Chronicles of a Book Evangelist

Review: And All the Stars by Andrea K. Höst

Publisher: Andrea K. Höst

Publication Date: September 30th 2012

Goodreads Description:

Madeleine Cost is working to become the youngest person ever to win the Archibald Prize for portraiture. Her elusive cousin Tyler is the perfect subject: androgynous, beautiful, and famous. All she needs to do is pin him down for the sittings.

None of her plans factored in the Spires: featureless, impossible, spearing into the hearts of cities across the world – and spraying clouds of sparkling dust into the wind.

Is it an alien invasion? Germ warfare? They are questions everyone on Earth would like answered, but Madeleine has a more immediate problem. At Ground Zero of the Sydney Spire, beneath the collapsed ruin of St James Station, she must make it to the surface before she can hope to find out if the world is ending.

Review:

Confession: When I see the words "alien" and "invasion" at the same time in the description of a book, movie, t.v. show, whatever, I automatically picture some campy 1950s horror flick and assume I won't like it.  (Which is just ridiculous considering how much science fiction, aliens included, I actually like!)  But, BUT...do you see this cover?  And Andrea Höst is an Australian YA author (which basically means it has to be good, right?)  I am so glad that I decided to take a chance on And All the Stars.

Höst completely took me by surprise with this one.  And All the Stars has that rare combination of being action packed while still having incredibly developed characters.  The plot was exciting and engrossing, but the story was still just as much character driven as it was plot driven.  The way the different relationships between the characters developed, or were revealed, made me feel like I was one of the group.  Höst's world is an entirely fresh take on so many ideas in science fiction.  She throws some serious curve balls in the plot, and I completely didn't see them coming!  I wish I could say more about it, but much of the pleasure in reading And All the Stars is in the unexpected.  I would hate to spoil the reading experience for someone else.

I also really liked the diversity found in Höst's characters -- it felt effortless and natural, a pleasant change from much of what I have recently read!  If I had one complaint, it is that the ending was tied up just a little too neatly, and felt much less authentic to the characters than the rest of the book.  The "where are they now" vibe was a little too removed from the characters with whom we had become so intimately acquainted. 

Rating: 5 of 5 stars ~ I loved it! It’s one of my favorites! I will push it on everyone I know! 

Other Opinions:

Heidi also overcame a distaste of aliens and loved it.

Sean was much more critical, but still really liked it.

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository | Fish Pond

Review also on Goodreads; review copy kindly provided by Andrea K. Höst.

Review: Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: September 1st 2010

Goodreads Description:

Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things. 

But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you want to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.

Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

Review:

 I have been sitting here, staring at my computer screen for a very long time, watching the cursor blink and not really knowing what I want to say -- or perhaps it is that I don't know how to say everything I want to say.  I want to be writing a review of a different book.  The book I thought this was. The book I think Siobhan Vivian meant to write.  I am going to take a flying leap of faith with my assumptions and describe the book I think Vivian meant this to be:  This was supposed to be a book of messages to young girls everywhere, teaching them what feminism really is and what it really means, showing them that they are all feminists (or at least should be).  It was supposed to highlight a lot of the ways that we ladies fail ourselves and each other on our journey to equality.  It was supposed to set up common stereotypes of feminists as strawmen, then burn those stereotypes down to the truth underneath.  Not That Kind of Girl was supposed to be really amazing, which made Vivian's failure to deliver all that much harder to take.  Here are the primary ways I think Vivian failed in the execution of her ideas:

• Natalie is clueless about much of the history of the feminist movement, especially for someone who considers herself qualified to lead discussions about feminism for her classmates.  She is beyond just man-hating into people-hating in her quest for completely independent success.  She looks down on everyone around her, refuses their help as insufficient or unworthy, and demands an even higher unnatural level of perfection from herself.  She is also completely and selfishly insensitive in her interactions with Autumn, the only person who would count as a friend rather than a project or a mentor.  It feels like, in Natalie, Vivian just adds more nasty layers to the man-hating feminazi stereotype, while failing to ever adequately address them.

