as opposed to just sitting in a suicidal ball
my husband always can tell if I have forgotten my meds for a bit based on my motivation to do my favorite creative activities. When im depressed none of them sound interesting or engaging. I just want to nap
Getting on antidepressants made me actually start drawing and even though I don't draw as often I run a game screenshot IG and consider that a very fun creative outlet
i'm always creative, but this past year (i got on antidepressants last february, so just about exactly 1 year) i feel like my overall creative QUALITY has improved
by which i mean my digital art has gotten far better (people thought one of my most recent cat paintings was a photograph!!), my jewelry making has gotten more.... interesting? like my seed bead bracelets are patterned and somewhat complex and visually quite a lot better looking than the ones i made in 2021, despite just having started making them again a few days ago after a year and a half off
so it's like when i'm depressed, i'm still making things and trying to be productive (i make my living off selling the art, jewelry, and crafting supplies i make), but the quality is just lower than what i'm actually capable of when i'm doing better
in 2018 (this entire year was one of my worst, besides the end of 2021/start of 2022) i hardly made anything, i was slow at making what i did make, and the things i made were't of the best quality, not even matching the quality of stuff i had made several years earlier (with no other things affecting me - no disability stuff affecting how i can paint, stuff like that...and using the exact same supplies and programs)
but yeah, similar experience overall 😅
I had the same experience, I lost all creativity when I was ill. Today, while on my meds, I wrote three chapters of a random fan fiction idea I had.
I find that I'm more able to act on my creativity when I'm well medicated. Weirdly I have my strongest bursts of creativity when I change medication and my brain gets all weird.
Fallen Quartet made me think it was the title of some obscure absurd series about an evil/disgraced string quartet
that actually sounds cool though!
id read the hell out of that
A string quartet that does assassinations on the side because the arts aren't supported enough
I like how Lucifer in the end still came out as looking better than Daniel because Lucifer at least was willing to ENTERTAIN the idea of letting her go because she deserves better, when Daniel wouldn’t even remotely consider it 😂 I wish that scene could’ve gone on though!! Wtf
Wait really?
If you manage to make the Devil look better then the ml protagonist then …yeah, this romance then did not work :/
I like how the Fall of the Fallen Angels is so literal that the devil's plan is to make them all fall into a big time hole.
I am so glad you brought up the horror aspect of reincarnation soul mates! I would legit love a book that tackled that.
Also man imagine being the kid who's reputation proceeds them as the kid who blows up every twenty years. I would explode simply from the embarassment.
Could you imagine someone making a horror story based on this concept?
how the hell did the author get super self aware and meta in the second book and make great points about the world they set up and the immediately backslid right into continuing with the typical horrible story you expect from YA anyway... thats like having a really important thought and then going to write it down and it just escapes your mind entirely and you go back to living your life the same as before anyway
It sounds like it would've been a fantastic ending if human Daniel had initiated meeting the newest Luce
And this time with an even playing field
She tells him to leave her alone 😂
The weirdness surrounding mental illness in the early 2000's/2010's was INSANE. Just like you said.. taking any sort of meds for this automatically made the character "not the real you". And that kind of "pretty but a little crazy, manic pixie" thing was SO in style. I was an older teen when this was going on and the general culture around it affected me so much that I was almost 30 before I went to a psych, got diagnosed bipolar 1, and finally took meds to help me. What a fucking MESS, and I'm glad you brought it up 💞
way back in 2010, my psychiatrist had a whole comforting speech prepared for my first visit and seemed genuinely surprised that my 14-yr-old ass actually WANTED treatment. i was sitting there like 'i am metaphorical balls deep in what's APPARENTLY called a dissociative episode, and it sucks beyond measure please be serious.'
ofc, i know now that i lucked out with a great doctor, and i don't blame anyone, especially kids or teens, for being upset or afraid when they need to be treated for mental illness, but the romanticization of that shit and the stigma against seeking help back then was REAL.
Yeah, I take ADHD meds, and I'm very happy to be on them because they've really helped.
Another implication to me with the anti-medication themes of this book in particular that I've also seen elsewhere is that being on medications "changes you", like your personality becomes totally different and you become a lesser version of yourself. That was something that I worried about before I as put on anti-depressants in freshman year of high school. And they did make me different, but how they made me different was that I was no longer constantly suicidal. It's funny how that works.
same situation, same outcome lol. Glad we're both doing better with medication!
