The Testing

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
3/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin, 2013
325 pages
YA Dystopia Post-Apocalyptic

Source: Library

I requested this from the library for my sister who read about it in a magazine and liked the sound of it. I liked the comparisons to The Hunger Games. She ended up saying she found it boring but I tend to be less picky than her and I already had it checked out from the library so I proceeded. I can fully see how part of this merited its The Hunger Games comparison but I personally found it lacking in multiple ways.

The titular testing comes from the government, where they attempt to select the brightest and best of recent high school graduates and put them through four rigorous tests to determine who will continue on to university. In this post-apocalyptic world, the citizens have worked hard to build a new life for themselves and going through the testing is one way to provide a much better life for yourself (through this new career) and your family (who receive a payment for your loss). Cia Vale is thrilled to be selected for The Testing even after warnings from her father who survived the tests himself. Once there, she has to decide who she can trust and who will happily kill her.

My general takeaway from this book is that we just didn't click. I had to force myself through each page instead of eagerly flipping through them. For whatever reason (writing, my mood, etc.) I could not connect with Cia who narrates and despite my love of students undergoing testing (like in Ender's Game), I didn't feel engaged with that part either. I feel comforted knowing that my sister wasn't impressed either and that there have been plenty of neutral to negative reviews out there

Of the four tests, it is the last one that brings to mind The Hunger Games. The first three take place inside the city grounds. The fourth deposits the remaining candidates (many have already died by that point) some days away and forces them to fend for themselves as they attempt to make it back. Some candidates use that opportunity to kill the competition. But even this failed to compel me. I don't know if I've read too many books in this genre (which isn't really my favorite anyway) or what exactly explains it but I found most of this book super dull.

Especially dull are the characters. Main character Cia is very intelligent, no doubt an that is clearly shown to us. She also possesses good instincts, knowing who to trust, when to hold back, and when to go full throttle (for the most part). I feel like she's exactly the kind of heroine I ordinarily love but not here. Her friend/love interest Tomas is even worse-I kept thinking he was going to turn out to be quite evil but that probably would have been too interesting.

Overall: I have so little enthusiasm for this book and cannot encourage you to check it out unless you are a very serious hardcore dystopia/post-apocalyptic fan who can't get enough. Lovers of contemporary would do well to steer clear.

Other Opinions: Some of my blogging friends had more positive things to say-read their reviews to excite yourself about this book!
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
My Precious
New, Borrowed, Used
Once Upon a Prologue
The Book Cellar

Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
4.5/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2013
386 pages
YA Historical Fantasy

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

I liked Grave Mercy well enough last year but my experience was dampened by all the hype I read beforehand. Therefore I resolved to mostly avoid reviews before I read Dark Triumph, something I stuck to. And happily this was a better reading experience for me although there are several possibilities of why that is so. I highly recommend you do not read my thoughts until you have read Dark Triumph as there are definitely spoilers.

Initially I struggled as this book picks up near the end of Grave Mercy and depicts a scene from a different perspective. I could barely remember who anyone was and there are a lot of characters with French-ish names. Therefore I would suggest a rereading of Grave Mercy is in order before embarking on this book (if you have the time and inclination). Soon though this book stands on its own focusing on its beautiful broken heroine and I will share a few reminders here for you.

Sybella lives in the household of d'Albret, a traitor to Anne, duchess of Brittany, a vile and brutal man. His anger and cruelty have left a deep mark on her; the promise of being able to kill him is the only thing that brought her back to his household after earning an escape in the abbey serving St. Mortrain (where she met Ismae and Annith, who will be the subject of the third book in this series). Adding to her troubles is her half-brother Julian whose love for her is not exactly brotherly if you get my drift. But if Sybella can just kill d'Albret, it will all be worth it. That plan is complicated by instruction from the abbey to release the prisoner Beast (also introduced in Grave Mercy if you remember) whose battle lust cannot be tamed.

I'm fairly sure that part of my enjoyment was due to the presence of Beast, a favorite character from the first book who I didn't think got his due. He is a big man, bigger than everyone around him and simply described as ugly (and not ugly where sometimes a character is called ugly but is really attractive; ugly like his face and body bear multiple scars that mar any claim he might have originally had to attractiveness.) Despite his warlike appearance and love for battle, he is actually a pretty gentle soul and the peace he offers to Sybella's battered self was a welcome relief. As a woman, she has been viewed through the prism of her body, to be sold to satisfy her father's lust for power; she has craved love, comfort, and security only to have those hopes denied time after time. But with Beast, she finds them even if she tries to deny it. I've read some reviews where people didn't like this romance as much as Ismae and Duval's but I loved it so much more.

