Being Sloane Jacobs

by Lauren Morrill
3.5/5 stars
Delacorte BFYR, 2014
352 pages
YA Contemporary Comedy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly I was not that into Morrill's debut Meant to Be because while the cover was gorgeous, I found the male love interest unbelievably annoying and the plot pushed situations so far beyond the point of believability. Though I suspected the latter would be the case here, I still had to give it a try because I'm such a sucker for switching places books.

And I was not disappointed! Though many of the events of this book struck me as ridiculously implausible, within the context of this book everything seemed to flow. What we have are two young women sharing the same name and skills in ice-skating who coincidentally meet and spontaneously decide to switch places until circumstances catch up and they have to face the music.

Our first Sloane (Emily) Jacobs is extraordinarily privileged with a senator father, a mother committed to maintaining their picture perfect lifestyle, and an older brother who has laid the groundwork for rebellion. She is attempting to rejoin the world of competitive figure skating after a humiliating failure years earlier and is on her way to train more. Her life is not as perfect as it would seem though and she jumps at the chance to be someone else.

The second Sloane (Devon) Jacobs was raised under more financially straitened circumstances with most of the family's money going toward her alcoholic mother's rehab, enhancing the need for a hockey scholarship that may be difficult to achieve when she can't force herself to take a shot at the goal. She also has anger management problems that get her sent to a hockey camp for the summer allowing her to meet Sloane Emily and for them to switch places.

I don't know much about ice skating but I suspect that there's a lot more to both sports than could be easily learned in the time frame they have. Still I went with the premise that many skills were transferable and I liked the moments of panic each girl had when faced with something she wasn't expecting. In neat moments, the girls encounter parallel experiences, each facing a competitor, falling for a new love interest, and running up against challenges at the same time. These mirrored experiences nicely reflect each other as we alternate between the girls' narration.

Though I didn't anticipate being surprised, I was at how early their charade was discovered and enjoyed seeing them wrap everything up. The consequences for their deceit are rather minor in my opinion but I was so charmed by the basic plot and getting to read about their ice skating abilities and travails that I can overlook that.

Overall I would recommend this book to fans of movies like "The Parent Trap" and "The Cutting Edge" as it seems to owe a bit of a debt to both while still bringing its own modern edge and twist.

Red

Red by Alison Cherry
4/5 stars
Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2013
320 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book really grabbed my attention with its focus on red hair. I am very obviously a brunette and I've never really desired to be a redhead but I have noticed mocking of "gingers" and such so I thought it was an interesting concept that would be fun to read.

In Scarletville, redheads are the privileged, the elite. To have natural red hair is a source of pride. However not all do though to gain power, one must ensure its presence. Such is the life of Felicity. She's one of the most popular girls in school but her gorgeous red hair is a lie-she's actually only a strawberry blonde and has had her hair artificially dyed for years. When someone starts blackmailing her over this secret, Felicity begins to question her very life in Scarletville and what she might do if the secret gets out.

There's actually quite a lot going on in this book as I didn't even touch on Felicity's participation in the town's annual Miss Scarlet pageant along with her two best friends. There's also her interest in art, unsupported by her mother and some romantic relationship drama that is pretty predictable especially if you read a lot of YA. A big element though is satire of our world and its obsession with appearance. I'm not sure if I was in the wrong mood or what, but the satirical elements didn't always work for me and sometimes seemed to be played completely in earnest. I adored Libba Bray's Beauty Queens so I know that at times I can appreciate that approach but it was not as effective for me here.

Felicity is an okay character-the secret life she lives is very difficult for her and there was a revelation near the end that left me really feeling for her. I thought she took forever to stand up to her blackmailer but she was under a lot of pressure (and it would have made the book shorter). I enjoyed her interest in art and new flirtation (when they're eating the french fries was an excellent scene) a lot more. Her mother is very difficult; she's a single mom raising Felicity and two rambunctious young boys but she's obsessed with the pageant and getting Felicity to follow in her footsteps no matter what Felicity actually wants. It was just hard to be good with her though I do give props for her being pretty present for a YA parent.

As the book progressed, I definitely became more interested. I enjoyed seeing Felicity stand up to her blackmailer and kiss the cute guy though I wish the ending had felt more resolved. I feel like lately I want everything much more tied up than it ends up being.

Overall: I had fun reading this and the ending really lifted the story; I especially recommend this book for redheads!

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The Secret Ingredient

The Secret Ingredient by Stewart Lewis
4/5 stars
Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2013
256 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like this is another YA contemporary about which I hadn't heard much. Luckily that tends to work in my favor as I don't enter the book with expectations, instead being prepared to just enjoy whatever comes. What I did know was that this book would feature its protagonist cooking a lot, something that really pleased me. Unfortunately I kept wanting recipes and this book did not provide any. I feel like I am encouraged to give cooking (and baking, my first love) more of a shot but I'd like a bit more guidance before attempting.

