White Space

by Ilsa J. Bick
2/5 stars
Egmont USA, 2014
550 pages
YA Horror Fantastical

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I have read several Bick novels and appreciated how they were challenging unique titles that tackled topics not frequently seen in YA and didn't follow a cookie cutter mold. So while I knew to expect something out of the norm when picking up this latest release, I didn't really have any way to prepare myself for what was to come.

The book was very confusing in the beginning, purposefully so as we are introduced to a wide assortment of characters and their connections are not immediately obvious. As the book progresses, their narratives start to overlap and some things begin to make sense. Luckily the characters themselves explain a lot instead of just leaving it up the reader. If I had to piece together everything on my own, I would have understood far less. As it stands though, I spent much of the book confused and, because this is first in a series, I am still left puzzled by some aspects albeit with zero interest in continuing the series to find out more.

At this time in my life, it was a struggle to read this massive book with all of its meandering passages and seemingly unconnected plotlines. It did move faster as I got further in to the book but my attention span was not well suited for this story. Another hindrance for me was the extended horrific imagery. Some terrifying things happen in this book and Bick does not stint on the details. There is oozing and creatures of the dark and of the mind. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to sleep tonight but if not, I know what will be causing my nightmares!

Still I can point out some of its virtues. Generically it is very meta, looking at the nature of stories, writing, and characters. I can't provide any concrete examples for this because they might end up being spoilers so you will just have to trust me. Specifically it seemed to reference other works of literature, primarily HP Lovecraft, Charles Dickens, and Sylvia Plath. I am only familiar with Dickens so I'm not sure I got the full benefit of these allusions. In general the writing was more literary than my usual taste but that will be a good thing for some readers. And as I referenced above, it is quite unlike the YA I usually read and see around the blogosphere. These positives were not quite able to outweigh my early confusion and its horror genre but I can see there being a passionate audience for it.

Recommended: for the ambitious reader, well-versed in literature; the lover of horror stories; the patient reader who is in it for the long haul.

ARC Review: A Really Awesome Mess

A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
4/5 stars
EgmontUSA, 2013
275 pages
YA Contemporary
Scheduled to release July 23

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

I wanted to read this because of previous experiences with these authors' writing (Notes From the Blender was coauthored by them and Halpin cowrote these two others with another writer: The Half-Life of Planets and Tessa Masterson WILL Go to Prom). Like those books, this alternates between a male and a female perspective allowing for more insight into character and the relationships around them while also touching on romance and deeper family issues. As a bonus, this was definitely my favorite of these cowritten books, as I found it hilarious and moving despite the unlikely setting of a reform school for teens with psychiatric problems.

We first meet Emmy who does not feel wanted within her family, being the tiny adopted Chinese daughter while her perfect younger sister is obviously the favorite. She also has anger issues and, as is observed by our other narrator, is anorexic. That other narrator is Justin who ends up in the reform school due to his sexual activities and a suicide attempt, revealing his battle with depression. The two of them plus four others form an offbeat group that together begins to face their issues and develop appropriate ways of handling them.

What I enjoyed most was definitely the humor, which I wasn't really expecting. Though the synopsis teases funny, I figured it would be more serious as the characters have very real dark problems. As someone who loves comedy, I appreciated the lighter touch here though some of the reviews I've seen seemed to want it handled more seriously. I can see where that desire comes from but I was fine to just enjoy the laughter.

My favorite parts come from the characters interacting. For example, when the group first starts meeting, they all hate each other. However incentives cause them to band together and really progress in their healing. I loved all of the group scenes and couldn't believe everything they managed to get up to in such a restricted setting. Now I do think the adventure toward the end was way over the top (it involves leaving campus to set free a smuggled pig) but in keeping with the lightweight tone of the book overall.

Unfortunately the humor does somewhat trivialize the serious problems faced by the kids. I had some trouble rationalizing that in my head. I can sometimes over-empathize with book characters so I desperately wanted them all to be healed and to receive the love and care they need to build better lives while also realizing that such healing doesn't happen over night. I wouldn't want to suggest that depression, anorexic, etc. was something to laugh about and yet I also understand the desire to put these issues in the light and show that they can be faced, especially if you have good friends who make you laugh. (I think this paragraph may be a bit muddled but it all makes sense in my head, I promise!)

Content warning: Some language, violence, and sexual talk and situations-I found it all very organic and fitting but I'm sure it would bother some readers.

