ARC Review: Perfect Lies

by Kiersten White
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2014
232 pages
YA Paranormal Sisters
Scheduled to release February 18

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

Last year Mind Games won me over with its focus on a pair of sisters, its fast pace, and unusual structure. It also left me with a ton of questions that were going to require answers in this sequel in order to keep me engaged with the characters and story.

Again the sister-sister relationship is what pulled me in. As I continue to struggle with my limited attention span, it was difficult to straighten out the crazy timeline in this book (though that got simpler as more was revealed) but that connection between Fia and Annie sucks me in every time. In fact I would say that everything I like most about this book is due to that crazy connection. I'm pretty sure I relate so strongly just because I have a sister no matter how different our relationship is. I also feel pretty confident that if this relationship doesn't ring true for you, this book will be a difficult read.

Also you should definitely read Mind Games first and what you did or did not like in that book is pretty much here too. For example, the writing captures the twitchiness (for lack of a better word) of the characters and it feels like it was written in just as much of a whirlwind as Mind Games. It feels darker than White's earlier Paranormalcy trilogy due to the dark nature of the paranormal powers and how they have been directed. Furthermore there are the extremely difficult decisions the girls must face as they grapple with their "fate."

As for me, I wished for more answers to my questions and I'm not sure they were as answered as they could have been. However that killer portrayal of sisters has me hooked! Between that and the twisty timeline jumping narrative, I don't even really need anything else.

Overall: I think you will like this book if you enjoyed the first but best to avoid if not.

ARC Review: The Chaos of Stars

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
3.5/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
288 pages
YA Paranormal
Scheduled to release September 10

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

Having read every other title from White, of course I was going to read her latest. For some reason I keep wanting the title to be The Chaos of THE Stars-has anyone else made this slip?

Isadora is literally the daughter of gods-Egyptian gods that is; Isis and Osiris to be specific. As just another in a long line of children, she finds herself fed up with these gods and grasps at the chance for a "normal" life in America with other mortals like the gorgeous writer Ry. But no matter how far she goes, she can't escape family.

This book was a very mixed bag for me with some elements I really enjoyed and some that I felt were not utilized very well. We'll start with the positive, which was the take on Egyptian mythology. I have not read many books centered on Egypt at all so it was cool to get a brief introduction to some of the gods and goddesses. I by no means consider this a definitive interpretation but I appreciated it. Each chapter opens with a little snippet of Egyptian mythology focused on these gods, which felt very informative. Another bonus is that this seems to be a standalone though there is room to explore the world more especially through the character Ry.

As White shares in her author's note at the end, she wanted to look at what it is like when you realize your parents aren't perfect, which is well-represented in Isadora's angst throughout the book. Her story also follows her coming to terms with her own mortality. Though her parents are gods who will endure forever, she and her siblings must face death and Isadora initially finds that incredibly unfair and it plays a huge role in her resentment toward them especially toward her mother.

As usual, I found White's writing very chatty, casual, and easy to read. However while I enjoyed reading this, I also felt that for rather a long stretch of time, nothing much seems to be happening. Yes, Isadora is meeting some new people (including a boy) and learning more about herself but I felt like all the action was packed into just a few chapters at the end instead of well-paced throughout.

Well, and just in general, I don't find myself very enthusiastic about it. Did I adore the California setting? Very much. Did I think there was a neat premise? Yes. Did anything really stick out as something I hated? No. But was there anything that will keep this book firmly in my heart and memory? I don't think so. Still a nice lightweight book when you just need something fun!

Cover: Gorgeous! White has been very fortunate with covers and the stars are very appropriate!

Other Opinions:
My Friends Are Fiction
Punk's House of Books

ARC Review: Mind Games

Mind Games by Kiersten White
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
237 pages
YA Paranormal Suspense
Scheduled to release February 19

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

I think I've mentioned once or twice that I love books about sisters and then I've been a fan of White throughout her Paranormalcy series in addition to meeting her three times at book signings and following her blog. I also love stories told through flashbacks. So this book was kind of made for me!

Going in to the book, I had already skimmed a bunch of reviews (see some links below) and was prepared for a very different story from the Paranormalcy trilogy. Or at least I thought I was prepared.

I fell pretty quickly for sister one Fia, the younger unpredictable wild assassin. She is almost uncontrollable, laced with guilt, and pretty funny if not as quick with a quip as Evie. The other sister Annie is blind and kept locked up; love of Annie is Fia's motivation. As long as their captors have a grip on Annie, they can pretty much control all of Fia's actions. The ending of this book hints at a way Fia can fight back so we'll see what comes.

