Review: Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff

Title: Kinslayer
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Thomas Dunne
Publication Date: September 17, 2013
Series: The Lotus War #2
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

A SHATTERED EMPIRE
The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously – by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.

A DARK LEGACY
Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM
Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat.

The ghosts of a blood-stained past.

What the fucking fuck.

I just can't even process some of this shit right now.

It's all crazy madness. Some of it is cool madness. And some of it is I-don't-know-how-to-take-this madness. There are surprises. Good ones. Bad ones. No punches held. The stuff that goes down in Kinslayer has me simultaneously needing the next book and wanting to take this whole year or whatever between books to try to figure out what the hell I think about the stuff I just read.

Some of these characters, man. Michi is beyond amazing and the culmination of her story arc in this installment is just so hardcore freaking badass that I don't know if I can handle it. We get a new character, Hana, who is just so likable and also with the surprises. All these little fuckers wanted to surprise me. KIN. His story had the most WTFery. I don't think the reader gets the whole story with him in this book. At least, we better not have. Because reasons. I am having the most difficulty processing his Stuff than anyone else's. Yukiko and Buruu are awesome but I don't know if I got enough Buruu snark in this one, since he and Yukiko share the spotlight with more of the other characters and Yukiko is having some issues with the Kenning. But Yukiko's situation in this probably rivals Kin's for making me concernicus. I admit to some tad irritation on my part by Yukiko's story in this one. It's due to a peeve of mine. It's a maybe weird peeve, so don't go getting all worried about it. It's not a vampire or a love triangle or a penchant for assholes who want to kill/eat her. I just can't talk about it specifically because spoilers. It's probably a good thing Michi and Hana are so WTF badass and Kin is so WTF (and maybe kinda a little bit badass?). But I'm hoping for things. Stuff. To be resolved in a way that makes me cheer for it even if it isn't necessarily happy. We do get some hints of Buruu past, though, and that is pretty awesome. Because Buruu.

But you may not want to read this if you don't want to read about people betraying the fuck out of people, or about bloody guts and burning guts and loose guts and more guts and lady balls and murder and betraying (yeah, more of it) and explosions and murder and attempted murder and blood and torture and black vomit and betrayal (YES, MORE OF IT). There are no cuddly bunnies. If there were, their intestines would probably be hanging out at some point. Proceed if you like gore, but be careful because one of these fuckers will probably betray you.

4 point fucking 5

I don't usually curse this much in my reviews, but shit.

Review: Five Summers by Una LaMarche

Title: Five Summers
Author: Una LaMarche
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: May 16, 2013
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers (ARC)

Four best friends, five summers of camp memories.

The summer we were nine: Emma was branded "Skylar's friend Emma" by the infamous Adam Loring...

The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth...

The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle...

The summer we were twelve: Skylar's love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us - except Skylar...

Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie's secret. Skylar did something unthinkable...and whether we knew it then or not, five summers of friendship began to fall apart.

Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend - and a second chance.

Five Summers is a sweet summertime book about friendship and drifting apart and coming back together again. I enjoyed it a good bit, but it didn't really give me everything that I was hoping for.

The point of view alternates between the four girls, and the timeline is nonlinear, moving between past and present. The book feels as though it is about Emma more so than the other girls - it starts and ends with Emma's point of view, and more chapters focus on Emma and Skylar and their relationship than on Jo and Maddie. Jo and Maddie are probably my favorites though, so the imbalance had me craving a little more of them and feeling as though their relationship was maybe the more interesting one. Sympathizing with Skylar was a little difficult for me, but the other girls won me over pretty easily.

The plot centers around the girls' attempt at rekindling their friendship after they've slowly drifted apart over the years. The flashback chapters are wonderful because they allow the reader to see this wonderful friendship that they are trying to regain, while also showing some old baggage that they probably need to move past. The conflict involves secrets, lies, and boy drama. There are plenty of issues that exist in Five Summers, but they are not really explored much outside of how they directly affect the girls' friendships with one another. I'd have liked to see these other things delved into a bit more in order to show more of the personal growth in each of the girls, but it doesn't bother me too much that they weren't since the focus of the book is on friendship and the omission of anything too heavy allows the story to sit more on the heartwarming side of the spectrum.

While I enjoyed Five Summers, I did want a little bit more from it as far as emotions and really getting into the girls' heads. Five Summers is a charming friendship book, though, and would make a nice addition to a summer book reading pile. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet little beach read, a book with a camp/lake setting, or a book about friendship - particularly friendships between females.

