ARC Review: Something Real

by Heather Demetrios
3.5/5 stars
Henry Holt and Co, 2014
403 pages
YA Contemporary
Scheduled to release February 4, 2014

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

I believe this book caught my attention because of its unusual synopsis which had the trademark symbol after the main character's name. What was going on with that? Then there was the fact that it looked to be exploring the psychological effects of reality shows. Though the closest I get to reality TV now is watching the mocking The Soup, for some reason I find it difficult to resist books that feature them.

In this case, Bonnie™ Benton has grown up in front of television cameras; in fact she was born on film, the only one of her twelve siblings to be so. She has two older siblings and the rest are younger, adopted from around the world due to her mother's desire to have a baker's dozen of children and the muscle and money of corporation MetaReel who have subsequently filmed every year of Bonnie™'s life until her thirteenth year when her suicide attempt shut production down. However it has been four years and they're restarting it to Bonnie™'s intense dislike. Her struggle to cope and escape from the hell of this filming comprises the narrative of this novel.

The book actually opens with Bonnie™incognito as Chloe tense over something as seemingly simple as getting a yearbook photo taken because of her years in the spotlight. This anxiety only increases when she discovers that the reality show is starting up again much to the delight of her mother, stepfather, fame-seeking older sister, and the younger kids. The only one who seems to understand is her beloved older brother Benton™who has his own reasons for wanting to stay off camera (underaged Benny drinks and smokes and is gay with a very much in the closet boyfriend.) Adding to her angst is a blossoming romance with Patrick, her long-time crush who she doesn't think will want to be a part of the media frenzy that is her life.

One element I thought was handled very well was the growing up as one of thirteen children. Because most of them are so young, we really only get to see Benton™, Lexie™, and Bonnie™(all seniors) express themselves and I could not name the rest of the children but the chaos of such a life is well conveyed. At one point Chloe/Bonnie™remarks that such an upbringing is excellent birth control and I must agree. I was also pleased with how Chloe and Lexie™bond and move toward rapprochement after years of tension. I guess in general I just loved the relationships between the siblings.

I also appreciated the exploration of growing up on camera (particularly apt as I just saw the People magazine about Kate Gosselin and her twin daughters-what is life going to be like for them as they get older?) I highly value my privacy (notice how I don't tend to share that much about my life? Of course I'm also pretty dull so there's that too :) and can't imagine being on camera that much in addition to having it broadcast for millions of people to see. 

In the end, I feel like I should be rating this book higher but I'm just not passionate about it. There are so many great points: beyond the aforementioned investigation into a highly relevant issue and the complex family relationships explored, there are two great romances, some strong friendships, and some plot twists. But I am not left with the urge to push it on people. You can't click with everything you read and that is the case for me with this book.

ARC Review: Engines of the Broken World

Engines of the Broken World by Jason Vanhee
2/5 stars
Henry Holt and Company, 2013
262 pages
YA Horror
Scheduled to release November 5

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

I'm not entirely sure why I decided to give this a read as I'm normally someone who assiduously avoids horror, being quite the scaredy cat. But I must have seen something intriguing to get it on my review calendar.

The book was very hard to get into and I found the plot a bit difficult to follow. Merciful and her brother Gospel Truth have just seen their mother die. As the world ends, they say goodbye to their two remaining neighbors, wrestle with the Minister, a preacher in animal form, and deal with the fact that their dead mother's body still seems to be moving around singing a haunting lullaby.

In fact the mother's body seems to be possessed by someone else and that is where my difficulty lies as I became confused about the rules of the possession. There also is a deadly fog and the disintegration and depopulation of earth so that only these four people are left alive (and not all of them even make it to the end.) So I would also classify this as a darker book, not just as in the horror genre but also for the themes it brings up and wrestles with. I think there were supposed to be some questions about faith and God especially in a Christian context but though I am Christian, I didn't really follow these conversations. I really did find the writing style confusing and distancing.

Well, what about the characters? They're okay-I don't see many unique personality traits to distinguish them among the sea of other characters I've read so don't go looking here for a character-driven narrative. I feel like this one is maybe a bit more philosophical, which may be another reason for my distaste.

