Category Archives: Young-Adult

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Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

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 Title: The Godess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Publishing Information: April 19, 2011 by Harlequin Teen

Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Romance

Series information: Book 1 in The Goddess Test Series

Format: Hardcover, 293 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Recommended For: Readers interested in Greek Mythology and strong heroines.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

The Goddess Test is a modern day retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone. Kate’s mother is dying and her last wish is that she and Kate move to her hometown of Eden. Kate agrees and they move to Eden, Kate starts at the local high school and soon crosses the path of the queen bee, Ava. Ava lures Kate to the grounds of Eden Manor under false pretenses and a practical joke soon turns deadly. Kate tries to save Ava’s life to no avail, and then the mysterious Henry appears and offers to bring Ava back to life in exchange for a promise from Kate. Kate must promise to spend the winter with Henry in The Underworld, much like Persephone. Kate hurriedly agrees thinking she must be going crazy and Henry brings Ava back to life.

Henry soon comes for Kate to bring her to the Underworld and Kate says that she will do as she promised if he promises to keep her mother alive for the season. Henry agrees and says that Kate must pass seven tests while in his realm. If she passes, she will become a goddess, Henry’s bride and the queen of The Underworld. However, if she fails, her mother will die and she will never see her again.

I liked the premise of The Goddess Test, I love re-writes and the Hades/Persephone story is one of my favorite myths. The characters in The Goddess Test were also very fun and layered. Henry is the typical brooding male with this outer shell that seems impenetrable. Thankfully Kate is able to break through and bring out some heartfelt emotional moments from him. Ava transforms into an agreeable character and Calliope was really a very enjoyable character once you get over the crazy. James is loveable but I couldn’t help but be reminded of the whole Jacob/Bella/Edward triangle and it was not very enticing for me.

The tests Kate must endure are all extremely subtle, I kept waiting for a sense chaos and adventure but it did not come. When the tests were revealed in the end I understood how they fit in to the story and how they really showcased Kate’s strengths and weaknesses but I was still somewhat disappointed in the lack of excitement. However, I really enjoyed the ending and how it gave focus on Kate and her mother’s relationship. I was impressed by how her love for her mother wasn’t overshadowed by her new “love” for Henry.

I do have a few major complaints after reading this book. First, I felt like the whole book focused on Kate having a “choice” and not being “forced” into doing anything but really she didn’t have much of a choice at all. She wanted her mother to live and knew that Henry would die if she didn’t pass the tests. She was convinced that she loved him after spending only a few moments with him but even if that wasn’t the case she knew him enough that she didn’t want any harm to come to him. It would take a very selfish person to decide to save themselves and not do all they can to save those around them. I also had a very hard time appreciating the way in which the author set the characters up in relation to their Greek counterparts. The author provides a list at the end explaining whom each character in the book represents in Greek mythology and with the exception of 3 of them I really couldn’t understand the connection. However I am happy to say that I read the sequel, Goddess Interrupted and not only was it much more adventurous, it explained the characters much better and I was able to appreciate how their characteristics coincided with their Greek personalities. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Greek mythology, re-writes and strong female characters.

I will be reviewing the sequel, Goddess Interrupted this weekend so make sure to stop by!

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Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

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Title: Entwined

Author: Heather Dixon

Publishing Information: March 29, 2011 by Greenwillow Books

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings

Series information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 472 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Readers looking for a magical retelling with bits of romance and a lovely focus on the importance of family.

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it’s taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to “keep” things. 

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

I was initially drawn to this book based on its cover, when I read the synopsis I was hooked, I love retellings and the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses is one of my favorites! I also thought it would be interesting to read this book after reading Juliet Marillier’s version, Wildwood Dancing.