Review: Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Title: Strands of Bronze and Gold
Author: Jane Nickerson
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Random Buzzers (ARC)

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Strands of Bronze and Gold started off slowly and took a while to get from kinda strange to full-blown creeptastic. Sophie started off on the addlebrained side but improved about the same time the creep factor did. Once the sinister mood that I was looking for came into play and Sophie began to grow less enamored and more panicked, I think that the story became more Gothic in nature and thus ended up being a pretty successful Bluebeard retelling. It is predictable, but I'm not going to hold that against a retelling. I liked several of the secondary characters, particularly Gideon and Odette.

Gideon made me happy because, as Sophie says, "He certainly didn't resemble the heroes of romantic novels. Far from it. But the very qualities that made him unlike most fictional love interests endeared him to me all the more. Kindness is undervalued in written romances." I do wish he had gotten more scenes, but his time on the page was successful in endearing him to me and I felt he and Sophie had a believable relationship growth for the time period.

The historical setting lends to the mood of the story pretty well. The writing is good and I enjoyed much of the dialogue. There are some nice themes floating about in the pages. I just wish the plot hadn't started off so slowly, because it did take about 125 pages (out of ~340) before I got to the point where I really wanted to keep reading. Up until that point, I would just read a chapter here and there. A little tightening up of the first third or so of the story could have probably had me devouring the suspense much sooner.

If you're looking for a different sort of retelling with a sinister edge to it and don't mind being patient in the beginning, then this is a nice option. I do recommend reading the Grimm's Bluebeard fairy tale before picking this book up, as it's really short and can be read online, and I'm a firm believer in knowing the background material.

YA Murder Mystery Giveaway

Hey there, fellow bookworms! Thanks to EgmontUSA and Media Masters Publicity, I have a couple of great mystery books by Kate Ellison to give away to one lucky winner! Want to know more about the books? Have a look:

Notes From Ghost Town

They say first love never dies...

When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it's only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death.

There's a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there's a good chance she's losing her mind completely--just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn't really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It's the only way she can save herself.

Amazon | Goodreads

The Butterfly Clues

Seventeen-year-old Penelope "Lo" Marin has always collected beautiful things. Since her brother's untimely death, her collection has become an obsession. When she finds an antique butterfly necklace that belonged to a murdered girl at a flea market, she impulsively steals it and becomes fixated. As Lo delves deeper into the life of this girl she feels an otherworldly connection to, she finds herself in the middle of a violent underworld of crime, drugs and sex. But the more questions she asks, the more danger she is in. Can Lo uncover the killer's identity, or will she become the next victim?

Amazon | Goodreads

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About Kate Ellison

Kate Ellison is the critically acclaimed author of The Butterfly Clues. She spent a lot of time as a child, in Baltimore, pretending to be things she wasn't: a twin, a telekinetic, a benevolent witch with a box full of magical stones, a spy, a soccer player. She trained as an actor in Chicago and has walked across the entire country of Spain. She is a painter and jewelry-maker, and has at least one artist friend who really does keep his true name a secret from the world. He told her, but don't ask her to tell you—she's not gonna do it. Kate lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Website

Character Interview: Sophie from Strands of Bronze and Gold

What's up y'all? Today I have an interview with Sophie, the protagonist in Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson, and a giveaway to share with you. But first, a little info on the book, which is a retelling of Grimm's Bluebeard fairy tale:

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Amazon | Goodreads

An Interview with an Adventurous Young Lady

“The Girls’ Friendly Companion of New England” takes this opportunity to interview a young lady who is about to commence a considerable journey. Seventeen-year-old Miss Sophia Petheram, of Boston, is shortly to leave the bosom of her loving family to travel the great distance southward to Mississippi, a destination that many in the more long-settled regions of our great country consider “the back of beyond.”

Q. Miss Petheram, will you tell our gentle readers what causes you to launch on this undertaking?

SP: My dear father passed away during the spring, and so my godfather and guardian, Monsieur Bernard de Cressac—along with his wife, of course—has invited me to come live with them at their home. It’s a house with a name—isn’t that charming? Wyndriven Abbey. He wrote once that it was brought all the way across the ocean from England. In pieces, of course.


Q. And is your guardian well-known to you?

SP: Not in person. He only came to our home once when I was a mere babe, and of course I do not remember that meeting, and neither do my siblings. It makes him quite mysterious. My brother Harry calls him my fairy godfather, and plagues me by descriptions of M. de Cressac as an ogre with tusks of pure gold. Harry is a silly goose. But my father knew my guardian from long ago and says he is a distinguished gentleman.  I do feel I know him, though, through his letters to me. Such lovely letters. Through the years he has written of his travels and explorations with great detail. He even penned fanciful little tales in which I was the heroine.  And that he would take so much time for a motherless little girl, makes me believe he is a person composed of kindness itself.  And then there’s the delightful gifts.