Other Opinions:
Books and Things
Litchick's Hit List
Realm of Fiction

Shift

Shift by Em Bailey
3/5 stars
Egmont, 2011
304 pages
YA Contemporary Paranormal

Source: Library

When I was at the library, I was mostly looking for 2012 YA releases that I had missed but something about this book called to me even though I don't remember much buzz about it. Something about the concept just seemed so creepy and, although different from my usual reading fare, compelling.

When mousy Miranda Vaile arrives at Olive's school, everyone knows two things about her. 1. She's an orphan and 2. because she killed her parents. Yet as weeks pass, Olive notices that plain Miranda is looking like more while popular Katie is looking less. Research suggests to Olive that Miranda might be a shapeshifter but after "the incident," who would believe what Olive says?

Doesn't that sound deliciously creepy? The idea of shapeshifters is a fascinating one to me although I don't feel like it's one that is explored much in YA literature. Plus Olive's unreliability leaves you wondering if Miranda is a shapeshifter or if Olive just needs her medication adjusted.

The beginning of the book certainly lived up to that promise but the ending left me very disappointed. I don't want to give any specific spoilers but I wanted a big blow-up and instead the ending was more lukewarm with dangling threads. It is this dissatisfaction which led to my rating. Actually the whole of part two was pretty disappointing to me.

But part one had some interesting threads. Olive used to be Katie's best friend but she has since been relegated to the social outskirts. Her attempts to forge a new life, to find her real self are interesting especially how some of the points (like her love for the band Luxe) come into play in part two. Beyond Olive, there is her new best friend Ami, who I really liked, newish cute boy Lachlan (not sure about that name), and Olive's cute little brother Toby (I am a sucker for younger brothers lately it seems).

Overall: I found the ending of this book so opposite what I wanted that I find it coloring my entire reading experience into a negative one. I do not recommend this book.

Other Opinions:
Amaterasu Reads
Dark Faerie Tales
The Reading Addict

Since You Left Me

Since You Left Me by Allen Zadoff
4/5 stars
Egmont USA, 2012
314 pages
YA Contemporary Religious

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

After reading Zadoff's previous works Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have (which apparently I did not review) and My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies, I requested this expecting another great contemporary read from the male perspective. And I would say that I found a sensitive and endearing male voice in the person of Sanskrit Aaron Zuckerman (yes that is his first name as bestowed upon him by his yoga-obsessed mother).

Sanskrit's life isn't going so well. As evidenced by the title, he feels pretty abandoned. His parents are divorced with his mother deeply enmeshed in her yoga studio and his dad barely managing to parent on the weekends. His younger sister Sweet Caroline (yes, that is her full name, like the song) is kind of annoying, as younger sisters are and she seems to be developing her own life away from the family. Sanskrit's crush is forever out of reach. And his former best friend has discovered God after a trip to Israel. His now-deceased grandfather left him an inheritance that can only be spent on school where he must receive a Jewish education despite his own lack of faith.

But the book opens at the parent conference for his orthodox Jewish private school, his flaky mother doesn't show. Since his stubborn behavior already has him on the trouble-list, he blurts out a lie, just a little lie to buy him some time. Unfortunately that little lie has big consequences; some people start to draw nearer but what will they do when the truth is discovered?

Like I said above, I really liked Sanskrit whose voice is compelling and kept me turning the pages even though I knew some bad things would happen as his lies are found out. Because once you tell one lie, you usually end up telling more to cover your tracks. His lies get pretty big but I never lost my sympathy and connection to Sanskrit.

What I didn't like so much was his mother whose guru comes to visit before taking her back to India with him. I just could not handle how selfish she was. I get being frustrated with your life but you don't abandon your kids; you just don't. Plus she was so resistant to Sanskrit's opinions, which were spot-on  even if he wasn't always able to present them as well. I just really disliked the mother and consequently the end. I didn't think much of the father either but he wasn't in the book that much. Sweet Caroline, though somewhat a pain, was pretty cute :) I want to emphasize the importance of their family to the story as it comes to take center stage while the lie percolates at Sanskrit's school.

Overall: A warm novel about family and truths featuring a strong male voice.

Cover: I really like the colors-they're very bold and bright and stand out from all those covers with people on them. The plane is also relevant to the plot.

Kill Me Softly

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
4/5 stars
Egmont, 2012
331 pages
YA Fairy-Tale

Source: Library

As a long-time lover of fairy tales and their retellings, of course I wanted to pick this book up and I was further prompted by Mimi valentine calling this her favorite book so far of 2012-when a blogger you love highlights a book for such high praise, one has to sit up and pay attention. My (very picky) sister also read this and said it was good.