Another part of my enjoyment was that this felt like a more personal story (and this was confirmed by the author in her author's note). I do like political and historical turmoil, which Grave Mercy featured aplenty but I also like a story that isn't too tied to historical realities and I appreciated closely following Sybella's journey.

One element I haven't seen a lot of other people talk about is the religious aspect. This book is set at a time when the Catholic Church officially holds much sway but there are still people who worship the old gods like St. Mortrain, god of death, which is who Sybella serves. When she experiences her epiphany (similar to Ismae's experience), she spends several paragraphs musing on the character of Mortrain who sounded an awful lot like Jesus to me. Now perhaps it's not quite like the God preached by the medieval Catholic Church that was cruising toward a Reformation but a lot like the God I know. So my mind was pleased by this part.

Overall: I really loved this book and am grateful for it in continuing my streak of excellent second books. I'm very excited to read book three next year.

Other Opinions:
Anna Reads
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Katie's Book Blog
Unforgettable Books

The Wrap-Up List

The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson
4/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2013
236 pages
YA Paranormal

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

In a future world, some people receive a letter from a Death, calling them to their death at a predetermined time. That person then gets to write a wrap-up list of what they want to finish before they go to the afterlife as well as try to request a pardon. Gabriela is sixteen when she receives hers and flippantly writes a list that can be seen on the cover as she scrambles with her friends to thwart death. But as the day approaches, she faces it more seriously hoping to gain a pardon.

Honestly this book is a little hard for me to describe. There were a lot of themes in this book, most notably about a society preparing for war and religious background as Gabriela has a lot of questions. I was very intrigued by the questions it raised although it did seem a little overpacked for such a short book. Although Gabriela is our first-person narrator, we get to meet a lot of other people including especially her friend Iris, who has a long-time fascination with the deaths and is instrumental in helping Gabriela on her quest.

I'm not going to share too much about the ending but I found it just perfect with everything wrapping up the way you wanted it to after investing the time into this book. That does not mean that everyone is alive but that I felt very satisfied with how Arntson chose to end the story.

Overall, I really liked this book and found it to be a fun fast read with a lot to think about. It has not earned the best ratings on goodreads and I'm not really sure why as I think it's certainly better than that. I think it would definitely be worth checking out at the library.

Other Opinions:
Alexa Loves Books was kept entertained.
Blkosiner's Book Blog was satisfied with how everything resolved when she put the book down
In Bed With Books highly recommends this!
Should I Read It Or Not found this book on the strange side.

Perry's Killer Playlist

Perry's Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber
4/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012
209 pages
YA Contemporary Action

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine.

Although I liked Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick and wanted to know more about the titular chick, known as Gobi, I wasn't entirely sure a sequel was necessary. The first book had its own contained story. Still I enjoyed it enough that I instantly wanted the second and after a bit of waiting, I got to it.

I missed the first book's chapter framing device of responding to college admissions essays but this time we have song titles from classic rock, appropriate for Perry's new status as bassist for his rising band. I believe they were mentioned a bit originally but more space is spent this time. His life is pretty good-as I said, he's got the band who are embarking on a European tour and are close to cutting a CD and personally he's dating a hot older woman. Until that is they arrive in Venice and Perry seeks out Gobi and everything goes BLAM, a hundred miles an hour.

I don't want to spoil anything about the twists and turns but rest assured that it feels similar to the first book and each chapter ends leaving you wanting to start the next one immediately, which is super fun when you're reading on your lunch break, let me tell you! We get to spend more time with Perry and Gobi as well as meeting some new assistance and villains who always keep you guessing. I had no idea which way the plot would veer next and it was exciting.

I would definitely recommend reading the first book first so that you know what exactly went down there: not just Gobi's mission in New York that is a catalyst for so many actions in this book but also to see Perry's family drama. You could be brought up to speed in this book but they might feel sketchily drawn without that prior knowledge. It feels like there might be a third book to compose a trilogy but there's no cliffhanger promising that. Just as Au Revoir was primarily self-contained, Perry's Killer Playlist is too.

The Suburban Strange

The Suburban Strange by Nathan Kotecki
4/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
349 pages
YA Paranormal

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

The Suburban Strange was an odd but pleasurable reading experience. I didn't really know what to expect, having not seen many reviews of it before reading but I suspected that it was not your typical YA paranormal romance. This suspicion is quite accurate. I feel like the best way to approach this review is to divide it into the two main parts of the book: the contemporary and the paranormal.

The contemporary falls main character Celia falling in with slightly older kids (junior and senior to her sophomore status) who are very sophisticated, consciously striving to be more cultured and open to new experiences, holding themselves apart from the rest of the student population. This can be seen in their clothing to their carpooling practices to their outside pursuits to the music they listen to. This could have easily led to some kind of horror story where they were inducting her into a dark secret society but no, they were more instruments of her gaining confidence and undergoing a transformation to figure out who she wanted to be. Actually they helped make a rather good high school experience for her. I appreciated the music recommendations in this section as well as a shout out for The Awakening by Kate Chopin which is on my to-read list. I guess I felt I got a bit of education along with Celia in that respect.

