Tag: genre: sci-fi

• Mini Reviews

  Posted at 3:30 am by Laura, on September 18, 2017

  The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals by Jordan Stratford

  Publisher: Knopf BFYR
  Published: January 2017
  Genre: middle grade, mystery, historical fiction
  Rating: ★★★.5
  Summary: The Wollestonecraft Girls embark on their most important case yet–the famed dinosaur fossil hunter Mary Anning is being blackmailed. Her precious dog has been snatched and the kidnappers are demanding that Miss Anning authenticate some fake dinosaur bones up for auction at the British Museum in order to get him back. Ada and Mary have just three days to track down the fossil fakers, find the dog, and save the integrity of science! The game is truly afoot in this quirky caper involving blood-sucking leeches, an asthmatic pug, smoke bombs, secret elevators, diabolical disguises, and wicked word-play.

  Mini Review: I love middle grade detective fiction, and the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series is no exception! Featuring Mary Shelley and Ada Byron as little girls (anachronistically), with partner in crime Charles Dickens, they solve what appear to be little instances of crime (stolen dog) but are actually major connections to criminal rings (there’s a clever Moriarty character cropping up!). The books were originally inspired by the novels of Charles Dickens’s protege, Wilkie Collins. Now they are taking on a life of their own and it’s so thrilling to watch! I highly recommend this series for little history nerds, fierce feminists, readers with quick wit and sense of humor, and little detectives in the making. See reviews for The Case of the Missing Moonstone and The Case of the Girl in Grey.

  .

  This qualifies as book 12 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  .

  .

  A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd

  Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  Published: January 2015
  Genre: young adult, gothic, science fiction
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls. Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

  Mini Review: This book gave me graduate thesis flashbacks. I spent a whole year immersed in gothic literature (classic and YA) with a fine tooth comb, loving every second of my nightmares that followed. A COLD LEGACY continues the “twist on classic gothic novels” trend Shepherd began with The Madman’s Daughter by following the Frankenstein narrative. The other two books worked as parallels to the inspired classics, but this time the characters meet Dr Frankenstein’s descendants and friends, who want to continue the “cold legacy” of his experimentation. Scottish moors, creepy children, reanimated corpses, oh my! I appreciated the parallels to the original narrative, and found all the high drama twists and turns appropriate to gothic fiction. Juliet’s internal battle and her devotion to two boys continued (and I was so over it in Her Dark Curiosity), but the final chapters left the reader with a solid ending and hope for the remaining characters.

  .

  This qualifies as book 13 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 1 Comment | Tagged books, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, mini review, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “The Lie Tree” by Francis Hardinge

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on July 11, 2016

  The Lie Tree by Francis Hardinge

  Publisher: Amulet
  Published: April 2016
  Genre: young adult/adult, gothic, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781419718953
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is modest and well mannered—a proper young lady who knows her place. But inside, Faith is burning with questions and curiosity. She keeps sharp watch of her surroundings and, therefore, knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing—like the real reason her family fled Kent to the close-knit island of Vane. And that her father’s death was no accident.

  In pursuit of revenge and justice for the father she idolizes, Faith hunts through his possessions, where she discovers a strange tree. A tree that only bears fruit when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit, in turn, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father’s murder. Or, it might lure the murderer directly to Faith herself, for lies—like fires, wild and crackling—quickly take on a life of their own.

  Faith’s family was once a respectable family in Kent, thanks to her father’s station as a reverend and natural philosopher. But when his discovery at a dig receives criticism, and jeopardizes how humans place themselves relative to other creatures on the planet, the family flees for the remote island of Vane, where gossip, unfortunately, spreads like wildfire. Soon Faith’s father is found dead, and while the island is prepared to call it a suicide, Faith is certain it’s murder. Only one of his specimens, a tree that produces fruit of truth when told dark lies, holds the secret to uncovering a twisted plot; the bigger the lie, the greater the truth.

  Holy hell. When this book received the Costa award in the UK, I knew it was something I had to pick up. It sounds unique, dark, chilling, a perfect crossover. And it is. It’s everything and more.

  I’ve been holding back on writing a review for the book because it’s so hard to describe. It’s difficult to put to words how perfect it is. The Lie Tree is more than a story about a girl avenging her father’s murder by using a fantastical tree. In fact, this book meant so much to me as a reader that my rusty, cobwebbed academic wheels began to spin. If you need a thought-provoking book for discussion, this is it.

