Roomies

by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
4/5 stars
Little, Brown and Company, 2013
279 pages
YA Contemporary

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

When I saw that this book was told in alternating perspectives and incorporating the use of emails, I was immediately sold. That put me in mind of beloved childhood read PS Longer Letter Later by Ann M. Martin and Paula Danziger. Though I was disappointed to discover it wasn't told exclusively through emails, I still loved the idea of future college roommates connecting the summer before freshman year and being impacted by that relationship. I did have a roommate my first year in college and we roomed again sophomore year but we were never that close. Our interests sharply diverged and we tended to be more ships passing in the night instead of close friends, which is fine. She maintained a standard of cleanliness I could live up to and she didn't bring weird people back to our room. Sometimes I wish we could have been best friends but it is what it is.

Which rambling brings me to the girls in our story, who seem wildly different at first but who learn important lessons about relationships through their email correspondence in the waning hours of their pre-college life. In New Jersey, we have Elizabeth who is bubbly and looking forward to big changes in Berkeley. Her roommate to be is Lauren, the eldest of six children in San Francisco seeking peace and quiet. Both experience ups and downs with boys, friends, and family over this crazy summer.

As I've shared before in my reviews, I'm a reader who loves epistolary novels so that was a huge draw for me. I got excited every time one popped up and felt they were used pretty well. They didn't overwhelm the reader but they effectively moved the plot along and reflected each girl's personality. I am guessing each author wrote exclusively for one character and felt that this contributed to keeping them distinct. A complaint I've seen of some dual narrators written by one author is that they feel too much the same and that is definitely not the case here.

I think I did end up preferring Lauren with her seriousness and commitment of family but Elizabeth was also a good character to read about. I know I sometimes will vastly prefer one narrator to the other but it was almost equally balanced here. There are also some great secondary characters; for me, that would mostly be the love interests but Lauren's parents have some touching moments too.

Overall: A funny sweet story that touches on something I haven't read much of before (college roommates to be, who knew?) while also touching on universal relatable themes in an extremely readable writing style.

The Luminaries

by Eleanor Catton
4/5 stars
Little, Brown and Company, 2013
834 pages
Adult Historical Mystery Award-Winning

Source: Library

When perusing the shortlist for the Man Booker prize, this one immediately captured my attention and once it won, I requested it from the library, saving it for my trip when I could devote my attention to it. I think that was a good decision because I enjoyed myself immensely though I don't know that I necessarily understood the astrology underpinning the undertaking.

The book begins with a massive character list. I skipped over this as I usually do though I referenced it a bit as I started. I think my experience reading War and Peace was very helpful at the beginning as, instead of trying to commit every name and description to memory, I let them flow over me and as they were repeated, they got stuck in my head regardless.

In 1866 New Zealand, twelve men have gathered to discuss several mysterious possibly related circumstances when they are interrupted by a new man to town whose presence invites them to share their stories. The twelve men are of disparate circumstances with their own unique perspective on the events leading up to that night. They are concerned to varying degrees about the incidents: a wealthy man has disappeared, an opium-addict prostitute attempted suicide, and a fortune was discovered at the home of a dead man. If I tried to explain more, you'd lose the opportunity for it to unfold for you.

As you can see from the page count, this is a monstrous book and it definitely took me a while to get situated, to feel that I had any sort of grasp on the characters and setting. But it's also an enchanting book. Once I had committed to reading it, I was committed and I had to keep frantically turning the pages to reach the end. Though I'm not well-read in late nineteenth century literature, I noticed some tropes from the time such as the immoral woman and the abuse of opium. Everything seemed very grounded in the time period and I, an American, enjoyed the feeling of the Wild West as prospecting for gold is the common employment for many men in the story.

I don't feel very qualified to delve into the literary qualities of this book but suffice it to say that I found it pretty approachable if one takes one's time. It would be hard to read all in one day unless that was literally all you had to do that day. But it is certainly worth curling up with for several evenings and puzzling out its intricate plot along with the characters. I did feel that the ending could have been more concrete but I am a reader who likes every loose thread tied up; enough answers are provided to bring the story to a satisfying close and to keep me interested in reading more of Catton's work.

Trinkets

Trinkets by Kirsten Smith
4/5 stars
Little, Brown and Company, 2013
275 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Library

I think had seen this book around as an upcoming 2013 release but it really got my attention when one of my favorite bloggers reviewed it (obviously I'm talking about Jen Ryland; see below for link to her review). Her mention of its glossy portrayal of shoplifting and its aftereffects as well as the healthy dose of humor drew me to this book. Additionally there was the promise of strong female friendship and sweet romances. We so often agree and I had a good feeling about this.

