Review: Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Title: Teardrop
Author: Lauren Kate
Series: Teardrop Series #1
Genre(s): Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication Date: October 22, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 441

Never, ever cry... Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is
everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean. And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak,about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away?

Like seriously, I should really stop judging a book by it's cover. Why, must all of Lauren Kate's book's covers must be so, so mesmerizing? Just take a look at the beautiful purple sky and the dress made out of water. Why would I not want to pick up a hardcover copy of this beautiful book from an apparent 'best-selling author' of the Fallen Series? Though I haven't read the Fallen Series yet, but judging from this new series, The Teardrop Novels, I was NOT impressed with Lauren Kate at all. 

I don't even know where to start with this book Teardrop is about a girl, Eureka (UGH, why EUREKA? Ew. It wouldn't be half as bad if the name was Erica or whatever -.-) who lost her mom and starts seeing this guy that she likes that seems to be very hot and mysterious as if no one noticed that he was never there before. Her mom leaves her with a locket, a rock, and a book in a language that is not known to anyone at all, except for a psychic, Madame Blavatsky. Its also about a group of 'seedbearers' and some stuff about raising Atlantis, the lost island, which was really, really confusing. I had to read like lots of lines over and over again to understand what they were talking about at the end of the story. 

Although the description of the book above may sound not too bad, TRUST ME, IT IS. The pacing was as slow as hell and interesting things only happen after you read the first 50% of the book, and even after half the book, it wasn't the least bit interesting. It made me want to throw the book at the wall. 

The other half is filled with Eureka being a mourning bitch over the loss of her mother, how depressed she was, how she thought no one understood her, and I just hated Eureka for numerous reasons. Everything about her is negative, like being a jerk to her only two best friends Cat and Brooks. She's such a whiny bitch and she pushes away everyone that tries to help her, her family, her friends and her physicist. What's really sad is that she even pushes away her dad, and it's just so sad. Her dad is like a shell of a man. He's weak and he's being tormented by Eureka's stepmother, Rhoda. And when he tries to help his poor daughter, Eureka just fucking pushes him away like you don't understand anything, and I can't be helped even from my old man. 

Then theres the physicist. The physicist is a kind lady who's trying to help Eureka but all Eureka does is offend her and be rude going like the only reason why you're doing this is because you're being paid. And then it leads to another character, Eureka's stereotypical stepmom, Rhoda, who pays FOR EUREKA'S SESSIONS. Though Eureka may describe Rhoda as a mean witch, I don't understand how. Rhoda is a good person, she gave Eureka her CAR, she says that Eureka can call her if anything happens, and she trusts her with her two twins. Rhoda seems like she's treating Eureka decently, like how much can one love the current person she loves' kids? Be grateful that she even cares about you Eureka! And what does Eureka do? BE A BITCH TO RHODA. 

“Eureka’s life was in chaos. She was on the brink of being kicked out of the house she hated living in. She hadn’t been going to school. She was alienated from all her friends and was following birds through the predawn bayou to meet elderly psychics.” 

It's so frustrating to see this happen every time sometime tries to help her, where Eureka pushes them away and mourn, mourn, and mourn, and she thinks that she's innocent of everything and that she can do nothing. UGH!

When Eureka and Brooks had a fight, I was like finally! Go show her Brooks! 

"You keep Cat around because she doesn’t notice when you tune her out. You can’t stand anyone in your family. You’re certain every therapist you go to is an idiot. You’ve pushed away all of Evangeline (the school Eureka goes to) because there’s no way anyone could ever understand what you’ve been through."

The above quote is just a taste of what you get from Eureka and it's true. I mean Brooks right there was being completely honest. Although Brooks at the time was being possessed by an evil Atlantan, Eureka is exactly like that. She thinks that she's trapped in some kind of darkness that no one can help her and that she's the one that should be focused on and how we should all feel bad about her tragic incident. So cliché. Who wants to read about a character like that FOR HALF THE FRIGGING STORY? Well news flash Eureka:

No one cares about your problems. Deal with it and stop mourning. 

Another thing about the book was that it contained a lot of stereotypes. Like every single girl in Eureka's school is known as 'identical cheerleaders' or 'girls who never left the house without a pound of makeup on their face' or 'girls who always wore thongs all the time'. Eureka has no right to judge every girl that passes by like this, like she's the special one or something and everyone is either a slut or a bitch! 

There's also a character that Eureka hates who's called Maya Cace that likes Brooks. She thinks of Maya as “a rumored Wiccan" and "a transcender of all cliques" and all these things that make you feel sorry for Maya in the end. What did Maya do to Eureka? NOTHING AT ALL. Except for maybe have a crush on Brooks, who's only Eureka's friend as Eureka doesn't like Brooks. But really, having a crush is so minor that I shouldn't even be pointing it out.

Then we move on to the romance part. So Eureka likes this guy, Ander who keeps on appearing to talk to Eureka for like five seconds each time then disappearing really quickly. He's said to be the 'hottest guy Eureka ever seen' with blonde hair and those 'dreamy' turquoise eyes. You know Lauren Kate, NOT EVERY GUY HAS TO BE BLONDE AND HAVE SOME COLOURED EYES TO BE HOT! For god's sake, make him have brown hair and he could still be as likable! ARGH!

Moving on to the relationship, Eureka likes him even after Ander goes like "I've been stalking you since you were born, every day now and I like you". And then Eureka goes like: 

LIKE WHAT THE F*CK! She even kisses Ander after that I think. If I were in her position, I'd hit him with any object I could find. Eureka, DON'T YOU REALIZE HE'S A STALKER THAT HAS BEEN STALKING YOU FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE?

Sigh. 

The book was 400 PAGES! I WANTED TO DROP OUT AT PAGE 100 SO BAD! Do you know how long that is that I had to suffer from a mouthful of Eureka? The book was so messy (which was why my review is kind of messy) and the characters (or shall I say, character) ruined the entire story. I think it could have been a 4 star mythology story if it weren't for all those problems that I don't even want to bother saying anymore in the book.