Overall I respect what this book is doing and its very different writing style and subject matter; however it is very much not my kind of book and I did not enjoy reading it nor would I recommend it to people with similar reading taste.

Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
4/5 stars
Henry Holt and Co, 2013
432 pages
YA Fantasy

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

No spoilers for Siege and Storm but some light spoilers for Shadow and Bone (possibly)

When I was choosing a book to read on the plane for my vacation, I thought Siege and Storm would be the perfect pick. Highly anticipated and already receiving rave reviews from the blogosphere. But when I tried reading it on the plane, I was confronted with the fact that this is a fantasy and I really struggled to concentrate on the world, eventually putting it aside until I landed where I promptly devoured it.

I can't share too much about the plot but I will remind you how Alina has an amplifier and is on the run from the Darkling in the company of Mal. This book picks up with them still on the move and quickly escalates from there. No moments of piece for the young couple but new and ever more difficult challenges keep arising, both external and internal.

Although Shadow and Bone received a decidedly meh review from me, the more reviews I read around the blogosphere and the more I mused on the book, the more excited about it I became. Now that I have completed Siege and Storm, I still have similar feelings. There is just something about this series that fails to captivate me like my favorite books do.

Yes, there are some great moments like the introduction of Sturmhond, a privateer with charm to spare who is quite the trickster. Every moment with him sparkles although his flirtation with Alina pissed off the Mal fan in me. Speaking of Mal, he is kind of a gloomy Gus in this book as he feels increasingly stifled by the decisions he and Alina have made and how that limits his future. I just wanted him to give his all to Alina but then I guess he wouldn't have been the kind of guy he is. As someone who quite liked the Darkling despite a long-time dislike of the "bad boy," I was disappointed that he didn't have more page time. When he's there, he's there-he takes over everything and he's always in the background of Alina's thoughts but he didn't have the presence he did last time.

And then we come to Alina who is probably my biggest problem with the book. I just don't click with her. There's nothing particularly objectionable about her to me but we don't have the easy camaraderie that I've had with other heroines (say Alanna of Tamora Pierce's series). It's as simple as that.

Overall: I would still definitely say this is a must-read for fantasy fans and those who enjoyed the first book; it's also a good read for people who want to stay abreast of what's popular in the YA category as these books have inspired a lot of love.

Other Opinions:
Beauty and the Bookshelf
Candace's Book Blog
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Supernatural Snark
The Midnight Garden

Pardonable Lies

Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
3.5/5 stars
Henry Holt and Company, 2005
340 pages
Mystery; Historical
#3 in Maisie Dobbs series

Source: Library

I've been eying this series for a while and recently decided to give them a shot. I usually prefer to start with the first but my library didn't have that available when I was looking so I started with the third. That may have been a mistake as there were several areas of Maisie Dobbs' character that frustrated me; my knowledge would have been supplemented by those first two books and perhaps I would have enjoyed this more.

This book is set in 1930 but the shadow of the Great War still hangs over everything from the men with physical disabilities sustained by fighting to those who never returned to those who can't escape from their dark memories of their time spent over there. All three are present in this as psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs has to face her darkest thoughts from her time spent as a nurse, seeking a man pronounced dead but whose mother never gave up seeking confirmation he lived and interfaces with several men injured on the field of battle.

Really three cases intertwine in this book. First is the aforementioned case of the boy declared dead whose mother believed him alive. Her dying wish was for her husband to confirm he lives; he wants nothing to do with the kid but asks Maisie to do a search anyway so that he can fulfill his word. Knowledge of this case prompts one of Maisie's friends to ask for Maisie to find the place where her brother met his death in France. Lastly there is a case in England of a young girl accused of killing her "uncle" (really, a pimp who met her when her cruel stepfather sent her away from home). And as one last item on Maisie's plate, it seems as if someone is trying to kill her. So there's a lot going on.

I thought Winspear did an excellent job juggling the different plots and even as I could see some of the threads coming together, I couldn't put everything in place, leaving me to marvel at how she did that. These mysteries had many delicate parts and they were handled with care. I liked most of the people we were introduced to over the course of the investigations.