Anyway the plot for this one is less focused than your typical dystopia or fantasy. Basically we have Olivia going through the summer before senior year: she's getting her first real job in a casting agent's office, her adoptive gay dads are having money struggles, and she's starting to wonder about her birth mother in addition to creating a plan to pursue her love of cooking and first romance troubles.

One of my big concluding impressions of this book is that it is light. Yes, it does look at some more serious topics but the writing and plotting is very smooth and flows well. It's on the shorter side and I read it pretty quickly. Although I am thinking about it now, a few days after finishing, it didn't have anything substantial that will continue to resonate with me for the rest of the year like my favorite books did.

I pretty much liked everything but didn't love anything. It was great to see Olivia as a child of adoption and the easy acceptance of her dads for what they were (although as is shown, sadly not everyone is cool with it). I liked the cooking aspect, which plays a huge role. I liked Olivia's best friend and her support of Olivia at multiple key points. I wasn't too thrilled with how the romance plays out but if you're someone who doesn't want too much romance, you might be pleased with its representation here (I sometimes wish for more casual relationships in YA but really I do want the one true love intensity that we most often get.)

Overall: A perfectly pleasant read-fine for the beach or other summer locales. It just didn't knock my socks off :(

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Burning

Burning by Elana K. Arnold
4/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2013
320 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My review is a little spoilery but not explicitly spoilery.

When I first saw this book, I liked that it was contemporary and featuring Gypsies, a group I've never read a book about, but it wasn't a must-have. Now that I've completed the book, I really admire the writing and thought it was pretty well-plotted but for some reason it still didn't click enough to earn a perfect five star rating from me. I guess what I was feeling and wanting to read didn't gel with this book.

We have two main characters. First is Ben Stanley, resident of Gypsum, Nevada, a town based on a mine that is closing and subsequently disbanding. He is one of the lucky ones; while his family and some of his friends are going to Reno, he has a full scholarship to UC-San Diego. Still his fortune leaves him uneasy and he's not sure if he's ready to leave. His path collides with Lala White and her Gypsy family. When Lala reads Ben's cards, it sets off a string of events neither could protect.

There are so many great parts to this book though I will only talk about a few right now. One is the dual perspective with very distinct voices. Lala has a much more formal way of speaking and often seems to talk with bemusement. Ben is a pretty typical American guy albeit with a slightly cleaner vocabulary than I imagine. There are some beautiful passages in here that I'm sure other more sensitive readers will appreciate more.

But my most favorite part was Lala's journey. The Gypsy have pretty strict gender roles and long-held traditions such as the one that will see Lala married to a man of her family's choosing shortly after her eighteenth birthday. However Lala does not just blindly follow tradition. She is a reader, she questions, she sees a whole world out there. When she makes an unforgivable choice in her family's eyes, she gains new experiences with Ben but faces being as trapped with him as she would have been with her family; needless to say she makes the brave choice earning her a feminist fist pump from me.

Cover: I wish her skirt was just a teeny bit longer as that more accurately reflects Lala's attire.

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The Flame in the Mist

The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff
3/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2013
449 pages
MG/YA Fantasy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Allow me a moment of digression to open this review. This weekend I happened to catch the beginning of "Brave" and my response to that film is rather similar to my response to this book. I'm pleased as punch to see a spunky red-headed female protagonist navigating a fantastical world, don't get me wrong. Yet unlike "Finding Nemo" and "Up" and despite my very high expectations, "Brave" failed to fully engage my emotions. Similarly, I read this book more dutifully than excitedly hoping to fall in love but never succeeding. I'm not really sure why I had this response but there you go.

It didn't even matter that this book had a lot of cool stuff like the fact that it seems to be a standalone although the world could probably be expanded into a series. Or there is the prophecy and magic swirling around the story that should have been enough to enthrall me. But it didn't.

Perhaps it was the length? I think this page amount is consistent with other fantasies but it felt so long to me. Maybe it's the darkness? As you can see in the title, there is mist all around and it is an evil presence that hurts most of the people in the book. Another possibility is the timing-I got very confused about what day it was and what day we wanted it to be. Some events took both more and less time than I anticipated. And sometimes the way circumstances turned out was just a little too pat for me, just a little too easy. Whatever the reason, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to but I would certainly not try to dissuade you from reading it. I think it was partly my mood which did not want a fantasy but did want to finish this book for review.

Overall: Appropriate for older MG as it's a bit on the long side and there are some darker moments and young YA as well as older readers-hope this works better for you than it did for me.

Navigating Early

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
4/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2013
302 pages
MG Historical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was first brought to my attention by some Waiting on Wednesday posts and I was captured by the description of young Jack forced to move from Kansas to Maine after the death of his mother and enrolled in a boy's boarding school. There he meets the strange Early Auden and as events transpire, they end up in the forest for some time searching for something. It doesn't seem like a Stephanie book (where are the girls for one thing) but it struck me. I am very pleased to have read this!