All the aforementioned elements are present and I flew through this cute book. Not surprisingly Smith co-wrote some of my favorite films: 10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde, Ella Enchanted, and She's the Man in addition to other films and writing. While reading I just felt so comforted

The book is told through three alternating perspectives: poetic Elodie whose chapters are told in verse (which always makes for fast reading); spoiled popular Tabitha; and burnout rebel Moe. On the surface these girls are unlikely to even meet, let alone become friends. But that's exactly what happens when they're all enrolled in Shoplifters Anonymous and set a challenge to see who can steal the most; yeah, these girls aren't very repentant. Fortunately as the story moves, they do start to feel some guilt, they all make some pretty big changes in their lives, and all three become embroiled in very cute love stories.

These was just the kind of book I was craving-a light, frothy fast read that makes me smile while also demonstrating tremendous character growth. All of the girls steal and have problems with their parents and their friends (the first problem is a bit unusual but the other two are fairly common). Through their friendship, they discover what good friends look like, they confront the problems they have with their parents, and they reform themselves, donating their stolen goods to charity.

Overall: A very sweet satisfying story-if you liked the movies I mentioned above, you'll probably enjoy this book a lot.

Other Opinions:
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
KellyVision
Reading the Best of the Best

The Lucy Variations

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
3/5 stars
Little, Brown and Company, 2013
308 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Library

I haven't had the best of luck with Zarr books despite consistently finding her premises interesting (Once Was Lost was promising; How to Save a Life left me cold). Therefore I approached this new release with trepidation: yes, I loved the idea of dealing with music but how would I feel about the characters? As expected, I loved the music section but really struggled with main character Lucy and her trials and tribulations.

Probably my big problem with Lucy is one that's not even really her fault. As she often appears older than her sixteen years, is noted for her cosmopolitan behavior due to her unconventional career path, and as a reader who is a bit older than sixteen years, I wanted her to behave with a lot more maturity. I also wanted her crush, Will, her brother's older married piano teacher, to act with a lot more maturity as he skirted the boundary of appropriate friendship and flirtation far too much for my liking (and for his wife's liking). But all these factors contributed to me not really liking her. I tend to prefer books where I feel a connection with the main character-this is often because we have similar backgrounds (hey, I played piano too but nowhere near Lucy's level) but can be shaken when her actions differ from what I imagine my own would be and Lucy's did.

As for the other elements, another big part of the book is Lucy reclaiming her love of music. When she quit on stage before an important performance, her controlling grandfather said it meant that she quit piano forever. But while she felt burned out at that moment, it didn't mean she never wanted to play again. This also means standing up to family expectations of how she will live her life, which normally I can get behind but in this case since I didn't feel much for Lucy, I didn't want to invest that much in her growth.

My favorite part would definitely be in the beginning with her sweet little brother who now bears the family's expectations on his back. As the book progresses, he becomes more of a brat with his jealousy over Lucy and Will's relationship and presumably his own (unexplored) feelings about being expected to carry on the family's musical legacy.

Overall: Honestly I just feel like this was a book that left me cold-where I wanted to feel excitement and drama and anticipation, I didn't feel anything but ennui or frustration.

Other Opinions:
Books and Things
Chick Loves Lit
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Rather Be Reading
The Compulsive Reader

Etiquette and Espionage

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
4/5 stars
Little, Brown and Company, 2013
307 pages
YA Historical Paranormal

Source: Won from saz101-she hosted a giveaway, ordered the book the day I responded, and it arrived a mere two days later; it's only now that I've had a chance to add it to my schedule. Thank you so much :)

While I liked Soulless, the first book in Carriger's beloved Parasol Protectorate series, I had even higher expectations of this YA novel set in the same universe simply because YA is my category. And though I did like my venture into this universe a lot (especially because it's set at a finishing school or in other words, a boarding school), I found it a bit on the young side. I guess I'm just a bit picky!

Sophronia always seems to be getting into trouble, exasperating her mother to no end and leading to her enrollment in finishing school. But this is no ordinary finishing school; rather it is training its students to not only be ladies but to also be assassins and spies. Sophronia seems to have found her perfect home if only it wasn't for pesky older student Monique and her secrets that Sophronia is determined to unravel.