But I was not a big fan of Maisie. I think if I had more of her background from the first two books, I would have liked her more. As it stands though, I thought she was a little odd especially with reference to her intuitive powers which just seemed supernatural and out of place in this work so grounded in painful emotional realism. I was also confused by her romantic relationship-I guess I'm used to something a bit more passionate than the feelings she has for the guy. Really though, I'd rather have her fully committed or involved with no one at all as it's not necessary for the story.

Overall: Interesting mysteries and plot but difficult to like main character for me. I will still try some more of the books to see if I can reconcile myself to Maisie's personality.

Cover: I like the art on this although the colors don't really work for me. That feels like an odd criticism but I just don't find them pretty enough, especially compared to some of the other covers.

Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
4/5 stars
Henry Holt and Company, 2012
356 pages
YA Fantasy

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

I have seen so many positive reviews of this around the blogosphere; it seems to have garnered a lot of attention and I feel comfortable adding my endorsement although I am not quite as enthusiastic about it as many other bloggers.

Don't get me wrong-I do love YA fantasy and I enjoyed this book a lot. However I guess I would say that it lacked that magical spark for me. I had trouble getting invested in the book and was very confused about the magical Grisha as introduced in the prologue. Still the writing style was easy and I flew through the pages. But when I closed the book, I almost felt like it could have been a standalone. I suppose the enemy is not completely defeated but the ending still felt pretty final to me. At the moment I don't feel compelled to beg for a copy of second book Siege and Storm although I will probably read it once other bloggers remind me that it is available.

There was nothing I hated about this book and in fact a lot I liked. I was very invested in main charachter Alina's romances, first a long-time flame for her best friend Mal (who reminded Small Review of Gale but me of Peeta) and then an attraction to the powerful and mysterious Darkling. One of them gives her a beautifully romantic speech about his love for her (shortly before the run-in with the stag for those who have read this) that made me absolutely swoon. So I really like the romantic aspects of this book without feeling like they were the main focus.

I also loved the magic once I had a better understanding of what it entailed and there was court intrigue, a soft spot for me. I really loved the parts with Alina learning the ropes of her power-her very unique ability to summon light, something that no one else can do, as well as her burgeoning friendship with Genya, forced into the position of servant and scorned by other Grisha.

Overall: An entertaining fantasy but one that failed to fully engage me. I like it but I can't write a gushing review for it.

Cover: I actually really like the ARC cover I have which is black with splatters of blood-this does make the story sound like it might be much creepier than it actually is. Whereas this cover evokes more of the beauty of Russia to me since the setting for this seems to be based on Russia.

Then

Then by Morris Gleitzman
Henry Holt and Company, 2010
Originally published in Australia, 2008
198 pages
YA; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Due to some poor noticing on my part, I did not realize that this is technically the second book in a series, the sequel to Once.  I was worried about how that might affect my enjoyment of this book but I need not have. While reading Once would certainly have added to my experience, I don't feel like it was necessary.

This book opens with a jolt as Felix and Zelda escape from a Nazi train on its way to a concentration camp in the unfamiliar Polish countryside and must figure out a way to survive. Although Zelda's parents were Nazis, Felix is Jewish and circumcised, a very obvious indication of religious background.  But they are determined to be family now and are fortunate enough to be taken in by Genia who disguises them as her relations. They struggle to provide enough food for themselves in the face of encroaching Nazi troops. There are potential enemies all around from the Hitler Youth to anti-Semites among the villagers and the dangers are very very real.

This is a very short book with sweet characters and fine writing. When it ends, it leaves you reaching for another installment (Now) as the ending is inconclusive.  However it did suffer as I read it on the heels of the The Berlin Boxing Club, a longer book, which allowed for more time with the characters. And I again, I would have been enriched by knowing the full story and having a greater understanding of Felix and Zelda.

Overall: A short book with a different premise for the time period; if you've read Once, you will surely went to turn your attention to Then next.

Pearl

Pearl by Jo Knowles
Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2011
216 pages
YA; Contemporary
1.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Some spoilers-I mean it!

I chose to read this book because it is part of the Contemps challenge; that is also the main reason I finished this book besides its short length because I really didn't like most of the characters.

