Tag: book review

• Book Review: “Snow Like Ashes” by Sara Raasch (ARC)

  Posted at 7:45 am by Laura, on October 13, 2014

  Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

  Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  Publishing Date: October 14
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062286925
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

  Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

  So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

  Meira is one of the last remaining Winterian refugees and is desperate to prove to the general, Sir, that she’s worthy of warrior status. For sixteen years, the Kingdom of Winter has been without a free home, without a monarch, and without magic. Meira seizes the opportunity to reclaim the Winter conduit from Spring, the destructive Season kingdom that’s slowly but surely taking over the Rhythm kingdoms as well. But her mission doesn’t go smoothly, and Meira is thrust into battles and politics and a destiny she never thought imaginable.

  Wow oh wow. For a while I was certain I was finally reading a YA fantasy that could be a stand-alone — it was so epic, and so much was happening all at once — the politics, the passion, the humor and sadness and self-discovery, the world-building, and the major reveal at the end. And though we discover it’s not a stand-alone, that there may be a companion book or trilogy in the future, it’s still worth every second of time, every word.

  Meira was a joy, a breath of fresh air. She’s strong-willed, determined to find her place, anxious to prove to the general/adoptive father Sir that she has a purpose for the restoration of Winter, funny, insightful, and emotional. She has moments of weakness, moments of strength, moments of clarity and reasoning and compassion. She’s by no means perfect, but it was so wonderful to read about an independent warrior-lady who’s not all about sacrifice — that she has moments of longing for love like every teenage girl, that she has moments of wishing she could be more than who she is what she believes she’s destined to become. She felt real. And that’s all any reader can ask for in a fantasy novel with high stakes: a character as human as the reader.

  The kingdoms are fascinating too. There are eight total, divided into two categories: Seasons and Rhythms. The Seasons are one season throughout the entire year, and the Rhythms experiences all four seasons. This book primarily focuses on two Seasons and one Rhythm, and it’s interesting to see the discrimination and justification for those prejudices pan out. But my biggest moment of awe was the concept behind each Season, specifically the Kingdom of Winter and the Kingdom of Spring. Typically, we view winter as a cold, harsh, dead season, the end of life and the darkest time; spring is full of color and fresh, new beginnings, of life and vitality and awakenings. Oh, so vastly different in this book. Winter may be cold and harsh, but it’s full of life, clean and clear and brilliant and pure. Spring, on the other hand, is dark, controlling, manipulating, filled with death and caution and fear. In a way, I’m glad there will be more to read from Raasch — I’m interested to see the other Rhythms, to meet the other Seasons and watch those stereotypes shatter.

  This is a world you’ll never want to leave.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Balzer + Bray for review!

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

• Book Review: “First Impressions” by Charlie Lovett (ARC)

  Posted at 7:45 am by Laura, on October 6, 2014

  First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen by Charlie Lovett 

  Publisher: Viking Adult
  Publishing Date: October 16
  Genre: contemporary, historical fiction, mystery
  ISBN: 9780525427247
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★.5

  Book lover and Austen enthusiast Sophie Collingwood has recently taken a job at an antiquarian bookshop in London when two different customers request a copy of the same obscure book: the second edition of Little Book of Allegories by Richard Mansfield.  Their queries draw Sophie into a mystery that will cast doubt on the true authorship of Pride and Prejudice—and ultimately threaten Sophie’s life.

  In a dual narrative that alternates between Sophie’s quest to uncover the truth—while choosing between two suitors—and a young Jane Austen’s touching friendship with the aging cleric Richard Mansfield, Lovett weaves a romantic, suspenseful, and utterly compelling novel about love in all its forms and the joys of a life lived in books.