This story follows Azalea and her sisters, all named in alphabetical order after flowers. They live with their mother and father and their favorite thing in the world is to dance. Their father is a somewhat intimidating figure; they usually call him by “sir” or “the king” and are not close to him at all. They are, however, extremely close to their mother and savor her dance lessons above all else. Unfortunately, their mother dies giving birth to their youngest sister and the palace goes under a period of mourning, in which no dancing is allowed. Azalea finds out some information regarding the secret passages in their castle and they discover a magical wood beyond their castle that contains a dancing glen, taken care of by a man who only goes by the name Keeper. After time, Keeper’s real intentions come to light and Azalea must do all she can to protect her family.

I’m going to be honest, at first I couldn’t stand this book. It literally took me about 100 pages before I actually started to like the book and the characters. I couldn’t stand that Bramble was so outspoken, I was annoyed that every single conflict or happy moment related back to a dance (and I was a ballerina for 13 years!!) and I absolutely HATED the way in which Ivy just ate and ate and ate and all the characters were all “oh father let her be (obese)” it honestly turned me off to where I almost put the book away and marked it as a “did not finish.” However, I was intrigued enough and kept going and I am so happy that I did. After the mother dies, and the girls meet Keeper, the book starts to get good. Keeper was all kinds of awesome; he was handsome, mysterious, compassionate and evil. That’s right, EVIL! There comes a point in the story where Azalea finds out that there are people who’s souls have been captured, these “people” have had their mouths sewn shut so they are bound to live forever trapped in this in-between world with the inability to speak. How horrific?! I loved this. Then, the evil comes to the castle and there is this epic battle and all of these love pairings come about in a non-obvious way and it was so sweet and refreshing from the immediate I-have-to-have-you-now that comes in most YA romance novels. Also? I cried. This alone makes me like this book because it was so unexpected. The relationship between the girls and their father is even better than the romantic relationships in the book, which is rare and beautiful.

I didn’t love this book as much as I loved Wildwood Dancing, but I appreciated it in a completely different way. It was much more of a fairytale than the dark and layered tale of Marillier’s and I liked that. It’s highly recommended to those who like a good fairy tale with a less obvious, but still endearing, love story.

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Review: Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

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Title: Wildwood Dancing

Author: Juliet Marillier

Publishing Information: January 23, 2007 by Knopf

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings

Series information: Book 1 in Wildwood

Format: Hardcover, 407 pages

Source: Purchased

Recommended For: Readers looking for a romantic and intriguing retelling of a childhood tale.

High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It’s an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle’s hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.

But their peace is shattered when Father falls ill and must go to the southern parts to recover, for that is when cousin Cezar arrives. Though he’s there to help the girls survive the brutal winter, Jena suspects he has darker motives in store. Meanwhile, Jena’s sister has fallen in love with a dangerous creature of the Other Kingdom–an impossible union it’s up to Jena to stop.

When Cezar’s grip of power begins to tighten, at stake is everything Jena loves: her home, her family, and the Other Kingdom she has come to cherish. To save her world, Jena will be tested in ways she can’t imagine–tests of trust, strength, and true love.

Jenica is the second eldest in a household of five sisters. Jena and her sisters live with their father in Transylvania in an old castle called Piscul Draculi. Though Jena isn’t the oldest of these girls she is the most responsible and clear-headed. Her best friend is a frog named Gogu, he has been her constant companion for many years and they understand one another in a special way. Every night of the full moon the sisters are able to open a secret portal in their room and travel to the Other Kingdom where they dance and laugh with the folk who dwell there.

Jena and her sisters enjoy their life and are very upset when their father takes an extended leave on a trip, leaving their cousin Cezar to look over things at their castle. Cezar is an angry man and has a lot of bitterness and hatred toward the Other Kingdom. Cezar’s hatred comes from the loss of his brother as a child, he believes the witch from deep in the forest to be the cause of his brother’s death and has never forgiven her or the forest that keeps her.