  Beware. This “review” is essentially my 2014 graduate thesis in a nutshell. Are you ready for a novel?

  …Here we go!

  First, this is proper gothic literature. The muffled, dark atmosphere — a never-ending sense of foreboding, a constant feeling that one is being watched, hair-raising, spine-chilling — is all you need to develop the urgency in Faith’s quest, to really paint the unstable time in history and fluctuating dynamics of the household. While there’s a death, a creepy plant, and some bumps in the night, this isn’t blood and gore. This is proper horror, proper suspense, proper uncanny, and thus creates proper gothic.

  *steps down from pedestal*

  Next, we have the dualities that are so common in gothic literature. Dualities in literature make us question our beliefs, our morals, our values. They make us uncomfortable, but in a safe environment (“It’s only a book”). Faith’s father is a natural philosopher, meaning he dabbles in science and he sides with Darwin in most debates, even though he’s a reverend. He’s finding a way to combine science and religion (step one in making people at the time feel uncomfortable), but there’s another level he’s decided to tamper around. While the world is discovering dinosaurs and the expanding universe, Sunderly takes Darwin’s theory of evolution — humans come from apes — and shakes the world with his own “findings.” Ultimately, what is a human? And where are we on this ladder of life? If Earth is no longer the center of the universe, and man is no longer the center of God’s attention, who are we?

  Science versus religion, man versus angel versus animal. Okay, what else on dualities?

  How about gender roles and, within the female sphere, the two types of roles a woman could take on? There are some awful, pompous men in here that unfortunately reflect too many men today. Some of the mansplaining going on…! Poor Faith had to keep her mouth shut because a girl with an equal education and understanding to that of a man in his own field of study is shocking. (To the men, at least.) She’s supposed to boost his ego by eagerly hanging on to his every word, and attempting to comprehend his thoughts, views, and lessons. But Faith knows everything these “doctors” spout. She craves more — but she’s denied access because she’s 1) female and 2) barely of age.

  There are loads of women in this book as well. On the surface they seem to hold the two major roles Victorian women took on: Angel in the House, and Fallen Woman. There’s also the Invisible Woman, one who is left behind to take care of the family. But as you dive into the village life and get to know these various women, you find they, like Faith, lead double lives. In fact, I think two of them may be a lesbian couple…

  As I somewhat hinted, there’s another duality Faith must battle: the line between girl and woman. She’s fourteen in the novel, a gray age for Victorian females because she’s paraded in front of men but not quite formally out in society. She’s given responsibilities befitting a governess, and is sometimes trusted like a colleague instead of a daughter when she’s around her father. But something she says or does triggers the adult she’s conversing with to take a step back and mention her age. “You’re not old enough yet,” in a way. Still a child given to fancies.

  And finally, the supernatural element! Every good gothic novel needs one! I especially loved this tree. It’s the Tree of Knowledge, in some sick, twisted way. Not a bright and shining tree with golden fruit befitting Eden, but a dark, slimy one, with creeping branches and a desire for wicked lies. It shrinks when light shines upon it, and every dark secret it’s told give it the opportunity to bear fruit of truth. The only way the truth can be revealed is if it’s eaten — and the consumer falls into a drugged, opium-like state (another duality: addiction/insanity versus stable/sane). Oh, but the biology of it all; it feels so real! As if this tree could exist! Is it real? Or is it fiction? Uncanny…

  I could go on. I really could. Instead, I urge you to read this book.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Into the Dim” by Janet B. Taylor (ARC)

  Posted at 6:00 am by Laura, on February 16, 2016

  Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

  Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
  Publishing Date: March 1
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, historical
  ISBN: 9780544602007
  Rating: ★★★★★

  When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.

  When Hope sees footage from the earthquake destruction responsible for her mother’s death, she begins to question her sanity and her eidetic memory. She accepts her aunt’s offer to stay with her in Scotland, and immediately understands why her mother was secretive and an amazing historical scholar: she comes from a secret society of time travelers. Hope is sent back in time to Eleanor of Aquitaine’s court to retrieve her mother, lost in time and decidedly not dead in the twenty-first century. But time travel comes with a price to pay, and Hope’s loyalty is torn when the bigger picture of her journey and its consequences come to light.

  When they said this was going to be Outlander for the YA market, they weren’t kidding. Heck, Gabaldon even blurbed it! While Outlander relies on chance and Celtic magic, Into the Dim‘s time travel is more scientific than supernatural. Similar to Stiefvater’s books’ obsession with ley lines, Taylor incorporates ley lines and Tesla into the history behind time travel, and all the technology (both high-tech modern and low-tech ancient) that comes with it. It’s an amazing journey, one that I could read repeatedly. It felt real. Like one could actually go back in time!