I liked so many elements of this book. First I loved the main character Jack, struggling in this new world without his mother and with his distant military father at a distance even when they're in the same room. I also loved Early, who would probably be diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in our world but not in his. His interests are varied including knowing the number pi to many digits, music beyond the typical kid's interest, and the zoology of Maine, for example. He is also suffering from the death of his idolized older brother who he believes is still alive. It is this quest to find Early's older brother that sends the boys into the woods.

Once there, multiple plot threads are opened and then skillfully brought back together at the end. It reminded me of Liesl and Po and thus feels like a characteristic of my favorite middle-grade titles. I felt so satisfied seeing how x fit with y in the context of the larger story. I also loved the themes about family and healing as both Jack and Early end in better places in regards to their family. Just tremendously satisfying!

Meanwhile I had mixed feelings about the historical setting. It takes place just at the end of World War II with the threat of war still hanging over everyone. The world had not moved on. However it doesn't feel very historical to me. I think this is partly because much of the book takes place in the woods as well as referencing other even older time periods.

Ultimately though it was what I didn't like that dragged down my rating and slowed my enjoyment of this book. See, every few chapters Early tells more of the story of pi. We switch perspectives, including using a new font, to follow his narration of Pi as a person. The themes here coincide and reinforce the themes of the book. However as I was so enchanted with the novel proper, I found it intrusive and annoying. I dreaded flipping the page and seeing more of that story. Each chapter is pretty short but still.

Overall: I am so glad I took a chance on this book outside my typical read as I was well-rewarded. It was a delightful experience and further solidified my desire to read more middle-grade titles this year as the quality is just so high.

Mystic City

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence
4/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2012
357 pages
YA Fantasy Romance

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed me with its cover and further pulled me in with its one page prologue. It was a great start that was not entirely sustained but kept me well enough entertained to put the second book on my to-read list.

After the prologue, we jump back in time opening on Aria as a real-life Juliet, engaged to be married to the son of her family's biggest rival. However Aria has no memory of seeking through the depths of the city falling in love with Thomas, having overdosed weeks ago or so she's been told (honestly it's pretty obvious that she's being lied to especially if you've ever read a book before).  All she knows is that this marriage will unite the wealthy and powerful as they fight off a threat from the magical lower-classes (the mystics who are largely under control but who also exist outside of the government's thumb).

But those troubling non-memories continually plague Aria with her confusion only multiplying after meeting mystic Hunter. He seems to fit the Romeo bill far better than Thomas but the machinations of her family run deep. Since one of my favorite plot elements is the role of family, I loved exploring that side. As is made explicitly clear to Aria by her father, family comes first: "If you do not choose your family, Aria, then we do not choose you" (pg 121, ARC-will need to check with finished copy to confirm accuracy). I can't begin to explain all my love for this but it's just so good. It made me think of All These Things We've Done and the family there although of course there are many differences between the stories.

On a more humorous note, I loved Aria's attempts to sneak through the underground of the city. She has one of the most famous faces in the city (made even more so by her "romantic" love story) and zero skills, getting recognized, caught, harassed, and/or chased every time. Girl may not be very bright (her memories have been tampered with after all) but she is very persistent. I'm not sure if the author meant to portray her as a bit incompetent or if that's just my reading after so many YA novels with similar sneaking arounds.

Some other elements of note would be action and romance. The beginning is a bit slow with Aria struggling with her memories but the ending has a lot of movement and revelations. The romance was also lacking. Thomas did nothing for me although I did picture him as quite cute (think BBC Robin Hood if you want to know who I was picturing). I was pretty bored with that part generally though, preferring the family drama and Aria's attempts to negotiate out of her relationship with Thomas.

Overall: This was a fine book with some cool world-building and action-y moments but it was not true love between us. Still I am anxious to know what comes next and will thus plan to read the second book.

Meant to Be

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
3/5 stars
Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2012
290 pages
YA Contemporary Romance Travel

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ah, what high hopes I had for this! The early reviews I read gave me the overwhelming thought that I would love it. There's a nerdy uptight girl who clashes with a free-spirited boy who tries to loosen her up all while exploring the gorgeous historical city of London. I figured I'd identify with the main character and swoon for the guy.

Well I did click with Julia initially. She has great plans for enjoying this trip to London especially because of the special meaning it has for her parents. Although her father is now deceased, she anticipates feeling connected with him again by seeing the places that were so special to them. But as the book wore on, I thought Julia got kind of the raw end of the stick. The aforementioned "free-spirited boy", named Jason, is kind of a jerk. I found him unbelievably annoying. I hated how he (and others around her) were pushing her to be more like him. Yes, she was a little uptight and didn't need to schedule everything so strictly but I didn't want her to be more like him. I wanted him to be more like her-demonstrating respect, not freaking out their chaperone (and they really should have had several chaperones) by running around a foreign city, and just generally not doing whatever stupid thing pops into their head. So Jason didn't work for me.