Why are the girls in captivity? Well their parents are deceased and their guardian had little interest in raising them. Their captors discovered Annie's ability to see the future and offered her a place at their school but Fia ended up being the real find with her perfect instincts. She can make winning stock picks, choose the unloaded gun, and do almost anything.

Besides the sisters, we meet a few other important characters. One is Eden, who can feel what others feel which Fia manipulates to amusing effect. The other two are boys. James is among the crowd who are keeping Fia and Annie contained; he and Fia have an incredibly complicated relationship. Adam is a boy Fia is supposed to assassinate in the beginning chapters but she finds herself unable to do so. He causes a fluttering of emotions in Fia and the push/pull of the two boys against the different parts of Fia's personality are fascinating to read. Because the book is short, I didn't feel like we got to spend as much time with them as I would have liked.

For the next book, for me to really become a fan, I will need more explanation of what Fia is fighting against. "Keane" is not a sufficient answer-who is Keane? Beyond desire for power, what is Keane's ultimate goal and motivation? I would also like to get a bit more insight into Annie-she came off as pretty weak and passive despite her attempts to be more and I would like her to be stronger. But despite these complaints, I will definitely be back for book 2!

Other Opinions: My blogging friends have talked about this a lot so I'm linking to more than usual
A Life Bound by Books-3.5/5
A Reader of Fictions-2/5
Beauty and the Bookshelf-Eh
Book Labyrinth-4/5
Reading Under the Willow Tree-5/5
The Book Lantern-1/5
The Midnight Garden-4/5
The YA Kitten-2.5/5

Endlessly

Endlessly by Kiersten White
4/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2012
385 pages
YA Paranormal

Source: Bought (an autographed copy!)

Possible spoilers for the first two books

First book Paranormalcy was one of my favorite reads of 2011; however Supernaturally left me a bit disappointed. How would Endlessly leave me? Although Paranormalcy remains my favorite of the trilogy, overall I thought Endlessly was a pretty good conclusion to the trilogy, bringing a satisfying end to Evie, Lend, and all the paranormal characters we've met over the course of the books.

The biggest surprise to me was the changing of my feelings for Reth and Jack, two characters I really didn't like. Somehow though I began to see them with different eyes and appreicate what they added to the story. I'm still confused how Reth is Evie's ex-boyfriend when it kind of seemed more like he preyed on her when she was vulnerable but that is what he has been called multiple times so this time I just let it go. As one of the fae, he is still playing a long con where he needs Evie but he also shows more of the effect being around humans has had on him. Jack meanwhile had pissed me off during his introduction but knowing what we know about him now, he was much more charming to me. They definitely have personality and charisma to keep you hooked!

Another great thing was that Evie and Lend are firmly together. She's not sneaking around and lying to him like she was in Supernaturally although their relationship is by no means easy. There are several new challenges but the two don't give up. However I did find Lend rather dull this go-around. I just don't know that he has much to him beyond his shape-shifting abilities and devotion to Evie, both cool things but certainly not enough to make me swoon in the best book boyfriend way.

Still with all these pluses, I almost feel like the novelty of this world has worn off. What charmed me in Paranormalcy did not this time. The humor didn't make me laugh as much and the world didn't feel fresh. I thought the book dragged a bit as I waited for Evie to make the decision she had to make and I grew a bit tired of her delaying that.

Overall: If you liked the first two books, you're going to want to finish the series. I definitely recommend reading all three back to back if you can.

Cover: Love the purple-this series certainly has great covers especially for those of us who are suckers for a pretty dress.

Supernaturally

Supernaturally by Kiersten White
HarperTeen, 2011
336 pages
YA; Paranormal
4/5 stars

Source: Bought

After loving Parnormalcy, I knew I would want to read Supernaturally posthaste. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one as much.  Although there is still humor, romance, and twists on paranormal tropes, I felt like Evie's climatic realization took too long. Everything she thought and felt in the last few pages was something I had been thinking and feeling while reading the book. Consequently, I was displeased with Evie and we were most definitely not on the same page.  I also think I liked the first book serving as an introduction instead of this book which felt like it was filled with angst.