  Hope reminded me of Hermione, without the bossy attitude. She is a know-it-all, but mostly because of her eidetic (photographic) memory. She knows facts, she knows dates, she has images and maps imprinted in her brain. But for all her knowledge, she still needs to use common sense and wit, and she grows so much throughout the course of the book. There’s knowing something by rote and recall, and knowing something through experience and instinct. Her intellect allows the narrative to give the reader the backstory and history lessons throughout in such a way it doesn’t feel like info-dumping. It shows the reader more about Hope’s character and talent while also informing the reader of the era.

  There are moments in the book when it feels like her relationships with some of the male leads will go down the love triangle trap. There’s potential for one to exist, but Hope is not the kind of character to think about that sort of thing, or dwell on the “what ifs” when bringing her mother home is far more important. In fact, a potential love triangle is only apparent to the reader, just like a third party observer. Hope clearly likes one guy, you’re not sure if he likes her or is luring her in to a trap, and there’s another guy Hope needs to work alongside to get the job done but he’s either of the protective nature or harboring feelings as well. Who knows. I’m just thrilled the “love interest” storyline takes a back seat in this thrilling, action-packed, fascinating book.

  Science, history, intrigue, and packed with an awesome punch of a twist at the end — all these things will keep you on the edge of your seat at work and buried under the covers with a flashlight at night. I could not put this down!

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from HMH BFYR for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: historical fiction, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Rook” by Sharon Cameron

  Posted at 5:45 am by Laura, on June 22, 2015

  Rook by Sharon Cameron

  Publisher: Scholastic Press
  Published: April 2015
  Genre: young adult, science fiction, romance
  ISBN: 9780545675994
  Goodreads: 3.82
  Rating: ★★★.5

  History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

  Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.

  As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

  The French Revolution meets The Scarlet Pimpernel in this daring, futuristic adventure. Technology is banned, and for a good reason: polar shifts caused technology to malfunction and satellites to fall from the sky, effectively ruining the lives of the Ancients. To adapt to a new way of living, the surviving humans vowed to never use machines again. Race forward a couple centuries, and this new regime works a step further to punish dissenters. The Sunken City, once Paris, is filled with “criminals” locked away in the Tombs. One vigilante, the Red Rook, saves these unjustly imprisoned citizens and leaves behind a rook feather tipped in red. But soon the Red Rook’s nighttime rescues come knocking on Sophia Bellamy’s door, bringing danger, high stakes, split-second decisions, spies, double agents, and one René Hasard.

  This feels like historical fiction thanks to the French Revolution atmosphere (rich versus poor, unjust law, and the philosophy that religion should be dropped for chance or Fate), but very clearly set in the future (the characters uncover shiny plastic discs (CDs), cross-shaped handles with buttons (Nintendo game controls), and space debris (NASA)). We, today in 2015, are considered the Ancients, the population intensely connected to and dependent on technology to function day to day. I loved reading Cameron’s Author’s Note, all the “what ifs” meeting “history repeats itself.” Seriously, when you’re done reading this book, you’ll begin to wonder, too…

  While I found the world at first difficult to wrap my brain around, I was really into the characters and their individual stories. Especially when I was trying to figure out who was on what side and double-crossing whom, and seeing what was happening to one person in this ten-minute time frame while something else was happening to another (the last 150 pages, for example!). This was probably the most intricately plotted book I’ve read this year, and now I’m very curious to see what The Scarlet Pimpernel is like!

  Sophia is definitely a girl you want on your side. She’s daring and compassionate and wicked intelligent. Her steamy scenes with René were fantastic, too, though it took me much longer to like him the way Sophia did. Must’ve been that skepticism and inability to trust anyone I experienced while reading.

  Read this when you’re mentally prepared for a thriller, for espionage, for a book so detailed you can devote hours to it just following the strings. I was not prepared for what this turned out to be! I think, with another reread, I may bump my rating up to 4 or 5 stars. In the meantime, check out Lindsey @ Bring My Books‘s post (especially if you’ve read Cameron’s other books) and Morgan @ Gone With the Words‘s post (especially if you want to look at her character casting)!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 6 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: romance, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “A School for Unusual Girls” by Kathleen Baldwin

  Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on June 10, 2015

  A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

  Publisher: Tor Teen
  Published: May 2015
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction, romance
  ISBN: 9780765376008
  Goodreads: 3.69
  Rating: ★★★

  It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don’t fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war.