I actually asked my friends if I changed after medications. One couldn't tell, and the other said I was more confident
this book just feels like an anti meds angel demon custody battle
Imagine a version where Lucifer showing up as a gargoyle is just him trolling the main character. Lucifer as a self-assured guy who got over her pretty quickly and the Fall has nothing to do with her. "Honey, you need to get over yourself. It's not all about you!" Maybe Lucifer took up with her mom, Lilith is pretty hot.
Then you could have the curse be something that the main character placed on herself out of guilt because she thought her love led to the fall. Her own narcissism/self-loathing creating a literal shadow that will never let her know peace. Meanwhile, Lucifer has just been getting on with his own plans and occasionally checking in to laugh at his crazy ex-girlfriend.
kind of impressed at how frequently you post! can't wait to be repulsed and horrified by the stuff YA writers churn out
It helps that she has a few years of book review backlogs that she's working to put into video form.
The release schedule will slow down once she gets through those, as reading the books and writing the script take far longer when you haven't done it months in advance of starting the video. But I'm glad it's working out for her, because these are entertaining.
The soulmate thing has always been horrifying to me, too. I one time was wondering about one of those soulmate worlds and tried to imagine what would happen if your soulmate was abusive... Long story short, I now have an idea of a girl who broke up with her abusive soulmate being part of a support group with others who have abusive soulmates. Don't have a story to go along with it, but it is something that exists in the back of my head.
I’ve read a fanfic where people are immortal until they meet their soulmate, and if one is killed they reincarnate while the others age pauses. and so one dude is evil and keeps murdering his soulmate so he can live forever. I can’t remember the ending exactly, but it did involve a family member of a previous reincarnation interfering to prevent the next murder.
Luce's approach to time travel sounds ridiculously like how I deal with my anxiety: "if this thing has disastrous consequences, I'll still be here so better just keep going"
I'm actually on anti-psychotics and I watched the movie with a person thought it was super sweet and romantic as opposed to mind numbingly boring. The anti-medication message really enraged me, especially because with a psychotic illness no doctor in their right mind wouldn't prescripe some form of anti psychotic medication. Experiencing psychosis is a complex, harrowing experience that impacts your entire life, and you don't take your meds to "fit in", you take them so you can go on living without constant terror and (ironically, considering whtat Luce days in the movie) be MORE yourself. hallucinations and such (at least how I experienced them) remove you more and more from your true self, it sort of gets swallowed up by the illness. Of course in the wrong dosage neuroleptics can also cause a lot of negative symptoms, but that's another can of worms... my point is these books and movie were in no way equipped to handle those subjects with anything approaching depth and respect, and I just wish that prejudiced, uninformed stuff like this would've been left out. Like, just write about angels and love triangles, but leave actual psychiatric conditions out of this!
one thing i appreciate about the marble hornets series is its very established that taking medication means slenderman Cant Get You. so like very cool good job guys
I'm obsessed with this goth/demon/vampire vibe. You're giving quality book reviews and serving looks! 🤣🤣
The heroine should have been named Lucia after Saint Lucia. That's a reasonable name in this context.
oh, fun fact: it actually has 6 books. one came out about Cam specifically, called Unforgiven, then a short story collection called Fallen In Love that takes place between the 3rd & 4th books. not to say you SHOULD read them BUT 👀😅
This is like me finding out that Sharktopus had two more movies...
I remember reading this is a child, i faintly remember reading the first 2 books and skipped to the last one and realized it was so bad that i didnt feel like i had missed anything at all by skipping the middle and going straight to the ending
A habit that has served me well and spared me misery my entire life
I loved the name luce because in Italy it actually means "light" so I always thought that it meant she was like associated with heaven, and now I see that in English it's actually short for Lucifer 😬
It does mean light! Lucifer means "bringer of light"- it's the same Latin route, "lux"! Latin being Italian and all, ish, it's the same thing
@Crowcaller And, for a bit more context, "Lucifer" is a pretty spot-on Latin translation of the Greek "Phosphorus", also meaning "light-bearer." (They both share the "fer/phor" root even if the root referring to light is different, which can also be found in names like Christopher, or "Christ-bearer.")