The girls continue going to the dancing glade and take comfort while they’re away from the sorrows in their life at home. This comfort is short lived when a new group of creatures known as the Night People become frequent guests at the glade. After this group’s first night in the Other Kingdom, Tatiana, the eldest sister, meets a young man named Sorrow and immediately falls in love. Soon this love takes over and Tatiana stops eating and nearly dies as it consumes her. Meanwhile, Cezar’s wrath starts to consume him and he threatens to burn the entire forest, and the Other Kingdom along with it. Jena and Gogu must do all that they can to overcome Cezar and keep Tatiana alive and well enough until Sorrow can come for her.

If I absolutely HAD to choose a favorite author I would choose Juliet Marillier. Her Sevenwaters series are books so close to my heart I have a hard time recommending them to people because I want them to be mine, all mine!! As is her fashion, Marillier creates a strong female character that has to overcome many trials and tears before finding herself and her happiness. I was worried that this book would not live up to my high expectations, but Juliet Marillier delivered an absolutely gorgeous novel filled with adventure and love in many forms.

This book comes highly recommended; it breaks the heart into tiny pieces and then mends them one by one.

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Review: Peter and Max by Bill Willingham

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Title: Peter and Max

Author: Bill Willingham

Publishing Information: October 13th 2009 by Vertigo

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Folk Tales

Series information: Standalone – but companion to the Fables graphic novels by Willingham

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Readers looking for a darker retelling of some well known fables

This story stars Peter Piper and his incorrigible brother Max in a tale about jealousy, betrayal and revenge. Set in two distinct time periods, prepare to travel back to medieval times and learn the tragic back-story of the Piper family, a medieval-era family of traveling minstrels. Then, jump into the present to follow a tale of espionage as Peter Piper slowly hunts down his evil brother for a heinous crime, pitting Peter’s talents as a master thief against Max’s dark magical powers.

Based on the long-running and award-winning comic book series FABLES, PETER AND MAX is its own tale. Readers don’t have to be familiar with the comics to fully enjoy and understand this book.

As you all know I love, love, LOVE Bill Willingham and his Fables! When I heard Bill Willingham had another piece of literature coming out I was very excited. Upon further reading I found that this was a novel set in the Fables land and that it would provide some background to different characters such as Bigby wolf (marry me?) and Frau Totenkinder so clearly I had to own it!

Peter and Max is the story of two siblings, Peter and Max Piper, the sons of a traveling family of minstrels. The story alternates between the present, where Peter and his wife Bo Peep are living in a quiet area of Fabletown and the past, where both Peter and Max partake in many adventures and trials that mold them into the adults they become. In the present day, Peter gets word that his evil brother Max has resurfaced in their world and takes off to find him and kill him once and for all.

The flashes from their childhood shows the friendships between the Piper and Peep family, especially the close ties between Bo and Peter. One evening, Peter’s father gives him the magical flute, Frost that has been handed down to the eldest son in each family for generations. The only problem is that Peter is not the eldest brother, Max is. Peter is the best musician, which is why their father deems him worthy to wield Frost, but Max becomes extremely jealous and soon hatred starts to eat away at him. Soon, the families are forced to flee due to the Adversary’s men infringing on their land and the families become separated in the Black Forest. Peter grows into a courageous, well-rounded man and eventually finds some sense of peace. Max, on the other hand, meets up with an ally who gives him his own flute, one he names Fire, becomes the famous Pied Piper of Hamelin and seeks to kill both Peter and Bo.

One of the best things about this book is the way in which Willingham takes what would be considered nursery rhymes and twists them into something dark, mysterious and epic. Willingham manages to re-write Peter Piper, who both eats a pickled pepper and stuffs his wife in a pumpkin shell, the story of Little Bo Peep, who does lose her sheep in a rather dark way, and the Pied Piper, who rids the town of more than rats; while also introducing new plots and background stories for beloved Fables characters before they changed their ways to fight on the side of good and not evil! A fun side note: I am pretty sure that McTavish from Down the Mysterly River makes a silent and brief cameo in this book and I couldn’t help but smile.