• Spencer was supposed to be (again, I think) an example of a sex-positive feminist that fights against slut-shaming.  And, in some ways, I guess she does.  Some of the best, most positive things said in this book come from Spencer at the lock-in.  However, there is a BIG difference between a young woman who owns her sexuality and feels positively about herself, and a young woman who uses her body to get attention and reinforcement from others.  Spencer never feels comfortable or complete by herself in this book; she always needs affirmation of her worth from someone else -- whether that is Mike, Natalie, or the guys in the hall.  And here is the kicker for me -- she is FOURTEEN years old!!!  I think the important question to ask is, HOW and WHY a girl this young learned to be this proficient at using her body to build her feelings of confidence and self worth.  Vivian does sex-positive feminist ideals no favors with her portrayal of Spencer.

• The guys.  Oh, goodness, the guys in this book!  None of them -- not even Connor -- are well written.  Feminism isn't about being elevated above men, but rather about achieving equality for all individuals -- regardless of sex or gender.  Equality would be some of the males in Natalie's life being something other than douche-bags or door-mats.  In Not That Kind of Girl, there really is no in-between.  Mike should be brought up on statutory rape charges; Connor needs some self-confidence because he deserves way better than Natalie gives him; and Principal Hurley needs, at best, to take some sensitivity training classes or, at worst, needs to be fired for being a chauvinistic ass who unfairly distributes discipline.

• So, taking the first and third points from above, let's now talk about the romance between Natalie and Connor.  Or perhaps not, because there wasn't any.  Natalie was using making out, and finally sex, with Connor as a distraction from the inflated responsibilities she put upon herself.  Connor was making out and having sex with a girl that showed him absolutely no respect, going so far as to not acknowledge him in public.  They felt awkward around each other when not kissing, and rarely talked about anything that was important to either one of them. There is nothing healthy or romantic about this relationship.  I get that Vivian was trying to say that you can have a healthy relationship while still being a strong and independent female, but there is just so much wrong with the sexual relationship portrayed that I think her message gets lost.

Despite all these issues, though, Not That Kind of Girl still managed to be a pretty decent read.  I enjoyed it, and really wanted Vivian to successfully get to where she was trying to go.  I genuinely liked Connor and Autumn, and wouldn't have minded reading more about them.  It is only upon reflection (and yet more reflection) that my concerns about her portrayal of feminist issues overrode my enjoyment of her story.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars ~ I liked it! I wouldn’t reread it, but I enjoyed it. 

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository | Indie Bound | Fish Pond

Review also appears on Goodreads; I purchased my copy for Nook from Barnes and Noble.

Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 7th 2012

Series: Anna

Goodreads Description: 

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

Review:

 I am so very glad that I had Girl of Nightmares on hand when I finished Anna Dressed in Blood!  I really liked Anna, but Girl of Nightmares just went above and beyond.  Blake really developed as an author, and it showed in everything from world building to character development.  The stakes were higher, the mystery went a little deeper, the answers were harder.

Blake does an excellent job of jumping right back into the thick of things while still giving a new reader (or the reader who's read Anna quite a while ago) a basic refresher on everything that went down in the first novel.  It's also been long enough since the events of Anna that the characters have had time to settle into their new identities and relationships.  The characters each had a complexity in Girl of Nightmares that wasn't necessarily allowed in Anna.  (And I was especially pleased with the struggles faced by Carmel -- they made her infinitely more human and awesome at the same time.)

Likewise, the plot jumped a number of levels in complexity; and all the odd little holes in Blake's world from Anna were skillfully explained and filled in.  Some reviewers have complained that the pace of Girl of Nightmares was substantially slower than Anna Dressed in Blood, and that it was less scary.  I, however, found these changes to be improvements.  Everything included was needed to see the plot progress.

Knowing that this was a duology, and how very much Blake had left undone at the end of Anna, I was a little concerned that she couldn't tie everything up in 332 pages.  I should have had a little more faith.  It would be a lie to say that it all came out perfectly happy for everyone, but it at least ended satisfactorily.  (With room for further books set in the world if Blake should so choose!)  I highly recommend this duo of books, and can't wait to pass this one along to the nephews! 

Quotes:

Rating: 4 of 5 stars ~ It was great! I might even re-read it.

Other Opinions:

It won Stephanie over to the series.

It left Heidi feeling a little disapointed.

Leila from bookshelves of doom shared her love at Kirkus.

Previously:

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository | Indie Bound | Fish Pond

Review also appears on Goodreads; I purchased my copy for Nook from Barnes and Noble, with a gift card from my Dad.  Thanks Dad!.