From the start I was a bit confused as main character Mira does not live in a fairy tale world. Instead she has to run away to find the place and that is where the plot really thickens. She is searching for her parents' graves, seeking some closure with their death before she reaches her sixteenth year of age. But along the way she meets some odd characters, all of whom have similar birthmarks as her. As we discover, the birthmarks represent that the person has a specific destiny in a fairy tale. Mira is the Princess in Sleeping Beauty. She also meets (among others) the Prince in Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Belle, the Beast, and assorted other characters in the stories. While they have this eventual destiny, for the most part they are just living ordinary lives waiting for the blessing or curse (however they consider it) to begin. This results in some humorous moments, my personal favorite probably being how the animals flock to certain characters. I just love picturing that and crack up every time.

Anyway back to the plot. Mira is immediately drawn to two guys who, it turns out, are brothers. One is Blue, a huge jerk, and the other is his older brother Felix, the smooth and charming guy. Their fairy tale fate is a big secret that Mira must unravel over the course of the book. I can definitely see why some people would find either or both of these guys charming but personally I preferred Freddie, her sweet Hero, because I happen to like nice men (and now I want to watch Star Wars).

There is a lot of time spent with each of the guys as well as the other fairy-tale characters. But you know what there isn't very much of? Mira looking for the graves of her parents. That is the whole impetus for her returning to Beau Rivage but once she's there, she almost forgets about it in favor of falling in love with Felix (she thinks) and bantering with Blue. Honestly I was disappointed that she allowed boys to get in the way of her quest for her parents even if in the end she manages to have both.

In between that though there is a lot of good talk about the implications of fate and destiny and if you can change yours. There are questions about family and how to behave and what you might sacrifice for the people you love. And there is a lot of looking at the dark side of fairy tales and life in general. While I tend to prefer a more humorous approach to fairy tales, I did enjoy this different twist on them.

Overall: A fairy tale retelling that does not shy away from the dark edges but instead confronts them and the challenges of escaping your destiny.

Cover: Really perfect with the rose and thorns although maybe some blue would have been nice.

Timepiece

Timepiece by Myra McEntire
3/5 stars
Egmont, 2012
325 pages
YA Paranormal Time Travel
Hourglass #2

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

Last year I read McEntire's debut Hourglass and was fascinated by the time travel aspect in particular as well as liking heroine Emerson who was going through some difficulties. I thought the secondary characters were lackluster and the romance unpalatable but I had a lot of questions left over so I picked up this sequel.

Unfortunately instead of continuing in Emerson's voice, this time our narrator is Kaleb, someone I didn't particularly like the first time as I found him too overbearing and grossly possessive while also being a giant man-whore. Plus he's tattooed and is an alcoholic. So not my dream guy at all. He lusted after Emerson from the get-go but she was already heads over heels for Michael, his best friend. While he still thinks about Em, he still has time for other girls and becomes involved in his own romance this go-around.

That romance is with Em's best friend Lily, who I liked in the first book although she didn't make enough appearances for me and I liked her again here. What I didn't like was the lack of chemistry I felt between the two. Neither this romance nor Em and Michael's really works for me, probably due to the insta-love or at least lust felt by three of the four people (Lily seems to be a bit of a holdout).

Another problem was my inability to remember some of what had happened in Hourglass. If possible, I would highly recommend reading these back to back. While most events came back to me, there is probably still stuff I missed. Therefore I spent some time in the beginning not only adjusting to the shift in narrator (it was very disorienting to read Kaleb's perspective on what Em was doing instead of her own) but also trying to feel my way back into the world.

Then there are the paranormal elements, something I really loved in the first book. Besides everything that occurred then, there is a lot of new information thrown at the reader. I appreciated every little tidbit we got but I still myself a little convinced, largely due to the time jumping nature of one of the villains. Turns out this character can remove memories from people, leaving them empty and confused while also not telling the audience

Overall: Characters I couldn't connect with, aggravating romance, and confusing timeline; just not the book for me. However I can see that a lot of other readers love Kaleb so don't let my distaste put you off.

Cover: Trying to figure out if this is supposed to be Em or someone else? I did prefer the black dress of the first book but I think the shadow is really cool here.

Every Other Day

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Egmont, 2012
329 pages
YA; Paranormal
4/5 stars

Source: Library

This looked like a very different kind of paranormal, which is what excited me about picking this up. I'm tired of those with the Twilight formula, even if they precede that series or are well-written. Much as I love romance, I do not like it to be mixed with paranormal elements. This book does not have romance as the main focus, leaning more toward suspense as countdowns play a big role.