Q. Has he been generous with you? I believe he is internationally well-known as a successful man of business. 

SP: Indeed he has. I cannot tell you how we all anticipated the arrival of his parcels. Sumptuous is the only word for them. There was a rocking horse with a mane of real horse hair—his name is Araby, since he is an Arabian steed. And a doll with a wardrobe fit for a princess—her name is Elodie, since she is French. Oh, I wish your readers could see her clothing! Glorious gowns in the height of style and underthings trimmed with the daintiest broderie anglaise. Tiny kid slippers and plumed bonnets. I still love them, even now when I am grown; there is something so enchanting about miniature things, isn’t there? I visit Araby and Elodie now and again in the attic.  Of course when I was older the gifts were more appropriate for my age.


Q. Did he never send presents for your siblings?

SP: Well…no. But then he is not their godparent. They were not jealous. I do not think.  I have always shared everything.


Q. Did you ever expect that the day would come when you would actually live with him and his wife?

SP: I suppose it has always been one of my fancies. For one thing, he has arranged for me to take riding and music lessons, and I have wondered if, perhaps, he were preparing me for at least an extended visit to his estate.


Q. The southern states of our country are very different from our own New England. Have you any trepidation?

SP: Of course. Some. I shall miss my family dreadfully. I have never been anywhere, so everything will be new to me. Also, my people have abolitionist leanings. I must worry about living in a region that does not share those views. However, mostly I am excited. My heart begins palpitating when I think of where I am about to go. I hear that Mississippi has a lush and beautiful landscape.


Q. You appear to be a modern young lady, most brave and adventurous. Thank you so much for your time. We wish you great good fortune.

SP: Thank you for speaking to me. I adore your periodical. Especially the serial stories. They provide such scope for imagination. I sometimes daydream that I am living in one of them. I hope I would be as brave as those heroines.

Want your own copy of Strands of Bronze and Gold? Enter below for a chance to win!

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What do y'all think of Sophie going to live with the godfather she's never met? Would you be willing to go live with a mysterious relative or family friend at a far away estate?

Waiting On: Five Summers by Una LaMarche

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and features upcoming releases.

Five Summers
by Una LaMarche
May 16, 2013

Four best friends, five summers of camp memories

The summer we were nine: Emma was branded “Skylar’s friend Emma” by the infamous Adam Loring . . .
The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth . . .
The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle . . .
The summer we were twelve: Skylar’s love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us—except Skylar . . .
Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie’s secret. Skylar did something unthinkable . . . and whether we knew it then or not, five summers of friendship began to fall apart.

Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend—and for a second chance.

Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summers is a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Anne Brashares and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.

Amazon | Goodreads

Summer camp, friendship drama, and repairing the past? I didn't realize it before I came across this book, but I think that I've been in need of this type of story for a while now. I'm definitely going to be picking up this one.

What about the rest of you? Which book(s) are you waiting on?

Review: None of the Regular Rules by Erin Downing

Title: None of the Regular Rules
Author: Erin Downing
Publisher: self published
Publication Date: November 20, 2012
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Author

Sometimes, a few dares can change lives...

The weekend before the start of senior year, Sophie Erickson and her best friends, Ella and Grace, discover a handwritten list of dares tucked away in the glove compartment of Sophie's beat-up old Toyota. But this isn't just any list; it's a dead girl's bucket list.

Sophie's beloved aunt Suzy died as a teenager in a fatal fall, leaving Sophie with an overly cautious family, a few fading photographs, and a bucket of bolts that barely passes for a car. But now, Sophie has Suzy's list of the things she wanted to do in her last year of high school. Sophie can't help but wonder: What would happen if she tried to fulfill Suzy's last wishes, to live out the longed-for life of her aunt, her hero?

As Sophie and her friends attempt to knock off the things on Suzy's list of dares, love blossoms in unexpected places and Sophie begins to feel that her life is finally coming together...when in fact, everything is slowly unraveling around her. When the truth about a long-held family secret threatens to shatter everything she believed to be true, Sophie is forced to question everything she knew about the life and people she believed in, and ultimately herself.

When I picked up None of the Regular Rules, I was expecting a cute romance. What I got was more a story about friendship and living life.

The relationship between Sophie and her best friends Ella and Grace is probably the best part of the book for me. These are friends who genuinely love each other despite each girl having a couple of issues. And their dynamic makes for a great story about overcoming some of the trials of friendship. When they argue it is because they care about one another. They help each other to see some difficult truths and that is my favorite thing about None of the Regular Rules. It's a story about seeing the truth and acknowledging it and loving despite any ugliness.