There was also an event that might have been a surprise so I'm not going to spoil it but which was quite obvious to me (the phone thing was kind of ridiculous-would the school really buy that many phones for these students?). I don't have much else to say because this is a very character-driven novel. Since Julia and Jason were unappealing to me, it soured me on the whole novel. However readers who love London-set novels will surely enjoy that aspect as I did.

Cover: I really love this cover-I think it's SO pretty.

Velveteen

Velveteen by Daniel Marks
4/5 stars
Delacorte Press
447 pages
YA Paranormal

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the premise for this book sounded interesting so I requested it. As I read, some parts of the book seemed really familiar but it wasn't until Vermillion was mentioned that it all clicked. Wasn't that a short story in Kiss Me Deadly? Why, yes it was-good memory Stephanie! Apparently it was one of my favorites from that collection and it served to further cement my decision to read this book.

Other contributing factors were the unique plot which has young Velveteen stuck in Purgatory but sneaking out to haunt Bonesaw, the serial killer who murdered her. There is also the cute Nick, who I loved in their short story and a big mystery around what is going on in Purgatory.

However I was a little disappointed with the actual plot. The publisher blurb made it seem like the focus would be very strongly on Velveteen and her revenge against her murderer Bonesaw. And I'm not the only one to think that; I've read several reviews that mentioned this as well. The focus is actually more on Purgatory and the paranormal elements that are fraying and destroying its fabric, possibly with huge consequences for the mortal world. That wasn't really represented in the summary and so I was unprepared for the page space it took.

I also ended up being a little confused about all of the rules of the world. It seems as if the spirits are solid in Purgatory but ghostly in our world. I'm also confused about the various powers available to them-each spirit does have powers. For example, Velvet has a talent for taking over living bodies while others can take over a dead body or act as a poltergeist; I am sure we only touched on the beginning of that but I didn't fully understand everything that was presented.

As for our characters, Velvet might be a bit hard to like. She is a tough girl who had a pretty crappy life but her sympathy for the other girls tortured and killed by Bonesaw and her determination to make him pay won me over. I also liked her tough shell being punctured by Nick; they have some great flirtatious banter and kissing scenes that were among my favorite parts of the book. Other characters get way less page time (including the rather obvious villain-I actually figured it out and was telling Velvet to wake up and smell the roses).

Overall: A bit overlong but largely fun ramble through and outside of Purgatory; on the darker side and note about language (there were a few too many f-words for my taste).

Cover: Not my kind of cover at all but it does capture the ash that covers the spirits.

 

Romeo Redeemed

Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay
4/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2012
365 pages
YA Paranormal

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

After enjoying Juliet Immortal last year, I was pleased to discover this sequel especially since I found Romeo quite reprehensible in that outing. How would Jay strengthen his character to make him palatable as the center of attention?

Well, Jay gave him a chance at redemption. In an alternate world, he is returned by the mercy of an Ambassador to once again woo Ariel who is in full possession of her body this time; Juliet is not there this time. She had worked with Juliet previously but is willing to give Romeo's wretched soul a chance to win Ariel over to the cause of light and protect the world from the devastation she could unleash if the evil Mercenaries won her to their cause. However in the three days Romeo has to accomplish this, he learns more about the two sides and how they are maybe not as dissimilar as they would claim. He also remembers what being in love can be like while Ariel grows leaps and bounds in confidence and in her willingness to be vulnerable, which I think is a key aspect to being in love.

Although I'm not usually into goopy love stories, this one mostly won me over. Seeing Ariel and Romeo's inner thoughts where they were nervous and feeling so much charmed me. Yeah, there was a lot of thinking about the other's appearance and the kissing scenes weren't entirely my cup of tea. But I rooted for those two crazy kids.

However I still am not entirely sure I "get" the Ambassadors and Mercenaries nor do I understand the many alternative worlds that are posited in this book-they would have to be innumerable. I'm also not super thrilled with the setting of the conclusion. I don't want to spoil anything so highlight to read: why do they have to live back then? Who would choose that time of disease over contemporary America? Her world > his world.

But overall this was a fun adventure and one you'll definitely want to check out if you enjoyed the first book (you should read that one first).

Cover: Love the blues and I actually really like this cover. It's not my usual (why are they making out in the surf?) but I find it very striking.
 

Kissing Shakespeare

Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle
2.5/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2012
337 pages
YA Time-Travel Shakespeare

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like many book bloggers, I have a deep fondness for Shakespeare and I love retellings that incorporate him. I wasn't entirely sure how this one would do that but I knew I wanted to take a chance and read it. I thought this could be a cute read with a modern girl getting the chance to meet Will Shakespeare.