The other section, the paranormal part, is almost entirely separate because Celia runs in the two different circles. This relates to the synopsis of girls almost dying on the eve of their sixteenth birthdays. Who could be acting in such a malicious way? Well, Celia teams up with the brightly shining Mariette (a really fun character) who is one of the Kind. That is, she is kind of a witch but you should not use that word. There is also a love interest but certain circumstances prevent him from playing too big of a role in the story. One disappointment in this regard was the final confrontation over the person responsible for attacking those girls-I thought it was over way too fast and easily.

Overall: I can definitely see this book being kind of divisive. It's a book I would classify as paranormal but it's not really like most other paranormals I've read. The characters aren't necessarily ones you'll strongly connect with but the writing is exquisite and I found the plot incredibly intriguing. I never considered putting it aside; I had to know how it would end.

Scorch

Scorch by Gina Damico
3.5/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, 2012
332 pages
YA Paranormal

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

This book is the sequel to Croak, which ended with a pretty big spoiler that fuels Lexie's anger with her new power of being able to damn and has caused her to be a pariah in the small town of Croak. The Seniors led by Heloise and Norwood are keen to ostracize Lex, the other Juniors, and the current mayor Uncle Mort. They end up having to escape to another Grim town DeMyse (something teased on the back cover) but which does not happen until more than halfway through the book.

I really loved the scenes in the decadent DeMyse (somewhat like Las Vegas) as well as our continued insight into the unfolding mythology of the Croak world. Some crazy stuff is going down, both exciting and less exciting. In the former camp, there are some fun new characters introduced and no one is safe. In the latter camp, I am fervently against Lex's damning ability and the decisions she makes in regards to those powers; I hope the error of her ways will be revealed to her in her next book.

One thing I really didn't like was the continued romance of Lex and Driggs. While I didn't really buy their romantic chemistry in Croak, I was really grossed out with the way the author described their very physical relationship. They smush their lips together, they stick their tongues down each other's throats, etc. It was super gross to me although I did believe in their romance more this time around. I'm not opposed to that kind of intensity; I was just disgusted by the way it was written. I was also disappointed by Lexie's continued use of "slut" and other such words in regards to Sofi who is displeased that Driggs likes Lex so much. I'll admit that Sofi is not gracious in defeat but I don't think she deserved such words (she does deserve some other words...)

Overall: A bit of a disappointment although the humor continues and the promise for some epicness remains for the third book: all-out war.

Cover: I love the blue for the title especially against the orange fire in the background. Glad to see the scythe reappear.

First Comes Love

First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky
4/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
198 pages
YA Contemporary

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

I read this author's debut Awaken and ended up really disliking the romance. Thus a book focused on romance may not have been the wisest read for me. But contemporary YA is my genre so I wanted to give her another try. It also helped that this was short-I figured it would be a nice, quick Saturday afternoon read :)

It was a very fast read and I actually really enjoyed myself. This is partly because it is told in alternating perspectives between the boy and the girl-I love the chance to get in to multiple characters' heads and see how they view each other. In this case, we have Gray, frozen in time after a horrific event and Dylan, the free-spirited girl who impulsively acts and blows with the wind. Together they experience a variety of firsts and build a deep relationship.

We are introduced to Dylan through Gray's perspective first. He sees a girl seemingly oblivious to the heat of Phoenix who is unable to sit still and is without the constraints that so many of us feel in society. Dylan meanwhile sees someone with hidden depths and decides to befriend him. She is especially instrumental in challenging him and helping him move on with his life.

Probably my big difficulty though was in understanding Dylan's point of view. She doesn't want to be tied down. She thinks it is great to travel without a plan and she wants to go everywhere and try everything. I'm much more like Gray, more tied to a place and people. Thus the later chapters when she succumbs to the lure of adventure while Gray longs for her to stay were hard for me. I agree that they are both very young (probably about eighteen or nineteen, high school graduates, making this book technically New Adult, I guess) and I don't want Dylan to give up herself and just wither away with Gray. But I am a more settled person so I also kind of didn't understand why she wouldn't want that. It's a very personal feeling.  Also I tend to think of Dylan as a boy's name so I had to keep reminding myself that she was female.

Overall: A fine entry to the YA romantic contemporary subgenre; recommended for those who are already fans. Not necessarily for paranormal readers.

Cover: It's very plain: just the faces and the dark background. I like a cover with a bit more going on although it does clearly signal romance. I don't think you'd pick this up and expect a thriller.