The romance seemed a little lackluster in comparison to the relationship between the three girls, and I wanted more development out of Johnny and out of Sophie's relationship with him. A little more time spent on their interactions would have made a big difference toward making theirs as meaningful a connection as the one that Sophie has with her friends. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy Johnny as a character, but had there been more development where he is concerned I would have felt more invested in him and in his relationship with Sophie. As a result, I feel as though the whole Sophie+Johnny thing wasn't really a major part of the story even though Johnny is the most encouraging in Sophie's quest to do all of the things on Suzy's list.

None of the Regular Rules has a pretty solid pacing and isn't too long so it makes a quick read. Sophie concentrates on completing Suzy's list and there are some conflicts going on in her life as well as Ella's and Grace's that keep the plot moving and the characters growing. I like the development of all three girls by the end of the story.

Yeah, there was a niggling thing here or there but I enjoyed None of the Regular Rules and read it quickly. I liked the supportive friendship between the three girls. I do feel that Johnny and Sophie didn't get enough page time to really draw me in, but it's cute nonetheless. If you like YA contemps and enjoy stories with friendships, then I'd recommend this one as a quick read, maybe on a rainy day.

Enter to win! Five winners will receive an ebook copy of None of the Regular Rules, and one lucky grand prize winner will receive their choice between a Kindle and a $75 gift certificate to their bookstore of choice.

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Author Interview: Cal Armistead

I'd like to welcome Cal Armistead, author of Being Henry David, to the blog today for an interview!

About Cal Armistead

Cal Armistead has written extensively for radio, newspapers and magazines, including The Chicago Tribune, Shape Magazine, Body & Soul Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Chicken Soup for Every Mom’s Soul, and others. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine, works at an independent book store, is a voice-over actress, sings semi-professionally, and lives in a Boston suburb with her amazing husband and a dog named Layla. Being Henry David is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

List five funny or interesting facts about yourself.

1. I was in a blues/rock band for 6 ½ years, as lead singer and percussionist (more cowbell!). We were finalists in the Boston Blues Challenge, 2011!
2. My father is a minister (which makes me a PK—Preacher’s Kid), and he baptized me by immersion at the Shelton Baptist Church in Connecticut when I was 11 years old. One of the things I remember best is that he wore fisherman hip waders in the water under his black robe.
3. When I was writing for my college newspaper, I met and interviewed Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, who had performed at our school. He was really nice! I have a picture of me interviewing him—it’s one of my prized possessions.
4. I write and eat left-handed and play all sports right-handed except ping-pong, which I play ambidextrously.
5. When I was nine, I wrote and illustrated a picture book called The Poor Macaroni Named Joany, which I sent off to a publisher at the urging of a teacher. Subsequently, I also received my first rejection letter at the age of nine. (Sigh…)

What is your favorite drink or snack while writing?

I have a Keurig one-cup coffee maker I recently bought for my office. I’m addicted to the chai lattes.


What scene in Being Henry David was your favorite to write?

I really enjoyed writing the scene where Hank picks up a guitar and discovers that although he has lost his memory, his fingers remember how to make music by heart. And what’s more, he plays really well. It reminds me of Alzheimer’s patients who can’t remember their own names, but can sit down and play entire piano sonatas, or can sing every lyric to songs they knew when they were young. Music is magic to me, so writing all of the music scenes in the book was fun.


I noticed several fun allusions to other writers and works in Being Henry David (the thought of drowning oneself by putting rocks in pockets like Virginia Woolf, wishing a little sister could be young and innocent forever like Holden Caulfield, and a few other things). I loved them! Were there any specific reasons for choosing to include these little things?

I am so thrilled that you picked up on those! The Virginia Woolf reference was half by accident, but I realized—and liked—the connection after I’d written it. The Holden Caulfield allusion was entirely on purpose. Good catch! I didn’t have any specific reasons for including these things, other than the fact that they have always resonated for me, and the emotions of Woolf and Caulfield/Salinger aligned perfectly to my character in those moments. Maybe I was also testing my readers to see if they would pick up on them. (You get an A+!)


What challenges are involved in giving a character depth when that character has amnesia and can't remember who he is?

It was an interesting process for sure. I felt like I was learning a little more about the character on every page, just as Hank and the reader gradually learn about him. I had a general idea of who he was—a good kid who has made some bad decisions and weathered some traumatic experiences—and then I put him into the circumstances of the story. Through the process, he and I discovered together what would happen and what kind of person he was, down deep. In truth, I found that to be more enjoyable than challenging.


If you were to wake up one day with amnesia, which book would you like to be there to accompany you on your journey of self-rediscovery and why?

I would choose the same book—Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. I can’t think of another book that does a better job of zeroing in on what’s truly important in life. I think it’s a book about feeling whole from the inside out, through loving nature and realizing this is the stuff you’re made of, and you belong in it.

Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog! :)

Many thanks to Cal for stopping by my blog today and answering my questions!