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: August 30th 2011

Goodreads Description:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. 

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Review:

In waiting so long to read -- and, in turn, review -- Anna Dressed in Blood, I ended up reading a lot of reviews from other people for it first.  I tried in the beginning to stay away from spoilery types (and did so for the most part), but I still got a lot of forewarning for different elements of the book that I might have not liked otherwise.  People whose opinion I trust varied widely in their opinions of Anna.  It was a very odd thing to see.  Also, throughout the reviews, three different comparisons (both favorable and unfavorable) kept cropping up: Buffy, Supernatural, and Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.  Considering the fact that I'm a pretty big fan of all three, I was cautiously intrigued.

Perhaps it was the forewarning, but many of the problems others had with the novel didn't bother me to the same extent.  I completely agree that the romance between Cas and Anna is very quick and never feels like a full-bodied experience.  I also agree that Cas is a bit of a jerk in the beginning.  And, no, I was never particularly scared while reading.  However, I was definitely entertained; and think that, in Anna, Blake shows promise of being even more amazing at writing captivating characters in the future.

As for the comparisons?  I never really got Buffy beyond the superficial level that Blake introduced herself within the text.  There's an entirely different dynamic between the characters.  Also, Cas and Buffy have come from very different places and have very different motivations.  Supernatural, though, I get.  Especially if you've ever seen the episodes with young Dean in high school.  Cas is Dean: cocky while thinking he's charismatic, ambivalent about school or friends because he knows he's moving on soon, desperately trying to live up to the spectre of who he thought his father was, it's all in there.  However, it doesn't bother me all that much because I like young Dean, and there's very little of him within the show.  I think the teenage experience of the boys was an element that was never explored as much as it could have been, so good for Blake in exploring it.  As for Hold Me Closer, Necromancer?  Well, they both are darkly humorous, have male protagonists, and would appeal in a general way to the same sort of readers.  Beyond that, I'm not seeing it.  

(High School Dean from Supernatural could definately be Cas.) 

I guess what surprised me the most about Anna Dressed in Blood was that, even with all the advance warning, I was still surprised by just how funny and smart I found it to be.  I really liked this installment, and will definitely read the next.

Rating:

4 of 5 Stars ~ It was great! I might even re-read it.

Other Opinions:

Wendy Loved It

Catie from the Readventurer thought it was Ho hum

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository | Indie Bound | Fish Pond

 Review also appears on Goodreads; I purchased my copy for Nook from Barnes and Noble.

Review: Scorch by Gina Damico

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date: September 25th 2012

Goodreads Description:

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby is a teenage grim reaper with the bizarre ability to damn souls. That makes her pretty scary, even to fellow Grims. But after inadvertently transferring her ability to Zara, a murderous outlaw, Lex is a pariah in Croak, the little town she calls home.

To escape the townspeople’s wrath, she and her friends embark on a wild road trip to DeMyse. Though this sparkling desert oasis is full of luxuries and amusements, it feels like a prison to Lex. Her best chance at escape would be to stop Zara once and for all—but how can she do that from DeMyse, where the Grims seem mysteriously oblivious to Zara’s killing spree?

 

 

Review:

I'm in the really awkward position of having to go back a bit on what I have said earlier...I stand by my rating, but I think I may have been a little hard on Croak.  Part of my strategy for savoring the new books I received over the holidays (and making them last a bit longer) was to first reread the earlier books in the series.  Maybe it was that I already knew Lex at this point, but I didn't have the same feelings of disconnect from her that I did the first time I read Croak.  I also think that, in working so hard to articulate what I didn't like about the book, I lost sight of just how humorous it really was.  That humor not only carried over into Scorch, it was amplified tenfold!

Damico is progressing just as an author should -- everything positive I could or would have had to say about her debut novel holds true for Scorch; and much of what I found problematic about Croak was improved or removed this time around.  Her previous awkwardness with writing intimacy wasn't an issue this time around. Nor were the occasional lulls in action or seemingly random plot developments present.  The foreshadowing was very well done, as was the slow reveal of clues from Uncle Mort.  (And I STILL say there is was more going on there than meets the eye.  If we don't get our answers in Rogue, there had better be an Uncle Mort prequel!!) In fact, Scorch was a thoroughly enjoyable, fast, funny read from beginning to end.  