The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton

The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller
4/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
407 pages
Historical Mystery

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

After finishing first book, The Return of Captain John Emmett, I was already craving this second book but knowing I would have to wait. Happily for me, the wait is over!

Unfortunately I barely remembered the characters although the main holdover is Laurence Bartram, Great War veteran and teacher with expertise in churches. He has been invited by a fellow veteran to visit the Easton estate to look at a church there that might have something pretty spectacular. As Laurence settles in, he discovers the terrible maze of secrets that threatens to overwhelm the inhabitants.

Most prominently featured is the mystery teased by the title: that of young Kitty Easton, heir to the estate who disappeared from her bed when she was five. No body was found and no trace of her has been seen. Her father died in France and her mother is a bundle of nerves caught in a debilitating disease who persists in believing in Kitty's continued life. But there are secrets everywhere: almost every resident of Easton Hall has something with key members of the surrounding village contributing their bits. Past residents leave behind secrets and even the hall itself has some surprises in store.

The ability to piece together the many layers eluded me but for the most part I was content to sit back and wait. It is definitely not a fast-paced read, with sections that seemed to completely ignore the mystery of Kitty, to the point where I was afraid we wouldn't get any answers. However Speller did weave everything together into a satisfying package, making the payoff worth it for me; a less patient reader might not be able to wait though.

The book does pull of some moments of suspense, particularly an extended passage with Laurence and another character in a claustrophobic space reminiscent of his time in the trenches and bringing back dreadful memories. I was almost biting my nails (but not quite because I have kicked that habit) during that scene; it went on for hours in the book and I felt myself growing weary along with them and wondering how they could possible get out.

Throughout I felt a third book was being teased as Laurence contemplated decamping to Italy for an extended period of time. As Mussolini rises in regard, there will be an exciting historical backdrop to whatever mystery Speller concocts and I will definitely return!

Overall: I feel like this cover captures the manor house setting and mystery with its maze, all relevant to the events of the book.

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm
4.5/5 stars
HMH Children's Paperback, 2012
204 pages
YA Contemporary with Historical Aspects

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

This is such a "me" book-I loved the MC so much and completely clicked with the sense of humor displayed. The storyline is about the summer adventures of a young woman with a love of history, color, reading, Jane Austen...in other words, someone a lot like me!

In this case her name is Libby and she is going to be a historical reenactor at a 1791 village in Maine; this includes wearing historically accurate clothing, leading a group of little girls through time-era appropriate cooking and craft activities, and interacting with her peers including a seriously dedicated impersonator and the annoying nerdy Garrett who is investigating possible paranormal activities that are attracting more attention to little Camden Harbor.

Well, as I mentioned I loved Libby. She loves Mr. Tilney, who we both agree is seriously underappreciated and is far more our type than Mr. Darcy (although I still prefer Mr. Knightley most of all). She loves colors and fashion and has a great memory for history. She also stands up for her friends in an awesome scene where she punches a guy (totally justified). I totally want to be best friends with her and her best friend Dev, who had a bizarre story line in New York City before showing up to hang out with Libby for the rest of the summer.  The other characters are not very well-developed but they are a lot of fun and add local color to Libby's time there.

This is a fast-paced book, going quickly over the whole summer, almost like little vignettes into Libby's life but still with an over-arching plot. I would have enjoyed knowing a bit more about Libby's life at home, maybe how her parents and school have shaped her interests. I also wanted a lot more about Dev's plot, which left me very confused.

Overall: Just hit all the right notes for me-if we often agree on books, this might be right up your alley!

Cover: Of course I love the polka dots and the pink but I think it would be better with some glitter (maybe the actual cover does?)

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
4/5 stars
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
549 pages
YA; Historical

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

This book has received an amazing publicity push as I have seen it reviewed on a ton of sites, almost universally positive. People have really taken to this book. I see two great things about this: 1. Hopefully more people committing to tackling chunkster books as this book is quite long for YA and 2. More interest in historical fiction and historical fantasies, genres I love but yet ones that don't seem to get the attention that paranormal and dystopia does. I would love to see loads more reviews of YA HF in the coming months, prompted by people's love for this book.

Unfortunately for me, I read a lot of reviews beforehand and I had crazily high expectations. While I enjoyed this book a lot, it couldn't quite live up to all the hype. This serves as a lesson for me and I have avoided reviews for a few other books that I am anticipating this year in order to better manage expectations. Still overall I thought this book was great and very enjoyable.

A simple plot summary is that this is set in late 15th century Brittany, a sovereign country attempting to fight off the encroachment of the rapacious French. It is a difficult time with war everywhere and loyalties ever changing. Anne, duchess of Brittany, is only a child (by our standards) but her choice of husband is the main question on everyone's minds. Political intrigue abounds.