Though I don’t think Mr. Willingham should put aside his Fables and work strictly on novels I have to say that I loved this book and I believe that it would be enjoyable to readers who haven’t read and loved his Fables series. However, for those of you who have read Fables and are picking Peter and Max up for the first time you should know this book fits in right after Fabletown’s attack on The Adversary and Peter and Bo both play their own parts in the war by the end of the novel.

 
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Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

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Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Publishing Information: March 27, 2011 by Simon & Schuster

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance

Series information: Book 1 in the Mara Dyer trilogy

Format: Hardcover, 452 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Readers looking for a mysterious novel with an unreliable narrator.

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was another majorly hyped book of 2011 that I was excited to read. I was somewhat wary after reading a review on one of my favorite book blogs that portrayed this book as another paranormal romance with no depth or intrigue. After reading it for myself I have to say that I completely disagree and that this book really did live up to the hype for me.

At the beginning of the book, Mara is involved in an accident, which kills three of her friends and leaves her in a very fragile mental state. Her family decides it would be best to move away from the town in which the scene of the crime happened so her life is upturned again and she is forced to start a new school while dealing with major mental anguish.

After starting at the new school it seems like this story will play by the same “new kid at the high school” plot line where Mara gets on the wrong side of the most popular girl in the school because the most popular (and good-looking) guy shows her some attention. Thankfully these scenes are short and necessary to show that Mara has much more that post traumatic stress to deal with. Unexplainable things begin happening to Mara and she starts imagining things that aren’t really happening, as well as seeing people who aren’t really there – like the friends who died in the accident.

I had a love-hate relationship with the characters. I really liked Mara and thought she was a strong character but there were some choices and some one-liners that really turned me off. Then there is Noah, the typical gorgeous, mysterious jerk who really is sweet on the inside. Parts of me HATED him and wanted to slap Mara for even bantering with him and parts of me melted into a puddle on the floor every time he talked. What can I say? I’m a complicated woman. I was also a little confused by his “powers” and some other strange occurrences, like how Noah basically dies when Mara kisses him. These things weren’t really explained in this book but the sequel is due out this fall and I assume the author will be delving deeper into these characters and their “special” abilities.

The entire time I was reading this book I kept trying to figure out what was going on and why these things were happening. Is it magic? Is she really just insane? Maybe she is dreaming? Things finally start coming together in the end, as in, the last page of the book was absolutely jaw dropping and made me want the sequel right now, please! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a paranormal romance with a little more depth to it.

The sequel is still untitled but Michelle Hodkin has given us a bit of a teaser on her website and oh my does it add to the intrigue!

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Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

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Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Author: Kendare Blake

Publishing Information: August 30, 2011 by Tor

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Supernatural, Horror

Series information: Book 1 in the Anna series

Format: Hardcover, 316 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Readers interested in horror novels that aren’t too horrific and romance novels that aren’t too romantic

“Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas’s life.”

Anna Dressed in Blood was one of the hyped debuts of 2011 and I was initially drawn to it when I saw its awesome cover. Plus I was on a horror kick after reading The Child Thief and I hoped this would live up to my expectations.

The story follows Cas, a sarcastic ghost hunter who follows a “tip” to the town in which Anna resides. Cas was a very unique character, he is following in his father’s footsteps and lives up to his father’s name by following tips around the country and hunting down ghosts to send them to wherever it is ghosts go after they are done hanging on the Earthly plane.

After some research, Cas meets Anna, who I immediately loved. This character was so twisted and layered that I felt all kinds of emotions toward her. The story was beautifully done as her history is revealed in a slow, mysterious way. She starts off as this terrifying character who is disemboweling anyone who ventures into her house and slowly, as her history is revealed, she mellows out in an almost tragic way.

Overall, this story wasn’t as horror filled as I like my novels but it was a good amount of gore for a young adult debut and definitely enough intrigue to keep me guessing and wanting more. As a side note **spoiler alert (kinda)** I HATED THE PART ABOUT THE CAT!! Out loud I literally screamed “Not the cat!!!” and it kind of made me angry because I did NOT think it was necessary! **end spoiler**

I am eagerly anticipating the second installment of this series; it is one of my most anticipated reads of 2012. I recommend this book to anyone who likes horror (that isn’t too horrifying) and a sweet love story (that isn’t too lovey).

