Category: Reviews 2014

• Book Review: “Deception’s Princess” by Esther M. Friesner (ARC)

  Posted at 8:25 am by Laura, on April 8, 2014

  Deception’s Princess by Esther M. Friesner 

  Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
  Publishing Date: April 22
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780449818633
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Maeve, princess of Connacht, was born with her fists clenched. And it’s her spirit and courage that make Maeve her father’s favorite daughter. But once he becomes the High King, powerful men begin to circle–it’s easy to love the girl who brings her husband a kingdom.

  Yet Maeve is more than a prize to be won, and she’s determined to win the right to decide her own fate. In the court’s deadly game of intrigue, she uses her wits to keep her father’s friends and enemies close–but not too close. When she strikes up an unlikely friendship with the son of a visiting druid, Maeve faces a brutal decision between her loyalty to her family and to her own heart.

  Maeve’s life is over-exaggerated — for better or worse — in bards’ songs. Sure, she was a daring five-year-old when she chased after her father’s prized bull. Yes, she learned how to use weapons against threatening beasts. And it’s true she speaks her mind, in a witty, intelligent, and clever manner. But Maeve is a princess in first-century Ireland, and an independent, headstrong young woman is one to be feared or beaten down with a stick. She’s determined to find solid ground to stand up for herself and her beliefs without angering her father, upsetting the land’s most powerful druid, and crushing the druid’s son, a healer and master with creatures.

  Maeve, like King Arthur, is based on threads of fact but mostly of mythical fiction. Her frustrations are understandable, and the men in her life are equally supportive as well as manipulative, protective, and controlling. She can see right through them, and plays their game by speaking only the truth and pointing out inaccuracies and falsehoods. She wants to help her father defend the land — thus her warrior skills — but also wants to be a compassionate healer — thus her lessons with the druid’s son Odran. Maeve is a force of nature, admirable and wonderful to behold, and it was a joy reading her mind.

  What I loved most about this book was what Friesner was able to accomplish with so little recorded historical information at the time. Truly, the tales that lasted from Iron Age Ireland are the tales sung by bards and centuries later recorded in manuscripts. Like the game “telephone,” both in Maeve’s experience as well as in research, only a grain of truth can be found in the poems. Even with little research, Friesner managed to concoct a beautiful and rich tale of love, friendship, and compassion in this tumultuous age. I loved the feast scenes — so much laughter and joy — and the moments Odran and Maeve spent in the hut caring for the animals. Every moment circled back to a previous, an endless loop of past events impacting the present, and it was fun to make the connections. Even the dark moments of sexist frustration and political intrigue were scattered with light, sarcastic commentary in Maeve’s thoughts.

  A fun read for anyone interested in ancient historical fiction, fierce young women, and awesome names you’ll need a pronunciation guide to get anywhere close to its actual sound.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Random House Books for Young Readers for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Geography of You and Me” by Jennifer E. Smith (ARC)

  Posted at 9:15 am by Laura, on April 1, 2014

  The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith 

  Publisher: Poppy
  Publishing Date: April 15
  Genre: young adult, romance
  ISBN: 9780316254779
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they’re rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

  Lucy and Owen’s relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and — finally — a reunion in the city where they first met.

  Two strangers’ lives change forever after getting stuck in an elevator in sweltering New York City summer heat in the middle of a black-out. Lucy, the youngest in her traveling, absent family, and Owen, new to the apartment building and grieving with his father the sudden death of his mother, end up spending the rest of the powerless day and night together, learning everything and nothing about one another. But when power is restored, their lives immediately change: Lucy’s family moves to Edinburgh and London, and Owen travels across the country with his father in search of employment and college options. As months pass and the distance between them widens, Lucy and Owen soon find that “home” doesn’t always mean a specific place: it can be a person.

  Smith has a unique way of creating love stories out of travels and chance encounters. I loved The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and was thrilled to receive this. It certainly makes you wonder what sort of lasting imprint you’ve left on a complete stranger, with a look or comment or action. Imagine an extreme situation where you and that stranger were forced to be together for an extended time — how would this happenstance grow into friendship? Would you keep in touch, and how?