Well that's where the problem starts. The synopsis makes it sound like Miranda is asked to come back in time to meet Shakespeare; she's actually forced into it by a really rude guy named Stephen who has been pretending to be her contemporary who for some reason needs her to go back in time to ensure Shakespeare becomes the famous playwright he should instead of joining the Jesuits. I did think it was cool to learn more about young Shakespeare (I always picture him as Joseph Fiennes in "Shakespeare in Love") but I could not get past Stephen's jerky introduction and repeated meanness to Miranda, who is surprisingly calm if often acting in dumb ways during her journey to the past.

I could not connect with her at all and that's pretty much my main deal breaker. It took me several hours to get through the first 50 pages when I would have been able to finish the book had I felt engaged. I also would have liked more insight in Shakespeare's character as well as Miranda's inner conflicts since in the beginning of the book, she bristles against her actor parents' treatment of her and considers giving up acting as well. I thought that was referenced occasionally but not as much as I wanted.

For me the most interesting part ended up being the conflicts between the Church of England, Puritans, and Catholics. It's still fairly early in Queen Elizabeth I's reign and tensions are bubbling. Most of the characters in this book are Catholics masquerading as Protestants and plotting to restore England to the church. This isn't something I've read about much and I found it absolutely fascinating! I definitely need to check out some other books from the period that deal with this issue of religion in more depth.

Overall: Not the book for me although it has given me some topics to research!

Cover: I like the pink but the cover reminds me of some for eating disorder and abuse books so it doesn't really convey the story to me.

The Scorpions of Zahir

The Scorpions of Zahir by Christine Brodien-Jones
Illustrated by Kelly Murphy
3/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2012
369 pages
MG Contemporary Fantastical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really love the cover with its vibrant blue/green and the idea of archaeology in Morocco, the primary setting for this book. I didn't know too much about its plot going in to the book and I was okay with that.

Once I started reading though I really struggled to connect with main character, eleven year old adventurer Zagora Pym who aspires to be an explorer just like her father is. I don't know exactly why because on the surface, she is pretty much the kind of character I like. She is spunky, curious, and intelligent. She has ambition and drive that should bring her much success as she ages. But I didn't really like her. Certainly part of that was her habit of taking her father's possessions, hiding them, and then obscuring her actions as well as her generally impetuous nature, which had her diving headfirst into situations without carefully considering the best course to take. But another part is me the reader just not clicking with her.

The other characters are fine. There is her father and older brother whose differences from Zagora actually come in handy and give her a new appreciation for his interests. Then there's the shady Olivia and her cousin the mysteriously reappearing Pitblade. Two characters from the region are their guide Razziq and the imperious Mina who wants to reclaim an artifact for her people. Lastly there are the titular scorpions, who terrified me. Not only are they bigger than the average scorpion, they also seem to be smarter and capable of coordination. Much as they scared me, I did appreciate their importance to the plot.

Overall: Inability to connect with characters combined with slow-moving plot made this an unpleasant read for me. I hope more readers are able to click with Zagora and gave her story its due.

Cover: As mentioned above, I like the cover. Definitely signals middle-grade story as well as capturing the desert setting.

The Nightmare Garden

The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge
4/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2012
417 pages
YA Steampunk Fantasy

Source: Purchased

The Iron Thorn was a surprise favorite from last year so I was very excited to pick this up. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, I had a huge stack of review books to get through first, meaning that this book has been staring at me for too long before I finally picked it up to read. Of course, it had also been about a year since I read the first one which mean that it took me a while to get back into the groove of the characters and the story.

While I remembered the uniquely named Aoife, I couldn't entirely remember the circumstances in which we last saw her. That made the beginning pages a struggle especially as I could not remember Conrad, who as Aoife's brother is actually an important character. Happily as the book progressed, most of the first book returned to me while Aoife's adventure in this book developed, giving her purpose and the book its own plot within the larger framework of the series.

That plot is Aoife's search to fix the damage caused by her opening the Gates in her world and specifically to find her mother who was lost in Lovecraft. To save her mother, Aoife would do almost anything, something I identified very strongly with. I would go to great lengths to protect my family and face the same things Aoife does.

However as the book progresses we focus almost entirely on Aoife. Understandably since she is the main character but sadly to me because I really liked Dean and Cal in the first book while they are almost entirely sidelined in this book. We also meet some new characters who do have bigger parts, most notably to me as Aoife's almost stepmother Valentina and the intriguing Rasputina, who gives Aoife a lift when she needs one.

Overall: I didn't like it quite as much as the first book but I wonder if that would be the case if I had saved them to read one right after the other. I bet that would have helped me to keep everything on track.

Cover: I don't think she looks quite human here; I guess her Fae side is being pulled out more but it looks really weird to me. I do really like the blues used though.