Honestly I don't think the plot is that important for this book. What is important is the general tone and spirit of this book which is lighthearted and just plain fun. It reminded me a bit of Ally Carter's Heist Society and Robin Benway's Also Known As except with a historical and paranormal setting. Sophronia is a positive heroine-although she is upper-class, she notices and befriends those who would be considered beneath her. Although she has her scrabbles with Monique, she is mostly friendly and tries hard. I'd be fine having her for a younger sister (I think).

Another great bonus is the setting. The finishing school is not content to remain on the ground but instead floats above and is capable of traveling around England, allowing Sophronia to get up to some hilarious hijinks (including a great scene in the school for boys). The stage is set for many more adventures and I look forward to reading them as well.

Other Opinions: Pretty universally loved :)
Candace's Book Blog
Katie's Book Blog
Reading Extensively
Short and Sweet

The Book Scout

The Rivals

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
4/5 stars
Little, Brown and Company, 2012
344 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Library

The Mockingbirds was one of my favorite reads so I was interested in reading the next installment. One of the issues I had (actually my only issue) was that the students undertook their own vigilante justice because they don't think the administration will do anything. I was horrified that the faculty and staff were not notified and neither were the police nor her parents when Alex was date raped (seriously, she never talks about/to her parents...I can't imagine not talking to my mom every day...is the boarding school setting really sufficient to erase the parental units?) Excitingly this book does tackle that issue.

It is now Alex's senior year and she has become the leader of The Mockingbirds but her first case is going to test the group. Unlike previous crimes which had a clear perpetrator and victim, a cheating scandal is brewing. Who is plotting this? Who would be considered the victims? And how are they going to gather evidence to shut this down?

Alex does reach out to the administration early on and receives the very clear message that they want their students to be successful. But no action is taken. Although I find it difficult to believe that these adults would be so blase, at least they were represented.  As for the vigilante aspect, Alex's attempts to explore the cheating ring draw her in deep and have her questioning that very thing. There are no easy answers, no black and white answers in the real world.

To add to all of that drama, Alex is trying to get in to Julliard and is having struggles with her boyfriend as a love triangle seems to pop up. As I ended up liking the other guy more (he has beautiful hands), this wasn't my favorite aspect. It also seemed to be a bit much on top of all the drama around the cheating. Additionally the love triangle just falters at the end; if it's going to play a role, I wanted it to play a bigger one (I might never be satisfied on this issue-if there had been more, I probably would have complained that it was dragged out for too long.)

Overall: A challenging sequel that delves deeper into the moral implications of vigilantism and justice, among others while deepening the characterizations of main character Alex and her friends.

Cover: My mom thinks the boy looks like Harry; I thought Louis but either way we both think he looks like a boy from One Direction, which is quite frankly a weird direction (haha) to take this cover. Females are the most important characters so why isn't a girl on the cover?

Winter Town

Winter Town by Stephen Emond
3.5/5 stars
Little, Brown and Company, 2011
331 pages
YA Contemporary Graphic Novel

Source: Library

I'm not sure it's entirely accurate to call this a graphic novel as the majority of the book is told through words. However there are excerpts from the comic created by the two main characters that play a significant role in the narrative (and were personally my favorite part) so I decided to include that above in my categorizing.

I picked this up because I remember seeing posts about it at the end of last year but then I feel it kind of got lost in the holiday busyness as well as anticipation for the many awesome 2012 releases. So when I was looking for a contemporary read at my library, this caught my fancy.

I had an incredibly difficult time getting started, putting this book down several times to pursue other reading material and only finishing it the day before it was due back at the library. I can't quite put my finger on what the problem was. Evan is normally the kind of character I like to read about (and can easily identify with): straight-A student, kind of nerdy, tight-knit family, "normal." But I just didn't click with him or his struggles to reconnect with his best friend Lucy who only comes to visit for about two weeks over winter break.

However about halfway through the narration shifts from third-person focus on Evan to third-person focus on Lucy and I found myself much more intrigued. I don't know if this is me generally being better able to identify with female narrators or if after so much of Evan's speculation about Lucy's state of mind, I was thrilled to get to hear about it straight from the source. Her section opens with exactly what has been preoccupying Lucy during the previous chapters, many unpleasant events that threaten their fragile relationship.

I can't say I was a big fan of the ending as I found it a bit ambiguous if optimistic for my taste. I would have liked something more concrete, cementing that final scene for the future. Spoilers avoided for general audience but if you've read this, hopefully it makes sense to you.

As I said above, my favorite part was the inclusion of a comic drawn and written by Evan and inspired by Lucy and his' childhood imaginations. We get a little taste in-between chapters but I wanted more!