  Lucy and Owen have a bit of an inside joke with postcards, sending them to one another throughout the novel. It began as a snarky comment, that people only send postcards out of politeness, and say “Wish you were here” when really the sender is probably functioning just fine without the sendee. But for these two, a postcard with a few lines means so much more. The wish is genuine. The thought and effort speaks volumes. It’s amazing how, having only been in the other’s presence for roughly four times in the novel, the love can seem so real despite the minimal communication and the vast distance. They see the other in everything, there’s a constant desire to turn to the other and share the excitement or sadness over an event, followed by a disappointment over the constant fact the other is not there. You’d think this desire would be exaggerated passion, “insta-love,” or some other hokey term — but it’s not. It’s like a crush you didn’t realize you had till you found yourself disappointed at the reality of a situation, and then begin to hope once more when a small hint is tossed your way.

  It was wonderful to read Lucy’s adventures in Europe, to watch her build a relationship with her parents for the first time; to root for Owen and his father (and their stow-away turtle) on their trek across the country for employment, to witness them slowly emerge from their grief. The ways in which Lucy and Owen’s lives intersect are remarkable, further solidifying such a beautiful basis for a relationship.

  Definitely a read for fans of Smith’s previous work, as well as Gayle Forman’s Just One Day and Just One Year. Enjoyable and touching.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Poppy for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 1 Comment | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fiction, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Always Emily” by Michaela MacColl (ARC)

  Posted at 9:16 am by Laura, on March 25, 2014

  Always Emily by Michaela MacColl 

  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Publishing Date: April 8
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction, mystery
  ISBN: 9781452111742
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★

  Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.

  Practical Charlotte and imaginative Emily may be two creative and artistic sisters, but their opinions and habits often clash in Haworth. They both notice their brother Branwell acting oddly — or, more so than usual — coinciding with their neighbor’s mysterious death. Soon Charlotte and Emily meet the neighbor’s son, a frightened woman, and a determined stranger on the moors, each with a different story that, eventually, influence the sisters’ writing and future success.

  This review is battling two sets of opinions (ha, quite like these sisters!): one based off a Brontë fanatic and academic, and one based off a YA reader. As someone who has spent the last 10 years researching the Brontë family, reading their works, watching adaptations, and reading the occasional fictional account, I would have rated this with 1 star. Their lives were exaggerated and slightly misrepresented, and something about their father Patrick seemed off from all I’ve researched on him. Then again, the only true critic would be someone who befriended the real Brontës, and obviously they’re long gone.

  As a YA reader, I could give this 4 stars. It’s a great introduction to the secluded family, to the minds of the authors of the strange and wild stories, to the gothic feel of the moors. The mystery is intriguing, the situations the sisters encounter are thrilling, and the growth between the sisters is beautiful to watch. Emily and Charlotte are given alternating chapters in their own POV, and I have to say Emily’s is most compelling. She’s given life and freedom, while Charlotte’s seems restrained. Maybe it’s an expression of their personalities, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the real Charlotte and it would’ve been great to read some more depth in her chapters. Something quite like Jane’s in Jane Eyre — restrained to others but inwardly flourishing.

  For a cozy mystery set on the English moors in the 1830s, this is an entertaining read. Yet I wouldn’t recommend this to someone who is a massive Brontë fan or scholar. It’s a good bridge for those new to the Brontës and their quiet yet turbulent lives.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Chronicle Books for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 4 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Attachments” by Rainbow Rowell

  Posted at 7:17 pm by Laura, on March 22, 2014

  Attachments by Rainbow Rowell 

  Publisher: Plume
  Published: 2012
  Genre: adult fiction
  ISBN: 9780452297548
  Goodreads: 3.97
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It’s company policy.) But they can’t quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

  Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill can’t believe this is his job now- reading other people’s e-mail. When he applied to be “internet security officer,” he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

  When Lincoln comes across Beth’s and Jennifer’s messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can’t help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories. By the time Lincoln realizes he’s falling for Beth, it’s way too late to introduce himself. What would he say . . . ?