You can enter to win your very own signed hardcover copy of Being Henry David below, courtesy of Cal Armistead and Albert Whitman & Company!

Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything--who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David--or "Hank"--and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of--Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts.

Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

Amazon | Goodreads

• Must be 13 years or older to enter. Under 18 must have permission of parent or guardian.
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• Prize provided and shipped by Albert Whitman & Company.
• See Contest & Privacy Policy for more details.

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Thanks to Albert Whitman for including me on the tour for Being Henry David. Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour for more fun and more chances to win a copy of the book! Tomorrow's stop is at A Blog About Nothing, where you will find an interview and giveaway!

If you were to wake up one day with amnesia, what book would you want with you? Would you choose a book that might help you remember yourself? Or maybe a book that you would love to reread as though it were the first time?

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Title: Mind Games
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 19, 2013
Series: Mind Games #1
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Edelweiss

Two sisters, bound by impossible choices, are determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

James's frozen face melts into a smile. "Do you want to know the trick to getting in trouble under the watchful eye of a psychic?"

I think of the nailed-shut windows. I think of Clarice. I think of the two, the two, the two who are now zero. Tap tap. "Yes, I absolutely do."

"Don't plan it. Don't even think about it. The second you get an inkling of what you could do, do it then. Never plan anything ahead of time. Always go on pure instinct."

I smile. "I think I can do that."

Mind Games is crazy/weird/demented, but in a fun way!

The point-of-view alternates between sisters Fia and Annie. Fia has perfect instincts. How awesome is that?! She always makes the right choice. Her teacher has to stop giving her multiple choice tests because she never chooses wrong. (I find this hilarious!) So the people with the power in this story are using Fia to help them with things: choosing stocks, picking winners, doing random dirty work, etc. Fia does get periodically angsty with the whole I-am-a-monster thought process, but her tendencies toward self-loathing are forgivable since she's had to do some terrible things. Still, it is right on the borderline for me between an expected affectedness and an obnoxious self-pity. It doesn't quite tip the scales into that annoying zone, but it had me growing slightly less amorous toward Fia's character the more she had those thoughts. She's still my favorite, though. Annie is blind (actually blind, not figuratively blind) and a bit naive. And she has psychic visions. Blind seer is awesome! Annie's chapters are largely focused on her growing realization of what exactly is going on with Fia. James is deliberately misleading and is something of an enigma, but I find his character to be really interesting because it's difficult to know on which side of the line he stands at times.

The villain is properly sinister and mysterious, and the thriller/suspense elements range from tense to fun to exciting. But there isn't a whole lot that actually happens, outside of the numerous flashbacks and back story. Probably most of Mind Games' chapters take place in the past. I think the nonlinear narrative could put some people off. I don't mind nonlinear narratives, and in this particular story the past stuff is interesting, is completely necessary for exposition, and also allows for a slow trickle of information that gradually enlightens the reader. The chapters are also divided in a way that sets some of them in the past and some in the present, so it's not randomly jumping around - there is a structure to it. But I still prefer the present events and wish that part of the story had progressed further. I would have preferred there to be more balance of the past and the present within the narration, because this first book is skewed in favor of showing the reader past events over present ones. I really wanted more of the present and it frustrated me just a little bit to not feel like the current events were progressing as much as I wanted them to. And, though I enjoy the past and need it to understand the present, the plot becomes a little too concentrated on catching up rather than propelling forward.

But I do like the story and the characters and I think that there is great potential for the future. I'm giving Mind Games a high 3.5 star rating. I want to give it a 4, but I'm not quite that satisfied by the amount of progress in the story. I love the stuff involving Fia's use of her instincts, and the ending is pretty awesome. I'll definitely read the second because I think it will contain more spying, action, and impulse, and because Fia is crazy in a good way and maybe a little bit in a bad way. I want to know what happens next, and since this book catches readers up to the sisters' present, the following books should be able to move directly forward from here on out.

Review: The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

Title: The Cadet of Tildor
Author: Alex Lidell
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: January 10, 2013
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: NetGalley

There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.

What to say about this one? I liked it. It sated my high fantasy craving and was just what I needed at the time of reading it. The Cadet of Tildor isn't probably a Favorite, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I like the characters. The story is a fun adventure, full of swordplay and some magic. There's a badass mage wolf in it. (Mage animals alone is pretty much enough reason to read anything, right?) Also, if you're looking for a book without a love story, this is it (though there are a couple of crushes lurking around, however brief or quelled those feelings may be). The relationships in this book are ones of friendship rather than soul mates.

Renee and Savoy are both awesome characters with large amounts of resolve and skill. Neither of them will give up on themselves or what they want. The difference between them lies in their amount of experience. Savoy has it and Renee doesn't. Their dynamic is enjoyable and I like seeing Savoy in the role of Renee's teacher and mentor.