Gale, the war criminal who killed katniss's sister, kind of mirrors Coin, hard, and keen on revenge. Peeta, the skilled and more unassuming person, has traits Katniss doesn't understand but is kind, tries to learn, rather than revenge. It's significant, the way Katniss starts thinking of Gale as almost family, is told to pretend he's her cousin, then he is in part responsible for the atrocity that kills Prim whom Katniss strove to save
I used to be a library aid at my high school during the peak of this kinda thing, and I remember shelving these books CONSTANTLY but never felt compelled to pick them up. Glad that mystery has been solved without having to read them myself lol great video!
The moment you said that it sounds like the plot to an entirely different book I went "yeah, wait a minute" this is definitely just a coincidence but there's a german ya trilogy that came out around the same time that was very popular with me and my friends here in Germany at least, about a girl who time travels, falls in love with a boy and she meets a weird gargoyle sidekick at some point I'm pretty sure that's where the similarities end and it's been a decade since I read it. I'm sure it's just the ya formular and tropes reminding me but it awoke some really fun memories.
was it rubinrot?? i read this at like 12-13 and thought it was the dumbest thing ever agahshsh
@@twujstary8680 yes that's it i honestly don't remember alot from the series but i assume it had alot of similar weird stuff going on as other ya books haha
One bone to pick: IRL, putting young children on antipsychotic medications is not something to be taken lightly and can't really be compared to antidepressants. These drugs have high addiction potential, serious side effects and can have severe withdrawal symptoms. Source: besides my biology degree and career in big pharma, I was prescribed Klonopin from ages 9-12, when I almost died of an overdose, was hospitalized for months and had a seizure from withdrawal.
I am happily medicated now that I'm an adult capable of understanding, consenting to, and having input on my treatment plan. Kids can't do that.
oh twinsies. klonopin, my beloathed. i had the misfortune to be prescribed it for 6mos while my mom was overseas for the yr (she wouldve taken me off it asap) and by the time i stopped taking it myself i had alrdy dropped out of high school and stopped being able to eat or sleep for 3 days at a time. dosing for kids is so tricky even assuming the medication even works on young brains. most of the time antipsychotics for minors r overdoing it imo, usually ppls psychosis doesnt become debilitating until theyre adults. anyway its a difficult convo that i feel is being held back whenever media wants end it at "medication bad!"
I'm kind of surprised and I don't mean to question your credentials here, but--Klonopin's not an antipsychotic. Side effects definitely a big deal, but I don't think any of them are considered classically addictive? So you can have withdrawal symptoms but people don't go seeking them out. I've been prescribed benzos and they can definitely be scary, but they're a completely different thing.
@@Nassifeh they can be used in the treatment of schizophrenia, i think i see what u mean tho. both statements are true separately, that antipsychotics can be dangerous for children and that this person had bad experiences as a child with a non-antipsychotic medication that couldve been prescribed to deal with psychosis. i think they r both part of the same problem anyway. kids get put on adult medication/doses way too often, cant seek help on their own, and if adults dont check on them theyre SOL.
@@grimlesbians Yeah, I definitely didn't mean to imply giving either to kids is risk-free. Just in general it feels dangerous to miscategorize things like this while attaching credentials to them, and there's a real but very DIFFERENT set of risks between the two categories of drugs so mixing them up could get someone hurt.
@@Nassifeh thats fair. from my personal exp being prescribed klonopin AND antipsychotics before the age of 16 i just assumed they were the same tbh.
I dropped the series after the third book. The fact Luce got jealous of her past incarnations was so ridiculous and I couldn't continue.
When I started my antidepressants I was on course to go to university and finish with a biochemistry degree, three years into that I was the most creative I've ever been and I've since dropped out and am pursuing a fashion diploma and career. I've had people in my life who demonized taking meds for mental health matters and *that* was what hurt me, not the correct meds and support. I never made the connection between YA and this idea, but it makes sense looking back, thank you for bringing this to light and discussing it so tactfully and respectfully!! ❤️
They had the chance to turn "Lucifer and Luce have similar names for no reason and it's aggravating" into some sort of direct connection. I was hoping it was foreshadowing that maybe she was a reincarnation of Lucifer, or maybe Lucifer used to be Samael but he renamed himself after her after the fall, or fate always ended up with her parents giving her a Lucifer-related name.
Currently still listening to the video (I was savoring it for when I had free time). I'm a sucker for soulmate and reincarnation romances. You have angels, I have that. One book I worked on I had a teen who was a soulmate to a vampire. The Vampire runs as soon as he learns how old she is going 'I'll be back in ten years when you're out of college BYE', that book was a dumpsterfire for other reasons but I really want to take up the chance to write a horror with these themes. Hell, start it like a YA but as the female character grows up she sees how disturbing it is and then she takes action on her own life. Probably bettering herself and learning how to keep the creepy guy away from her. The ending she breaks the soulmate bond so she can have a choice of her own.