But this book does not focus on these historical figures, introducing us to someone entirely new. She is Ismae, daughter of Death who has been trained in a convent to be a deadly assassin working for Death, known as St. Mortain. As part of her first assignment outside of the convent walls, she is assigned to work with the mysterious Duval, posing as his mistress in order to discover who is betraying Anne and threatening Brittany's future.

Obviously I don't want to go too far into plot spoilers but I think this gives you a taste, hopefully enough to tempt you if you have not already procured a copy for yourself. Now I love world-building and historical writing so I found all of those details in the beginning absorbing. I know some people found it slow going but it worked for me. I was definitely a little confused by all of the people introduced but found that it was easy to keep the main characters straight in my head.

Other than the historical elements, we also have the fantastical part, which is related to the special powers Ismae has inherited, ones that make her uniquely qualified for her position. I loved seeing Ismae develop and discover more. She grew up in a broken, hateful home but finally begins to find her own place in the world with a purpose and a man she loves.

Speaking of Duval, I was really hoping I had found a hero that both Small Review and I really loved because we seem to have diametrically opposed feelings about male characters. He started off fine but he never really had that something extra special that makes me swoon. I love his sense of honor and loyalty as well as sense of strategy and tactics that make him a fearsome opponent. I enjoyed seeing Ismae find love and peace in his arms. But he's not my hero.

Another positive of this book is the resolution. Although there is a planned sequel, it will focus on a different one of Death's handmaidens as well as (it seems) one of my favorite characters from this book who didn't receive much page time. Ismae's story is basically concluded, making this reader very happy.

Overall: Yes, everything was pretty great but the hype overpowered the book for me.

Cover: I am so used to seeing just the thumbnail of this book, which makes it hard to distinguish the crossbow. That element is what really makes the cover though; otherwise it's just a medieval maid standing there.

Radiate

Radiate by Marley Gibson
4.5/5 stars
HMH Children's Paperback, 2012
400 pages
YA; Contemporary; Issues

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

Somehow I had gotten the impression that this book had a paranormal aspect but instead it is contemporary without any trace of fantastical creatures. However it does have something greater: the power of hope in trying circumstances.

See main character Hayley Matthews wants her senior year to be something special, wants it to be something more. So she quits marching band and tries out for cheerleading, landing a coveted spot as one of twelve Varsity Cheerleaders. The grueling practices are manageable until Hayley finally has to acknowledge a bump on her leg.  This bump is not any old bump. It is quickly revealed as cancer and soon Hayley's summer is derailed, sending her to a hospital hours away from her hometown. But she is determined to maintain her pep, something that she will definitely need as she begins her senior year.

There were a couple of fairly predictable moments such as the love relationships. Turns out the popular boy is kind of a jerk (which is forecast from the beginning) while the boy next door is pretty dang perfect-all very obvious and actually probably my least favorite aspect although said boy next door is cute ;) Additionally since the story is told via first-person narrator, the reader can surmise that the narrator will survive or else there would have to be a dramatic shift in tone.

As you might guess in a book about cancer, emotions run pretty high. While Hayley is determined to look on the bright side, her family is struggling financially with medical costs and her estranged sister has some secrets that are impacting the family's money health. Generally Hayley does not let cancer or outsiders' stares hold her back, proving herself to be an inspiration to many others and winning a place in my heart.

Especially poignant is the author's mother's note at the end revealing how much of the story is based on the author's actual experience and strengthening the mother-daughter bond shown in the book for me. I was already crying but this just added to the emotion. It also explained how the author was so familiar with all of the medical jargon used throughout the book. The language seemed very detailed and knowledgeable to me although admittedly I (thankfully) do not have much experience with cancer.

Overall: An emotional journey through a difficult period as navigated by a graceful inspiring young lady.

Cover: I love the bright optimistic yellow and the red cheerleading outfit that really capture the story contained within.

Loss

Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
258 pages
YA; Paranormal
4/5 stars

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

I was so excited to acquire a copy of this book, one of my most anticipated reads of the year due to my love for the previous books in the series Hunger and Rage. While each can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading all of the books.

Besides enjoying the previous books, I knew that this book would focus on Pestilence, the Horseman of the Apocalypse who we know the least about. He made brief appearances in the other books but he has definitely been very mysterious. Before we meet him though, we have our "ordinary" human protagonist.

Billy Ballard, great name, has been regularly picked on every day for years with his only hope of a break coming after graduation in two years. All he can is curl in on himself and hope his tormenters don't injure him too badly. Adding on to his pressures are his need to work hard in school to earn a scholarship and caring for his ailing grandfather with Alzheimer's who transforms into an angry man unable to recognize Billy. He has deep self-hatred for his inability to stand up for himself and he wants to be the hero who gets to kiss the pretty girl.