Wanderlove

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
Delacorte Press, 2012
335 pages
YA; Contemporary; Travel
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although I don't love Hubbard's debut Like Mandarin, I did admire the writing which seemed to capture a small-town in the state of Wyoming and set the scene. But the characters weren't too my taste. Upon embarking on Wanderlove, I hoped to receive great writing and characters I loved.

Unfortunately I only got the writing, which will be epically awesome for anyone who has a passion for Central America and/or outdoors activities and/or travel in general. I have a passion for none of that. But if you do, then this is a recommended read for you; if you are left uncertain, read on for my impressions.

Main character Bria was originally planning an European tour with her two best friends to celebrate their high school graduation. But they quash that idea, having grown tired of Bria's mopiness over the loss of boyfriend Toby. Instead she impulsively books a trip to Central America and later ditches that guided tour to join backpacker Rowan.

First things first, her decision to randomly do things just about sent me in to conniptions. I am a planner and no way am I going in to a foreign country without a plan (Heck-I don't even travel to other US cities without a plan and I am good at sticking to said plans with minor adjustments as needed). I believe that failing to plan is planning to fail and in my mind getting linked to a guy with a PONY-TAIL (ew) is also definitely failing. At no point was Rowan swoonworthy despite the excitement he conjures in Bria (also fear, anger, mistrust, and lots of other emotions). Both Bria and Rowan are running from their pasts with many secrets keeping them guarded and mistrustful. There is also Rowan's sister Starling, who appears kind of snobby and flighty, but later reveals more depth although she is not a big presence in the book.

I actually ended up being more interested in the drama of Bria's emotionally controlling ex and how his words and actions sent her spiraling out of control, which is carefully doled out to us in little tidbits over the course of the story although you can figure out most of it early on. The fact that the way he condescended to her, the way he shrugged his shoulders at her favorite beach, and the ways he broke her heart were much more enthralling to me and suggestive of the fact that I like a different kind of drama than is the focus of this book.

While the characters were of little to no interest to me, the writing cannot be faulted. Apparently Hubbard used to be a travel writer and it shows with even more awesome descriptive writing than Like Mandarin. Plus there were illustrations included, referencing Bria's love of art and showing how she is able to recapture that love over the course of her journey.

Overall: Personal pet peeves kept me from the characters but the writing really is top-notch and really embeds you in the location.

The Whole Story of Half a Girl

The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Delacorte, 2012
209 pages
Middle-Grade; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really applaud this book for tackling a lot of big issues and balancing them well while keeping the book at a middle-grade level. To start with, this book looks at a young girl in a typical nuclear family, parents and sister, who live a comfortable existence. After her father loses his job, it causes a big shift in the family dynamics and precipitates a lot of change.

This could totally have been an issue book. Sonia's dad loses his job, causing a big change in the family finances and pushing her dad into depression. Sonia has to leave her beloved private school to start sixth grade at public school where she has to navigate mean girls and an entirely different school culture. She also starts to wonder: is she Indian? Is she Jewish? Can she be both? Plus she's growing up and is soon going to be a teenager with all those emotional issues. Basically there's a lot of stuff here! Any one of those could have been the focus of a book. But this one never felt weighted down despite the seriousness, which I would have to say speaks well of the writer. At times some issues were dealt with superficially in my opinion but remember that this is a middle-grade novel and for that age group, I would say it does a good job.

Particularly interesting to me was the family situation. I don't think I've read many books with a depressed character and seeing  its impact on this family really struck me. I also really loved Sonia, which is a big plus. She's confused about some of the changes in her life and is just trying to do the best she can. Of course, she makes mistakes (one colossally huge one later in the book) but she always retained my interest and sympathy.

Overall: A very pleasant experience with excellent balance between light and serious for a fast and absorbing read.

The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
Delacorte Press, 2012
387 pages
YA; Historical; Fantasy
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon Vine.

I was so excited about this one-historical fiction in tsarist Russia that's not about Anastasia? Sign me up! Except that there are also fantasy elements (unexpected but something I can handle) and well, then there's the characters.

The fantasy elements actually play a huge role to my dismay. The time period is already so rich that the book felt overstuffed with so much being introduced even if not integral to the plot. The main conflict stems from the blood drinking royal family of Montenegro who have very sinister intentions toward the tsar's family and toward our heroine. But there is also conflict between two Faerie courts and all of this is tied up with another plot against the royal family. I think we have only scratched the surface of what Bridges has planned in the paranormal realm.

Then we have the characters. Main character Katerina wants to be a doctor rather than the proper expected wife; fine. But I found many of her decisions questionable, not a trait I seek in a doctor. While she can study serious scientific texts, she apparently can't handle wearing an amulet to protect against being charmed despite having seen its efficacy in a previous outing. This gets her engaged to someone who wants to drink her blood and absorb her power of necromancy. She is also threatened with pain to her family if she tells what she knows about him; BUT her father and brother already seem to know some of that stuff as well as have some success at protecting the family so far. She is clearly in over her head and she really could have used their help instead of relying on her young cousin and herself. My main problem with this book really does stem from her and her inexplicable changes in behavior (sometimes sensible, sometimes dumb).