The worldbuilding is pretty successful. The Academy makes a great setting. The politics aren't necessarily complicated, but the interpretation of law and incorporation of some strategies at how to deal with some of the problems of the kingdom are a focus. Lidell does a good job at showing how sometimes, in order to control a criminal population, one has to allow for it to continue to exist. There is such a thing as the lesser of two evils in Tildor. And I think that is one of the truths that Renee, and to an extent Savoy, both have to come to terms with in the story - that everything isn't so black and white, that the gray areas exist and that, sometimes, you need them.

The plot is not so fast in the first half as in the second, as it is mostly training and personal growth and getting to know the characters and their motivations and seeing the ways in which they interact. There are still some tensions, conflicts and pertinent information, and the pacing is decent. But these things are more heightened in the second half of the story. It is once the kidnapping takes place that the problems become more immediate and the pacing picks up because of it.

My one complaint would be that the reader never really gets inside the characters' heads much. The third person omniscient point of view flows from character to character, but I found out more about what each character was feeling from the dialogue of others than I did from the characters themselves. For example, it's insinuated by both Renee's friend Alec and Savoy's friend Seaborn that Renee has a crush on Savoy, but never from Renee herself, other than a one-time admiring of his physique. So it's never made clear whether she likes him as more than a friend and comrade. Because of this sort of thing, there is a little bit of a lack of emotion in places - just because the reader doesn't get the extent of the emotions felt by the characters at times. I suppose that is intentional given the fact that they're soldiers bound to duty and whatnot (because that is a big part of the characters' reasoning), but I think adding more emotional depth could have made this a favorite since everything else is pretty much great.

It's a good story, if a little predictable in places, and I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to fans of fantasy and adventure, and particularly to those who want a book that doesn't focus on a love story.

Review: The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

Title: The Reece Malcolm List
Author: Amy Spalding
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Publisher

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?

I had no idea that I would love this book so much! Devan's voice is perfect. Seriously, perfect. It's so teenager, so authentic and lovable that I immediately gave her my full attention and didn't want to stop until her story was finished. She's an awesome character - a little insecure at times, but completely confident when it comes to singing. She's unsure of herself and of her place, but not in a self-pitying way. She is a little timid but also has a self-awareness about her that allows her to recognize when she needs to overcome it. I just love her.

And I love the other characters as well. Devan makes a handful of mostly great friends who each have their weird little flaws but who are also understanding and forgiving of each other. Of all of the secondary characters, I particularly adore Reece Malcolm (whose name I almost feel should be typed in all caps, since she's such a force in this story). She's superbly flawed but also amazing, and she is written wonderfully. Devan's mom can be an intimidating woman, particularly to Devan who has had no contact with her prior to moving in with her after her dad dies. It should be awkward, right? Except it isn't particularly awkward at all. A bit rocky at times, though, since neither one is great at being open about her feelings, and Devan is a bit sensitive when it comes to her mother. The exploration of their relationship is my absolute favorite thing about this story. It's such a strange little dynamic. Even sans all of the other stuff that happens, I would have kept reading this through the night just to get to the point where Devan and Reece finally understand each other, because I was wholly invested in them and really wanted that for them so badly.

That was the driving force of the book for me - the relationship development between Devan and her mother. But it's not just about a mother's and daughter's attempts (and failed attempts) at bonding. It's about friendships and first loves and kissing and music and theater. It's about finding those people with whom one is connected and that place in which one is comfortable, where Devan can be herself and be happy and know that she belongs in that place and with those people.

I was so surprised by just how much I adored this story. I expected something cute, and I got something wonderful. It has the perfect balance of emotions. Music and theater. Friendships and romances. An amazing mother-daughter story. And perhaps the most flawless ending I've read in a while. If you like contemporary realistic fiction, stories about finding one's place in the world, mother-daughter stories, show choir and musicals, get it.

Review: Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Title: Changeling
Author: Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 24, 2012
Series: Order of Darkness #1
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Publicist

The year is 1453, and all signs point to it being the end of the world.

Accused of heresy and expelled from his monastery, handsome seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is recruited by a mysterious stranger to record the end of times across Europe. Commanded by sealed orders, Luca is sent to map the fears of Christendom and travel to the very frontier of good and evil.

Seventeen-year-old Isolde, a Lady Abbess, is trapped in a nunnery to prevent her from claiming her rich inheritance. As the nuns in her care are driven mad by having strange visions, walking in their sleep, and showing bleeding wounds, Luca is sent to investigate, and all the evidence points to Isolde's criminal guilt.

Forced to face the greatest fears of the medieval world - dark magic, werewolves, madness - Luca and Isolde embark on a search for truth, their own destines, and even love as they take the unknown ways to the real historical figure who defends boundaries of Christendom and holds the secrets of the Order of Darkness.