Overall: I feel like the book blurbs make this seem like more of a romance whereas it felt more like a coming of age book that just happened to involve some romantic feelings as happens. If it's going to be billed as a romance, then it really needs to be a romance for me.

Cover: Cool-with the role of paper, it is fitting that the "snow" at the bottom is composed of the paper punched out by a hole puncher.

Why We Broke Up

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
Art by Maira Kalman
Little, Brown and Company, 2011
338 pages
YA; Contemporary
3.5/5 stars

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

While the cool concept of this book may have caught the eye of some, I was drawn by Daniel Handler. As you may or may not know, his pseudonym is Lemony Snicket and he is thus author of the beguiling Series of Unfortunate Events. I loved the first couple of books but still haven't got around to books 12 or 13 as the fun ran out.  A similar event happened here.

The concept is that Min is writing to her ex-boyfriend Ed, telling him why they broke up while detailing the objects and events of their relationship.  My first flag was that their relationship lasted from October 5-November 12, just over a month. Is a relationship of that length really worth a book-long screed? Especially a relationship of high-schoolers who are ostensibly restricted by school, extracurriculars, and parental guidance.

But I was swept away by Min's charming narration. Ed and his gang of athletes think of Min as different and compared to them, she is. She's whimsical, passionate about movies, and she seems like her own person. While the basketball players (and their girlfriends) are just like the all-too-typical depictions of popular kids, Min stands apart with her witty quips and her unusual object associations.  She viewed the world differently.

I assume that is also part of the reason why she meticulously detailed the history of their relationship through the rather large collection of items she amassed during their short relationship. Alas as the possessor of an ARC, the artwork was not fully complete. That will be a reason to pick up the finished copy as I look forward to seeing what is only hinted at by the words.  The words that do go on and on and on; frequent run-on sentences and a chatty tone originally charmed me but by the end, I was ready to break up with the book itself.

Overall: Ended up being too much: in style and length.

How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Little, Brown and Company, 2011
341 pages
YA; Contemporary
3/5 stars

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

I've only read one of Zarr's books but was impressed by its depiction of religion and having seen buzz in the blogosphere for her in general I knew I wanted to read another book by her. Thus I requested this book. However this one didn't work for me.

The main reason would be that it is a character-driven novel, told in alternating points of views between Jill and Mandy. Jill's father died months ago, hitting especially hard due to their similar personalities. Her way of coping has been to shut people out and be even more mean than she already was. One of her targets is her mother who has decided to move forward by adopting a baby. Specifically Mandy's baby. Mandy has had a tough life with her mother, moving between the mother's various boyfriends and being raised with very sexist attitudes about relationships and how to comport one's self. My main impression of the girls was that Jill was mean and Mandy was embarrassingly young and naive; however the girls also had other unpleasant traits. I just couldn't stand them, which is unfortunate as I found most of the supporting characters quite likable.

Jill's friends and coworkers as well as her mother were extraordinarily patient with her even as she tried her hardest to push them away. The few people shown in Mandy's life were awful but they show how she was shaped even I would have expected her to be a bit smarter due to their treatment of her.

Still the writing is quite good even if the themes about family were a little overdone and the events of the book were predictable. Perhaps if the narrators appealed to me more, I would have been more swept away with the journey and less concerned about when the end would come.

Overall: A character-driven novel with awful characters, who annoyed me. Not the book for me.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Little, Brown and Company, 2011
420 pages
YA; Fantasy
4/5 stars

Source: Received an advance reading copy through Amazon's Vine program.

Spoilers in the later part of the review:

This book has been pretty heavily hyped with loads of raves; although I'm not as in love with the book as others, I did enjoy it a lot and feel comfortable recommending it to others with the caveat that it's probably for older YA-16 and up.

Anyway the first part is absolutely enchanting. We're introduced to main character Karou who lives in Prague (I don't think I've ever read a book set there) and is an art student there with her best friend Zuzana.  The twist is that although she appears as a mostly normal if eccentric student with her her blue hair and numerous tattoos, she lives an otherworldly life with fantastical creatures known as chimera as her only family.  However something is happening; invaders are arriving and everything that Karou thinks she knows may be false as she learns of the sustaining force behind the chimera and discovers love with an ancient enemy.  The world created was very inventive and exciting-little bits are revealed to us in the beginning and I loved trying to piece them together and guess where Taylor was taking the story.