However there are some great action sequences and some sawoony romance with Grand Duke George Alexandorvich, second in line to the throne behind his brother Nicholas, although I just looked up his end and it is...not so happy; however this character seems more healthy and vigorous than the real-life man. He is suspicious of As a history nerd, I really liked seeing Nicholas court German Princess Alix, a woman he adored but didn't marry for quite a while, even knowing their eventual fate (they were the end of the Romanovs). I knew that their marriage was a love match and I look forward to reading more about these romances in future books.

Overall: I originally rated this a 3 but I kept thinking about this and what might come in a second book so I upped it to 3.5.

Juliet Immortal

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
Delacorte Press, 2011
306 pages
YA; Paranormal
4/5 stars

Source: Received a free ARC through Amazon's Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Did you have to read Romeo and Juliet in high school or college? Well I did and this book is here to say that it was false. While there was a great love story, Romeo betrayed Juliet and stabbed her in his zeal for immortality, leaving her to die forsaken on the cold stone floor. However just as Romeo lives sustained by magical forces, so does Juliet, battling him throughout the centuries. He needs to convince one soulmate to kill the other and give strength to his cause while Juliet must convince them to fully trust each other and thereby thwart Romeo.  But this time, it's different...

Normally both Romeo and Juliet possess considerable powers when they take over a new body to complete a task but this time they are weaker than usual. Additionally their watchers don't seem to be in town, leaving them alone to do battle.  Juliet takes over the body of Ariel, a girl literally and figuratively scarred by her mother while Romeo takes over Dylan's body, a body who was going to sleep with Ariel for a bet.  As Juliet flees Romeo/Dylan, she jumps into the car of Ben and starts to fall for him.  The next day she begins to look for the soulmates she has been sent to help and is horrified to discover that they are Ben and Ariel's mean best friend Gemma.  How is she supposed to get them to fall truly in love AND protect them from Romeo when she feels that Gemma is undeserving of Ben and that she, Juliet, would be a much better match? This might sound confusing but this aspect made perfect sense to me as I read.

Needless to say, there is a lot talk about love in this book. What is love and how do you act when you are in love?  I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of people in high school finding their forever "soulmate" despite the pervasiveness of that idea in YA lit.  But it does connect back to Romeo and Juliet as told by Shakespeare where I believe they're 16 and 13 respectively.  Anyway there's a lot of talk about what love is and isn't and I liked that.

What I didn't like was that Ben had little presence. I understood that Juliet liked him because she talked about it a lot but Ben didn't make an impression on me. If I'm going to root for a romance, I need to be able to feel for both parties and this book failed in that respect.

I was also a little confused by the rules governing the paranormal elements of Romeo and Juliet throughout time. Some explanations are provided (some not soon enough for my taste) but it was a little confusing and I'm still not sure I completely understand. There are also a couple of chapters narrated by Romeo, denoted by a different font, and most of them were really good, drawing me into his state of mind. I did not like his conclusion though.  However I loved the ending for Juliet's narration and its little twist on Shakespeare.

Saving Maddie

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson
Delacorte Press, 2010
231 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.

I remember seeing this book last year and being interested that the character had a cross on her neck; I really enjoy reading about modern struggles with the Christian faith, which is largely what this book about.

Maddie is a character who has been largely written off as irredeemable; by her father, by her congregation, by almost everyone except for her aunt and her best friend Joshua.

Now Joshua is the narrator who has been fascinated by the boldness of Maddie for most of his life.  She examines her life, questioning and challenging sources of authority unlike Joshua.  He's a preacher's son whose girlfriend dumped him when he wouldn't sleep with her, who doesn't really have any friends because they all feel like they have to be perfect around him, and who feels severely constrained by the expectations of his parents and their congregation.  But the reappearance of Maddie pushes him outside of his little bubble to a big new world.

I really enjoyed the debates between Joshua and Maddie but also between characters over what the appropriate behavior is and over how Christians ought to behave.  I don't agree with every conclusion (premarital albeit protected sex among teenagers is unduly championed, in my opinion) but the fact that they're discussed is promising.  Joshua starts to question his beliefs and tries to prove to Maddie that she is worth saving.

The conclusion of the book is open-ended with Maddie leaving to find answers but Joshua unsure if she's safe/content/happy. I felt it was abrupt and I didn't really like it but then I generally prefer more closure in my books.

Warning: Language, drugs, and sexual content for those who may be wary.  I think they are all important for the story though.

Overall: Interesting questions explored in this book with a good plot and characters.

Cover: Very accurate! Maddie's purple lipstick is especially important.

