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This Edition Published (UK): February 1st 2018
This Edition Published By: Walker YA (Walker Books Ltd.)
Type: Young Adult Fiction
Genre(s): Romance; Humour; Supernatural
Language: English
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 96
ISBN: 9781406379617
RRP: £6.99
DISCLAIMER:
I was provided with a copy of this book to review by Walker YA in the UK. My review remains completely impartial and has not been influenced by this fact in any way. Many thanks to Walker YA for sending this book my way!
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My Review
This review contains mild spoilers in the form of generalised comments about the story's plot points! Please be aware of this before reading on, as I wouldn't want you to spoil the story for yourself if you've not read it!
I have to admit, I was really surprised to find The Course of True Love (and First Dates) tucked away in my first-ever ARC parcel from Walker YA. I had only been expecting Scythe by Neal Shusterman, as that was the only book that I had requested over a month earlier (curse you, Royal Mail, for misplacing my parcel for weeks), but here was this book as well, tucked underneath. I can't say as I was displeased to find it - as who can say no to more books, am I right?
My first thoughts were that the book's design, particularly its cover, is really stunning. It's a really small, neat, red hardback book, and the intricate floral designs around the front and back are delightful to look at. It's a bit of a sore thumb on a bookshelf due to its small square size, but other than that, it's a superb little addition to any Cassandra Clare fan's library.
I was lucky enough to meet Cassandra Clare a few years ago alongside my friend and fellow BookTuber, Jack (of Tomes And Travel, formerly ReadingWithJack), and was thrilled at the chance to hear her speak in-person and meet her. At the time I met her, I hadn't read too many of her Mortal Instruments series (in fact, I think the only books I had read at that point were City of Bones and City of Ashes), but as I thought that I would go on to enjoy the rest of her books and as such bought them all in time for the signing.
As of today, almost six years later, I've still never gotten any further with the series - and neither have I read any of the previous Magnus Bane stories. Going into The Course of True Love (and First Dates), therefore, I was fairly clueless as to who Magnus Bane or Alec Lightwood actually were, as I could barely remember - though I've seen enough Malec fanfictions on the internet to last me a lifetime. As such, what follows in this review is from the perspective of someone who doesn't know or remember the two primary characters that well from their primary literature, but got a pretty good sense of who they are from this short story. I know I'm terrible for never keeping up with the series, as I remember the first two books to actually be pretty good, and perhaps now I'll finally find the motivation to catch up with all the ones that I've missed!
In the first instance, I found The Course of True Love (and First Dates) to be a thoroughly enjoyable, quick read. I could clearly tell from Clare's writing that she has established Magnus and Alec in her longer works very intricately, and that they have a history together - not necessarily romantic, but definitely with chemistry - and that they are a very suitable match for each other. The story follows them as they embark upon their first date, and while it is a less-than-smooth ride, it is an incredibly cute, incredibly funny experience to read about. The pacing is excellent, and while a lot happens in a very short space of time, the time scales are realistic for an evening's activities, and you can easily keep up with Magnus and Alec's antics.
Alec is the inexperienced and awkward one, very much alienated by the environment he is brought into and the very idea of dating at all, while Magnus is perfectly at home in a date situation and has a 'done-it-all-before' kind of attitude. His one concern and point of contention is that Alec is a Shadowhunter, and as he's never dated a Shadowhunter before, there is also a certain sense of his vulnerability and cluelessness as to the expectations of him as a potential future partner for Alec. I found this contrast of Magnus' confidence and awkwardness to be exceptionally realistic and on-point, and I loved that their (Magnus and Alec's) different levels of experience in dating and romance were such a stand-out part of the narrative.
I did find the plot to be somewhat predictable, however, and this perhaps made the story slightly less rewarding than it should have been. Of course something was bound to go wrong on the date, and of course it would be something supernatural or unusual which would draw the two characters together and unite them in a typically awkward fashion that would overcome their clashing professions as Warlock and Shadowhunter. More so than that, the whole introduction of one of Magnus' ex-partners into the mix while they were trying to eat their meal together made me a little bit uncomfortable - not just as a reader, but for poor old Alec who had to deal with the situation. Magnus came across throughout the story as a bit of a cocky playboy-like character who probably deserved that particular break-up to me, so I didn't feel too sorry for him, but I did get the impression that his attitude towards Alec implies some progression in terms of emotional maturity and respect has taken place between his previous relationship and his current dating situation with Alec, so I'm perhaps somewhat glad in the end that I got to see and interpret that direct contrast between who Magnus once was and who he wants to be for Alec's sake.
In terms of the humour and the comedy in the story, I was a little bit less impressed. Many of the jokes felt very forced, as did some of Clare's messages about 'being who you want to be' and social inclusion and all that jazz. As important as those messages are, and as effective as literature - especially modern YA literature - is in conveying them, I just felt that her style of writing didn't really rub me the right way for it. Perhaps if I knew the characters better, and understood their mannerisms and ways of talking further, I might find it less irritating or abrupt - but from my existing standpoint I just felt like Clare was trying a tad too hard to pack too many messages into one short story. Whilst I did like her intentions (and don't get me wrong on this - I absolutely do approve of what she's trying to say with her whole Werewolf/Downworlder discrimination discussion), I think the actual execution was a little clunky and didn't sit well within the whole romance narrative taking place between Magnus and Alec. Though, props to Magnus for thinking Alec's dedication to equality and protecting everyone is sexy, in spite of the amount of flack he seems to get from everyone for being a Warlock, too.
The final point that I would like to raise is about the ending to the story, which I felt was probably one of the least satisfying endings that I could have imagined - though perhaps that is part of its point. Magnus and Alec's romance, which at the very end of the story begins to develop with wild abandon, is thoroughly enjoyable to read and feels both realistic and authentic without going so overboard in terms of details or actions as to be uncomfortable to read or overly-explicit. But, just like that, Clare cuts the two lovers off just as they're starting to be intimate, and the conclusion of the story is that Alec leaves Magnus' apartment and promptly falls down the stairs. This comedic ploy failed to impress me, as I was feeling too angry that the culminating moments of an evening's awkwardness had just been abruptedly halted, but I'm sure it will make other readers laugh. I know that the story is meant to be short, and I realise that Magnus' closing remarks imply a continuation at some point in the future by Clare, but I'm still not quite satisfied with the way that the story ended. I suppose, though, maybe given Alec's inexperience and his concerns as a Shadowhunter to be seen to date someone as lowly as Magnus must be taken care of before they get too intimately involved...!
Overall, this book earns a solid three out of five stars for me. It was an enjoyable read, packed with authentic and cute romance, but was a bit too predictable in terms of its twists and turns for me. Clare's writing is easy to read, but is also slightly clunky at points in trying to pack too many messages and plot points into one very compact narrative. I'll definitely be interested in re-reading the story once I've caught up with all of the Mortal Instruments series and the other Magnus Bane stories!
Rating: 3/5 Stars ★ ★ ★
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If you enjoyed this review, or if you have some thoughts on The Course of True Love (and First Dates) that you would like to share with me, please do leave a comment below and let me know! If you would like to purchase your own copy, you can get one from Waterstones or from Amazon UK!
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Have a great day, everyone!