The vampire waiting till after college is better than all the forever 16 kinda stuff that's often made up, still weird but better.
Having these kinda stories as horror wiuld be amazing
It was a book I was writing and sadly was the subplot for the main plot. The main plot wasn't nearly that good so it's been trunked.@artofcreation_photos
I’m so glad you talked about the medication thing. I have adhd and an autoimmune condition called sjogren’s which both cause symptoms that make it nearly impossible for me to function without medication. Being medication free is not quirky or fun or “the real me” it’s suffering.
Also would love for you to do a video on Alyson Noel’s The Immortals series. It has the same reincarnated soul mates trope (bonus points for the female lead being a literal slave owned by the male lead in a past life), a really cool premise where they have psychic powers and talk to ghosts and the main plot for 5 out of 6 books is the two leads trying to have sex 😂
sorry A SLAVE????
@@9gagHasMySoul Yup. I might be misremembering some details but in one of the female leads past lives the male lead buys her from another slave owner who treated her badly and in the process ripped her away from her family and lover (who is a past incarnation of the rival love interest). He basically coerces her into a relationship but it’s ok because he’s one of the nice slave owners. They also only address it for like one paragraph where she’s more angry that he was hiding things from her (because he tried to hide this life from her) than the actual slavery/coercion thing. It’s basically never brought up again after that
Your transitions always get me
🎶❤TORMENT❤️🎶
This is just how I felt when editing the video xD
Few minutes in, but I liked how you explained how a good love triangle can work in a narrative, especially reminding me about how Hunger Games did it. I've been turned off on love triangles because of how shallow latter YA media does it but I remember Katniss' relationships did define what she would want out of life in the story is a good use of it.
i think i would much prefer love triangles if they were both good and viable options lol, like in most YA fiction there is always one thats the obvious endgame and then the other guy thats there for tension and they have to make up a plot for why it has to be guy 1 and can't be guy 2, why can't they both be fuckin solid choices lmao
I never read Rapture so for years I just assumed the reveal was going to be that Luce was Eve or Lilith or Mary. The actual ending was a much wilder take.
I'm a writer and love listening to book reviews of bad books, because y'all bring up ideas that would make it better and that gets my brain going. This is how I would start to fix this series, well, at least the romance of it. I feel like I'd actually have to read the books myself to have a better understanding of the events, before deciding how to fix the overall plot. Anyway, keep her romance with Daniel in the first book, since I think it makes sense. I would have a bit more drama that isn't stereotypical, but keep her with him, since IMO it makes sense when she doesn't know any better. Then the 2nd one have her questioning things as she's discovering that there's a LOT he's keeping from her. Start working on her determination of figuring out his secrets, while brining her closer with either Cam, or someone else entirely or both since being close to people other then their romantic interests is necessary. Her feelings for Daniel are sometimes reaffirmed, but something about it feels forced, she just can't figure out why. As the books and plot progress, she would start to figure out these secrets and start to realize how horrifying this all is. 'It's his fault? Why would he put me through this? How could he?' just seriously questioning everything. For more interest and drama about Satan, he should be someone new instead of Bill, like maybe the guy she's been getting close to since the 2nd book. Cam is starting to be weird about this new friend she has and starts to try to warn her about who he is, as he figures out it's Satan (because I would fix his backstory that fits more to why he likes her and wants her the way Daniel does in the first book) only for her to not heed his warning and find out when he reveals himself. He tells her everything and girl is absolutely horrified that not only was she so selfish, but that Daniel continues to be so. Things end with Daniel and comes to find out that he has been manipulating her this whole time, because he NEEDS her. No one else is allowed to have her. 'If I can't have you, then no one can. It'll be fine. You'll die and I'll restart. It's going to be okay.' Boom Daniel is the true antagonist lol Seriously, though, that alone sounds better then the usual.
this book is so so so 2010s para-ro. i love this stuff. if you have the stomache for it, the house of night series and fallen series were often lumped together- and i always saw fans of h.o.n say that fallen was really good, but some how it being like this doesnt suprise me at all??