The Iron Thorn

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Delacorte Press, 2011

492 pages

YA; Steampunk; Fantasy

4.5/5 stars

Source: Won

I wanted to read The Iron Thorn because I remembered how much I had enjoyed Kittredge’s story in Kiss Me Deadly.   Some of the same things I remember liking about that story reappear here-a sympathetic heroine, evocative descriptions, and a story that drew me in.  However as a full-length novel, there is more opportunity for world-building and character and plot development.

The world is a sort of steampunk 1950s New England, based on the writings of HP Lovecraft, which I must confess I have never read or even really thought about reading (I don’t think he has many female characters in his canon).  Thus there are probably many references to his writing that I missed.  Regardless I enjoyed the world created and I’m going to attempt to break down the plot in an effort to give you insight into my impressions.

The novel opens on Aoife with her mother, who resides in an insane asylum in the city of Lovecraft (I think it used to be Boston but perhaps it did not replace one of our cities).  Consequently Aoife is a ward of the state with very little knowledge of her father and with an older brother who has also been deemed insane.  She goes to the School of Engineering, the only female student (in her year or overall, I’m not sure) where she takes comfort in numbers, iron, and the other tenets of the Lovecraftian faith.  Anything outside of this rationality is dubbed heretical and causes suspicion.  When Aoife receives a letter from her on-the-run brother, Conrad, she sets out to leave Lovecraft for Arkham, their family’s ancestral home.  Compounding her desire to find her brother is her fears about her possible pending insanity.  The theory is that it begins at the age of sixteen and Aoife’s birthday is approaching.  In order to escape, Aoife and her only friend Cal engage the services of a guide Dean and flee the city.

Once they have arrived at Gatestone, her father’s home, there is no sign of Conrad but there is an extraordinary house and collection of books just waiting for Aoife to learn about.  Through them she begins to discover her ancestral gift and the terrifying world of the Kindly Folk (who are misnamed; us YA readers may know them better as the Fae, a capricious and wily people).

Aoife was a great heroine.  She bristles at those who would treat her differently because of her gender and she’s incredibly headstrong.  She’s also loyal and curious, which is good for that spurs on her adventures.  Her best friend Cal alternately pleased and annoyed me.  I was glad that he traveled with her because she needed company but as the book progressed, his patronizing attitude toward her increased.  Then came a surprise that twists everything but confirms Cal as loyal to Aoife.  Then there was their guide Dean, the love interest.  Although many times his attitude was also annoying (calling her “princess), something about him made me melt; this was helped by his willingness to believe Aoife even when she feared she was going crazy and he always gave her a (figurative) shove to keep going.  Unfortunately Dean smokes, a habit he’ll need to kick if he wants to secure a coveted place on Bookworm1858’s Top Ten Boys in Books list.


Overall: A long, luxurious read full of details and atmosphere. While I loved this, I would definitely recommend doing a bit more research before you buy it to make sure that it really appeals to you.

Cover: Not a fan; I guess it conjures up darkness and fear but I don't find it very enticing.

Read for YA Debut Author Challenge.

Like Mandarin

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
Delacorte Press, 2011
305 pages
YA; Contemporary
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

I had really high expectations for this book as people had gushed about it for months but in the end, I was left feeling, "so what?"  I didn't hate it but I didn't think it was outstanding or astonishingly fantastic.  It was maybe a bit better than average.

I'll admit that I wasn't thrilled with the premise and mostly read it for the Contemps Challenge.  Grace, a native of Wyoming, longs to leave and wants to be like Mandarin, the beautiful confident older girl who has also been dubbed the town slut.  One day, Mandarin seems to actually want to be friends and they embark on plans to finally leave their crappy town.  But all is not as it appears with Mandarin as Grace learns to her dismay.

I don't know if it's because I'm older than the 14-year old Grace as well as the 17-year old Mandarin but I didn't think Mandarin was anything special.  The revelation Grace has toward the end mirrors what I figured out fairly early on thus I spent most of the book waiting for Grace to catch up to me. The many pages wasted on speculations about Mandarin's motivations and actions just bored me.  Grace, as someone so interested in Mandarin, was fairly boring herself except for her passion for academia, which I did enjoy.

The plot I was interested in was Grace's younger sister Taffeta, a beauty queen with an amazing voice.  Their mother seems to prefer Taffeta because of their bond over beauty pageants whereas Grace had embarrassed their mother spectacularly in childhood by flashing the audience at her final pageant.  The interplay of the family was much more fascinating to me.  They seem broken but by the end, they look to be on the path to healing.

The writing was quite good with amazingly evocative descriptions of the small-town in Wyoming where they reside.  However I felt it could have been more spare; some sentences felt unnecessarily long with details I didn't care about.

Cover: I really the orange hints (the spine and the book itself are orange) because when I hear Mandarin, I think Chinese language first and orange second so I find that fitting.

Read for Contemps Challenge and YA Debut Author.