  Lincoln O’Neill, fresh out of yet another master’s program and living at home with his mother, accepts a job offer as an internet security officer for the newspaper in preparation for Y2K. But what he thought would be an awesome job turns out to be a dull night job of reading people’s flagged emails and sending them warnings. But when Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder’s email chains are sent to him, he can’t help but be captivated by these women, their humor, their lives. Lincoln knows he’s gone too far — become too invested — when he realizes he’s falling in love with Beth.

  Attachments touched me in so many ways. Lincoln’s sense of failure — of only knowing how to learn (and thus, the multiple degrees) and having to move back in with his parents — hits very close to home. Every 20-something these days has to face the hard truth and possibility of moving back in with parents for financial concerns, and that sense of “failure at life” is such a sad and depressing burden on the soul. You can feel Lincoln’s confusion, hopelessness, and sadness. But with his sister’s support, and his strange sense of connection to Beth and Jennifer, boosts him into trying new things, meeting new people, and improving his lifestyle. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel!

  Similarly, Beth and Jennifer’s concerns are like any young woman’s. Pregnancy scares, boundary lines in relationships, jealousy of others getting married before you, work gossip, self-esteem issues, you name it and these women talk about it. I especially love the fact they give nicknames to their coworkers. You’re invested in their journeys just as much as Lincoln’s, and there’s absolutely nothing thrilling about it except for the fact it’s so real. This is life. And as humans, we want to hear others’ stories, even the mundane ones.

  Rowell’s setting — right before and after the Y2K scare (which, looking back on it, cracks me up) — and writing style really make this a unique novel. Lincoln’s chapters follow Lincoln in the third person narrative. Beth and Jennifer’s email chains are exactly that: email chains, with time stamps, subject lines, and <>: and <>: indicators. Soon you develop your own image of them in your mind, a voice for each, and it’s exciting when Beth first sees Lincoln (and thus, a description!), and when Lincoln first sees Jennifer and Beth (more descriptions!). Again — true to life! It was fun flipping back and forth between these narratives because it drives the novel forward. You race through Lincoln’s chapter to see Beth and Jennifer again, and you race through Beth and Jennifer to get back to Lincoln. Clever, Rowell.

  A fun book about the various life situations in early adulthood, with a light and hilarious office romance. Cute, adorable, heart-warming, a light at the end of the tunnel.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 3 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell

  Posted at 6:34 pm by Laura, on March 17, 2014

  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

  Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
  Published: September 10, 2013
  Genre: young adult, new adult
  ISBN: 9781250030955
  Goodreads: 4.22
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

  Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan…. But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

  Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

  Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

  Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words…and she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

  For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

  Cath is a famous Simon Snow fan. At least, in the fandom. She’s written several fanfics about Simon Snow, and her latest mammoth creation is regarded as the final book in the series. But Cath is horrible in real life social situations. Her twin sister, Wren, is anxious to start college and experience all the new opportunities; Cath is terrified of meeting people. At first she likes that her roommate leaves her alone, but her ever-present friend Levi constantly tries to bring Cath out of her shell. She thought her Fiction Writing class would be phenomenal, but her professor scorns fanfiction. And to top it off, Cath’s father tends to experience extreme manic episodes, and this is the first time he would be on his own without his twin daughters. Cath begins college a terrified, anxious girl, entirely dependent on a fictional world to help her get by — and transitions into a more confident woman, a journey beautiful one to behold.

  

  I don’t even know where to begin with this review because this book spoke to me on so many levels! Maybe I should begin with the levels.

  As a fangirl . . . I was deeply ingrained in the Harry Potter fandom. From age 11-15 I was constantly checking forums for theories about the books and characters, reading fanfiction, participating in “ship” discussions — everything. I didn’t like to admit it to my friends because speaking about it made it seem stupid. But really, it was a joy playing around in JKR’s world. That’s exactly what Cath does with this HP knock-off world of Simon Snow (which, by the way, the blatant Harry Potter (and Twilight! Ha!) references cracked me up!). It’s so strange and liberating reading a book about something millions of people experienced secretly and openly. I loved how Cath’s fanfic had such a huge following — it reminded me of Cassandra Claire (note the spelling) and her Draco Trilogy. Anyone remember that? Man.