Bean, born Pearl, lives with her mother and grandfather, the two often at odds. Bean is lonely with a mother, Lexie, who seems indifferent to her and a grandfather, Gus, who tries but can't fill the place of a mother in her heart. Her best friend is Henry, who lives with his mother as his father abandoned them when Henry was young.  After her grandfather suddenly dies, Lexie seems to feel liberated and Bean begins to wonder about her history.

Where to start? I found Bean rather annoying with her mopey and boring self. She was also very melodramatic. There were a couple of times where she was mad at her mom, then they seemed to calm down, and then she was screaming again. I hated those up and down, roller-coaster scenes. I guess a fifteen-year-old can be very dramatic and it's not like Bean has had good examples of personhood from the people around her. But I just didn't like her.

Then it turns out that Lexie is gay, which is why her father hated her, and her best friend Claire has been her girlfriend all these years. As soon as the grandfather dies, Claire is right there, stepping into Bean's life with absolutely no warning to Bean and often acting like an evil stepmother, trying to lay claim to Lexie. Now, Lexie is not a good mother and we've seen no inkling that she has any idea how to parent but it is still baffling to me how she moves Claire in without ever talking to Bean. I'm pretty sure it's a basic rule of parenting that the kid comes first. That's not to say that Lexie doesn't deserve happiness but she is supposed to think of her child at least some of the time. These women were 30 and in many ways they still acted like incredibly immature teenagers. So that's why I hated Lexie and Claire.

At the beginning Gus seems really nice but as the story unfolds we read about his prejudiced reaction to his daughter's queerness, which is full of so much hate. This opens another facet of his personality and helps explain some of Lexie's actions. It doesn't quite explain why Lexie didn't work harder to get away from him permanently.  Another character who I liked at the beginning was Sally, mother of Henry, who I thought was an agoraphobe but who does end up leaving the house easily in support of Bean and then sort of becomes friends with Lexie and Claire.  However she ends up almost collapsing in on herself in another extremely dramatic outburst.

One character I didn't hate was Henry...but that was mostly because he didn't seem to have a personality; he was there but he was easily forgettable.

One last thing I hated was the depiction of An Affair to Remember as some great romantic movie. I happen to think that it is one of the least romantic movies ever and I adore Cary Grant movies as he's my favorite actor and he makes everything better. But not this one. In Affair Deborah Kerr is hit by a car and becomes paralyzed. Instead of telling the man she loves and wants to marry that she's undergone this huge life change, she hides from him. He deserved to know! And if she had told him  right away, and he accepted this change as part of "for better or for worse," then it could have been romantic. Or he could have fled, proving his true colors. But instead she hides from him for months and never displays any intention of telling him until he figures it out! What's romantic about not trusting the person you claim to love to know such a big thing about you? S/he should be able to handle every aspect of you (except for things that are your fault such as cheating). Ugh, I hate that movie.

Overall: Not recommended; definitely my least favorite of the Contemps Challenge.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Henry Holt and Company, 2010
343 pages
YA; Contemporary; Fantastical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for Best Overlooked YA Book Battle.

As I think back on this book, I actually have quite a few problems with it but the overall tone and style swept me away and kept me flipping those pages very quickly!  I was satisfied with the conclusion; there were just some problems along the way.

The book starts with Sam's perspective; it turns out he's a necromancer and he has come under the interest of Douglas, a powerful necromancer who brooks no competition.  Most of the story is told from Sam's perspective but occasionally it shifts to third-person to examine other characters mainly Douglas although some other characters briefly are the focus.  I can handle books with shifting perspectives but it was too inconsistent for me.  Brid, a were-human, is the focus of a couple of chapters and then it just ignores her.  Other characters only have their perspective highlighted once toward the end; I just didn't see the point of that.  If it couldn't be told from the point of view of the characters already established, then maybe it needs to be rethought.

Douglas is super evil: ambitious, cruel, and supposedly super-smart.  Yet in the final showdown he seemed to not notice that Brid's cage was empty despite it being big and in the center of his basement.  I did not believe that this intelligent man would not notice that rather important circumstance.