  Sophie Collingwood’s life is dedicated to books. Thanks to her Uncle Bertram’s enthusiasm for literature, she too began collecting and reading books at a young age. When her uncle dies outside his apartment unexpectedly, Sophie is certain it was murder. Upon arriving at his apartment, she finds it completely bare of books — and after acquiring a job at an antiquarian bookshop, she makes it her personal mission to find Bertram’s murderer and his personal library. Soon enough, she becomes entangled in a mystery connecting her family to Jane Austen’s career, and she must decide if it’s a secret worth dying for.

  Lush and exquisitely told, Lovett’s dual narrative between present-day Oxford graduate Sophie Collingwood and the young Jane Austen — prior to her publishing career — is a rich, cozy read. I think Austen fans will enjoy this interpretation of the beginnings of Pride and Prejudice, and I certainly enjoyed the mystery and thrill in Sophie’s life. Threatening phone calls to obtain a rare book that may or may not be connected to Austen can definitely make a bookworm’s heart pound. Between Oxford and London, libraries and bookshops, graveyards and old estates, Sophie’s narrative is exciting for the bookish researcher. Jane’s narrative is calmer, revealing a growing friendship with an old cleric who also enjoys literature. His influence on her books is profound, and their connection deep and unyielding.

  I cannot pinpoint why exactly I didn’t give this four or five stars. It’s one of those books that, once you begin reading and fall into the rhythm of the narrative, you can’t put it down. Seeing as I had to repeatedly put it down for other responsibilities in my life, I didn’t quite fall into it like I wanted to. The mystery is justifiably intriguing, the hunt for books engaging, and the threat to reveal the truth behind Austen’s most famous work terrifying. I liked it. Bookworms will too!

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

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

• Book Review: “Black Ice” by Becca Fitzpatrick (ARC)

  Posted at 8:15 am by Laura, on October 2, 2014

  Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick 

  Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 
  Publishing Date: October 7
  Genre: young adult, thriller, mystery
  ISBN: 9781442474260
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★.75

  Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

  In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there… and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

  But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

  Britt’s trained hard in the past year for her backpacking trip the Teton Range in Wyoming. She knows how to survive the weather, the mountains, and exhaustion. But she’s not prepared to be taken hostage. Britt is positive that one of these men is responsible for the murders of intelligent, beautiful girls whose bodies were discovered in these very mountains. In an effort to save her friend, Britt agrees to help two young men off the mountain during a terrible snow storm — all the while hoping her ex-boyfriend will find her before she becomes the killer’s next target.

  I read this thriller in a day and loved every minute of it. It was fresh and exciting. I loved reading about a physically and mentally strong, independent female character who doesn’t have superpowers to get her through tough situations. She’s still very much a heartbroken girl after her ex, Calvin (who is also her best friend’s older brother), unexpectedly ended things with her several months prior to this trip, and I think that’s what drew me to her. The female protagonist doesn’t need to be cold-hearted to be strong and independent. She acknowledges she’s spent her life depending on the men who surround her, and this trip would be a message for them and to herself that she can go out on her own and literally survive. Loved it.

  While I was able to piece together the real killer and the connections everyone had to other characters in the story about 75% of the way through, I was still incredibly curious as to the killer’s motives — and that alone was spine-chilling. It’s that charm and hidden misogynistic hatred that all girls fear in men, and it felt so incredibly real. It’s a message to men, as well. I hope boys read this book. It’s the perfect peek into a self-sufficient girl’s mind, and her ongoing calculations about men who are kind as well as severe. It gives the reader an idea of what it’s like to walk in a girl’s shoes, only heightened by the immediacy of a kidnapping.

  I’m not sure what else to say other than it’s a great thriller! It’s perfect for YA, too. I’d imagine that, if this book were geared for adults, more suspenseful passages would have been written to heighten the tension. This YA is fast, and I will not be surprised if it’s one day turned into a movie. It really has that cinematic feel to it. Oh, love it!