I dropped both series after 2 books in as a teen I was sick of both of them. Alizee reads and reviews house of the night and lemme just said it's a joy to watch that too. I would love to see Crow's take on it!
A good example of a series going off the rails is the tv series Riverdale. Starts off as a murder mystery and somewhere down the line the town is attacked by a supernatural cult 😭
Edit: Also, an actor was replaced, then brought back to play another character iirc
doesnt one of the characters fight in WW1 and get shellshock despite living in the 20-whatsits?
I remember reading fallen (and hush hush) and racing through the series and loving it. I tailed off somewhere around the middle of book three and never knew why.
As I got older I tried to go back to it but by that point I was on my own medication for mental health issues and was horrified to realised how anti-medication the whole thing was. I didn't get far into it a second time and without this recap I actually couldn't tell you a thing that happens in any of the books.
*Me, an aroace person who gets extremely wigged out by the disregard for the characters' consent and autonomy in so many soulmate stories:* Thank you! Finally, someone who gets it!
Imagine if the beginning of the first book was Luce being sent to a boarding school, but then intercepted by supernatural beings who heard of the shadows she saw. She then goes to the school with all the lilim in the second book.
On point about the medication bit. I was nervous to start antidepressants but I'd have never recovered mentally I'd I hadn't, no shame in that. Love your choker and your content, you always choose such interesting book series!
The face I pulled when you said book 4 was a fetch quest! The author really bookended some potentially interesting ideas (magical school for nephilim! time travel!) with the most mundane plots ever to exist (school romance? fetch quest?!?!?!)
This was mine and my best friend's favourite series when we were in middle school ! I even had the sequel with Cam and his dead lover.
I know it's not the best books but the time travel thingy was my favourite part.
Btw if someone was curious about the sequel, Lilith is trapped in Hell forced to live lives after lives where she suffers (as does everyone in those lives). Cam makes a deal with Lucifer. If Lilith falls in love with him, she can live again. If she doesn't, Cam stays a demon forever. And Lucifer makes sure that Cam has a disgusting appearance (that worsens) in hell or else it's too easy.
I liked the book ! Lilith has a personality (at least i thought she had one idk it's been some times) and we have insight on Cam's backstory and how Lilith ended up in Hell.
Cam becomes an angel btw ! He stands up against Lucifer.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the Angelfall series. I was similarly obsessed with the weird YA angel genre (enough that I GOT A BA IN RELIGION) and it was always my favourite as a teen. Reread it recently and it has... some interesting takes on eugenics??? Like explicitly? I can't figure out what to make of it but it's something.
18:08 In my own experience, modern YA either goes in the direction you said, forgos them all together or makes them diverse (like making them a poly relationship in the case of Iron Widow or a guy and a girl in the case of Perfect on Paper). I'm not complaining about that update in the slightest.
The conversation about meds is so important and you explain it so well. It needs to be repeated.
Woah omg one of my favorite video essayists posted again yay 🥰 It's pretty amazing how frequently you post lol, especially given the quality, thought, and effort put into your videos
i honestly hope you do write a book about a woman trying to escape from an immortal that will not let her die. that is an extremely compelling narrative hook
I remember trying to read Fallen so many times but I could never really get into it… thank you for solving this mystery for me!
Also I just relized this episode came out a few hours ago, you are really rolling out amazing videos in a short period of time, thank you for feeding us good content!
Listening to this video while drawing and i haven't finished it yet, but i want to say how much I appreciate how you discussed medication. As someone who was afraid for ages of going on meds for much the same reasons as you because of a lot of media, it was very nice to hear from someone else who had a similar experience! I've seen a few more modern books (destroy all monsters, a noblemens guide to scandal and shipwrecks, etc) have much kinder takes about medication which makes me feel a lot better that ideas about meds are turning around a bit, but its such a prominent and insidious issue in YA and I'm glad that I'm not the only one who noticed.
Also, to your point about love triangles (as someone who reads a lot of more modern ya, though not much romance so my perspective may be skewed a bit), I think in fantasy they have become either less popular, or get heavily subverted, though I do occasionally see them. At the very least, I don't see many books advertised as being 'love triangles', which I am quite happy about, though I do enjoy some of the subversions of those tropes such as in all of us villains (which I highly recommend lol). Now to finish the rest of the video, I might add to my comment later, but I'm highly enjoying it so far !!