I admit, I still found a bit of Damico's world to be highly absurd (basically everything about DeMyse, Leroy, and the rest of the DeMysian people was over the top absurd), but it fits her witty writing in a way that feels comfortable now.   The Croak series is definitely shaping up to be one of my favorite new ya series for a light, funny read.

Quotes:

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars ~ It was great! I might even re-read it. 

Previously:

Croak (Croak #1) by Gina Damico

Review also appears on Goodreads; I purchased my copy for Nook from Barnes and Noble, with a gift card from my Dad.  Thanks Dad!

 

Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Publication Date: March 16th 2010

Goodreads Description: 

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Review:

(Highlight to view spoilers.)

Perhaps it was the immediate mental face palm that went with learning the protagonist was named Violet Ambrose (Violet Ambrose? really?!), or maybe it was the extreme implausability of much of the teen crime solving, but I finished The Body Finder feeling a little ho hum.  It seems that, with this particular young adult genre, suspension of disbelief has to be applied more liberally to what would otherwise be regular contemporary settings; unless very well written, teens solving crimes just involves a certain amount of implausibility in the plot.  And, though The Body Finder was at times sweet, interesting, and funny, it never really crossed over to "very well written" for me.

In all fairness, many of the crime solving aspects of the story that I found most implausible could potentially be explained away by the supernatural aspect to the story.  If you are willing to accept -- in an otherwise contemporary setting -- that a young girl can sense dead bodies, it is just a small step forward to believe that a beloved uncle, who is also a cop, would choose to believe (and by extension cover up for) his niece.  What could not be as easily dismissed are how many elements of the mystery weren't really part of the mystery at all, but rather answers dropped on the reader at the end.  (Spoiler) How are you supposed to know that there are two killers when there is absolutely no foreshadowing indicating the possibility?  It almost felt like a last-minute plot add on to extend the drama.  And how are you supposed to have suspected anyone when neither suspect is ever actually revealed?!  We are simply told this is how the story is resolved, never shown.  I don't even think we ever learn the names of the killers. (End Spoiler)

I find it really interesting that much of what I started out loving about The Body Finder turned into the most disappointing elements of the book.  Violet's parents (well, actually, her whole family) start out so unconditionally supportive and present in her life.  Whatever may or may not happen outside of her family sphere, they all always believe her and work to make sure that she is protected at all costs.  Which is why it is so odd that, when necessary to move the plot along, her parents just sort of check out.  They become incredibly neglectful, almost ignoring her and what she is choosing to do.

I was also really disappointed to never delve deeper into the identity of the killer.  When he first describes his "game" (p22), I was thrilled at the way it was written.  It was disturbing, it was awful, it was chilling and creepy, but it was really well done.  I would imagine it would be hard for any female (teen or adult) to read that passage without recognizing times, places and situations where we mark ourselves as easy victims; and it could maybe even help some teens to make some safer decisions in the future.  However, the glimpses from the killers perspective never evolve beyond that moment.  His perspective almost becomes a sock puppet.  

Finally, one of the best written parts of the entire story was the subplot between Jay and Violet.  I love that she falls for her best friend and becomes all awkward -- it is usually the other way around.  I love Jay's sweetness, protectiveness, confidence, and humor.  (Sort of Spoiler) And I absolutely adored how they eventually got together.  (End Spoiler)  However, I hated that she was such a strong, independent character until she entered into a relationship.  She becomes that girl -- you know, the sort who suffers from "devastating loneliness" after a few hours without a text (p 205), and can't seem to make any decisions on her own anymore.  (Spoiler) I also don't like that Jay ends up having to save her all the time, rather than her being resourceful enough to save herself. (End Spoiler)  

The Body Finder also occasionally had a homophobic comment here and there that was just offensive enough to jar me out of the story.  So, all in all The Body Finder had some problems that kept it from being an awesome read, but I still found it interesting enough to at least try the next book.  (Though I also think that Derting wraps this installment up well enough that The Body Finder could work as a satisfying stand alone.)

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars ~ I liked it! I wouldn’t reread it, but I enjoyed it. 

Review also appears on Goodreads; I purchased my copy for Nook from Barnes and Noble.

Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 11, 2012

Goodreads Description:

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head. 