  As an anxious person . . . Cath has extreme social anxiety. While I can handle social situations fairly easily, it was such a relief to read about a character who truly does have difficulty interacting with people and day-to-day life. She over-thinks every scenario with any trip she needs to take. There’s a good portion of the beginning of the book where Cath is scared to go to the dining hall, and therefore doesn’t know where the dining hall is located. She’s not afraid of getting lost, but looking stupid: where to pick up a tray (if there is a tray), where to stand in line (if there are lines) for food, where to check out, where to sit, if it’s okay to sit alone (and how to sit alone and look normal, not lonely), etc. Reagan, her roommate, handles these situations so perfectly. She literally drags Cath everywhere with her, forcing her to experience college life without actually pressuring her to do anything.

  As someone hesitant about relationships . . . Sometimes the whole insta-love thing works, and it can be beautiful and magical and wonderful. But let’s be honest — more often than not, insta-love doesn’t happen, and someone is extremely nervous in the relationship (or pre-relationship). Cath, slowly but surely, begins to like Levi. She’s not sure how to handle it, considering she’s confused about the Reagan-Levi dynamic and she’s intimidated by the fact he’s a junior — and in college years, that’s like a decade older than her and a million times more experienced. And she handles these emotions like any anxious, nervous person would: she refuses to think about it and dwell on it. As the reader, you notice she likes him because she’s mentioning his habits, his quirks, his expressions: all signs of observational skills. What’s fantastic about this is that Levi isn’t traditionally handsome. He’s not some huge hunk of sculpted meat and brilliant brains and touching sensitivity — he’s a nice guy. It’s so beautiful. So beautiful, it makes me want to cry.

  The writing is phenomenal. I love Rowell’s style, and there’s something about her voice that makes every scene hilarious, terrifying, emotional, and heartfelt all at once. It’s raw and honest and real. I don’t know how else I can explain this magnificence of this book, and so I’ll close with saying I’m clutching this book to my chest and never letting go.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: new adult, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Solsbury Hill” by Susan M. Wyler (ARC)

  Posted at 4:41 pm by Laura, on March 15, 2014

  Solsbury Hill by Susan M. Wyler 

  Publisher: Riverhead Trade
  Publishing Date: April 1
  Genre: romance, adult fiction
  ISBN: 9781594632365
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★

  When a surprise call from a dying aunt brings twenty-something New Yorker Eleanor Abbott to the Yorkshire moors, and the family estate she is about to inherit, she finds a world beyond anything she might have expected. Having left behind an American fiance, here Eleanor meets Meadowscarp MacLeod—a young man who challenges and changes her. Here too she encounters the presence of Bronte herself and discovers a family legacy they may share.

  With winds powerful enough to carve stone and bend trees, the moors are another world where time and space work differently. Remanants of the past are just around a craggy, windswept corner. For Eleanor, this means ancestors and a devastating romantic history that bears on her own life, on the history of the novel Wuthering Heights, and on the destinies of all who live in its shadow.

  Eleanor Abbott arrives at a family estate in northern England after discovering her childhood friend and long-term boyfriend cheating on her. As her aunt’s friends and family help Eleanor decide on matters regarding the future of the estate, she contemplates Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, the man she left behind in New York, and the man she meets on the moors.

  I had such high expectations for this novel — I can hardly write a summary for it because I’m so deeply disappointed.

  My expectations were high because of the Wuthering Heights comparison. Marketed as a retelling, a romance as strong as Heathcliff and Catherine’s, and other such similarities is false advertising. The romance is shallow — if existent at all — and it’s certainly not a retelling. A retelling would be Margot Livesey’s The Flight of Gemma Hardy — new setting, new character names, but essentially the same core for motives or personalities. Forewarning, this is not a retelling, and the comparisons are…barely there.

  The writing and the plot was not what I expected either. I thought descriptions and dialogue and plot would be fully developed, well-written, enticing, imaginative, lush. It fell completely flat. It was like reading a teenager’s fanfiction, or a preteen’s attempt at writing smut. And maybe this is because I’m not a romance reader — the very first couple pages contain explicit yet poorly written sex scenes, and then for the rest of the novel the characters are one-dimensional, lacking in personality, and forceful in poor dialogue.