The book is divided into three parts. The first introduces Billy. The third part is about Billy learning to stand up for himself by facing off against a crazed Pestilence. But the second part of the book was a hard read.  In it, Billy is searching for Pestilence who has hidden himself in his memories in order to avoid ending the world. By running away, he has allowed disease to reign unchecked, putting the world in far greater danger than if he was performing his job to maintain balance. I like the plot but not so much the writing, which is very dreamlike and hallucinatory-not to my taste. On the plus side, it also incorporates legendary figures King Midas and Robin Hood in unusual ways.

Besides disliking the writing in the second part, I had two other problems. One was how the pestilence and bullying themes didn't seem to connect as strongly as famine/anorexia and war/self-cutting did in the previous books. The second problem relates to Marianne, Billy's crush, the girl he wants to kiss. We don't get much insight into her; it is assumed that she also likes Billy but I wanted to know more about her and confirm that she wanted to be the girl who is kissed.

I know many people love the portrayal of Death in this series and he makes several significant appearances in this book.  But my favorite literary Death is from Terry Pratchett's Discworld and I continue to prefer him to this version of Death.

Overall: As we delve deeper into the world of the Horsemen, more fantasy-like elements come out. Some people will love that writing; others like me, will not. Still this is a must-read if you've enjoyed the previous books and will help us endure the wait until Breath.

Castle of Shadows

Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
Originally published Orchard Books, 2010
390 pages
MG; Fantasy
4/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon Vine and an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm kind of ambivalent about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed myself while I was reading it, trying to puzzle out the dark secrets of some of the characters and enjoying reading about the kingdom of Quale, a fictionalized England in the late nineteenth or maybe early twentieth century.  Five years ago, the queen disappeared, the king went mad, and Princess Charlie's care was given over to the cruel Mrs. O'Dair. Now rumors of revolution and war swirl and Charlie must embark on a quest to find and bring her mother home, with the aid of Tobias, the gardener's boy.  But now that I'm finished, I'm not enthusiastic. I'm not entirely sure what the reason is but I have some ideas.

Fair or not fair, when you read a book, you compare it to other books you've read, in the same genre, by the same author, etc. This is a middle-grade fantasy so I compared it to Tuesdays at the Castle (such a fun setting for that book and both books have castle in the title) and Liesl and Po (girl is mistreated but escapes and goes on quest with boy).  And the best way I can describe my feelings is that those books had magic and this book did not. Not magic as in a plot point but as in casting a spell on me while I was reading.

Another disappointment was that I wanted a magical castle but this one is very appropriately a castle of shadows, filled with secrets, disappointments, and unhappiness. Gloominess seemed to pervade every aspect without enough lightness to balance the story to my taste. This is obviously a very personal opinion but there may be other people out there who agree.

I would say that a third part of the lack of love is the characters. Charlie is the main character, told through third-person narrative. I don't know if I'm spoiled by all of the first-person narration in YA but it seems like that often helps me connect to a character better. Charlies is eleven and frequently acts her age, especially in her attempts to annoy Tobias. Tobias is only a year older but seems far more, perhaps due to his hard life. As for the other characters, they had some life but did not seem fully developed. They had a few traits to their personalities but seemed overall one-dimensional, with good or evil intentions and no ambiguity. I'm also supremely disappointed in the lack of character development for the Queen; I still cannot understand why she took the actions she did.

Overall: An okay fairy-tale story without the magic of the best MG fantasies I've read.

Cover: I really like the cover-the drawing is super cute. I do not like Tobias' hat though because it looks more like he is balancing a book on his head. I also loved the typeface in Garamond Premiere Pro, especially the frequent use of the letter "Q".

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
Houghton Mifflin, 2011
190 pages
YA; Contemporary; Suspense
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Warning: Do not pick this book up before you have to do anything else (like going to bed). Because you will not make it; instead you will keep reading until the very end. And if you're not reading, you will be thinking about this book.

At least that was my experience. I really didn't know what to expect but I was pleased to see the short length-none of this padding chapters with boring description or pointless digressions. No, I expected a fast-moving, freewheeling story around New York City. And I got that!

Main character Perry is thrilled with the idea of a European exchange student coming to stay at his house, picturing a sexy girl like in the movies. Instead he gets plain, boring Gobi. Except on the night of his prom, when she reveals herself to be an assassin with a very personal mission who needs Perry's driving abilities to chauffeur her around.

I loved the beginning of each chapter, which features a college admissions essay question. Each chapter then provides an answer to that question while also moving the story forward and entertaining me. Plus there was a significant character arc on the part of Perry, who wants desperately to live up to his father's expectations but learns to stand up for himself over the course of this one crazy night.

As a reader used to female perspective in YA books, it was a welcome change to have a male narrating. I like to shake it up. However I would have liked to know a little bit more about Gobi's background. But there is apparently going to be a sequel-that just shot to the top of my want list!