Now we get to the spoilery part. Unfortunately the later parts suffer first from a romance where I only liked one partner and detested the other (Akiva is presented as the enemy of Karou and all she stands for; I can't just switch my allegiance and start liking him instantly like she does; also he essentially killed Brimstone, my favorite character who I can only hope escaped death and will reappear in the second book-he was amazing). Of course she kind of has a reason for that instant connection building rapidly to love. She has the soul of his earlier love and they had previously hoped for a better future. She wanted peace and stood for hope. He is a killer, practically a machine until she shows him a better place and then after her death, he promptly forgets that promise on a quest for vengeance. I really do not like Akiva.

So I didn't like that plot element and I wasn't a huge fan of the narration method as the last part flashes back in time to share the love story of Karou's first body Madrigal and Akiva. I liked that love story more than Karou/Akiva but it felt weird. I guess that's because I don't think I've ever read another story framed like this and it was too different for me. I recognize my limitations as a reader.

Overall: The first section was amazing but the rest of the book did not live up to that promise in my opinion. I am eager to give the second book a try to spend more time with Karou and hopefully with one of my favorite characters.

Circle of Fire

Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink
Little, Brown and Company, 2011
359 pages
YA; Historical; Paranormal
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

As the conclusion to the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy, I approached this book with trepidation. On the one hand, I adored the first book Prophecy of the Sisters; it was one of the first books I reviewed on my blog and I had nearly complete praise for the book. But then I read the second book, Guardian of the Gate and was dismayed, mainly because of a blah new love interest and the feeling that this second book was useless filler.  Thus my excitement for book three was tempered with the knowledge that the aforementioned love interest continues to appear as the love interest even as I wanted to see the conclusion of this battle royale between sisters.

I'll start with what I liked, which was the relationship of the sisters. Lia and Alice are still committed to their respective causes and there is much more of Alice than in Guardian of the Gate.  I enjoyed their sparring the most. They also bring up important questions about the nature of good and evil as well as insights into the sister-sister relationship as well as interactions with the parental units.  Another aspect I liked was Lia's friendship with the four Keys. Each is different and some are more fleshed out than others but I liked that part.

I also mostly enjoyed the journeys although again it all reminded me of the Lord of the Rings films. Now I love those films but I wish it hadn't evoked them so strongly. Maybe that's just me being super weird though?

Now on to what I didn't like...it may be a longer list but it mostly stems from disappointment. I loved the first book but found the rest of the trilogy to be lacking in multiple areas.

First, I didn't have this problem with the earlier books but I felt like the writing was more formal and awkward. I understand that historical fiction aspires to be different from the more casual contemporary style but it was jarring in this particular book.

Second was Lia herself. She seemed to flip-flop in some ways. She'd say that her power was growing and she had a better grasp on her abilities but then she'd turn around and say that her power was weakening and they had to attempt to break the curse at the first attempt. Which was it? Was she strong and powerful or dying? In general it seemed to be the latter, but it was not consistent and it annoyed me.

Then there's Dimitri, who was introduced in the second book and who I had thought might be a spy/traitor. Something about him just didn't sit right with me and I felt safe reserving judgment. However he is in this book again as the Lia's love interest and I still hated him. On the one hand, he's not really a jerk, which is always great to see in YA lit; it's kind of scary how much non-jerky boys are missing. However he seemed too perfect and I was never able to shake my suspicions. If you like Dimitri, you will probably enjoy their love scenes as they are definitely more adult but I hated them. What was the point in making me like James if Zink was just going to shove him aside?!

A question for readers of the trilogy: What would have happened had Lia or Alice committed suicide or just died young? When their mother died, the curse passed to these girls. But neither has had twin daughters yet. From one line in the book, I think the curse would pause until a new family was chosen but I am unsure. Do you have any theories?

So Overall: Mixed feelings. I don't feel like the rest of the trilogy lived up to the promise of the first book. However I would still recommend it, with caveats, to people looking for a different kind of paranormal and who can appreciate historical elements.

Cover: So I really loved the original cover of the first book and have been much less impressed with these covers; definitely preferred the turned face for book 2 over the head-on shot of this book.

Bitter End

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
Little, Brown and Company, 2011
354 pages
YA; Contemporary; Issues
3/5 stars

Source: Library

My younger sister actually checked this book out of the library because she likes darker YA. Although she didn't like it, I decided to give it a try because I knew how acclaimed Jennifer Brown's Hate List was.  Well, I should have listened to her.