  After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts…

  Georgiana knew her parents were upset and humiliated to have an odd daughter, one who’d burn down the stables or attempt flying off the top of the manor. So when they left her at Stranje House after witnessing several of the finishing school girls in medieval torture devices, she’s stunned and devastated. But things are not as they seem at Stranje House, and her scientific curiosities to create an invisible ink to end Napoleon once and for all are encouraged. With the help of her friends and Lord Sebastian Wyatt, Georgie is propelled in an adventure like no other, a mission that could save several thousand men, and would surely shock her parents beyond belief.

  I knew going into this book that I would enjoy the spies-and-espionage aspect of the story. Toss in a finishing school that’s not as it seems and I was sure this would be a favorite. While it’s not on my favorites list, it’s definitely a book I’m glad I read. It was like an action-packed version of Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty, only without the magic. Science drives the mission, and ultimately alters the Napoleonic history.

  What knocked my rating down from an automatic 5 to 3 stars was the pacing, more specifically the pacing of the romance and the reveal of the mysterious Stranje House. Georgie and Sebastian are thrust together to create this invisible ink, and within six days they’re practically pawing each other and drowning in kisses. I’m not saying that can’t happen, but at this point they’d only been in the other’s presence maybe three times, and each interaction is filled with directionless bickering-written-as-banter (one of my least favorite romance tropes). Secondly, I knew going into the book that Stranje House was not a finishing school but training grounds for young female spies. While it wasn’t as straightforward as Lee’s A Spy in the House, I almost wished it would be. About halfway through the book a character finally spills the beans to Georgie (who is, apparently, incredibly intelligent, so why did they have to spell it out to her? All the clues were there) and explains what the torture devices were for and what their classes are meant to instill.

  While I do appear to be groaning about the faults, I can honestly say that I did enjoy this read. It was a blend of Bray and Lee’s books, and I was absolutely fascinated by the chemistry sessions in creating the ink. As a non-science person, scenes like those are always intriguing (my concoctions always exploded in class). It was quick, fun, filled with swoony moments (if that’s your style!), and I’m interested to see what the next book brings. They really do alter Napoleonic history, so it’ll be neat to see what Baldwin does next.

  Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book from Tor Teen for (a belated) review! 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Alistair Grim’s Odditorium” by Gregory Funaro

  Posted at 7:35 am by Laura, on January 24, 2015

  Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro

  Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
  Published: January 6, 2015
  Genre: middle grade, fantasy, steampunk
  ISBN: 9781484700068
  Goodreads: 3.97
  Rating: ★★★★

  Grubb, age twelve (or thereabouts), has never known anything beyond his miserable existence as a chimney sweep, paid only in insults and abuse by his cruel master.

  All of that changes the day he stows away in the coach belonging to a mysterious guest at the inn that he is tasked with cleaning. Grubb emerges from Alistair Grim’s trunk and into the wondrous world of the Odditorium. Fueled by a glowing blue energy that Grubb can only begin to understand, the Odditorium is home to countless enchanted objects and an eccentric crew that embraces Grubb as one of their own.

  There’s no time for Grubb to settle into his new role as apprentice to the strange, secretive Mr. Grim. When the Odditorium comes under attack, Grubb is whisked off on a perilous adventure. Only he can prevent the Odditorium’s magic from falling into evil hands-and his new family from suffering a terrible fate.

  Grubb knows he’s no hero. He’s just a chimney sweep. But armed with only his courage and wits, Grubb will confront the life-or-death battle he alone is destined to fight.

  Grubb (spelled like the worm but with a second b) is an orphaned chimney sweep working for a very large, very grumpy Mr. Smears. An accident at the local inn drives Grubb to hide in a trunk stowed in a carriage — and the next thing he knows, he’s a stowaway granted permission to live in the dark, mysterious, glowing Odditorium. He stumbles across several enchanted and mechanical objects, all running off this strange blue or red energy. But Mr. Grim instructs Grubb to not ask questions, to not cause trouble, and to not touch anything. A small mishap with a tinkered pocket-watch sends Grubb on a wild journey across time and space with a sorcerer, a banshee, a witch, a business investor, a fairy, and countless Odditoria to save Victorian London and prevent the Odditorium’s magic from falling into Prince Nightshade’s hands.