Man, your outfits are always on point but this one is REALLY GOOD
I really appreciate your section about medications and how they're misrepresented in media. That scene you showed from the movie really got under my skin because I've met people like this IRL who would refuse to take medication - and were blatantly worse off for it. I take mood stabilizers for my bipolar disorder and go off the deep end without them; I'm a BAD person off my meds. So to see media aimed at kids and teens saying "be free, man, don't bend to the man and shape yourself to society," or some BS regarding meds I'm just like, "Mam, this is a Wendy's."
I was OBSESSED with these in middle school. I don’t remember a thing about them now. Excited to get hit with a bunch of vague memories!
I love these long videos sm, gives me something to listen to when doing other things like school work or embroidery
I remember ADORING these books as a teen, but I also remember at the very end being like “uhhh… what about her parents??? Did she leave at thanksgiving and then just fuck off and die????”
She absolutely does, it's kind of amazing how she just. Travels through time at Thanksgiving and never looks back
I use to feel so guilty for wanting to kiss my "guardian angels", and while I am finding it kind of difficult to tell if you read romantic angel media outside of criticizing it because of a conceptual/religious/historical interest, it is still comforting to my childhood self.
Liked and commented for the algorithm. You are one of my absolute favorite video essayists right now due to your presentation, thoughts, and book choice. Thank you very much for your hard work.
RE: anti-depressants, I remember people when I was in high school people expressing that exact sentiment, that it will kill your creativity and turn you into a zombie. When I finally started them as an adult it was one of the best decisions I made, I had energy to be creative and spend time with people etc. I'm glad you're talking about this problem that pops up in media, especially media aimed at teenagers.
one thing that i really enjoyed about this series, was that the final, book 4 twist was actually foreshadowed as early as book 1 [i'm only 15 mins into the video rn, so I may be forgetting a little]
from book 1, we know a few things: lucinda is Important (tm), she's some degree of immortal (the reincarnation bit), and she's especially Important this time around because she's unbaptised, that is: she hasn't been "given" to g-d, she had the ability to chose.
in short, lucinda's Importance is strongly tied to her ability to... pick a Side.
the only other characters for whom picking a Side is important are the fallen angels.
i was really proud that I saw the final twist coming as far back as book 1.
I didn't see the whole "lucifer's ex" bit though. when that reveal happened I thought she was incredibly boring for not going the persephone route and becoming queen of hell. lucifer was canonically the most beautiful of all the angels, (and of course, Evil is Sexy) while daniel was boring, Perfect (tm), pushy and in general all edward cullen-y
I remember reading and enjoying this series well enough when I was younger (13 maybe?) but even tho I had all the books I just never read the last one so I just never got to see how it ended. I think it's going to be fun to revisit it with this video cause I don't actually remember much of it lmao
Yeah, it's a weird one! Good luck!
2:16 looooool I have not seen this video before but me and my partner where talking about your Chanel and I mentioned this exact book as an example of the horrors of the YA boom era
the entire time of the intro i kept thinking "where have i seen this book before? *what* was the plot?" but the exploding thing is absolutely wild and i'm pretty sure wherever i saw fallen in before it did not mention the exploding
(7:10 edit) FUCK WAIT IS THIS THE BOOK WHERE THE MC IS LUCIFER
(edit2) very disappointed that this is not the lucifer mc book. i swear i saw a book review on yt once where a later book revealed the mc was lucifer all along but i can't find it again
fantastic review as always and I really like how you talk about the horror of the whole thing in this video, in fact, to really sell that home; I was in an emotionally abusive relationship a few years ago and what you were talking about around 35:00 was my exact experience. I would feel so good about it all when I was around him but the second we were apart it became so obvious that he sucked. So, like, it's really interesting that this book series (probably accidentally) hit the nail on the head with that relationship red flag
Love hearing your thoughts on these oddly executed books, no matter how they are organized!! Also, your cat plush is so cute, very wtnv Khoshekh esque, although I doubt that's it's intended look
tbh i'd be shocked if Crow _wasn't_ a wtnv fan
I actually never got into welcome to night vale..... I...... Really couldn't vibe with Cecil's voice! Straight up tried more than once and just couldn't. I was very much on Tumblr at the height of popularity too and was sad to miss out. I did read the book though.
The plush is by eyewhiskers! From a Kickstarter but can be got still on their Etsy. They're my top plush designer. I love. Cool plushies.
@@Crowcaller have you heard of Magnus Archives? It's just as good!