The relationship between main character Alex and her abusive boyfriend Cole was well-done. Alex is vulnerable and craving love after the death of her mother and the splintering of her family. Cole seems charming and also a product of a broken home, meaning that they seem to understand each other. Cole loves her poetry, she loves his music, and everything seems great. Except of course for my feelings of dread as I knew the book was about an abusive relationship.

Besides the inherent brutality of a physically abusive relationship, which was very hard to read (I may have done some skimming), these kinds of books are hard for me to read because I want to believe that people can change, that mistakes are made but also learned from. But Cole has been an abuser in at least three relationships and seems unlikely to change, which is just so sad to see in a human being. As you may be able to see, I wanted to like Cole because he did have the ability to be very charming even as his true colors were revealed. And he did have make some good points.

Because I agreed with Cole about Alex's friends-they suck. They are immature and annoying. It seemed like they were friends because they had all lived next to each other and had known each other for ages; are proximity and history really good reasons to be friends? Bethany was shockingly nondescript for someone who is supposed to be a best friend. I could not form a picture of her and I would forget about her whenever she wasn't around.

Meanwhile Zach was so annoying, way too flirty, and from what the book showed, obviously in love with Alex. Why was he always trying to tickle and touch her?  Obviously Cole's expression of his uncomfortableness with Zach was taken too far but I would have been uncomfortable with such a flirty relationship between my boyfriend and his female friend.  Additionally Zach finds out early about some of Cole's bad traits but instead of trying to have a sober conversation with Alex, he attempts to threaten Cole and just tells Alex that Cole's a jerk. Nothing to support that accusation and it did make Zach look like the bad guy. I think there's a problem when the reader hates the friends who are supposed to help the abusee more than the actual abuser.

This book just did not work for me; I would recommend Stay by Deb Caletti and especially Dreamland by Sarah Dessen for a superior reading experience (My sister, also agrees with me on these recommendations-so that's two of us urging you to read these other books.)

Ash

Ash by Malinda Lo
Little, Brown and Company, 2009
264 pages
YA; Fairy-tale; Fantasy
4/5 stars

Source: Library

I heard that this was sort of a lesbian Cinderella story and given my love for all retellings of Cinderella, I wanted to read this.

Although there are threads of Cinderella running throughout (such as the main character's nickname Ash and her propensity for falling asleep in the cinders such that she becomes covered in them), there is also another mythology surrounding magic and fairies, both the appeal and the dangers of them.  I thought they were woven together pretty well but I've seen other reviews where they thought the focus should be on just one.

I really liked the love story because Ash and her love interest Kaisa, the King's Huntress, spend a lot of time together, talking about their lives and their interests.  It's not a love at first sight like the original Cinderella story but a slow companionable love.

My complaint is about the pace; I felt that it took too long for the meat of the story to kick in.  Admittedly the beginning is very atmospheric and sets up threads that are expanded on later in the story but it didn't seem to be going anywhere.  Luckily I stuck to the book for a great addition to my Cinderella retellings collection.

The Thin Executioner

The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan
Little, Brown and Company, 2010
483 pages
YA; Fantasy; Adventure
5/5 stars

Source: Library

This is a book I would have never read if not for the Overlooked Book Battle. Which means that I am very grateful to whoever nominated it because I loved this book!

I began uncertainly because the world in which Jebel lives is very cruel.  There is a warrior society and all Jebel wants is to succeed his father as the executioner and marry the beautiful Debbat Alg.  Unluckily both of his older brothers are stronger and more obviously warriors than he is.  However when he feels shamed by his father, he makes the rash decision to journey to the mountain of the fire god Sabbah Eid to request invincibility.  He acquires a slave Tel Hesani, who will be sacrificed to the god and they set off.

Jebel is cocky, proud, and closed-minded at the beginning of his journey.  He looks down on slaves and feels no compassion, which would be defined as weakness in his society. But Tel Hesani faithfully serves him as they embark on their adventure.  He is a peaceful man who came on the quest in order to save his family even though he knows it means his death.  As they experience incredible hardships, Jebel learns some important lessons and begins to rethink his entire outlook on life.

I really had no expectations with this book.  It looked long (it is) and like a "boy" book (fitting since there is only a smidgen of romance and a great deal of killing and even cannibalism).  However I flew through the book as I was kept in a constant state of suspense and it's not at all fair to reduce the potential audience for this book or to generalize that there's one kind of book preferred by boys and one kind preferred by girls (we all like lots of different things.)  I ended up blown away by the incredible plot and characters.  Jebel's character transformation made me so happy and the villainous characters who appear really freaked me out at times (cannibalism!)