See Kali is an ordinary human girl...every other day. Every twenty-four hours, she switches, becoming something else. Something not human, that hunts supernatural creatures terrorizing the world. She doesn't know why she's like this and she doesn't know if there's any one else like her. Kali just does the best she can. Until one day when she notices a mark on a popular girl's body, a mark that seems to be condemning her to death. Kali, who has a bit of a savior-complex, takes the mark upon herself, kicking off a series of events.

These events include two very different girls. One is popular girl Bethany, the one whose body bears the mark. The other is Skylar, branded as a slut and ostracized by the popular crowd but nonetheless remains cheerful. Ah, sweet adorable Skylar with her seemingly innumerable brothers and their multi-varied abilities is also psychic although she downplays through the course of the novel. I liked getting to see more of Bethany than a shallow facade but Skylar is the character I really loved. I also loved that the main characters were three girl friends-yay! They have been in and are in romantic relationships but they also work together and are the focus of the book.

The whole plot of this book is a little hard to explain as Kali fighting the mark's power is only the beginning. After that, there are several other plot twists. And due to the countdown of the book, the reader can easily be caught up in the suspense of it all and enjoy a kick-butt story!

Overall: Strong heroine in a story with lots of action sequences and little romance-a welcome addition the YA category!

Cover: I'll admit that this cover makes me think more "vampire" than anything else but it certainly looks creepy!

Notes From the Blender

Notes From the Blender by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Egmont, 2011
229 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

I love the idea of a book cowritten (I'm thinking back to P.S. Longer Letter Later from my elementary school days) so I picked this up, hoping for a funny contemporary.  It actually ended up being more than I thought with its insight into familial relationships, friendships, and religion, the last a most welcome surprise. I love when secular fiction includes depictions of religion. This one features a youth group at a very liberal church (led by a lesbian pastor) as well as a commitment ceremony for a gay couple.

Dec and Neilly are at completely opposite ends of the popularity scale at school. She seemingly has everything while he listens to dark heavy metal and is generally ignored. He also happens to have a crush on Neilly while she doesn't even know he's alive. Each learns that they are going to become part of a blended family in singularly awful ways that is further compounded by the discovery that they will also be receiving a new half-sibling.

At the start, each character seems to fit a mold but as the story progresses, secret depths are revealed. While Dec listens to heavy metal, worrying his widowed father, Dec doesn't draw on that anger. Instead he finds it inspirational and works to make things better such as his introduction to veganism. Neilly is a popular girl whose gay father earned her a lot of scorn and who learns about really matters. They're both good kids and fun characters in this moving contemporary.

Warning: Language-lots of cursing and sexual references. Admittedly this did put me off. There is a lot of it, starting right at the beginning. If you read the first chapter and are displeased, I do not recommend you finishing this book. If these had not been included, I think I would have liked this more-just my preference for cleanness in books!

The Butterfly Clues

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
Egmont USA, 2012
325 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

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

I had no idea what to expect from this book other than it was from Egmont, which I generally associate with more literary YA. Thus I opened the book with no expectations and proceeded to meet Penelope or Lo, a character with obsessive-compulsive tendencies. I am fascinated with OCD, as a long-time fan of Monk who has been gently teased about having some tendencies of her own. In this case Lo's disorder centers around numbers like 3 or 9; I much prefer even numbers so her distaste for 2 and 4 were inexplicable to me. While sometimes her neuroses were annoying to read (as anything that is repetitive is), they were necessary to create this character. If she's not following her rituals, she cannot function.

Besides Lo's problem with numbers, she is also a kleptomaniac and hoarder whose parents have checked out after the death of her older brother. This death has also hit Lo hard and her life is spiraling out of control. Girl has problems!

That is not the main plot line as the impetus of the book is a mystery. Lo hears a gunshot and later finds out that it killed a stripper known as Sapphire. Lo becomes obsessed with the case, piecing together many clues to discover the killer (this was not too difficult for the reader as there were not many eligible candidates). However the threads end up tying together as the story wound on.

Regardless of the excellent writing and the strong characterization (while I didn't love Lo, she stood out from other YA main characters), this book didn't quite click for me. There's a blah love interest who took up a tremendous amount of page time. And Lo makes a lot of stupid decisions (and not ones driven by her compulsiveness, just genuinely stupid stuff).  The setting also didn't really work for me; apparently there is one big seedy area in Cleveland that is easily accessible by middle-class teens? While a place is mentioned, it did not feel deeply rooted in a time or place and that left me feeling off-balance. Additionally something about the plot seemed very familiar to me although I can't put my finger on it yet.