There were also some threads left hanging such as Ramon, Sam's friend who is injured, and questions about Sam's family, who are also strong in necromancy.  I want to know that they will all be okay.

Other than that though, this was a quirky (and fast-moving) novel touching on family ties and all sorts of cool paranormal creatures and abilities.

Cover: The crow is important but I think Sam looks a little smug, which is not in character.

The Hollow Kingdom

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
Henry Holt and Company, 2003
230 pages
YA; Fantasy; Fairy Tale
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.

This book was divided into three parts (plus a prologue) that each left me feeling very different ways. SOME SPOILERS

The first part details Kate and Emily's arrival at Hallow Hill, newly orphaned and destined to live with their great-aunts.  After their arrival, Kate begins to fret, sensing something around her. The threat emerges as the evil Goblin King Marak dogs Kate's steps and destroys her peace of mind.  This is compounded by her guardian Hugh's callous disregard for her nerves and his plan to put her in an insane asylum.  Overall the emotion I felt most was terror at Kate's attempts to achieve safety and Marak and Hugh's actions to prevent that.

The second part features Kate willingly enter Marak's kingdom in exchange for the safety of her sister.  I mostly felt anger here as Kate is magically charmed and will never leave the underground goblin kingdom again.  Marak repeatedly reminds her that she came willingly but what other options did she have?

The third part is a year and a half later where Marak and Kate have settled into marriage but outside magical forces threaten them.  Kate must fight to save her family.  This part made me more sad that a. Kate has Stockholm Syndrome and b. that she no longer really cares about the sky with its stars and moon etc.  It seems to be that Kate thinks she is better off and that she is truly in love with Marak (and has been ever since she met him, even when he was terrifying her).  I was a mix of angry, disgusted, and feeling compassion for poor misguided Kate.

Also of note are the characters Seylin and Emily who will take center-stage in the second book. Seylin is part goblin but he looks more elfish and is thus unpopular within the goblin community.  Instead he spends most of his time as a cat.  Emily becomes his friend as a fellow outsider and enthusiastic connoisseur of goblin life.  They don't play a very big role in this book other than to be introduced.

I was somewhat reminded of "Beauty and the Beast" while I was reading this, especially because Kate is reported as very beautiful and Marak is disgusting.  However the feelings inspired by BatB are overall much more positive than those inspired by this book; probably because it's shorter and isolated while the goblin stealing bride tradition has been happening for generations and its ramifications are left unexplored in this book.

Overall: An interesting fantasy with some great elements but I found the heart of the story problematic; I am interested in the sequel in order to read more about Seylin.

Cover: I think it's kind of ugly.  I mostly read this because it was short and I wanted to finish some more books for the book battle.

The Queen's Daughter

The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry
Henry Holt and Company, 2010
370 pages
YA; Historical Fiction
4/5 stars

Source: Library

This is hardcore historical fiction; the reader is deeply immersed in the twelfth century following Princess Joan, daughter of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, sister of Richard the Lionhearted and John Lackland.  It's filled with the politics of the period as Joan struggles to be her mother's daughter, to survive in a brutal world, and to maybe find love.

I loved being steeped in this world, about which I know very little, and seeing a woman's perspective.  Obviously Joan is pretty privileged as royalty but she's forced into two marriages at the pleasure of her king and is tormented by her familial loyalties.  Her father and her brothers spent a lot of time fighting as did her parents; both parents used their children for manipulative purposes and the effects of that reverberate throughout Joan's life.

However while I loved the historical aspects, I didn't really like any of the characters.  Sometimes I was able to sympathize with Joan but other times I thought she was making a bad decision.  She is married off to William, King of Sicily and despises him as a weakling unlike her father and brother Richard.  She is attracted to Raymond, a prolific womanizer whose morals I found loathsome. The teachings of her mother permeate her mind despite her inability to always institute those sayings (for example that kindness is weakness, leading to her assessment of William).  But I also found Joan fairly compassionate and doing the best she could in difficult circumstances.