But all that changes when the Lynburns return. 

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the- Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Review:

***Initial review written in April 2012.  A few changes were made for this posting.***

The first time I read Sarah Rees Brennan's Unspoken, I began it a little after I put the kids to bed.  I thought I would get in a few chapters before turning in myself.  Instead, I fell right into Sorry-in-the-Vale, only truly emerging as I blearily realized that, indeed, it was 4:00am and yes, in fact, that was the last page.  No matter how many times I flicked the screen to the left, the page stayed stubbornly put.  I had to wait for over a YEAR for the rest?!?!  Deliciously frustrating, agonizingly wonderful torture.  Sarah Rees Brennan, I love/hate/love you.

Since I had so kindly been provided my copy from the publisher, I sat down the next day to write a review (while ignoring the complaints of my disgruntled husband, who had been kept awake the night before by my constant laughing out loud.)  Sadly, all I could really get out was something along the lines of:

OMG!!!THISISTHEBESTBOOKEVER!!!ILOVEYOUSARAH!!!INEEDTHENEXTONENOW!!!IHATE YOUFORTHISSARAH!!!

You know, a very mature reviewer-like response.  I decided the first reading was for me, and a second more thorough reading with notebook in hand was in order.  I started earlier this time with every intention of reading it in segments taking careful notes along the way.  I surfaced at midnight with a freshly sharpened pencil, a blank notebook page, a burning need for the next book, and even more intense fan-girl feelings.  This was not good.  

Sarah Rees Brennan has done something truly amazing with Unspoken -- it is like she carefully crafted one stereotype, cliche, or trope after another (for genres and people alike) and then systematically shattered them.  Nothing is what it seems; it is all much more complex and beautiful than that.  A wonderfully supportive and loving family that still has very real and hurtful flaws.  Dependable, staunchly supportive best friends with deeply held secrets.  I would love to catalogue them all, but what a way to spoil SRB's excellently crafted story.  I love her characters; I love their relationships; I love how real they feel in their confidence and insecurity and bravery and fear.  

However, one of the best parts of Unspoken is what SRB has done for the gothic genre.  I adore reading, with an unapologetic obsession, all things Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, Madeleine Brent, and -- of course -- Mary Stewart.  I have no fewer than two huge under-the-bed plastic tubs full of nothing but paperbacks of these four authors collected from thrift stores and yard sales over the years.  With this unabashed love, however, must also come the honest admission that, whatever strengths each writer possesses, complexity and/or originality of plot is not one of them.  Put plainly, the old gothic romances tend to suffer for being overly formulaic, and one only comes back because one likes the formula.  (After my fourth Victoria Holt I would have been ashamed of myself if I hadn't guessed who was the bad guy and who was the true love by the third or fourth chapter.)  SRB takes on the mantle of these wonderful storytellers before her, inserts the formulas into her book, and then bends or breaks them into something entirely new.*  There is a comfortable, sleepy town with deep dark secrets lurking under the surface.  And, yes, Kami is quick to stumble into trouble and overly curious, but she isn't nearly as helpless or clueless as her predecessors.  Yes, she has two (or more) potential suitors, who are also both potential suspects, one dark and one light.  However, she doesn't fall into insta-love with either, and remains stubbornly and wonderfully self sufficient around both.  There is, of course, the usual cast of sternly disapproving member of the older generation, an affable, avuncular type relative, and a dreamy-eyed, child-like woman -- all of whom are also possible suspects.  Yet SRB brings complexity and nuance to these characters that makes them into something entirely different from their tropes.  

Another delightfully new talent SRB brings to the gothic genre is her humor.  I don't know how she does it, but Unspoken maintains it gothic aesthetic while being truly laugh out loud funny.  Laugh out loud over and over and OVER again funny (no matter how many times I've read it.**)  Kami's friends are a wonderful break from the tradition of isolating the young heroine, and they are each unique takes of young adult stereotypes themselves.

I feel as if I could go on and on for ages about why Unspoken is a perfect book, despite its gut wrenching cliff-hanger ending.  So I'll leave you with this: If you like gothic novels or romantic suspense -- read it.  If you are ready for some paranormal YA that takes you by surprise -- read it.  If you like...what am I saying?  Just read it anyway.  It's that good.

_______________________________________________________________________________

*And I love the shades of Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat that are present -- the twins, the name Ash, the boy in her head, but all made entirely new!