Overall: A pretty interesting and well-written main character plodding through a fairly formulaic plot.

You Are My Only

You Are My Only by Beth Kephart
Egmont, 2011
240 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

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

Some spoilers...possibly...

My first Beth Kephart was a mixed bag as I didn't feel much for the characters but I still thought she was a fantastic writer so I eagerly requested her latest when I saw it available on Netgalley. I confess, I thought almost thought this was a ghost or horror story as that is the imagine conjured by the cover for me.

Instead, told in alternating perspectives, this is the story of Emmy, a young mother whose baby is taken one awful day and Sophie, a young girl whose life is wrapped up in secrets as she and her mother constantly flee the No Good.

I'm not sure if the fact that Sophie was Emmy's daughter was supposed to be a surprise or not because it seemed really obvious to me (why else would their stories be connected?) but perhaps it would catch some people off-guard so that's why I marked this post as containing spoilers. Despite the fact that this wasn't suspenseful, I was able to really feel for both narrators, which is good because if I didn't, I would not have liked this book.  The focus is definitely on characters, not plot so it's super important to like them.

Both of the characters are really young: Emmy is just twenty, married and a mother of an infant while Sophie is fourteen and their innocence and naivety really shone through. Each is entangled with less than decent people (the former with a no-good husband, the latter with an often cruel mother) but they also end up having experiences that open up their worlds and lead them back to each other.

Overall: Beautifully written with sympathetic characters if a little light on plot.

Tris and Izzie

Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison
Egmont USA, 2011
262 pages
YA; Paranormal
2.5/5 stars

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

I've never been a big fan of the myth of Tristan and Isolde, which I am familiar with due to the Wagner opera. Drinking the love potion, being married to someone else, death: it never appealed to me although I admired Wagner's music. Still the cover for this was striking if somewhat baffling (Why is he shirtless?) and there was  a lot of buzz.

In the end, I didn't really enjoy it. Izzie is dating popular Mark  but in a misguided attempt to find love for her best friend Brangane, ends up drinking a love potion and falling for new guy Tristan. She also discovers a huge secret about her past and must face an ancient and terrifying enemy.

So while the beginning hews to what I know about T&I, the middle and end take on a life of their own. Sadly I found that beginning immensely unenjoyable. First there is the fact that Brangane is so in love with Mark and her loathing for Izzie was palpable to me if not to her. I hated Brangane and had such a low opinion of her; she did not make a play for Mark so it's not Izzie's fault that they weren't together.  Not that Izzie was a great character; she's kind of mean to outsiders and I didn't think she was very smart. Then there is the fact that the two pairings end up being so sure that they belong together and will be so forever. I'm so tired of YA couples who are sure they found their soulmate in high school especially when they're so immature as these characters were.

The middle/end picked up as Izzie had to confront her destiny, which was fighting a serpent who killed her father and has been terrorizing her hometown almost her whole life. This was more interesting but what wouldn't be after the dull high school drama of the first part? Additionally I wasn't very impressed by the characters and I thought the characterization was poor.

So to sum up: Aggravating characters, unbelievable plot twists, and unexciting writing.

The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
Egmont USA, 2011
334 pages
YA; Contemporary
3/5 stars

Source: Received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While reading this, I felt like I was reading a lot of other modern YA contemporaries. There's a heroine who alternately annoys and resonates with me; problematic parents; hot popular boy who's really a player; male best friend who secretly has a crush on her; socially unpopular; and somewhat weird interest that isolates her from others.

In this case, Sheridan's "weird" interest is in decorating cakes. Although I never seek out any of those cake/cupcake decorating shows, whenever I find one on the TV, I end up entranced. I'm fascinated with the amount of effort put into creating these beautiful canvases that will soon be eaten and destroyed. So gorgeous and yet so ephemeral! This was definitely my favorite part.

But the rest of it was often frustrating. Sheridan longs for the mother who abandoned her when she was young, assuring herself that her mother would return soon. Meanwhile her father has always been there. However because Sheridan was telling the story, for most of the book, her father seems just as awful as the mother with cruel words and generally ignoring Sheridan's emotional needs. By the time this biased opinion is revealed, I already loathed the father as much as the mother and didn't want to change my mind.  Additionally Sheridan frequently runs from having to make tough decisions, which rings true to her age but aggravated me.