Also apparently the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn served as inspiration although as I haven't read that, I can't comment.  There is also possibly some political commentary as two trickster traders are named Blair and Bush; I'm not entirely sure what it might mean but I can say to be wary of their intentions.

Overall: A good reminder to not judge a book by its cover/plot summary! Highly recommended!

Cover: His eyes are scary but I like the fonts.

Guardian of the Gate

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
Little, Brown and Company, 2010
340 pages
YA; Historical; Fantasy
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: Now that Lia knows about the battle between herself and her twin sister Alice, she is doing everything she can to prepare herself for the final battle.  She searches for more information and to develop her powers.  Betrayal, magic, and power lust fill the pages as the sad truth is revealed: only one sister will be left standing.

The Prophecy of the Sisters was one of the first books I reviewed, way back in December 2009 and I was very eager for this, the second book, but I am only just now getting to it.  In short, I was disappointed.  My biggest disappointment is a SPOILER but I have other reasons. However there were still some things I liked so I'll start with those.

For the most part, the book reminded me of LOTR: FOTR because Lia goes on a journey to Altus with a few companions, receives healing and shelter there with elegant creatures, and then resumes her journey.  When I was picturing most everything about this, I used visuals from the film.  Now while I mention those similarities, I don't think it was copying or referencing LOTR; that's just what my mind imagined.

I still mostly like Lia, whose troubles just keep increasing as we prepare for the final confrontation.  Edmund plays an increased role while Sonia and Luisa are still here.  A few new characters are also introduced (see spoiler for the most important one).

And now we come to the negative.  Because Lia and Alice are separate, there is not much of Alice which is unfortunate because the few scenes where they're together were great.  Alice as a character still does not have much of a personality beyond her desire for power and to destroy Lia but I still was intrigued by her.

In general, it also took too long for things to happen.  I kept waiting and waiting for something to occur to push forward toward the finale but it didn't.  There is some progress made in the later pages but it took too long to get there. I enjoyed the writing and the descriptions but I didn't need as much as I was given; I would have preferred more action.

SPOILER:

My biggest source of discontent was the new relationship Lia formed with Dimitri.  I really liked James in the first book despite his limited presence and Lia for the most part just brushes aside thoughts of him for the "dreamy" Dimitri. Well, you know what? I don't like Dimitri and every instance where she thought about him, kissed him, touched him, made me like her a bit less. I also remain a bit suspicious of him although there are no outright reasons to be so.

END SPOILER

Overall: It is a must to read these books in order but this seems like a filler book in between the world-building of the first book and the ultimate showdown in the third. It would be necessary to read this but I didn't really enjoy it.

Cover: I also don't really like the redesigned covers; I found the original first cover appropriately creepy and the new covers with the faces are less to my taste. The cover model is very pretty though.

Fixing Delilah

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
Little, Brown and Company, 2010
308 pages
YA; Contemporary; Family
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: Eight years ago Delilah's mother, aunt, and grandmother had a big fight causing the daughters to never speak to their mother again and for them never to return to the idyllic summer cottage where the grandmother lives.  Then comes her death and the reunion of the three Hannaford women as Delilah attempts to unravel the secrets of that summer and of her family.

Thoughts: This is my first Sarah Ockler although I definitely want to read Twenty Boy Summer.  The first pleasing instance in this book was the discovery that there is a character named Stephanie...who is alas dead.  However I liked seeing a story that was focused on family.  Delilah and her mother used to be close but her mother's work takes up so much time that their relationship is highly fractured.  Plus as Delilah acts out, their inability to communicate drives them further apart.  The summer spent preparing for an estate sale at the grandmother's house helps patch up part but does not completely heal their relationship, which I found very realistic.

Less realistic (and less pleasing to me) was the romance between Delilah and Patrick.  Patrick and Delilah had been best friends all those years ago and they pick up their relationship and fall for each in a way that was almost too perfect.  He's a great guy and I highly approve of the nice not-creepy guy with his own ambitions who wants to support his love interest in her pursuits (whenever she figures them out) being featured as the love interest.  But the fact that eight years later he still thinks of her and misses her seemed unrealistic, especially due to their age difference (two/three years).  Are we to seriously believe there were no other girls around who might have turned his head?  Regardless I did like Patrick a lot.

One very important issue in the book is mental illness, specifically depression as Stephanie and Grandmother had it and dealt with it in their own ways.  I feel like that's such an important topic and so easily stigmatized in today's culture. I thought Ockler handled it well and gave the reader insight into that depression while also creating characters who had other facets to their personality.