So much angst. Angst over her relationship with Lend, angst over her application to Georgetown as the only possible outcome for a long-term relationship with Lend, angst over her abilities to suck out souls and her relationship with Lend.  I wanted Evie to be more kick-butt like in the first book; I mean, she barely used Tasey!

I guess in some ways though the angst really fits the description of a second book. Evie ended Paranormalcy having gotten what she wanted: out of IPCA, into Lend's arms, and set on the path of normal high school life. But in this second book, she finds out that she maybe doesn't want that life. High school is stultifying; IPCA does some good things and she'd like to be a part of that; and maybe Lend won't be with her because he will live forever and she will die a mortal death. So she has reasons for that angst. But she kept lying and keeping things from those she was closest to, preferring instead to find out more about her fairy heritage from the unstable character Jack, who is originally presented as a charming ne'er-do-well who takes a much darker twist later in the book.

Additionally there are some plot threads revolving around missing paranormals and Evie's suspicion over her boss's motives that aren't really addressed. I hope they will play a pivotal role in the third book but I feel discontent with the ending regarding that.  I did appreciate more background on Evie and her powers and there was still quite a bit of humor.

Overall: A bit disappointing to me; there was not enough adventure and too much angst for my satisfaction.

Book Signing-Kiersten White, Andrea Cremer, and Stephanie Perkins

I arrived at about 5:15 and was excited to see the poster advertising the event as well as quite a few people who had arrived before me.

I checked out where the event would be and there was a table set up for each of the authors as well as the boy they were promoting. According to a volunteer, they were doing a podcast in the back.

The table with the books

This didn't come out as well as I had hoped but if you can see, they renamed some of the items in the Barnes and Noble cafe to celebrate the release of the books.

Then the authors came out (quite promptly I believe although I didn't check my watch so I can't be certain).

This is Kiersten standing on a chair in order to be heard better, describing how the event would go. First each author read a short excerpt, then there were five questions, a quick chocolate giveaway and then the signing.

Reading from Supernaturally; I haven't started yet but it was somewhere in the middle with the introduction of a unicorn.

Andrea reading from Wolfsbane; I was a bit lost because I haven't read Nightshade yet (reviews for both of those books will be posted in August-I have the whole month planned out already!)

And Stephanie reading from Anna and the French Kiss; also clarification on the pronunciation of Etienne.

Overall, it was a very fun event and I'm so happy I got to attend and meet all three authors! Be sure to check back later for the winners of my giveaway.

Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
HarperTeen, 2010
335 pages
YA; Paranormal
4.5/5 stars
First in Trilogy

Source: Bought

Thoughts: After seeing almost universal acclaim for this book around the blogosphere, I knew I wanted to read this.  I was not disappointed because I mostly loved this book and I am super excited for the sequels.  I figured I would like it because I really enjoy her blog and I recommend that you follow it.

For me, the most outstanding part was the humor.  Most paranormal books I've seen are not intentionally humorous although there may be cheesy elements that make the ironic among us laugh.  This book is meant to make us laugh and is very successful.  Furthermore it combines a wide variety of magical creatures: werewolves, vampires, hags, faeries, mermaids, etc who live under the aegis of IPCA, a unique organization made possible mostly by the discovery of one little girl.

That girl is Evelyn or Evie.  When she was eight, it was discovered that she could see paranormal creatures despite the mask they might wear.  Since then she's lived in an IPCA center and helped them tag and track various paranormal creatures.   While she longs for a "normal" life like that depicted on her favorite teen soap drama, she is mostly happy with her life except for her fears of the faeries.  They can technically be controlled if their true name is known but they are exceptionally good at working around that especially Reth, a sort of one-time boyfriend of Evie's who is still obsessed with her and who frightens her.

Early on in the book, a mysterious teen named Lend is captured within the IPCA building.  He is a shape-shifter who treats Evie like just another teen, giving Evie her first real taste of human friendship and starts her questioning the role of IPCA as benevolent or malicious entity.  These thoughts are accelerated by a mysterious paranormal force who looks suspiciously like Evie.  She must find the courage to question all that she has ever known, look for love, and believe in herself.

I really liked Evie and Lend, separately and together.  She acts like a total girly-girl with her love of pink and sparkles but can take down a vampire pretty easily.  Lend shifts his appearance but she can see beneath his glamor to what he really looks like.  They challenge and complement each other very well.

Overall: Bleeping awesome-highly recommended!

Cover: What a pretty dress-can you tell that Evie has gray eyes? That's important.