Overall: A fun read-highly recommended!

Tina's Mouth

Tina's Mouth by Keshni Kashyap
Illustrated by Mari Araki
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
254 pages
Comic; YA
4/5 stars

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

I've been really into books with illustrations so that was my point of interest about this book. I wanted to see a story where language and drawings complemented each other and told me a story I enjoyed.

In that regard the story succeeded. Tina is a sophomore at a fancy private school in California who loses her sole best friend to a popular fashionable girl and feels out to sea. But a school assignment in her favorite class leads to a journal addressed to Jean-Paul Sartre and featuring existential musings and jokes. Admittedly the story told was pretty stereotypical but there were a few outstanding moments.

One of those would be the instance for the title which comes from Tina's aunt relating a Krishna story
about a person opening a mouth to show the universe inside. The artwork on that was quite lovely and elaborate although not in color, something I'm not sure is true of the final copy. I think I would have preferred color drawings because in general they were a bit bland.

I also really enjoyed the family dynamics of a big Indian family (older siblings living at home and extended family in the area) and seeing Tina learn to negotiate the confused social interactions of high schoolers. She was long on the outskirts but actually gets to navigate a bit within the popular crowd including encounters with her popular crush. Still in the end, Tina remains true to herself and changes only for the better.

Overall: A sweet YA graphic novel with a good main character.

The Maid

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011
283 pages
Historical
3.5/5 stars

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

So I don't really read a lot of adult books anymore, having chosen to mostly focus on YA and thus I don't read quite as much historical fiction as I have in previous years. But this looked quite intriguing on Netgalley so I requested it and read it.

Now I'm not super familiar with Joan of Arc and all of the stories around her so almost everything was new to me. And I was quickly drawn in to the story by Joan or rather Jehanne's confession that she was on fire for God. I was surprised by that religious content because it was my understanding that this was secular fiction (and it definitely was as I realized later). Her passion and devotion to God, her desire to be a saint, her reaction to her visions: all of those were my favorite parts. But they only appeared sporadically especially as Jehanne's fame grew and she became separated from the Lord.

The other part I really liked can be described in a line taken from the synopsis: "Rich with unspoken love and battlefield valor, The Maid is a novel about the power and uncertainty of faith, and the exhilarating and devastating consequences of fame." I would definitely agree with this especially the part about the consequences of fame. Jehanne achieves so much with her limited time and resources but the power that comes from her fame threatens almost all of the men around her who will eventually betray and/or abandon her in order to protect themselves. 

On a practical level, it was hard for me every time she was called Jehanne because as an American, she's always called Joan. Also this is a very violent book (surprise!) There's a lot of killing, rape, and pillaging as the British and even the French ride through and destroy France. There is also a lot of swearing that reminded me that this was an adult book.


One other thing I didn't like was the writing which often used short fragments mixed in with sentences. It also was a little confusing when Jehanne's present imprisonment was next to her past; sometimes the line wasn't clear. However I think for the most part, it was well-researched (although I'm not familiar enough with Joan of Arc) and a pleasant diversion for a few hours.

Overall: A good historical fiction novel that captures the darkness of the period while also bringing some hope.

Wisdom's Kiss

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Houghton Mifflin, 2011
314 pages
YA; Fantasy
4.5/5 stars

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

I've seen reviews of this from both ends of the spectrum, positive and negative, and I think your enjoyment of this book ultimately boils down to how you feel about epistolary novels. Those feelings will determine if you enjoy this book. Happily as a lover of epistolary novels, I am in the enthusiastic lover camp for this book.

There are eight perspectives, told in different forms, from letters to memoirs to plays. And although that sounds like a lot (it did to me), it didn't seem like that many when I was reading. Each format was distinct enough that I always knew who was talking and was able to trust or read with skepticism as some are unreliable narrators. My personal favorite character was Trudy, the flame-haired maid whose memoirs tell her part. She has the sight and is very important. I also loved the sly cat Escoffier, because obviously. My least favorite character was Wisdom, also known as Dizzy; she was rather ditzy and annoying for much of the book. And not to spoil anything but if Trudy's your favorite character, then since some of Dizzy's actions hurt Trudy, Dizzy will not be a favorite.

Two other notes are first that this is sort of a companion novel to Princess Ben, containing a few of the same characters but in a different time period. Second the copy I read had a small dictionary at the end as well as an author's interview. I loved that, getting to see her process, and picking up on some additional humorous touches relating to the story.

Recommended for lovers of epistolary novels, fairy tales, and whimsical humor.

The Education of Bet

The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010
186 pages
YA; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

I'll admit that I picked this up partly because it looked short and I wanted a book I could get through quickly. But I kept reading because the story was so sweet and I really liked the characters.