I was so excited about the family secret that tore apart the family because I figured out what it was way before the official reveal.  Of course I also thought Delilah way overreacted; however that reaction is in character for her even as I saw her actions damage her relationship with her mother and with her sort-of boyfriend Patrick.

One slightly off-topic question: Patrick has amber eyes.  I feel like I've read quite a few YA books where the boy has amber eyes-why is that so popular? I don't want to insult anyone with amber eyes but what's wrong with brown? or blue? or (cause I'm a sucker for it) a freckled redhead with green eyes?

Read as part of the Contemps Challenge

The Mockingbirds

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Little, Brown and Company, 2010

332 pages

YA; Contemporary

4.5/5 stars

Contemps Challenge

Source: From my sister

Summary: Alex wakes up naked in a bed with no memory of how she got there and a naked boy next to her. Her life at her beloved boarding school is shattered. Feeling she has no recourse through the school's administration or the police, she turns to the Mockingbirds, the hand of justice at the school.

Thoughts: I really loved this book.  Alex was a very sympathetic character; she loves piano and Beethoven and is a pretty good student.  She likes to have fun with her friends and her favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip just like me.  She did make some very stupid mistakes that led to the date rape and I was appalled by her behavior after, in that she didn't want to go to the police (see later paragraph).  But overall I liked her and it was easy to be on her side.  I liked seeing her friends and later a love interest who supported her implicitly even if they weren't as vividly drawn as Alex.

The part of the book that probably has most intrigued potential reader is the club the Mockingbirds.  The rules and regulations of the Mockingbirds captivated me.  The machinations within the club seemed very well-designed to avoid corruption, to preserve a system of checks and balances, and to implement justice to the aggrieved. Of course the name comes from To Kill a Mockingbird with the beloved character Atticus Finch's sense of right and wrong inspiring its founding.

The only part I didn't really like was because I was very uncomfortable with their system of justice: not including the school or police concerned me-I would have liked to see the students reaching out and trying to incorporate them in the process.  I have trouble believing that the school wants date-rape and such to occur there and Alex's insistence that the police not know about a crime really bothered me.

The author's note revealed that Daisy Whitney was date-raped herself.  I'm amazed at her strength in standing up for herself after it happened and to promote awareness through her writing.

Overall: A powerful read-highly recommended.

Cover: Nice cover although I've seen better.

The Disappearing Spoon

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
Little, Brown, and Company. 2010
346 pages
Non-fiction; Science
4.5/5 stars

Source: Library (I was browsing through the stacks despite the massive pile I had already checked out and I remembered hearing about this somewhere so I grabbed it)

Summary: The subtitle is "And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements," which I think does a pretty good job of summarizing what this is about.

Thoughts: The best part of this book is that Kean clearly loves the subject.  He is so passionate and he shares that he's been collecting these stories for much all his life.  His particular fascination is with mercury but he covers all the elements (I think) at least once, whether it's its initial discovery or with a new use that it's been put to.

I would also say that he does a good job of breaking down the science bits.  I'm a history person and there is some history here but there is more explanation of the chemistry and physics of the elements.  I'm not sure I understand everything but I know more now than I did before starting the book.

The stories themselves are really interesting and he also gives recommendations of some other books to give a try which I have added to my list.

Explanation of Title: (Not a spoiler, it's on the dust jacket) Apparently gallium melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit.  Thus some pranksters would take it and mold it into a spoon.  They would serve it with tea and watch their guests' baffled expressions when the spoon disappeared.

Overall: Enjoyable and approachable science/history book.

Cover: I like the incorporation of the spoon and the green seems sciencey.  I think I would have liked to have seen part of the periodic table though.

When Everything Changed

When Everything Changed by Gail Collins

Little, Brown and Company, 2009

405 pages

Non-fiction

Source: Library

Summary: It's basically in the subtitle-the journey of American women from 1960 to the present.

Thoughts: This book is written exactly the way I like my non-fiction-very conversational with many short sections so that I can read a page or two in between stuff. It begins with an anecdote about a woman thrown out of traffic court for wearing slacks in the 1960s and relates many other stories about the women's movement, the backlash, and how far we've come/highlighting how far there still is to go. Particularly scary to me was the lack of assistance given to families who need help with childcare. I was in daycare for the first ten years of my life and my parents must have paid a fortune for it!

Overall: 4.5/5. While women have made tremendous progress, there is still room for improvement in balancing family and work and societal expectations of gender.

Cover: I love seeing Hillary and Michelle on the cover!