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Review: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

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Title: Sweetly

Author: Jackson Pearce

Publishing Information: August 23, 2011 for Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Paranormal

Series information: Book 2 in the Fairy Tale Retellings

Format: Hardcover, 310 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Fans of fairytale retellings and those looking to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding the family introduced to us in Sisters Red.

Sweetly is a companion (not a sequel) to the book Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. Due to the fact that it isn’t a sequel it is not necessary that you read Sisters Red prior to reading Sweetly but there are some small things you may appreciate a little more if you do.

Sweetly is a retelling of the fable, Hansel and Gretel. Gretchen and Ansel are siblings who lose their sister to a “witch” in the forest behind their home. Years pass and both parents succumb to the grief of losing their daughter, leaving Ansel and Gretchen alone in the world. They decide to drive cross country to start over in North Carolina. Their jeep breaks down on the way and they have no choice but to stay in the town for the time being. After some poking around town, Ansel finds a job as a handyman at Sophia Kelley’s candy shop.

Sophia is a young and gorgeous woman who has taken over the chocolate shop after her father is killed by wild animals. People in town are either captivated by her or believe her to be a witch. Those that believe her to be a witch also believe that she has something to do with the eight girls who have gone missing over the years, as they always go missing on the eve of her chocolate festival. Ansel and Gretchen are captivated by Sophia, for Gretchen, she is healing the wound that their missing sister left in her heart and Ansel falls in love with her almost immediately. However, after a time, Gretchen begins to suspect something is different about Sophia and she soon finds evidence that doesn’t paint Sophia in the most perfect light.

Gretchen meets Samuel, the town crazy and convinces him to teach her how to hunt Fenris, the werewolves that those of you who read Sisters Red will find familiar. The two vow to uncover the mystery as well as keep the rest of the girls in the town safe from the Fenris. Secrets are uncovered and Gretchen is forced to come to terms with who Sophia really is.

“There is always some madness in love,

and always some reason in madness.”

I have to say that I enjoyed this story a lot more than Pearce’s Sisters Red. I found myself more connected to the characters in this story which really helped me enjoy the novel on a much deeper level. Pearce also wrote this story in such a wonderful way that I really found myself craving the chocolate and candies that were showcased in Sophia’s shop.

Overall, this book exceeded my expectations, I had hoped to enjoy it more than Sisters Red and I did. Additionally, Jackson Pearce has a third companion novel coming out titled Fathomless that is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. I am curious to see if Pearce brings the characters together from the first two novels as they all have the same goals and since Fathomless will focus on the sister of both Silas, from Sisters Red and Samuel from Sweetly.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good retelling and wants their mouth watering at the thought of chocolate truffles and fruit flavored candies.

 

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Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

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dosab

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Publishing Information: September 27, 2011 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Series information: Book 1 in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series

Format: Hardcover, 424 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Readers looking for a beautiful novel of love and redemption.

 

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.

It did not end well.

I have been struggling with this review for days. Not because it wasn’t awesome, it totally was, but because I fear that by raving about the sheer amazingness of this book I will spoil some extremely important and mysterious plot lines. I have decided to provide the summary from Goodreads so you can get the gist of what the novel is about and then I will do my best to explain just why this book was SO SO SO good without any spoilers.

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands”; she speaks many languages–not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers–beautiful, haunted Akiva–fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

How good does that sound? Let me just tell you, that summary? NOT EVEN CLOSE TO HOW AWESOMELY LAYERED THIS BOOK IS!! The book starts off and you’re thinking okay so this is some supernatural love story about a “devil” and an “angel” who fall in love. Ohh if only…let’s delve right in.