Then there's the love interest. Sheridan has long had a crush on Ethan who finally starts to pay attention to her, only to later have her interest diverted to her long-time best friend Jack. I hate that Jack didn't have the nerve to say anything to Sheridan until it looked like she was happy with Ethan; I really hate that trope. Ethan is later revealed to be somewhat of a famewhore player while Jack is oh-so-perfect, something I called pretty much from the start.  And Sheridan has basically only two friends: Jack and Lori, both of whom she shunts aside when things get tough. Is it really that hard to confide in your friends? And is it that hard to be friendly with lots of people?

However there were some other aspects I liked. I loved the small-town in which Sheridan resides. She works at her grandmother's bakery and also sometimes at her father's restaurant, decorating cakes and garnering some level of fame. There's also a bit of religion as Sheridan is nominally Catholic and has several conversations with a priest that help her. I love when religious beliefs are worked into largely secular YA novels without being preachy; need more of those!

Overall: A fairly typical YA contemporary with some sweet things and some sour.

Family

Family by Micol Ostow
Egmont, 2011
376 pages
YA; Contemporary; Verse
4/5 stars

Source: Library

A novel loosely inspired by Charles Manson and his Family.

Wow. This is a very different novel than I'm used to reading.  It's told in verse with almost everything not capitalized except for references to Henry, the cult leader based on Charles Manson.  His magnetism brings Mel, our narrator, and other broken young people into his family.  I didn't feel very drawn to Henry, which was unfortunate since his appeal is supposed to help us understand Mel and how she joins the cult.  But I was drawn to Mel and her description of Shelly, her sister within Henry's family. 

Of course, I have a long bias against verse novels, partially disrupted by Lisa Schroeder's The Day Before but also by this book where I thought the verse format served the story well.  As Mel is drawn deeper into the cult, especially with her drug use and attempts to distance herself from the outside world in order to be more a part of Henry's, the traditional format might not have been as effective.  Instead we got fragments and evocative uses of adjectives and adverbs. It was amazing writing even as the subject matter was difficult for me.

One of the things I appreciate about this book is that it inspired me to read a bit more about the actual history of the Manson Family, which is fascinating albeit horrific.  I knew about the Sharon Tate murder but I didn't know about any of the other murders nor did I know about his association with The Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson.  I also didn't know what Manson thought the Beatles song "Helter Skelter" meant.  Admittedly this is not light, easy reading but it drew me into the world and kept me turning the pages even as the violence escalated.

Cover: Whenever I'd see this cover, I thought that the white and red were both flowers until I got a closer look and realized that the red was blood. So that makes the cover both accurate and super creepy.

Read for Contemps Challenge.

My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies

My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff
Egmont, 2011
288 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

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

After enjoying Zadoff's Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have, I kept this on my radar once I heard about it.  I love high school theater stories and Zadoff's writing so I knew this would be a win.

There were two main threads to the story that eventually intersected.  The sadder, more emotional thread was Adam missing his father who had died the previous year.  His father painted and proved an inspiration to him and he felt lost.  Furthermore because his father died alone in the dark, Adam seeks the light and struggles with sleep.  Obviously this section is not as fun but I thought it was well-done with enough punch, especially for younger readers.

The other segment is the war between actors and techies (think Romeo and Juliet) that is threatening in many ways.  The student director is an arrogant control-freak who might jeopardize Adam's future prospects in the high school theater.  The actors think the techies (especially Adam) want to jeopardize the show and their director is suffering from a mid-life crisis.  Lastly Adam has a crush on an actress which could send the two sides spiraling completely out of control.  In general these were the humorous sections; although Adam does not see the humor, they were fantastic to read.

Overall: Another great read from Zadoff!

Cover: I knew it was a theater story so the lights make sense but since Adam is also the light guy, it actually makes even more sense.

Things I Know About Love

Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann
Egmont, 2010
Originally Published 2006
153 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

I'll admit that I picked this up because of its short length and the fact that the author is British and thus it counts toward a challenge.  I thought it would be a light read but there was a bit more depth to it that the short length belies.  I also find myself unable to discuss this without SPOILERS so be forewarned.

Livia is on a process to reclaim her life after getting a clean bill of health following her bout with leukemia.  As part of this, she travels to America to visit her beloved older brother who is studying abroad at Princeton.  She plans to blog about her experiences, especially about the fling she hopes to have.

Except instead of a casual fling, she falls for Adam, a fellow Brit and friend of her brother's.  They both fall quickly and hard.  In some of my favorite sections, Adam reveals that he started up his own blog, which mostly details how much he likes Livia.  Overall the tone was very lighthearted and funny; I was so enjoying it.