Had to comment again and let you know that these videos have been so important in helping me fall asleep. Sometimes I really need something to listen to in order to drift off and I've probably watched/listened to this review like five times at this point lol so these rants are super appreciated
It's so weird to think of my voice like that but it's cool to know. Apparently.... A number of people do the same!
Thank you for covering the medication thing. I’m a psychiatric nurse and I have adhd and depression which are medicated now for years and I am thankful every day for it. Bc I could never be where I am now or experience life without being miserable without them. The right medication doesn’t make you feel like you aren’t yourself - the right medication makes you feel like the self you always knew was in there- your best self- unencumbered by serious and pervasive mental illness symptoms that can totally take over your life.
I have this rule where I don’t subscribe unless I’ve been thoroughly entertained by three videos because I’m weird idk but this was ur third vid to grace my recommended. I actually hated reading in school and fallen was one of the books I forced myself to read in middle school for a grade or whatever. I like listening to stories now and I like to listen to video essays about things I think are neat and I saw the book cover in the thumbnail and had like flashbacks and I was like “ah wouldn’t it be so cool to hear about how that story turned out” and I gotta tell you I never realized how boring it was, I was more into the aesthetic of the cover art so tbh I was just imagining this really elaborate scenery (it’s like a sensory thing but in my head idk??) and I just watched the visuals in my third eye and ignored the whole plot
That was one of the most autistic comments I have ever made on this platform
I love doing art and creating art and I can without a doubt say that though I've had some bad experiences with medications that I've had to discontinue, the current antipsychotics I'm on were the best thing I could have done for my art. You can make art when manic and psychotic, but the art you make when you're sane is much better and much more fulfilling. If you need help, ask for it ❤
I remember reading these and for some reason my brain blocked out the fact that she legit explodes. It was like a bad dream I blocked out of my memory.
50 seconds in and oh no! That cat in the background! It has so many eyes. It's amazing. And it super fits the angel aesthetic. OK now to actually watch the video.
Dude I love how robust your public speaking/video delivery has become!! I really like this video in particular.
Firstly: with your interests, you should try Son of the Morning by Mark Adler. It's adult medieval fiction with a FASCINATING take on angels and demons and their interactions with humanity. As someone who was raised Christian and has two degrees in Medieval history, I loved it and the sequel Son of Night.
Secondly: thank you for talking about medication and the ya theme of medication changing people. Being medicated makes me a better version of myself to put it simply. I don't have brain fog, I am less irritable, less sensitive to rejection, less impulsive, less forgetful. Meds help me be a clearer, more content version of myself. Admittedly, I would have likely been misdiagnosed in high school. But with the correct medication and diagnosis, there's no repression of creativity or suppression of my "real self." Instead I've got real hobbies, a better relationship with myself, and a better ability to manage my life.
I really needed someone to talk about this series extensively - thank you for going through this! This is wonderful
Somehow, any time I curiously search a random bad YA book series, I wind up on your channel. You are out here doing the lord's work LOL - thank you for your wonderful descriptions and opinions and commentary! I could just listen to you ramble about books for hours. Oh wait... that's uh, what I've been doing.
Great video, Crow Caller! I was interested in this in middle school when it was more popular (over 10 years ago) and never actually tried reading it. As an adult I watched someone else's synopsis but I like how you went into a lot more detail about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the series.
I adore your videos, especially when they take on a series I started as a teenager and never finished but yet desperately want to know what happened. This made my day.....until I found out there's a spin off book and a novella collection (that does explain the scar!)
Seriously though, you do amazing work, if there's any weird angel YA romance/ strangeness you haven't read, I have a series I...well I don't necessarily recommend but remember from way back was "The Beautiful Dead" series. Been forever but these kids were murdered and resurrected as dark angels complete with wing tattoos. The covers all have broody teens with small wings and it's .. something,first book is The Beautiful Dead :Jonas
it's a rainy day, I have work to do, and this review of yet another cursed book will surely provide an immaculate background to my gay little tasks
I spent way too long making arrows point at the word Fallen 12:45 no regrets
The premise is almost exactly the plotline for the backstory of the main couple (Meliodas and Elizabeth) in Seven Deadly Sins(a manga/anime). One half of the pair was cursed to never die(Meliodas), while the other half was cursed with reincarnation(Elizabeth). She reincarnates without her memories but, they always seem to come back and when they do she dies within like, 3 days. And the cycle repeats. Except in this instance Meliodas was a demon and she was an angel (well "goddess" race), and them falling in love is why they were cursed. But like, that's literally the plot/backstory of Seven Deadly Sins.