First, the plot of the story was near perfect. I absolutely gave up sleep to read this book because I had actual need to find out what happened next. As I said before, it is nearly impossible for me to say what I loved about the plot without giving away too much. Just know it had politics (the good kind), hate, jealousy, rage and all forms of love. As the story progresses you see how the past and present come together and my heart was literally breaking at more than one point. I had to read the last few pages multiple times because I could feel the overwhelming feelings Karou must be feeling as she discovered the truth. At first I had a hard time with the love between the two characters because it was so instant and “I have to know her” on Akiva’s part that it paralleled so many other paranormal romance novels out there. However, as the plot unfolds you realize there are serious reasons as to why this love is so instant, and so overwhelming.

Second, the characters are so great and so layered with their pasts that intertwine and they make you love every flaw, scar and tear. Karou was this strong female character who starts off as a (somewhat) typical teenager attending art school and going on frequent errands for her adopted family who just happen to be of a secret race of Chimera. Her world is suddenly torn apart and instead of acting like an immature teenager saying boo hoo how do I handle this she takes her problems head on and finds ways to act and move toward her goal. Then there is Akiva, the Seraphim who is of course, unbelievably gorgeous while also brooding and overly dramatic. In time the reader finds out why he is so brooding and I can understand his reasoning so I can’t blame him for being that way and I still kinda love him a lot. I loved Brimstone, and the rest of Karou’s “family” and Madrigal, who I can’t say too much about, was also a very strong and near perfect character.

Finally, the brilliance in Laini Taylor’s writing is found in how lyrical her words are…

Karou right after she sees Akiva for the first time:

“Into kohl-rimmed eyes in a sun-bronzed face. Fire-colored eyes with a charge like sparks that seared a path through the air and kindles it. It gave Karou a jolt – no mere startle but a chain reaction that lashed through her body with a rush of adrenaline. Her limbs came into the lightness and power of sudden awakening, fight or flight, chemical and wild.

Who? She thought, her mind racing to catch up to the fervor in her body.

And: What?”

Chapter 44:

“Snap.
Rushing, like wind through a door, and Karou was the door, and the wind was coming home, and she was also the wind.
She was all: wind and home and door.
She rushed into herself and was filled.
She let herself in and was full.
She closed again. The wind settles. It was as simple as that.

She was whole.”

Ahhhh how is it that this author can write the simplest sentence and still make me want to scream and laugh and cry?! This book was just pure awesome, I am literally recommending it to everyone that comes into my library. When they ask: “Do you have it here?” I say “Yes, but it’s checked out. Go buy it, seriously.” That is how good this book is. I hugged it when I finished, I went back and re-read random parts. I obsessed over Laini Taylor’s website and I NEED it to be time for the sequel now please!

In a nutshell: Go read this book right now, and you’re welcome.

Once upon a time, there were two moons, who were sisters.
Nitid was the goddess of tears and life, and the sky was hers.
No one worshipped Ellai but secret lovers.
 
 
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Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

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Title: Juliet Immortal

Author: Stacey Jay

Publishing Information: August 9, 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance Retelling

Series information: Book 1 in the Juliet Immortal series

Format: Hardcover, 307 pages

Source: Received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Recommended For: Fans of Shakespeare looking for a stronger heroine than Juliet Capulet

“She will fight for light, and he for dark, 
Battling through the ages for love’s sweet spark. 
Wherever two souls adore truly, you will find them, lo, 
The brave Juliet and the wicked Romeo.” 
             – Medieval Italian ballad, author unknown
 
Juliet Capulet didn’t take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, who made the sacrifice to ensure his own immortality. But Romeo didn’t anticipate that Juliet would be granted eternal life as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For seven hundred years, Juliet has struggled to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent, while Romeo has fought for the dark side, seeking to destroy the human heart. Until now.