  Maybe I’m harsh because I see the Brontës as untouchable. Maybe this just wasn’t my book. Either way, I was disappointed.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Riverhead Trade for review.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: romance, review

• Book Review: “A Mad, Wicked Folly” by Sharon Biggs Waller

  Posted at 9:05 pm by Laura, on March 3, 2014

  A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller 

  Publisher: Viking
  Published: January 2014
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780670014682
  Goodreads: 3.95
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.

  After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

  All Victoria Darling wants to do is get into the Royal College of Art and become a master artist. Normally that would be quite simple — but Vicky is restricted to the social and political rules of 1909 London. As a female, she cannot apply confidently, nor can she pay for tuition without seeking aid from a man. After posing nude for an art class, her reputation is sullied and her parents quickly try to patch it up with an engagement to Edmund Carrick-Humphrey, a wealthy and educated young man who could inherit Mr. Darling’s business. Vicky can hardly find solace with a wedding to plan and parents restricting her art, so when she decides to draw the suffragettes and gets wrapped up with the police, her world turns upside down. All it takes is one copper, police constable William Fletcher, to make her face her dreams.

  

  In short, this book will make you feel all the feels.

  Passion. Vicky has a talent, she knows how to use it, she seeks to further her education in it, and she has a goal to become like a Pre-Raphaelite, remembered and adored for her artistic creativity. She wants to become an artist that inspires feeling in another person, just like Waterhouse’s painting A Mermaid does for her. To be inside a character’s thoughts like that — how she can find beauty in the smallest thing, how time stops for her when she has an artistic project, the way she can make art a part of every aspect of her life — is so thrilling. We all have something we are passionate about, and whether or not you’re an artist or enthusiast you’ll still feel that connection. Because it’s not just art — it’s women’s rights. Vicky has a base desire for equality from the start, a simple “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t do this” intuition. She’s frustrated with it, but is completely thrown when she meets passionate suffragettes. It shocks and inspires her that women will chain themselves to fences, will willingly go to prison, will starve themselves or endure force-feeding, just so a politician can hear their cry. Her artwork wraps up in their movement, and she with the women. Her growth and development in both is amazing.

  Anger. I love the Victorian era, and sometimes I believe I’m better suited in that time, but then a book like this comes along and reminds me that even when my great-grandmother was a little girl (nine years old in 1909) women did not have the rights we have today. And it astounds me that hundreds of thousands of women and male sympathizers would willingly get arrested and endure such torture. To me, these days, the faults of our history never make sense to me. Why would someone enslave another human being, deny the rights of another sex, deny the rights of another race, deny the rights of another religion, deny the rights of another sexual preference? It doesn’t make sense. We still have these issues today — but imagine the frustration to be in that party at that time. It angered me, seeing what these women dealt with — and what the anti-suffragettes did! And non-suffragette women! It wasn’t the book that angered me, but the history. And the author did a fantastic job of portraying the history!

  Sadness, betrayal. Will. Oh, Will. And Vicky with her father. And Vicky with her friends. And her mother’s history. Will’s family. Vicky’s good intentions but poor reception of those intentions. Edmund and his demands. I cannot say more without spoiling the book, but the author wonderfully wrote each character and their place in society. It was touching and beautiful.

  Love, happiness. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed, how many times I smiled and rolled my eyes along with Vicky during “deadly dull” house calls or “crushingly boring” dinner parties. Or when she was so wrapped up in her art and Will that social protocol is thrown out the window. Or how thrilling it was for Vicky and her suffragette friends Sophie and Lucy to work together and spread the truth about the prisons. Or how exciting the whole application process into the RCA was for Vicky. How she was able to teach her backward-thinking father to use the telephone, or learn to accept that cars were the new mode of transportation. How she was able to overcome her claustrophobia by using the Underground. How time could fly by and she only just realized she’d been holding Will’s hand. 

  There’s so much in this story that I can’t wait to continuously share with other readers. It’s a phenomenal fiction debut, and I’m looking forward to Sharon Biggs Waller’s future work!