The title and synopsis of Changeling suggests that it is some sort of a historical fantasy and that saving the world is required and whatnot. At least, that is what it sounded like to me. But honestly, there really isn't any end of the world going on here, and there isn't much fantasy either unless you count that one character is believed to be a changeling and that there are one or two curious/unexplained situations that may or may not have anything to do with magic. Whether the fantasy elements will be upped in future installments, I do not know. But, for now, this is a Middle Ages historical novel that involves a couple of mysteries, a lot of superstition of the witch hunt variety, and some battles between and fusion of religion and logic.

Luca is a teen accused of heresy and then sent forth to use his brilliant mind to make inquiries into strange occurrences and to find out the truth. Isolde is the daughter of a Crusader and Lord, betrayed by her brother and placed in a nunnery against her will. While both of these characters are decent enough, I had difficulty becoming attached to them. I liked their companions, Ishraq and Freize, better because they had more interesting personalities. Freize has a way with animals and makes clever remarks though he is thought to be a fool by some. (He reminded me of Shakespeare's fools in this way, which I liked.) Ishraq is a girl who has been Isolde's companion since childhood, when Isolde's father brought Ishraq and her mother back from the Crusades. She is learned in the ways of fighting and science, in order to be of service to Isolde and to protect her. The companions are more nuanced and interesting, while the main two characters fall on the flat side.

The plot involves a couple of mysteries that Luca must solve, the first involving Isolde's nunnery. The part of the story that takes place in the convent is predictable. I had a difficult time becoming invested in it because it wasn't much of a mystery at all. Once the story moves away from the convent, it becomes a lot more interesting, though the second mystery is also a little predictable even though it is not quite so obvious as that of the nunnery. The pacing is fairly slow, particularly in the first half of the story, and there isn't enough suspense or a creepy enough mood to make up for it. It does pick up slightly in the second half. I think that I could have enjoyed the mysteries more if the superstitions had felt more threatening, like in a Gothic story. The second mystery is more successful in this, which is probably why I liked it better.

If you are looking into reading Changeling because you want a historical fantasy, maybe this isn't quite what you're looking for. However, if you like straight up historical fiction, mystery, superstition and witch hunts, then you may quite enjoy this. I do think it could have been better if the suspense and creepiness had been upped a bit and/or if the pacing had been quicker. And it would have been nice if the characters had felt more three-dimensional. But my overall opinion of it is: It's alright. Will I read the second book, Stormbringers? Perhaps. The synopsis has me intrigued, as it mentions war, an intense and deadly storm, and an epic quest.

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Review: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Nobody
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: January 22, 2012
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Publicist

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

Meh. I liked the concept of Nobody, but the execution didn't do it for me.

Claire is angsty and Nix is self-loathing, which is understandable. But the story spends a little too much time on that and not enough time on the cool stuff like assassins and conspiracies and action. The romance is an insta-love and, though it makes a little sense that they'd each be immediately drawn into a desire for some kind of an intimacy with the only other person in the world who can actually see them, remember them, care about them, and that they would be craving that attention and affection after many years of not having a connection with anyone, I still feel like the relationship development is too intense, too fast. The story takes place in about a week and already there were I love yous and forevers being thrown around. Character development is something that I wanted more of, beyond the feelings of loneliness, angst and self-loathing. I would rather have seen less time spent on the angst and self-loathing (even though I think that stuff should definitely be in there), and more time spent on the working toward a common goal and getting to know each other as the characters develop through their personalities and interactions.

The plot has a pretty quick pace, for the most part. The world building was ehh, but there were some scenes that do stand out in the mind, such as Nix's stark white room. Some of the science could have been better explained, and there were things that went beyond science that didn't make much sense at all, but still could have worked for me if those ideas and the fantastical reasoning behind them had been explored a little more/better.

There are still some fun scenes in the book that I enjoyed and it is quick and decent enough that I finished it, but overall I'm feeling pretty meh about it because I wanted more from it. Nobody had potential but unfortunately I feel like that potential was not met. Others might like the romance and find this to be an adorable story, etc., etc. But I wanted ASSASSINS. I wanted sneaky killers. I wanted vengeance, preferably of the cold and ruthless sort. And I didn't really get that. I got more fluff and less ASSASSIN, and that just wasn't what I was hoping for.

Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Stealing Parker
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Series: Hundred Oaks #2
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She's on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she's made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother's scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three. Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

Color me happy when Miranda Kenneally wrote a baseball book to go along with her football book. I loved Catching Jordan, so naturally I was excited to get my hands on Stealing Parker. It's less sports and more character issues in this one. I wouldn't have minded a little more baseball, but I really liked it all the same.