Edit to add: I should have waiting till the video was finished to comment. It even has the 'she dies when she regains her memories of her past' bit as well! This is just Seven Deadly Sins fanfiction oh my god.
My question is which came first, and whether they are connected...
Arguably it's better done here as it doesn't involve the immortal one clutching their baby soul mate and saying "keep your hands off my woman!", and the MC questions the relationship a bit...
i could listen to you talk about weird YA books all day
Oh my god YES! Taking anti-depressants is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and yet I resisted it for so long because I was so convinced that it would turn me into a zombie or zap my creativity. Because that is what every story I'd ever read or watched told me that. It's such a dangerous message, and I'm so sensitive to it now.
Anyway, I never read these books but I'm glad you did because this video is very entertaining 😂
Your angel YA content has made me warg back to my middle school self and I finally dug up an angel/vampire YA book that stuck in my mental craw due to a whole Thing about pumpkin bread being used to soak up blood. It were some weird stuff. If you have thoughts on the Tantalize series by Cynthia Leitich Smith, I'd love to hear about it sometime! One day I might reread it to see how it holds up in memory, but middleschool me was a fan, apparently.
I feel like the Unearthly series would be right up your alley
I will say that the audiobook for Fallen is the perfect rhythm I need for when working. The narrator is one of those rare voices I actually enjoy. I use a library app to listen to them.
okay the whole 'angel-demon married couple who are in love but still on separate sides' thing just SCREAMS aziraphale and crowley to me (probably because i'm obsessed with them and this trope/relationship dynamic)
Luce doesn't want to take her normal pills 😔😔😔
that’s so nice to see your vids so frequently! 🎉
Haven't watched the video yet but lovely thumbnail. PS: don't burn yourself out with the frequent uploads!
that cgi explosion was something else
love that the anti-medication thing was brought up. I didn't start taking medication for my mentall ilness until 17, and only because my mum basically begged me to. I was so against it because anti-meds is so common in media, but all it achieved was setting me back many years in getting better.
Also, I love time travel. Back To The Future is my fav movie of all time, and Prisoner of Azkaban is my fav HP movie/book. Anything that has time travel is interesting to me, because there are multiple different ways it can work depending on what the writer/creator wants it to be, and I love the almost paradoxical circles of thought it sends me down to understand how things work.
Forget that Van Gogh did some of his most famous, absolutely lovely after checking himself into the mental hospital of Saint-Remy. Nah, anti-depressants bad.
I really appreciate that you say the warnings or mention aloud that there are some to check. It's really helpful!!
OH ALSO you should talk about Feed! I don't remember that much about it cause I read it a while ago and wasn't really as into literary analysis back then but it's one of those books that constantly bombards you with fictional slang and, if I remember right, kinda hilariously misses the point of its dystopian world's themes
(Not to mention one of the first chapters contains like a two page description of this girl drinking juice and how sexy the main character finds it 🤢)
Holy shit YES!! I remember reading Feed at like 13 and HATING it lmao. I thought the ending made no sense. What a wild book.
I was about to start a fight right here in the comments, but it turns out there's two books called Feed. The Mira Grant one is good, if you're into zombie apocalypse! I'd never even heard of the one it looks like you're talking about
@@MissaBrevis yeah the one we're talking about is about a super technologically advanced future and a "love" story that takes place in it. It sucks. The vibes are just completely off
Nope, Feed is an excellent book. MT Anderson is a YA lit vet who very much know what he’s doing. I read the book in college, and I remember it feeling super ahead of it’s time in the way it depicts social media and targeted advertising. I still think about it. Ya’ll need to stop just deciding books are bad because your teachers made you read them in middle school :)
this was the best introduction to your channel and a great way to relax at 2am. incredible!
I read them all as a teen and they honestly were an inspiration for an original work I'm currently finally working on where everything starts because lucifer falls in love leading to the rebellion and fall with some twists.
And as I listen to your takes on the fallen series I slowly fall back into the pit of author despair that my story is gonna suck cuz it draws inspo from these books I read as a teen 😅
Hey, just because these books sucked, doesn't mean yours will too.
I was seriously hoping you would do these books! I remember even as a kid being like "lol what" and a bad book with angels seemed exactly like your type of thing :)