Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line

If you know one thing about me, let it be that Veronica Mars is one of my absolute favorite people on the planet, and the fact that she's fictional doesn't change that. I watched the show as it aired (and have re-watched many times since), and had been waiting for more Veronica for years & years & years when the Kickstarter came along. I'm responsible for more people watching this show than probably any other thing I've ever recommended (constantly! wholeheartedly!).So when I say expectations for anything connected to Veronica Mars are HIGH, you know I mean it. I finished reading the first mystery, in what will hopefully turn into a long series, earlier today. The book didn't quite capture the magic that Veronica has on screen, probably because seeing Kristen Bell in the movements was up to my imagination, rather than my eyeballs watching an actual performance. However, the mystery, about two young women who go missing during Neptune's busy spring break season, was solid and kept me wondering. I thought I'd guessed what happened a few different times, only to be made unsure several pages later, then change my mind completely. As a mystery, it works.For the duration of the book, Logan is away with the Navy, so the LoVe is limited to the short interactions allowed to a couple separated by thousands of miles, with one of them floating on a giant hunk of metal in the ocean somewhere. While he might be missed, Mac and Wallace are in Neptune, sidekicking up a storm throughout the story. They're equal parts mystery solving assistants for Veronica and friends to kick back with on her day off. And of course there's Keith, who is still making a fuss about Veronica's decision to stay in town and join the family business, but is always the best dad a girl could hope for.Just as Rob Thomas promised, there is a surprise return of a previous character that wasn't in the movie, who definitely adds an extra dimension to Veronica's work and personal life. I won't say who, but just know I was surprised when this person popped up and generally enjoyed their storyline. I didn't like them much at all on the show (and still really don't), but it worked and added an extra layer to the story.If I have one complaint, it might be that the book is not told in first person. A major part of how I think about the show is how much we see everything through Veronica's perspective. While the book was from her point of view, and therefore allowed for private thoughts and extra personal insight, it didn't quite have the same direct connection for me as I imagine it would have through first person storytelling. That said, it didn't bother me enough to really knock it... Veronica is still Veronica and I still love her. Plus, the book has tons of little callbacks to the series and movie, so that's extra fun for the serious fan (and a good way to help those new to Neptune understand the world a bit better).I'm a fan of mysteries, but finding one with a protagonist I can love (and possibly relate to) is usually a difficult task. Veronica Mars solves that problem. I hope they write a zillion more books full of mysteries for Veronica to solve. I'll read every single one.[See this reviews & others like it @ StoryboundGirl.com!]

So let me say up front that I really liked the book and would recommend it for any fan of the series. I blazed through this book and despite the critique that follows enjoyed every minute of the story. It's an easy read and quite entertaining but it can't help but feel like a watered down version of the television series. The central mystery is interesting and kept me guessing the whole way through but the individual beats still felt off somehow. The biggest problem is that there is no sense of the interesting class and social divisions that plague Neptune and made the series so interesting. Veronica Mars is at its best when personal justice and the legal system are pitted against one another when what Veronica believes to be right doesn't quite square with what the law would tell us should happen. That isn't here. Neither is there an engaging social dynamic at play. The story teases us with something about why the City Council prefers to have an incompetent sheriff but never really deals with that issue.On the other hand Rob Thomas and his co-author nail the transition to books by capturing the characters you know and love. While a line or two might ring false by and large the characters read true. Unfortunately, the familiar faces can feel shoe horned in at times rather than their appearances feeling organic. The films reunion gave a good enough reason to see the people we knew float in and out of the story but the references here can come off forced particularly with reappearances by Norris and Weavil who have little role to play in the plot. No one would question Wallace hanging at the edges of Veronica's life but minor appearances by others can feel like nudging reminders that the author a fan too and see she watched the show you liked and remembers the people.While I have heard some people complain about the shift to the third person story telling it honestly didn't bother me as the prose is written in such a way as to capture Veronicas internal monologue most of the time. If you really need to solidify that feeling though I would highly recommend picking up the audiobook read by Kristen Bell.

Da grande amante della serie tv devo dire che ho divorato questo libro in un paio di giorni. Certo è in inglese ma ha una scrittura semplice e scorre molto bene. La storia riparte esattamente nel momento in cui è terminato il film, sembra di stare in una delle puntate della serie, con la storia narrata dal punto di vista di Veronica e i soliti intrighi di Neptune. Consigliatissimo!

This book takes place 2 months after the end of the Veronica Mars movie, so if you haven't seen the movie, you really need to watch it before you read this book. If you don't, you'll be massively spoiled.I really enjoyed this book. Reminded me a bit of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series (huge fan of Sue Grafton here by the way). There were so parts that were heart breaking, especially when someone comes back from her past. It was great to see Veronica's thoughts on Logan. I do feel like he wasn't in the book enough though. All in all, a great book. Highly recommended for fans of detective novels.

as a die hard V Mars fan, i wish the authors had stuck with the classic first person narrative that is the backbone of the TV series and movie. but i just loved finding out what happened to Veronica, Logan, Sheriff Mars and all the others. strongly recommended for anyone who misses the TV show as much as i do.

This review was first published at M's Bookshelf - http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.beI'm a huge Veronica Mars fan. There, I said it. I was incredibly sad when the show ended, ecstatic when the movie came out and now oh-so-relieved that this book didn't disappoint.It's everything you would expect from a Veronica Mars case. It has so many unexpected twists and turns, but more importantly: it has Veronica Mars. I mean, how fantastic is she? Maybe Kristen Bell gives the on-screen Veronica that little extra "va va voom", but there really was no awkward transition from page to screen.The story kicks off right where the movie left off. Veronica is back in Neptune at Mars Investigations. And let's face it, that's where we love her the most. She's clever, determined and a little reckless (as usual, right?), with Mac, Wallace and of course Keith loyally by her side. [Spoiler alert if you haven't seen the movie yet] Of course Logan is on a mission abroad so he's not really in the picture, but it still makes me really happy knowing they found each other again. Lucky for us, Marshmallow fans, this is the first book in a series, so I got my fingers crossed we'll see more of Logan in the following books.So we're back in Neptune in time for spring break. The entire town is filled with (mostly drunk) college students having "the time of their lives". Even the report of a missing girl can't stop the partying. That's until Veronica Mars is hired for the job. She immediately sinks her teeth in and even a corrupt, lazy sheriff can't stop her (although let's face it, has a Lamb brother ever succeeded in 'keeping V. in check'?). The story is fast paced and keeps surprising you. It keeps you guessing (although V. is of course always a few steps ahead of you when things heat up), and reminiscing about Veronica's high school days.I can't tell you enough how amazingly happy I am to have another chapter in the "Veronica Mars story". I cannot wait to read the second book (really, if I had a copy I would start reading right away), and hopefully Rob writes many more of these.Absolutely brilliant!

Ce livre prend la suite du film, ça se passe quelques semaines après. C'est très fidèle : on se sent complètement dans l'univers Veronica Mars et pas juste un livre "drame-policier" (ce que je redoutais le plus). De plus l'enquête est prenante, lecture très rapide (l'anglais est plutôt facile d'après moi, je n'ai même pas utiliser de dictionnaire). J'espère qu'il y aura une suite !