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The Tear Collector Patrick Jones Books

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The Tear Collector Patrick Jones Books

I was excited when I first heard about this book, such a twist on a specific genre that has been essentially the same over time with only minor changes. It was added to my list of must haves and I got my copy shortly after it was released. I read it over a period of three days, it was hard to put down in between work and school because I just wanted to know what came next! Cassandra Gray, the main character, starts off kind of empty. Not in the character's sense, but in her life sense. She needs tears to survive and must do what she can to acquire enough to keep her refreshed and alive. She offers a helping hand at the hospital and at school, all to get enough tears to keep her and her great-grandmother going. She doesn't get to feel emotion, such as love and happiness and it begins to take it's toll on her. When the time comes that she meets Scott, not a jock or a prep but the boy next door, she finally starts realizing that there is more out there then just tears, that there may actually be happiness for her. But what will Cassandra do next, stay with her family and make the next generation, or will she become the one thing that breaks her off from her family completely, a human? Jones does a wonderful job bringing each of the characters to life. You don't always get to feel the emotions that the characters in the book do, but with this one you can. This will be going right to my "favorites" shelf. I can't wait for the next installation, I know it will be one that I will be picking up! Another plus of reading The Tear Collector was getting introduced to a great new author, new to me not to writing. I will be on the lookout for all of Jones' yet to come releases.


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The Tear Collector Patrick Jones Books Reviews

Going into The Tear Collector I wasn't sure what to except exactly. Since there has been an abundance of negative reviews for it. Sadly enough I'm going to have to agree with those negative reviews; because while I did personally find the Tear Collector to be an interesting book with an even more intriguing premise, it feel flat for me in a big way.

Cassandra was someone who I found extremely hard to like and sympathize with, which is odd for me because I can usually find the good in almost anyone I read about. Though, Cassandra felt like a complete alien to me, but I guess that kind of makes sense since she wasn't exactly human. Since not only was she an odd girl, but I hated how for 95% of the book she used people to her own benefit, pretending to be their friend so that she could get to their sadness in life, and in turn fed of the one thing she craved the most tears. I get that was something she had to do in order to live, but the way in which she never truly cared about most of the people she fed off of bothered me. With saying that I did like the supporting characters, though, such as Robyn, Samantha, and Scott. All three where ones that I not only liked, but could feel sadness towards with the sad, lonely lives they were given.

As mentioned above, I did find the premise to be intriguing. I mean vampires feeding off tears instead of blood? I can't say I've heard that one before. Though while the book had an interesting feel to it that made it an easy read, at times the plot was predictable and the dialogue lacked emotion and feelings instead coming out in a clichéd type of way. With saying that I could still see promise in Mr. Jones' writing and because of that, I may give at least one of his books another try, even though The Tear Collector was pretty much a let down.

In all, The Tear Collector is a book that I don't exactly recommended because in all truth, it's far from being a gem. Though, if you are set on reading, I would highly suggest you pick it up from the library instead, and maybe, just maybe, you'll see the light in it that I unfortunately did not.

Grade D+
**NOTE This book has sexual scenes and cursing.

She's the perfect shoulder to cry on, the one people can turn to in crises. She volunteers at hospitals to be there for hurting family members. She devotes her time to her high school peer counseling program, which she also co-founded. She takes your sorrow and dries your tears with her handkerchief, encouraging you to let your tears come freely. She knows how you feel. Or does she?

"The Tear Collector" is a spin on the vampire myth. Instead of surviving off blood, the narrator, Cassandra Gray, lives off the pain of humans. She absorbs this through tears and, using her great-grandmother Veronica's special handkerchief, can gain strength for herself and her ailing family matriarch. It's a repetitive business Cassandra has the reputation for being a heartbreaker at school, but also as a girl with a huge heart who cares about everyone. She has been trained since birth to do what it right for the sake of her family. She must collect energy for her great-grandmother. She must procreate and make sure the line continues. It's a duty she does with a few doubts, but those doubts grow when she finds herself attracted to--and possibly falling in love with--a boy from her class.

The writing style reminds of R.L. Stine's wonderful "Fear Street" series. No frills, just sparse language and clear descriptions of the way people look and act, which, for me, makes the story easy to read and get in to. We get to see how lying is so easy for her if she can get those coveted tears eventually. We also see the family life, if I can even call it that, which rules how she lives.

However, since Cassandra is by nature driven to manipulate to get what she needs, she is not a reliable narrator, so there are times when it's difficult to say if she is sincere. This proves especially true when she and Scott, the boy she's attracted to, start to "fall" for each other. Their feelings happen quickly, which is plausible since they are in high school, yet Cassandra isn't believable when she says she's in love. She also reaches out to a troubled girl named Samantha, Scott's ex and in whom Cassandra views as a wealth of unshed tears. Strangely, they will later become each other's support systems. Theirs is a strange yet satisfying friendship.

Cassandra is also faced with other foreign feelings when her friend dies in a possible suicide and the strain of her upbringing has her longing for something she had always thought unattainable until now. In Cassandra's world, sadness is necessary and love means exile. If she starts to feel this, she becomes the worst of the worst human. Remnants of the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" are found in these sections, along with the notion of sacrifice. The mermaid becomes human out of love but experiences only pain. Sacrifice and being female go hand in hand, and the story centers around these perfectly. Why does the woman always have to sacrifice herself for her family and others? When is it time for her to think about what she wants? It's a heartbreaking reality.

I have several reasons for the three stars. I couldn't feel anything for Cassandra because she was an unreliable narrator. There are various caricatures of people ranging from white boys who want to be black and gossiping cheerleaders who wear tight clothes to get people to like them. There's a cackling, handsome, over-the-top villain who wants Cassandra to join his evil doings, while Scott is sweet and religious. The biggest pet peeve I had with this book though was the use of the question, "What do you mean?" by some of the characters. I lost count after twelve. There are other ways of asking, "What do you mean?" The editor should have caught this for the sake of the reader and to avoid the repetition.

"The Tear Collector," while a decent read, could have been stronger. It's too bad the narrator is the main reason the story falls short of excellent. I would recommend borrowing this from the library, but have tissues in hand for those frustrated tears you'll be shedding.
We have all of Patrick Jones's books. Great writer with good stories relevant to our students. Our students enjoy reading his books and he has been kind enough to come and speak with our students.
Really good could not put it down
I was excited when I first heard about this book, such a twist on a specific genre that has been essentially the same over time with only minor changes. It was added to my list of must haves and I got my copy shortly after it was released. I read it over a period of three days, it was hard to put down in between work and school because I just wanted to know what came next! Cassandra Gray, the main character, starts off kind of empty. Not in the character's sense, but in her life sense. She needs tears to survive and must do what she can to acquire enough to keep her refreshed and alive. She offers a helping hand at the hospital and at school, all to get enough tears to keep her and her great-grandmother going. She doesn't get to feel emotion, such as love and happiness and it begins to take it's toll on her. When the time comes that she meets Scott, not a jock or a prep but the boy next door, she finally starts realizing that there is more out there then just tears, that there may actually be happiness for her. But what will Cassandra do next, stay with her family and make the next generation, or will she become the one thing that breaks her off from her family completely, a human? Jones does a wonderful job bringing each of the characters to life. You don't always get to feel the emotions that the characters in the book do, but with this one you can. This will be going right to my "favorites" shelf. I can't wait for the next installation, I know it will be one that I will be picking up! Another plus of reading The Tear Collector was getting introduced to a great new author, new to me not to writing. I will be on the lookout for all of Jones' yet to come releases.