  

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Savage Girl” by Jean Zimmerman (ARC)

  Posted at 9:15 am by Laura, on February 27, 2014

  Savage Girl by Jean Zimmerman 

  Publisher: Viking
  Publishing Date: March 6
  Genre: historical fiction, mystery
  ISBN: 9780670014859
  Goodreads: —
  Rating:  ★★★★

  Jean Zimmerman’s new novel tells of the dramatic events that transpire when an alluring, blazingly smart eighteen-year-old girl named Bronwyn, reputedly raised by wolves in the wilds of Nevada, is adopted in 1875 by the Delegates, an outlandishly wealthy Manhattan couple, and taken back East to be civilized and introduced into high society.

  Bronwyn hits the highly mannered world of Edith Wharton-era Manhattan like a bomb. A series of suitors, both young and old, find her irresistible, but the willful girl’s illicit lovers begin to turn up murdered.

  Zimmerman’s tale is narrated by the Delegate’s son, a Harvard anatomy student. The tormented, self-dramatizing Hugo Delegate speaks from a prison cell where he is prepared to take the fall for his beloved Savage Girl. This narrative—a love story and a mystery with a powerful sense of fable—is his confession.

  Hugo Delegate knows he’s in trouble. Whether or not it was Savage Girl — Bronwyn — who committed the murders or he, Hugo’s determined to free her and take the blame instead. He tells their story from the very beginning, in a windy, dusty city in Nevada where his wealthy family found and collected this feral young woman and brought her to New York City to be educated, trained, and prepared for her season. But somewhere within his story, Hugo blurs Bronwyn’s character, and begins to wonder if his love for her blinds him from her true nature, or if something — someone — more sinister is at work.

  While many historical novels stick to the historical facts of the day — politics, education, fashion, transportation, social expectations, belief systems, etc — Zimmerman embodies the language of the day in her story. From skeptical Harvard medical man to a drunkard wailing over his love, lust, and confusion, Zimmerman’s Hugo is a character that comes alive through the rich diction. I felt like I was on the train with his family, traveling across the country and entering high society and working with this “raised by wolves” young woman. Bronwyn is quite similar too — her growth is fascinating, her fierce independence and loyalty and brave nature colliding together to create this beautiful, believable character from the wilds. Feral children are not simply stories; they were real.

  When I first received this ARC, I assumed it would be like reading Catherine from Wuthering Heights plucked and dropped into Edith Wharton’s high society — her passions and wild-like manner considered animalistic and foreign. It’s nothing like that, and I’m glad. The mystery of the murders propelled the already intriguing plot (the character growth is enough to keep you reading), and it’s not until the exact last page that the truth is revealed. Zimmerman will keep you guessing, tossing around Hugo, Brownyn, and many other suspects back and forth. Who should you believe? The unreliable narrator? The wild woman?

  Oh, it’s just so wonderfully written. Transported in time! A time that many seem to skip across when discussing history, that age between the Civil War and the suffragettes — beautifully represented in this great book.

  Thank you, Viking and Goodreads, for providing this book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 1 Comment | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Panic” by Lauren Oliver (ARC)

  Posted at 11:15 am by Laura, on February 22, 2014

  Panic by Lauren Oliver 

  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Publishing Date: March 4
  Genre: young adult, thriller, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780062014559
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★

  Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

  Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

  Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

  For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

  Heather and Dodge, participants in a thrilling post-graduation game where the winner takes all, have different reasons for entering Panic. Heather jumps in to prove something to herself. Dodge, in a sense, plays for revenge. But Panic must be kept a secret from the adults and police of Carp — a small, poor town in the middle of nowhere — because Panic is the only chance any of the students have to escape and start a fresh, new life.

  First of all, this is not dystopian and it is not another Hunger Games. Yes, it sounds like THG, and yes it sounds dystopian, but this is a thriller contemporary novel through and through. The high school graduates of Carp of years past devised a daring, life-threatening game where the winner takes $50,000 — money raised from the school population, $1 donated from each student for every day of high school attendance — and escapes the awful, poor, messed up town. The winner can do whatever they want: go to college, get surgery, travel the world, pick up and leave, become athletes or actresses, you name it. These students are desperate, and they will put their lives on the line for that chance to escape.