Set in the early 1800s, Will and Elizabeth have largely grown up as siblings; both orphaned young, they were taken in by Will's uncle. At the start of the book, Will has just been expelled from his fourth school, rebelling against his uncle's expectations and desiring to join the army.  Meanwhile Bet bristles under her unusual upbringing which is not lady but not servant and craves the educational opportunities that Will scorns.  She then makes the crazy suggestion that she pretend to be Will so she can learn and he can join the army. Despite the many things that can go wrong, they set off on this path, each certain that they are destined for happiness.

Although this is a ludicrous scheme, I quickly got behind them on their quest because Bet and Will are just so likable.  Bet's goal is especially noble as she actually values her opportunity for education while most of the boys she meets scorn it. How would they feel if they had only the expectation to stay at home, sewing and taking care of the house? Whereas Bet relishes her lessons and the valuable information she learns.  I really liked their relationship as well as the presence of Will's uncle and their guardian.

There's an additional complication when Bet falls for her roommate, the unusual James Tyler.  He is a bit of an oddity at their school and personally I felt he was a little too good to be true but I liked him nonetheless. Because this is a largely upbeat book, expect a good ending for them.  Also expect to finish this in one sitting because it's short and very hard to put down!

Overall: A fun romp involving gender politics of 1800s England.

The Return of Captain John Emmett

The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011
440 pages
Mystery; Historical Fiction
4.5/5 stars

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

I wasn't entirely sure about this book when I started reading it-what was it about? Where was it set? Is John Emmett the main character? Thus I didn't have any expectations and was prepared to be blown away.

What I received was a historical mystery set around post-WWI London with a widowed discharged soldier, who physically survived, but who becomes entangled in a mystery surrounding the death of Captain John Emmett.  Emmett was a soldier who had kept himself at a distance from his family and friends; when he commits suicide after seemingly overcoming depression, his sister wants to know more about him.  Thus she enlists the widowed Laurence Bartram, a school friend of Emmett's, to investigate.  He, with the assistance of his delightful friend Charles (an avid consumer of mystery novels such as Agatha Christie's) discover a conspiracy surrounding Emmett's time in the war.

I don't want to spoil anything because this book was quite a delight for me.  Although I mostly read and review YA, I love mysteries and historicals, which this book combines.  I thought the writing was fantastic and it drew me deep into the book.  Although it's pretty long, the pacing was mostly spot-on and suspense was sustained.  I just wanted to know more and more about each character and his/her history.

My one complaint is about the solution to the mystery, which I don't think the reader could have solved.  We are about as blindsided as Laurence himself is and the conspirator then spends several chapters telling the backstory for his/her crimes.  I mostly enjoyed that but I think some people would find it long-winded and unnecessary.

Overall: Great book; I'm already looking forward to Speller's next book, The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton, which appears to be a sequel with Laurence Bertram.  It looks like it comes out this month for British readers; not sure about us Americans-we may have to wait.

Read for Ebook and British Book Challenge.

Awaken

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011
309 pages
YA; Dystopia
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received a free e-galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started out really enjoying this book.  Maddie seemed like a cool independent girl.  I was intrigued by her family life and her obvious intelligence and rebellious strike.

Interestingly the setting is 2060, less than fifty years from now.  There are many similarities in terms of technology but the big change is scope as people barely leave their houses, instead fulfilling their desires through technology and specially delivered food to their houses.  However I wonder about relationships.  People still seem to value marriage and I believe a courtship can be conducted through email and such but how do they have a married life when people can barely communicate in person?  And why does Maddie play soccer in real-life with an actual friend (who basically disappears from the plot once she hooks up with the guy) instead of just online?

The main problem, for me though, was the romance.

Have you ever heard that women either pick a guy who's like their father or is the exact opposite? Well, Maddie kind of follows that, falling for a distant, fanatical, controlling guy whose main distinctions from her father are that he fights against the Digital School that her father created and he's better at acting like he cares about her.  Justin is also very lecture-y, which is a trait I thought I could tolerate but it turns out that only Mr. Knightley may lecture his lady-love; all others should cease.

Their relationship began when Justin  invested three years in searching for the person who had hacked into her dad's computer and aided Digital School protestors.  Once he found her, he and his friends spent a lot of time attempting to win Maddie over to their side. Maybe they genuinely do like her (now) but their relationship was founded on lies. The result is that I normally want my books and series to end with a happy romantic attachment for the main character but in this case I would be happier if Justin ended up dumping Maddie once she could no longer help the cause.  She would be shattered but it would be fascinating and way different from most YA that I've read. 

Overall: Some interesting questions raised by this dystopia but it didn't make much of an impression on me.

Read for YA Debut Author Challenge and for e-book challenge.