**I think it is around six times now.  And I still try to flip to the next phantom page each time!! Untold cannot get here fast enough!***

*** There are a few snippets of Untold on her blog, and they only make it worse! This one breaks my heart but I hate this one.  And January's just makes me sigh.

****You can also get some wonderful prequel short stories about both Jared The Spring Before I Met You (The Lynburn Legacy 0.25) by Sarah Rees Brennan and Kami The Summer Before I Met You (The Lynburn Legacy 0.5) by Sarah Rees Brennan.  They are both excellent looks at the main characters from an entirely outside perspective.  And they manage to be awesome at adding to your understanding of the characters without being at all spoilery.  Very cool.

Review also on Goodreads; review Copy Provided by Random House Books for Young Readers.

 

Top 10 Reads of 2012

I know I'm a little behind on this as well, but I really wanted to revisit my favorite reads of 2012 before moving on to the new year.  I already have reviews posted for most of them, but the few I don't are scheduled to appear this month.  So, without further ado, my top ten favorite reads of 2012:

Middle Grade:

Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway is the beautifully told story of Abby, a completely "ordinary" girl in a magical world.  I loved Rubino-Bradway's world building almost as much as I loved the relationships between her characters.

Young Adult:

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga is one of those books that takes hold of you and doesn't let go.  I devoured it, loved it, and still can't stop thinking about it.  Jaz is such an incredibly creepy, wonderful, complex character, and I can't wait to learn more about him.

 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman is one of those rare novels that I would almost dare call perfect.  At least perfect for me.  It is an amazing representation of high fantasy with exceptional world building and positive representations of women!!!!  There is math! and logic! and romance! and dragons!

 

 

And All The Stars by Andrea K Höst completely took me by surprise.  Aside from the fact that it is self-published and still knocks the socks off almost everything else I read this year, it is also just an amazingly well done novel.  Höst manages to ask some really big questions while being incredibly entertaining, and I just can't get this book out of my head.

 

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is another one of those perfect for me books.  It is an exceptional (though cliffhangery) beginning to a gothic series in the style of Mary Stewart, only YA, and modernized.  Again, when I try to talk about this book I turn into a gushy fan-girl.  Just read it.

 

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard is the story of Bria, a young girl who tries to leave herself behind and instead finds herself.  It was full of quotable quotes and insightful bits about travelling and had an adorably believable romance. 

 

Preloved by Shirley Marr is a ghost story.  About a modern girl and a ghost from the 80s.  It's so funny that I choked myself laughing more than once.  It's Australian -- which is the YA equivalent of saying PURE GOLD.  What is not to love?

 

 

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross is part fairytale retelling and part fairytale reinvention.  I love that Cross brings in the dark bits of old Grimm fairytales, incorporates things the Disney generations would be familiar with, and still manages to create a wonderfully fresh world.  

 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is simply stunning.  It is historical fiction, but still completely true in everything that really matters.  It is gut-wrenchingly beautiful and horrible all at once.  I defy you to read it and not cry.

 

Adult Fiction:

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane is actually just the newest in the Downside Ghosts Series, many of which were published in 2012.  Stacia Kane went from being a completely unknown-to-me author to one of my favorite urban fantasy authors with this series.  It is dark and gritty and I can't stop reading it.  

And that is the short-list for 2012.  What were some of your favorite reads last year?

Review: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Original Title: Rubinrot. Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten

Translator: Anthea Bell  

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. 

Publication Date: May 10th 2011

Goodreads Description:

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Review:

First some thoughts on the translation, then the rest of the review and rating will focus exclusively on my opinion of the English version. German was one of my majors, and I do enjoy reading books in German and listening to German music.  I don't, however, really consider myself to be truly proficient -- I'm willing to muddle through the hard parts with only partial understanding.  Therefore, I am completely willing to assume many of the differences between the English and German editions are entirely due to my faulty comprehension of the original German and not a testament to Anthea Bell's translating abilities. Bell did an excellent job of maintaining the overall feeling of the book(s).  It is still light, fun, and fast-paced.  However, I felt like Gwen read a little younger in the English version than the German, making the English version appeal to a slightly younger audience.  Additionally, the chauvinism (which was an important though unappealing aspect to many of the male characters' personalities) felt like it was somehow both more pervasive and considered more acceptable in the English version than the original.  It made Gideon, especially, a less interesting character to me.  I also felt the foreshadowing was slightly more heavy handed, making some of the mysterious aspects a bit more predictable. (Of course, that could also be a result of already knowing what was coming as a reader.)  Finally, what, precisely, is so wholly German about the name Gwendolyn that requires it be changed to Gwyneth for English readers to understand? (Oh, yeah, and the German covers are MUCH better!)