  Thank you, Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster, for providing the digital and BEA print copy for review! And thank you/shout out to my grad pub friends, Hannah and Morgan, for standing in line at BEA to get this!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: mystery, genre: thriller, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “My True Love Gave to Me” edited by Stephanie Perkins (ARC)

  Posted at 8:15 am by Laura, on September 30, 2014

  My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins 
  Stories written by Stephanie Perkins, Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Matt de la Peña, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Kiersten White

  Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
  Publishing Date: October 14
  Genre: young adult, romance, holiday
  ISBN: 9781250059307
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.

  From New Year’s Eve parties to last-minute Hanukkahs, supernatural creatures from dreams to fantastic parallel universes, and down to your usual Christmas holiday story — twelve great YA authors bring wonderful new sets of characters this holiday season for some cozy, warm-feeling cheer that would go perfectly with a soft blanket and hot cocoa.

  I’ll admit I read only the short stories written by the authors I already enjoy (Perkins, Forman, Han, Rowell, Taylor) and those I’ve heard praise for but hadn’t read yet (Black, Carter, Levithan). Because I loved those short stories — such variety! — so much, I’m going to go back and read the ones by the authors I haven’t heard anything about.

  Rowell and Forman were my favorites, followed closely by Perkins. Rowell’s characters Mags and Noel went to the same New Year’s Eve party across all of high school and freshman year of college. They change with each passing year, grow closer, and their friendship is so beautiful and solid you can’t help but cheer at midnight. Forman’s Sophie is hilarious and witty, extremely sarcastic, and it intensifies when she meets Russell, the first person she views as her equal. Perkins’s story is heartfelt and authentic, Han’s was a surprising twist of her usual writing, Taylor’s was lush as usual, and Black’s was fun and quirky.

  This is an adorable winter holiday read, perfect to get you into the spirit!

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from St. Martin’s Press for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 3 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: romance, genre: young adult, holiday, review

• Book Review: “Dragonfly in Amber” by Diana Gabaldon

  Posted at 8:33 pm by Laura, on September 28, 2014

  Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon 

  Publisher: Seal Books
  Published: July 1992
  Genre: historical fiction, fantasy, romance, adventure
  ISBN: 9780440215622
  Goodreads: 4.31
  Rating: ★★★★

  For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones …about a love that transcends the boundaries of time …and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his ….

  Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart …in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising …and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves…

  Scotland, 1968. Claire brings her daughter Brianna to Scotland to visit the place Frank studied with such depth and devotion. Claire introduces Brianna to Roger Wakefield, the adopted son of the reverend Frank corresponded and shared academic stories with during and after his second honeymoon with Claire. But Roger and Brianna are set in store for more than nostalgia and acquaintance reunions — little do they know they’ll learn of the years Claire spent away from Frank, and what it means for them.
  Scotland & France, 1744-1746. Claire and Jamie flee Scotland for France, and work their way into Charles Stuart’s court in Paris in an attempt to thwart his efforts to reclaim the Scottish throne. Leading the life of a double-agent, Jamie’s political leanings and pride in his country war in his heart, and Claire attempts to navigate court life to help in his efforts. Soon enough their work is needed in Scotland once more, and it appears that fate has a different plan set in store for the Frasers, the MacKenzies, and Scotland.

  Note: All Outlander books will be filled with spoilers. If you haven’t read Outlander yet, do not read on!

  This would’ve received five stars if it weren’t for France. Not that Gabaldon’s writing was poor in France, or that the history wasn’t fascinating — nothing like that. And it’s not that it was the setting that put me off (France versus Scotland…mmm, I’d take Scotland). The slow pacing and political intrigue was just like in Outlander, except that this time we’re set in the opulence of a French court, with too many characters and too much gossip and too much scheming and it not only took a toll on me but also on Jamie and Claire. They love each other deeply and they care about their cause, but it clearly disrupted their life, being double agents and attempting to change the course of history. It created a rift, in a way. I promise you, if you’re reading Dragonfly in Amber right now and you’re not back in Scotland yet, keep reading. It’ll be worth it! Soon our lovers are back on home land and even they admit France was tedious!