Parker has grown up in a religious household. She regularly attends church. Her (former) best friend is a pastor's daughter. She talks to God on a regular basis. That is not to say that the tone of this story is preachy. It's just the opposite, really. Many of the people at Parker's church are highly judgmental. Part of Parker's growth is coming to realize that the environment at her family's church is not a healthy or a happy one. It doesn't get down on religion either, though. Parker visits a different church in the course of the novel and it is a really great experience for her. I know there are people who don't like it when books include religion, but I do, provided that the book doesn't take a preachy tone or push an agenda, and this one doesn't do either of those things. I think that a lot of people struggle with their faith or lack of faith and question what to believe, and I like seeing characters experiencing that struggle, especially in books for teenagers, who are questioning so many things. I like to see religion represented from time to time, and I think that Miranda Kenneally handles it well, with delicacy and in a way that suits Parker's character.

Parker is such an interesting chick. She's not one of those YA heroines who lacks confidence or self-assurance. She knows she's smart. She knows she's talented. She knows she's pretty. She knows boys like her. She's flirty. She likes to kiss a lot of boys so she can be certain that people will not mistakenly think that she is like her mother. And this is where her problems begin. She has mommy issues, and she has to come to terms with what happened to her family when her mother stopped being a part of it. Luckily she has a great friend in Drew, who is pretty awesome most of the time. He doesn't let her wallow in pity. He makes efforts to include her when her girlfriends have stopped doing so. He's just a great guy, and their friendship is Parker's rock. And then there is Corndog (whose real name is Will). He's a great friend to Parker as well, though she doesn't figure that out right away. He takes some issue with her behavior, and isn't afraid to scold her for it. He also quietly makes sure that she eats enough, which nobody else bothers to do. Sam Henry and Jordan have a few cameos, as do a few of the other minor characters from Catching Jordan.

One of my favorite things about Miranda Kenneally's books is the dialogue. It's so effortlessly funny. I could read some of the conversations between her characters over and over again and it could probably pull me out of even the worst bad mood. And it doesn't feel forced - just easy and authentic. Love, love, love the dialogue.

The plot deals with Parker's struggles, many of which are internal, but it isn't slow. It moves along steadily and the humorous dialogue and fun scenes break up the tension of the problem stuff. Shit has to get real, though, before Parker can meet her potential for character growth.

I really enjoyed Stealing Parker, maybe not quite as much as Catching Jordan, but I adored Parker and Corndog's relationship development and am wholly excited for Miranda's next book.

Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through the Ever Night
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: January 8, 2013
Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Edelweiss, Purchased

It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death. Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.

Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first.

Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?

Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

I liked Under the Never Sky quite a bit and Through the Ever Night was one of my most anticipated books of 2013. And it definitely lived up to my expectations for awesome. I am not quite sure what I was expecting from it, but it wasn't exactly this. This was way better than what I was expecting.

There should be a disclaimer on this book for how awesome Roar is. I enjoyed his character in Under the Never Sky, but in Through the Ever Night he is even better! Roar is an amazing, unwavering friend to Aria when she desperately needs one. His heart is laid bare in this book, and I love him for it. Perry has a lot of crap to deal with in this installment, as he is now the Blood Lord of the Tides. He must earn his people's faith, trust, and respect as a leader, and he must protect them from the elements as well as invaders. He struggles with these things and with guilt over what happened with Vale. I love the growth that Perry experiences over the course of the novel and I adore him even more than before because of it. Aria has some stuff to deal with of her own - prejudices from some of the Tides, the pressure of finding out where the Still Blue is and wanting to save Talon. But she also does a great deal of worrying about and doing her best to be an emotional support to Perry as well as Roar through their ordeals. My favorite things about the character development in Through the Ever Night are the growth that we see in Perry and the strength of the friendship between Aria and Roar.

The pacing in Through the Ever Night is faster than that of Under the Never Sky. There are more Aether storms and other dangers and there's just a lot going on, and that makes it a really quick read. There's none of that second-book-in-a-series syndrome thing happening here. The Aether is further described as liquid fire in the sky that strikes in funnels like lightning, and its origins are briefly explained. The plot is fast-paced and fun and appropriately frustrating in places. The character development is great. If you've been following my reviews for a while, then you know that one of my pet peeves in books is when actionable conflict is brushed aside in favor of contrived relationship drama. That does not happen here. There are plenty of worthy conflicts to fill that role, and any relationship tensions that do arise are thoughtfully constructed and believable.

If you loved or liked Under the Never Sky in the slightest, then you need to read Through the Ever Night. It's better than its predecessor. It's a fun sci-fi lite type of book with well-written and developed characters. I loved it. I need Into the Still Blue, preferably right now.