Until...Livia gets sick and dies. Yes, you read that right! I was completely blindsided because there was not much lead-up and I was not expecting it at all.  Adam is as flummoxed and the conclusion is him desperately trying to hold onto his memories of her and reflecting on what he knows about love.  Despite the suddenness, I still was teary-eyed and I would probably still recommend it to certain people.

Read for British Book Challenge.

The Rise of Renegade X

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell
Egmont, 2010
340 pages
YA; Fantasy
4.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.

Damien has been waiting for his sixteenth birthday and the "V" that will appear on his thumb signifying his future as a supervillain.  However on the big day, he discovers an "X" indicating that his supervillain mother slept with a superhero and leaving Damien's future up in the air.  His father and family take Damien in to teach him about heroism with Damien stubbornly resisting all the way. But a villainous crisis sends Damien into questions about what his future path will be.

I really loved Damien; he was so set on being a supervillain and some of his plans were quite ingenious but his compassion keeps tripping him up.  He didn't want to hurt lab rats, he wants to mend his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Kat who had cheated on him but who he still loves, he helps the weird girl in school Sarah, and other deeds.  His narration was amazing and I loved his point of view.  Not only did he describe things well, he also made me laugh a lot!

I also really liked the supporting characters, in particular Kat and Sarah.  Kat got her "V" early with the super cool ability to shape shift herself.  Kat and Damien endure a physical separation as he lives with his dad and he suffers embarrassment over his "X."  Sarah is also cool; she's technically ordinary but she has a brilliant name and comes up with Damian's name.  She creates his costume and gadgets and offers herself as his trusty sidekick.

The world created was okay. The setting is Golden City which has the highest concentration of heroes and villains in the United States.  Obviously there are distinctions because of the presence of them and the Banking and Finances Building, the tallest around, plays a very important role but overall it was the characters that shined for me.

Overall: A cool concept, well-written and executed. Sequel please?

Cover: The cover probably wouldn't make me pick up this book because I tend to look for female narrators but it's definitely fitting.

Hourglass

Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Egmont, 2011
397 pages
YA; Time-Travel; Paranormal; Romance
4/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon's Vine Program.

I was intrigued to receive this book as I hadn't heard much about it beforehand.  The mention of "time-slips" caught my attention because I love time travel and it's my not-so-secret dream to someday travel back in time (that's why I'm a history major and I read a good deal of historical fiction). And I loved those aspects, even if the time-travel was significantly different than I had anticipated.

See, Emerson has long been seeing people who no one else can see.  This combined with the death of her parents resulted in her institutionalization for a period of time.  However she feels that she maybe has a grip on the visions.  Until she meets Michael who has the same ability except he sees people from the future while Em sees them from the past.  Together they have extraordinary power that enables them to move through time (to my disappointment they only go back in time about six months rather than to the late nineteenth-century).

And in fact, I really enjoyed all of these paranormal aspects.  Michael was hired by her brother from an organization called Hourglass, which has been involved in exploring and researching such abilities that deal with manipulating time.  Everything about this was fascinating from the other characters introduced including the villainous Jonathan Landers and his associates to the only barely glimpsed powers of the other people.  I'll admit that sometimes the explanations confused me but re-reading them cut through the fog.  I still have questions but I'm content to wait for the next book.

However while the paranormal aspect was great, I was less thrilled with the personal aspects.  Emerson has basically one friend who has stuck by her even through her psychotic periods.  Lily and Emerson are supposed to be close but Lily barely appears as Emerson quickly becomes absorbed in Michael and Hourglass.  I would have liked this friendship developed more especially as Lily seems to have her own paranormal ability.

The other aspect is the romance, of course.  Emerson and Michael seem to fall for each other right away, which is too bad as they are not supposed to get involved: her brother doesn't want his employee with his sister and Michael knows they shouldn't fall for each other.  Additionally Michael knows a lot more than he tells Emerson and she repeatedly has to call him out on that.  He keeps thinking she can't handle it and she keeps demanding the opportunity to know more.  There is also a bit of a love triangle with Kaleb, another Hourglass member.  I didn't really like either guy as I found them both too overbearing and alpha toward Emerson.

Overall: Fascinating creation of paranormal aspects and pretty good heroine.

Cover: Quite accurate; Emerson actually wears the exact dress in an early scene in the book.

Read for YA Debut Author Challenge.