  At first I was slightly put off by the twenty-years-into-the-future part of the story — including the switching perspectives — but after a while I genuinely liked it. We see how Claire struggled to maintain a secret, read her mind as she flashed back to the difficulty in her marriage with Frank post-return, felt her love for her daughter Brianna and all that she meant. We can sense how heartbreaking it was for her to come back to the twentieth century and have a child. And then to tell the child about her years away from Frank and hope against all hope she’d believe Claire. That’s tough. Although I still find it hilarious that the most logical of men in this series still believe Claire faster than any woman has (first Jamie, then Anselm, then Roger).

  I know that everyone is okay. It’s clear, reading the summaries of the other books, that everyone is okay. But that still didn’t stop the feeling of dread once we were back in Scotland, once you realize Claire really did return to the future, once Jamie and Claire have to say goodbye. So many tears. So. Many.

  And the cliffhanger? Good Lord.

  There’s a reason this series is successful. It’s not a romance about how two people come together and live happily ever after. It’s about a marriage. About following these two people across time and space, about all the hardships they’ve encountered together and apart, how they work with one another and make decisions and still come out loving one another so deeply and fully it makes your own heart shatter. It’s beautiful.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: action/adventure, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, review

• Book Review: “A Little Something Different” by Sandy Hall

  Posted at 7:30 am by Laura, on September 10, 2014

  A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall 

  Publisher: Swoon Reads
  Published: August 26
  Genre: young adult, romance
  ISBN: 9781250061454
  Goodreads: 3.84
  Rating: ★★★★

  Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese good, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is a little aloof, Gabe is shy, and it looks like they are never going to work things out.

  But something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at the local Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV series. The bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes Lea and Gabe were meant to be together.

  Fourteen points of view, and none of them are Lea and Gabe’s. Like watching a TV show or living vicariously through friends, join a barista, bus driver, bench, brother, three friends, two classmates, a squirrel, a professor and her wife, a Chinese take-out guy, and a waitress as they observe the nervous Lea and shy Gabe circle around one another for an entire year. Mixed signals, misunderstood words and body language, and near misses capture the hilarity and innocence of first love.

  I have to admit, I read this book at just the right time. I needed something light and quick and adorable — this was just the ticket. (Plus, seriously, there’s a squirrel’s POV in this book. Bingo!)

  While at times it seemed ridiculous these two could be so shy and awkward around one another, the friends and observers were incredibly understanding to their situation. Here’s this freshman girl, excited and nervous about college but ready for something new — and along comes this tall, awkward older guy who seems interested in her but incredibly shy. She has next-to-no experience, so her friends offer words of encouragement and advice that backfire when Lea puts it into action. Now, here’s this shy older guy, once a baseball star but no longer on the college team and without a scholarship. He seems to have trouble hearing the people around him, and has gone through some tough stuff in the last year that’s pulled him out of school. Top it off with being a shy, quiet guy, and his friends completely understand why he’s not making any moves.

  What I loved most about this book was the fact it’s never — not once! — told through Lea or Gabe’s perspective. The reader is forced to be a third-party observer just like everyone else. I loved that! It felt just like watching my friends (and complete strangers!) tip-toe around one another, the small steps towards love. Each section was just long enough to get a good scene in, and just short enough to make you want to read more and into another’s perspective. I blew through this, I enjoyed it immensely.

  For a first Swoon Reads publication, this is incredibly fun, adorable, lovely, and sweet! Well done!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon

  Posted at 9:07 pm by Laura, on September 6, 2014

  Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

  Publisher: Bantem Dell
  Published: 1991
  Genre: historical fiction, romance, adventure, fantasy 
  ISBN: 9780440212560
  Goodreads: 4.14
  Rating: ★★★★★

  In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon–when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord…1743.

  Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire’s destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life …and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire…and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

  Claire and her husband Frank and finally reunited after years of separation during WWII. They decide to have a second honeymoon in the Highlands, and traipse about the countryside to learn more about Frank’s ancestry and the local botany. One afternoon, Claire travels to an ancient stone circle she and Frank visited previously, and ends up traveling back in time to 1743. She’s stunned beyond belief and struggles to comprehend what has happened to her, especially when her life is in the hands of the MacKenzie clansmen at Castle Leoch. She takes on the role of healer in an effort to fit in, and is drawn to an unlikely friendship with Scots warrior Jamie Fraser, who has a tumultuous history of his own. Before long, Claire is torn between her life in the Highlands, set in a time of turmoil for Scotland, and her comfortable life in 1945 to a man she loves yet hardly knows.

  Why? Why did I read this before the TV show came out? I was told time and again I should read these books as I’d love this series, but it wasn’t until I saw the first episode of Outlander on Starz that I convinced myself to pick it up and read ahead of the episodes. It’s so well written and completely indescribable. It’s accurate historical fiction. It’s romance (steamy, too). It’s adventurous (and bloody and terrifying and a whole host of other suitable words). It’s fantasy (time travel!). It’s philosophical. It’s spiritual. It’s so many things!

  I’ve shared my thoughts with booksellers and bloggers privately (and extensively) on this book, and I’m quite excited to read the rest. But I’ll stick to two major points I felt I should include in the review.

  The violence. Particularly to Claire, and between Claire and Jamie. All the men versus Claire: it seems historically accurate. Women were treated like scum and furniture and property. The general devil-may-care attitude and violence towards Claire bothered me but I went in knowing that was common. She knew too. She hated it, and she’d lash out, but she also had to adapt to the times in order to save her neck. On the other hand, there’s a scene between Claire and Jamie I did not like one bit. I wasn’t sure if it was because it seemed slightly out-of-character for Jamie, or because I’d put him on a pedestal (or Claire did), or because of my own personal history — but it certainly tore me to pieces and broke my heart. It certainly shook things up. It revealed the times even more, that Claire’s situation was a real one, not play-acting, and that not everyone is perfect. But still. It bothered me. That one scene.

  Claire. Talk about an intelligent woman! Even while her mind was jumbled and afraid and confused, she was able to step back and observe her surroundings. She adapted quickly to this war-torn era, and put her combat nursing skills to good use while she tried to make sense of her situation. I would not have been able to hold my head if I were in her shoes. I was also thrilled to read about her independence, her progressive thoughts, and her sexual empowerment. She knew she didn’t belong in 1743 and stuck out like a sore thumb in many ways, but she still asserted her feminist beliefs in every available opportunity. She is warm and witty and loving, deeply philosophical and immensely brave. Bravo. (And bravo to Gabaldon for writing such wonderful and intimate love scenes between Claire and Jamie. It wasn’t instantaneous, it wasn’t rushed; it built upon trust and friendship and camaraderie, making Claire’s decision between Frank and Jamie all the more realistically difficult.)

  I’m really looking forward to reading the next book!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: action/adventure, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Caller” by Juliet Marillier (ARC)

  Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on September 1, 2014

  The Caller by Juliet Marillier 

  Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
  Publishing Date: September 9
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780375869563
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Neryn has made a long journey to perfect her skills as a Caller. She has learned the wisdom of water and of earth; she has journeyed to the remote isles of the west and the forbidding mountains of the north. Now, Neryn must travel in Alban’s freezing winter to seek the mysterious White Lady, Guardian of Air. For only when Neryn has been trained by all four Guardians will she be ready to play her role in toppling the tyrannical King Keldec.

  But the White Lady is not what she seems. Trapped with Whisper, her fey protector, Neryn is unable to send word to her beloved Flint, who is in danger of being exposed as a double agent. When a new threat looms and the rebellion is in jeopardy, Neryn must enter Keldec’s court, where one false move could see her culled. She must stand up against forces more powerful than any she has confronted before, and face losses that could break her heart.