  And that’s what fuels Panic, the desperation of the participants. Heather is deeply insecure, feels unloved and worthless, and she enters Panic blindly thinking she’ll catch the eye of her ex-boyfriend, when in reality she realizes she entered to prove something to herself and to the world. Every participants has a sad, angry, desperate story, and it fuels them throughout their frightening game. Jumping off tanks, crossing highways blindfolded…anything for the $67,000 pool for this year’s winner.

  So why 2 stars? While this was well-written, dirty and gritty, honest, and filled with intense emotion, it just wasn’t the book for me. I continued reading because I love Oliver’s work, but this particular book was not meant to be read by me. Maybe I’ve never felt this angry, scared, insecure, or desperate, or maybe I’ve had a sheltered upbringing, or maybe I just never interacted with people in these dire situations. Who knows? This is not a reflection of the book’s quality, but rather my enjoyment of the book.

  Thank you, Edelweiss and HarperCollins, for providing the book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: thriller, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Daring Ladies of Lowell” by Kate Alcott (ARC)

  Posted at 6:14 pm by Laura, on February 18, 2014

  The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott

  Publisher: Doubleday
  Publishing Date: February 25
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780385536493
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Determined to forge her own destiny, Alice Barrow joins the legions of spirited young women better known as the Mill Girls. From dawn until dusk, these ladies work the looms, but the thrill of independence, change in their pockets, and friendships formed along the way mostly make the backbreaking labor worthwhile. In fact, Hiram Fiske, the steely-eyed titan of industry, has banked on that. But the working conditions are becoming increasingly dangerous and after one too many accidents, Alice finds herself unexpectedly acting as an emissary to address the factory workers’ mounting list of grievances.

  After traveling to the Fiske family’s Beacon Hill mansion, Alice enters a world she’s never even dared to dream about: exquisite silk gowns, sumptuous dinners, grand sitting parlors, and uniformed maids operating with an invisible efficiency. Of course, there’s also a chilliness in the air as Alice presents her case. But with her wide, intelligent eyes and rosy-hued cheeks, Alice manages to capture the attention of Hiram’s eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske.

  Their chemistry is undeniable, soon progressing from mutual respect and shy flirtation into an unforgettable romance. But when Alice’s best friend, Lovey, is found strangled in a field, Alice and Samuel are torn between loyalty to “their kind” and a chance for true love.

  Young Alice is determined to start a new life for herself by becoming a mill girl in a cotton factory, working with other independent young women on the dangerous looms. One accident after another sheds light on the dangers of factory work, and the list of grievances causes a stir among the workers. But when Alice’s dear friend Lovey is found strangled in a field, tensions rise and a trial threatens the balance of all of Lowell — and tests the bond between Alice and her employer’s forward-thinking son, Samuel.

  Once again, Alcott delivers a great new historical perspective on industry, law, and inter-class romance. With The Dressmaker, we saw a determined young maid desiring to become a seamstress and designer, all during the turmoil surrounding the court cases following the sinking of the Titanic. This novel, too, is based on fact: the murder of a factory girl and the rise of unions and strikes in industrial America. It was exciting to see how all aspects of the story — the wealth and opulence of the Fiske family, the spirited women in the factory boarding houses, the culture of a small town versus that of Boston, the law versus traditional prejudice — intertwined with one another, creating such rich detail and a vibrant story.

  Alice’s naïveté lends to her strong will and determination. From President Jackson’s visit onward, Alice was the voice of the workers without coming across as too strong or too weak. She spoke her mind respectfully, and never backed down. She’s quite an admirable character, and it’s easy to see how the mill girls loved her and how Samuel admired her despite her background. Social custom was a heavy topic, too. The Fiske family are of new money, and Grandmother is determined to make sure her son and grandchildren remember their origins, to look to reform and understand their employees’ grievances.

  Whenever I think of cotton mills and all the strikes, deaths, and horrors that came with the Industrial Revolution, I can’t help but be both frightened and disgusted with that bit of history. It makes reading fiction based on that difficult. And yet Alcott made each character’s hopes, voice, and personality shine so brilliantly that, for a moment and like Alice, I too forgot about the dreary hardships and absorbed the friendships, the passion for change, and the desire to break social code. Alcott is an excellent storyteller, and her next novel is definitely one to read.

  Thank you, Edelweiss and Doubleday, for providing this book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 3 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, goodreads, review

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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