The Cinderella Society

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
Egmont, 2010
322 pages
YA; Contemporary
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: Jess is looking forward to the summer when she can escape Lexy, the bully who has targeted her for the past few months.  Until the last day of school when she receives an invitation in to the Cinderella Society.  These Cindys fight the Wickeds (Lexy being a member) and help protect the Reggies (regular kids) from their influence.  Suddenly everything changes for Jess.

Thoughts: I love anything to do with Cinderella so when I saw the title of this, I knew that I'd be reading it at some point.  But it wasn't quite what I expected.  In some places it read like a self-help guide.  And sometimes it was very shallow as Jess focused on clothes and outer appearances when that was obviously not what the Cindys were about.  Jess's extremely low self-confidence was also annoying; I understand that the teenage years are tough (um, I was a teenager) but when she dwelled on how perfect the other girls were and how not she was, I just wanted to throttle her.  She's been chosen to be part of this awesome organization and she persists in thinking she's not worthy.

Speaking of the organization, I like the idea of powerful ambitious women coming together and working to improve the world but the level of secrecy and not completely understanding the power structure makes me leery of it.  They also seemed a bit simplistic at times; the fact that the Wickeds bear that name seemed unfair as they have some good in them (probably).

Another issue I had was the portrayal of Jess's crush Ryan who had some extreme mood changes although it seems like they're pretty settled in the status of their relationship by the end (whether that's friendship, love, or hate would be a spoiler).

Overall: Cute story bogged down with self-help guidance.  Not sure if I want to read the sequel.

Cover: So pretty with the glass slipper and the pink!

Brightly Woven

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Egmont, 2010

354 pages

YA; Fantasy; Romance

3.5/5 stars

Source: Received via 1 ARC Tour

Summary: Sydelle has wanted to leave her home town all her life but she didn't want to be forced in to it as happens when wizard Wayland North brings rain to her drought-stricken town and asks for her in payment. They are bound together on a journey to prevent war in their kingdom and also to unravel the truth about themselves.

Thoughts: I usually try to write my reviews in paragraphs but I had trouble writing this one so I'm going to break it down in to components:

Characters: Sydelle was, to be perfectly honest, a little annoying until I reminded myself that she was supposed to be 16. She is actually quite strong, determined, and smart. I admired her weaving ability which is an important thread (hehe) in the story. Then there is Wayland North, the 18-year old wizard, who sometimes seemed much older due to all of the pain and suffering he's endured. Two other intriguing characters are North's friend Owain and villain Dorwan. Owain is a friendly gent who's maybe a little too in to his horse and Dorwan is a terrifying rogue wizard who chases after Sydelle.

Romance: While Sydelle falls for North, I actually mostly liked her childhood sweetheart Henry. If she was less restless and ambitious, they probably would have made a good couple in their home town (Note I'm not dinging her for wanting to leave; I'm just stating that those qualities would make them an unsuccessful couple.) Whereas with North, sometimes he is so loving and teasing, other times he is mean and cruel due to his angst over his curse.

Fantasy: In this world, there are a very few people who are wizards and there are interesting discussions of magic and its rights and responsibilities. North has a curse on him, which his father also had and his male children would have, provided he begat any. This curse causes him agonizing pain and has turned him inward and bitter. Dorwan provides an example of a wizard who uses his magic solely for his own good and without any thought to how it might affect other people.

Mystery: There is some mystery in this book such as who murdered the king? The answer to this is why North has to travel through the country. Why pick Sydelle? How can North lift his curse? I can't answer these questions without spoiling the book and the answers aren't revealed until toward the end.

Politics: This plays a pretty small role as in the capital, there are the dueling agendas of the wizards who have been chafing under the rule of the monarch and the newly widowed young queen who has little experience. They each have to use whatever they can get their hands on in order to gain preeminence.

Religion: I was uncomfortable with the religious aspects of this. In that world, there are at least two rival goddesses mentioned (not sure if there are more in this universe). I appreciated the critique of religion, as Sydelle realizes that the other people are just like her and in fact believe many of the same things. We are all humans and the Golden Rule is a pretty good guideline for life for everyone. I also appreciated her faithfulness to her religion and her struggle to understand but whenever she prayed to someone who wasn't my Christian God, it made me uncomfortable. This is very much a personal thing and I'm sure other people wouldn't bat an eye.

Ending: There is definitely room for a sequel and I would be interested in reading one.

Overall: While I mostly enjoyed each element, this book did not quite click for me.

Cover: I received an Advance Uncorrected Proof and the color on it was funky although the design was the same but I like the official cover.