  Neryn has two more Guardians to visit before using her skills as a Caller at the midsummer Gathering. But as she enters the White Lady’s wintry territory, the whole rebel plan falls to pieces. Her training is cut short when she spies King Keldec’s forces rounding up Good Folk and young farmers to form a new army — and if he has the Good Folk, then he has a Caller of his own. Meanwhile, Flint is near to snapping, and struggles to find a way to make the captured Good Folk work alongside his men. From one obstacle to the next, Flint and Neryn must be careful now more than ever not to expose the rebel cause before the final battle.

  This is the conclusion to the beautiful and quiet Shadowfell trilogy, my favorite Celtic-inspired YA fantasy by a wonderful, talented, established fantasy writer. See my reviews of Shadowfell and Raven Flight. That said, beware this review may contain spoilers!

  Marillier has a brilliant way of reminding the readers of the backstory without filling the first chapter with info dump. Neryn needs to explain to the warriors at Shadowfell the training she needs to complete, and when she does so she gives the reader background information. It’s perfect. From there, the entire story is filled with twists and turns. I had no idea what would happen next — for Neryn or Flint — and my stomach was in knots. I genuinely felt concerned for their safety and the outcome of the cause.

  The way Marillier was able to express that tension is through her wonderful suspense. Each book in this trilogy was quiet and slow, the perfect pace for an underground cause in a kingdom long-silenced from magic. Because each book had that establishment, it didn’t seem out of place with each passing month in Alban. Even down to the battle, we’re given every single detail — every thought and feeling and observance of Neryn’s. The ending was excellent, and I loved every precious moment Neryn and Flint exchanged.

  Quiet and powerful, Marillier’s Shadowfell trilogy is not one you want to miss.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Secret Place” by Tana French (ARC)

  Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on August 19, 2014

  The Secret Place by Tana French 

  Publisher: Viking Adult
  Publishing Date: September 2
  Genre: mystery
  ISBN: 9780670026326
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★

  The photo on the card shows a boy who was found murdered, a year ago, on the grounds of a girls’ boarding school in the leafy suburbs of Dublin. The caption says, I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM.

  Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to get a foot in the door of Dublin’s Murder Squad—and one morning, sixteen-year-old Holly Mackey brings him this photo. The Secret Place, a board where the girls at St. Kilda’s School can pin up their secrets anonymously, is normally a mishmash of gossip and covert cruelty, but today someone has used it to reignite the stalled investigation into the murder of handsome, popular Chris Harper. Stephen joins forces with the abrasive Detective Antoinette Conway to find out who and why.

  But everything they discover leads them back to Holly’s close-knit group of friends and their fierce enemies, a rival clique—and to the tangled web of relationships that bound all the girls to Chris Harper. Every step in their direction turns up the pressure. Antoinette Conway is already suspicious of Stephen’s links to the Mackey family. St. Kilda’s will go a long way to keep murder outside their walls. Holly’s father, Detective Frank Mackey, is circling, ready to pounce if any of the new evidence points toward his daughter. And the private underworld of teenage girls can be more mysterious and more dangerous than either of the detectives imagined.

  When Detective Frank Mackey’s teenage daughter Holly brings a card to show Detective Stephen Moran, it alters the course of his career and her private girls’ school forever. At St. Kilda’s, there’s a giant bulletin board tacked with cards full of secrets, creatively pieced together and revealing the boarders’ most hidden thoughts anonymously. But Holly spotted one pertaining to a murder that happened a year ago, and thought the Dublin Murder Squad ought to reopen the case. In doing so, she’s brought her friends back into a pool of suspicion, and their enemies become more vicious.