I did love Ermengarde unreservedly, a talkative woman who is sort of Joan's best friend although they are not always able to spend much time together.  Richard is a boorish overbearing conqueror and few other characters are in Joan's life long enough to really make an impression.  According to the author's note, Joan died when she was thirty-four but she certainly traveled a lot (England, France, Sicily, and the Holy Land) for that short life.

I also felt the book as a whole was somewhat unsympathetic to Eleanor, who has been immortalized in my mind as Katharine Hepburn and who I thus adore.  Admittedly the portrayal in the book is far more complex than Eleanor=bad, Henry=good.  Both are presented with their share of faults but I would have preferred a more pro-Eleanor perspective.  I guess I should search out some books that focus on Eleanor for that.

Recommended for people who know this time period and/or people who really love historical fiction.

Cover: I love the cover! I think the rich colors and beautiful dress are very attractive.

Girl, Stolen

Girl, Stolen by April Henry
Henry Holt and Company, 2010
213 pages
YA; Contemporary; Suspense
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: As Cheyenne rests in the car, Griffin breaks in and steals it without noticing her. She begs to be let go, but he's too far implicated to release her.  Upon discovery of her identity (the daughter of the president of Nike), Griffin's father has big plans for her.  Oh, yeah and she's blind.

This is another book that I probably wouldn't have read if not for the Contemps challenge.  I like sweet coming of age love stories, not boys implicated in their father's criminal activities and girls terrified out of their mind.  I am glad that I read it though.

It is quite fast-moving as Cheyenne adjusts to her new situation and almost immediately begins formulating an escape plan.  She was very brave and used what she had at her command to her advantage.  Tied in with Cheyenne is Griffin who wanted to boost a sweet ride and yet feels sympathy for Cheyenne especially in the face of his father's greed and his father's employees' lust.  He moves on a path toward redemption and escape from his father through their conversations and how she challenges him.

Overall: A very fast read that should have you on the edge of your seat.

Cover: I think the hands are creepy and that the cover as a whole definitely reflects the suspenseful nature of this read.

Read for Contemps Challenge.

Jane's Fame

Jane's Fame by Claire Harman

Henry Holt and Company, 2009

229 pages

Non-fiction, Jane

Source: Library

Summary: An exploration of Jane Austen's awesomeness around the world and throughout the years.

Thoughts: I had seen this mentioned and I was so excited when my mom saw it and picked it up for me at the library. Austen is my favorite author, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book, I am a proud Janeite, and I tend to think that if you don't like her writing, that is a sign of a serious flaw within you.

The first two chapters look at Austen's writing process and her struggles to be published. In the end she spent far more of her life unpublished and when she was published, she didn't earn as much. The next chapter looks at how her books remained unsold and were remaindered by the publisher. While her effect was seen in other books, she was not necessarily recognized as the source for the new style.

It was interesting to read how her books and her life merged together to form impressions in the public's mind because I find that I conflate the books and the various movies in mine. For example, when I choose my favorite Austen hero, it is mostly due to the movies (For the record, it's Mr. Knightley because of Paul Rudd and Jeremy Northam-so charming! Then Mr. Tilney, Captain Wentworth, Darcy (I know, only fourth!), Edward, Colonel Brandon, and Edmond, because he's a loser).

I also am interested in how Austen's books changed from a large male audience particularly surrounding the Great War to a female audience who studied literature because that was "appropriate" for them and how Austen seems to be denigrated as girly nowadays (not always but sometimes). Additionally it gained in critical attention as well as added details to the scanty record of Austen's life we have. Most of those details were patently false but they made for an interesting story.

My favorite part was the conclusion which examined her timelessness and how it was a deliberate process. Unlike other authors who firmly situated their stories in their time, she deleted much of that in order to be able to get her novels published. She meticulously plotted and attempted to keep her work similar time line wise. So while P&P was originally started in about 1796 and Emma 1815, they all seem to take place maybe around 1802.

Overall: 4/5 An interesting read, recommended for all fans of Austen.

Questions: I am wondering who is your favorite Austen hero and why. I would also love to read about why you have chosen your favorite heroine providing it is not Lizzie as she is mine and I have reasons aplenty for choosing her (she's also my favorite character in literature.)

Cover: Kind of boring but I love the font for the title and I like the stack of books.