Differences in translation aside, I think much of what made Gier's story so successful still shine through in the English version.  It has action, adventure, romance, and mystery.  The plot moves quickly along, and even if the destination is occasionally predictable, the journey is enjoyable.  I like Gwen for many of the same reasons I like Percy Jackson -- Gwen is an average girl.  She is smart without being exceptional.  She is attractive without causing every male in the vicinity to fall madly in love with her.  She has a healthy self image, has friends, and knows how to have fun.  She has a loving, supportive and present family.  She is wonderfully normal and, therefore, infinitely more relatable to the average reader than many paranormal leads.  Gwen has her moments of failing to see things right in front of her (they all do, really), and she makes a few really stupid choices.  However, she never crosses the line into the too-stupid-to-live category. (And there is always another character there to call her on it.)

I don't think that Ruby Red is an exceptional or revolutionary book, but I do think it is one of a type of book that is essential.  It is accessible, relatable, fun, quick and interesting.  It is just the book to bring in reluctant readers, and a fast bit of fluff for heavy readers.  It doesn't ask anything of you, but leaves you entertained.  My one major complaint is that this is not a trilogy where each part has a nicely tied-up story arc.  Each book leaves you dangling from a great precipice, waiting for the next!

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Other Opinions:

Emma gave it 5 stars

The Smugglers give it 6 out of 10

Review also appears on Goodreads; I purchased my copy for Nook from Barnes and Noble.

Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: October 6th 2009

Goodreads Description: 

When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

Review:

It really surprised me how underwhelmed I was by 13 Little Blue Envelopes.  I really enjoyed The Name of the Star, and there have been many days where Maureen Johnson's tweets were the funniest thing I read all day.  I think I would have even given it a 2 of 5 rating if some measure of loyalty to an author I adore hadn't compelled me to add that third star.  Now, after stewing on it for almost a month (whew! so sorry for that long absence!), I think it actually deserves all three stars, though I still think there are some major flaws here.

Ginny has got to be one of the dullest main characters I have ever read.  She reminds me of the globe trotting girl in Death Cab for Cutie's I Will Possess Your Heart video -- she's going to all these amazing places and seeing all these amazing things and all I can think is "please let me get away from this wet towel so I can see these amazing things!"  I understand that grief affects us all differently, but it seems that blindly following her aunt's letters while refusing to really engage in anything isn't remaining true to anything -- herself or her aunt's intentions.  Her "romance" (if it can be called that) with Keith didn't even really require her engagement -- it was as contrived and convenient as it was lackluster and boring.  Keith was lackluster and boring.  As someone who has traveled Europe a few times and as a parent, I also find the premise that Ginny's parents -- who clearly didn't approve of her Aunt Peg's choices -- would suddenly send their teenage daughter off with virtually nothing but a pack of letters from her aunt to be completely impossible. 

I also find it interesting that the spectre of Aunt Peg ends up being the most interesting part of the entire book.  When I first finished 13 Little Blue Envelopes, I felt that Aunt Peg was an odd variation of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl.  She existed solely to come into both Ginny and Richard's lives and shake them up; make them see the world differently.  However, after further reflection I think that, though she may have been a MPDG for Ginny, there seemed to have been more awareness and development in the relationship between Richard and Peg -- hence the third star.

13 Little Blue Envelopes was a light and quick read.  Johnson's writing style covered a multitude of character and plot flaws, making the book continue to be a fairly enjoyable -- if completely improbable and forgettable -- read.  I don't think I would recommend 13 Little Blue Envelopes to young readers; however, it has done nothing to prevent me from continuing to wholeheartedly recommend Maureen Johnson. 

Rating:

3 of 5 Stars

Other Opinions:

Flannery and Katya were also underwhelmed.

Rhi found redeeming qualities.

Previously:

Name of the Star

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update 2