Now Juliet has found her own forbidden love, and Romeo, O Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy their happiness.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am madly in love with both William Shakespeare and strong female characters. Shakespeare writes many strong female characters into his works but in my opinion Juliet Capulet is not one of them. Many of you are thinking of the way in which she defies her family to be with her one true love and when she finds him dead she takes her own life, defiant = strong, right? Wrong! Eek, Willie you had me up until that point…though I can imagine the grief and utter loss Juliet felt at seeing Romeo dead I can’t help but want to slap her in the face with some reason! You are on the brink of womanhood! There are other fish in the sea! “There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours.” (Princess Bride, anyone?) But alas, I was not there to slap some sense into young Juliet so she falls dead by her own hand…or does she?!

Juliet Immortal is a completely warped and amazing tale of Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet does not die but is killed by Romeo to ensure immortality and entrance into the Mercenary ranks as an emissary of darkness. Romeo’s plan is thwarted however when Juliet is also granted an immortal life in which she spends eternity as Romeo’s enemy. Their assignments puts them into the bodies of two mortals on earth, Romeo’s job is to convince lovers into killing one another, while Juliet is there to ensure that they remain in love and eventually reach the point of “true” love. This assignment is different from the moment Juliet, trapped in the teenage girl Ariel’s body, meets Ben. Juliet fights her nearly overpowering feelings for Ben because she soon finds out that the two lovers she is meant to save are Ariel’s best friend Gemma and her new boyfriend, Ben. Meanwhile, Romeo is going out of his way to try and woo Juliet and it seems that he really does love her despite his crazy. He senses something is different about this trip as well and does his best to warn Juliet of impending danger. She attempts to stick to her mission until her feelings for Ben take over and she has no choice but to let true love take over. This eventually leads to a pretty awesome ending that I kind of saw coming, but loved anyway.

The author totally rewrites the Juliet character into a character that I LOVE, she is strong and sees that her love for Romeo 700 years prior was just teenage fantasy. In short, I want to high five this Juliet and not slap her! I also really loved Romeo, he was totally the semi-crazy bad guy that was also secretly sweet and just yum. It was also so cool how Stacey Jay alluded to Mr. Willie Shakes and his part in the original story..

“That horrible play. That contemptible, lying play he helped Shakespeare pen all those hundreds of years ago when he first twisted our story to fit his agenda. It worked far too well. Shakespeare’s enduring tragedy did its part to further the goals of the Mercenaries – glamorizing death, making dying for love seem the most noble act of all, though nothing could be further from the truth. Taking an innocent life – in a misguided attempt to prove love or for any other reason – is a useless waste.”

When I first read this I thought that it was a standalone novel but after perusing through Stacey Jay’s website it looks like a sequel titled Romeo Redeemed will be coming out this year! I am pretty intrigued to see where Jay takes Romeo and I am excited to see him in a softer light.

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Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

by

Title: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness

Publishing Information: September 27, 2011 by Walker Books

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror

Series information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 215 pages

Source: Borrowed from my local library

Recommended For: Readers of stories that shoot you straight in the heart


At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting– he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.

From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd– whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself– Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

I heard about this story before it was published through one of the many blogs that I follow and I was very interested in the fact that Patrick Ness was writing a story based off of Siobhan Dowd’s ideas. It looked like a quick and interesting read with amazing illustrations. The illustrations of the monster are perfect as they almost seem to jump right from the reader’s imagination onto the page.

The monster comes to Conor in the dead of night and tells him that he is going to tell him three stories in exchange for Conor’s story, a story of the ominous “truth” that Conor shies away from. The three stories from the monster were my favorite part of the book, they were written almost like fairy tales that at first seemed so cut and dry, until the monster explains the moral which is entirely different from what you had imagined. The conclusion comes when Conor finally succumbs to the monster and tells his own story, the nightmare that haunts him even in his waking hours.

This story was so good. So good that I found myself going through all of the emotions Conor was feeling. I was confused, scared, happy, angry and so sad. As the book came to an end I found myself getting teary over the mere thought of having to go through the loss and heartache that Conor faces. I would recommend this book to any reader looking for a quick, enjoyable read that plays wonderfully with the emotions.