  I’ve enjoyed French’s writing. She has a way of getting into your head with her language — and her writing differs depending on the perspective she’s using. From psychological thrillers to cold cases, French gets deep into the mind of the protagonists and takes you on a journey analyzing every single detail of a case till the surprising end. That’s the beauty of her style. And I really appreciate it. But Moran and Conway were not detectives I wanted to follow. Moran’s language was filled with incomplete phrases and thoughts. Scattered, fragmented. Like I just demonstrated. Throughout. Conway had an incredibly foul mouth and such a negative work style that I’m nervous to think she may be the next protagonist for Dublin Murder Squad #6. But while I didn’t enjoy the detective portion of the story, I liked the boarding school side.

  On that side of the story, we follow Holly and her three close friends to their first full year together at boarding school. Two of them were previously day-people only, but now the four of them spend their nights at St. Kilda’s and do everything together — eat, study, sleep, shop. They promise one another they’d never let a boy get between them, because they have enough love to give for each other. But there are many Colms boys — the boy boarding school just down the road — and one of Holly’s friends becomes involved. And when one starts, the others follow. Two of the four girls make a desperate attempt to keep their friendship picture perfect, while another group of vicious girls point and laugh and bully and continuously try to tear them apart. All the while, these groups are wrapped up in the eventual murder of Chris Harper, and Holly and her friends are desperate to bring the police back to close the case completely.

  It was difficult for me to rate this because I did like it over all, but not as much as her past work. I loved the subject, I loved the boarding school portion, and I loved that French’s writing stayed true. But because half the book is told through the detectives’ point of view, and I didn’t enjoy those parts, I’m left a little sad. This is definitely worth the read for French fans, and it echoed a lot of great storytelling as seen in Endeavour, which was interesting. Give it a whirl, tell me what you think!

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

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

• Book Review: “Eleanor & Park” by Rainbow Rowell

  Posted at 9:55 am by Laura, on August 16, 2014

  Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

  Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
  Published: February 2013
  Genre: young adult
  ISBN: 9781250012579
  Goodreads: 4.2
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor.

  Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park.

  Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

  Eleanor knows she’s odd. She’s not only the new girl in school, but she stands out with her wild clothes, messy red curls, and heavier build. It doesn’t matter that she’s quiet and intelligent and keeps to herself — somehow, someway, kids pick on her from the moment she steps onto the school bus. Park, a comics-and-music aficionado, pities her for others’ cruelty, and tells her to sit with him on these torturous bus rides. Little do they know they’ll become more than bench partners, more than friends who swap mix tapes and share comics, more than a boy and a girl who glance shyly at one another. But not all good things can last, and Eleanor, trapped in an abusive household, attempts to make Park understand that love can’t be forever.

  

  I don’t know why I waited so long to read this. It was like my fear of reading Fangirl, that it would hit too close to home, or it would break my heart too deeply, or that I’d crumble to pieces. I didn’t know how I could read about these two misfits and their tough battles and still find enjoyment in this book, in all its pain. But I love Rowell’s writing. And I had to trust all those authors on the back of the book that I admire (John Green, Gayle Forman, Stephanie Perkins) that this book was worth it.

  And I’m so glad I read it.

  Eleanor finds a home in Park. Park finds love and belonging in Eleanor. Eleanor’s home life is a scary, abusive one. Park’s is filled with comfort and a touch of masculine expectation. Though both misfits — her for her appearance and he for his half-Korean background — their experiences and insecurities and emotions are infinitely universal. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, the first time you fall in love is the same as a stranger’s. One morning you wake up and realize that you’re into someone — you look forward to seeing them, you want to know everything about them, you want to hear their opinions. You want to lift them out of their doubts and fears, you want to defend them with your life, you want to share in the joy and laughter. Eleanor and Park are beyond confused about why the other is in love — they each cannot see beyond their own insecurities — but they grab hold and clutch to it like their lives depend on it.

  And it’s so beautifully done. While the ending is left a teensy bit open, there’s enough clarification that there’s a possibility for a happy ending. Or, if not a happy ending, then one of positive closure. Neither character is perfect, which makes me love them more.

  What else am I supposed to say? If you haven’t read this yet, do so now.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 5 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, 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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