  What a witty and fun adventure! I thought Odditorium was going to be a quirky Victorian Gothic book, but it’s not. It felt like a child Dickens mixed with Potter mixed with Snicket — and yet wholly unique. A mixture of Roman mythology and Celtic lore, with a dash of Victorian culture, and a dollop of magic, Odditorium is definitely a whirlwind of a read. I especially loved the illustrations by Vivienne To — it really added to the story!

  From the character names to their personal catch phrases, their hidden talents to their mysterious stories, it was enjoyable to watch Grubb’s world change in a matter of days from a skinny, starving, dirtied chummy to that of a sorcerer’s assistant risking life and limb to save a remarkable collection. The little academic inside me cheered.

  The story ended on a good note with a hint for a sequel. I do hope one comes out. This was a great mini Dickens-meets-fantasy read.

  This qualifies as book #1 in my resolution to read 10 library books in 2015.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: sci-fi, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Her Dark Curiosity” by Megan Shepherd (ARC)

  Posted at 6:31 pm by Laura, on December 14, 2013

  Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd 

  Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  Publishing Date: January 28, 2014
  Genre: young adult, gothic, science fiction
  ISBN: 9780062128058
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

  As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

  With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

  Juliet is back in wintery London, desperate to search for a cure that will rid the animal part of herself. But as Christmas fills the air, so too does the electrical spark of fear and scandal when a murderer begins his rampage throughout Whitechapel. Juliet notices a pattern: every victim victimized her, and every victim’s heart was clawed out similarly to Edward’s Beast on her father’s island. She begins her search for the murderer, for the cause and justification of the King’s Club’s involvement in her father’s dangerous experiments, and for a way to become fully human mind and soul.

  I thoroughly enjoyed this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde inspired novel far more than Shepherd’s first — and part of it may have to do with the setting and the novella. I was not familiar with Wells, nor am I a jungle-setting fan; I’m very familiar with Stevenson, and deeply love Victorian London. Once again, Shepherd dives into Juliet’s internal conflict of animal within human, human within animal. But this is on a more meaningful scale. Juliet must come to terms with not what’s instinctual and animalistic, but what’s moral and humane.

  Shepherd added another twist to this novel that was fun to read — ulterior motives of great and powerful men in London. Her father’s work was no secret, and they’re determined to replicate it. This is more than a Jekyll and Hyde scenario, but a book filled with political intrigue, global effects, and greater consequences. I liked that this layer was added. It drove the book into a new, fresh direction.

  It should be no surprise that Edward and Montgomery are back, of course. Edward is blatantly the two-sides-of-the-same-coin character, but every character within this novel encounters similar confrontations. Although not a fan of love triangles — they can be quite exhausting, and for me it is very clear that Juliet should be with Montgomery and Edward out of the picture entirely — Juliet thankfully comes to her own conclusion in this novel, with promises of conflict to come in the next book.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books for Halloween

  Posted at 10:16 am by Laura, on October 29, 2013

  Top Ten Tuesday, a concept started by The Broke and the Bookish, is a themed post that connects bloggers to bloggers, bloggers to readers, and readers to readers. Every Tuesday has a special topic, and this Tuesday is Top Ten Best Books To Read For Halloween.

  

  Best topic, because this is essentially tapping into my graduate thesis!

  1. The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle — A vampire contagion spreads across the country, but somehow avoids all religious grounds. Katie, an Amish girl, is exposed to the terror and has to convince her community to fight for survival. If you’re looking for chills and apocalyptic horrors, read this. Check out my review! 

  2. Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough — This folktale and eerie song is absolute truth for a little English hamlet post-WWII. A family is cursed to have at least one of the youngest children captured by Long Lankin, a haunting poltergeist that has consumed children since the Middle Ages. I couldn’t sleep for days! Check out my review.

  3. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson — What would happen if Jack the Ripper murders happened in modern time, and even the cameras all over London couldn’t catch him? That’s what Rory is about to discover. This book is for anyone with a deep fascination with the 1888 murders. Check out my review!

  4. The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd — H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr Moreau has another secret: Dr Moreau has a daughter, and she’s in for a big surprise. If her father is considered a monster, then what does that make her? If you’re in for a sci-fi twist, read this book and my review.

  5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson — We all have two sides to our personality…but which one is your true self?

  6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte — This is more than a love story. This is a story about two tormented families across generations, ruined and corrupted by one man whose only wish was to be accepted.

  7. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield — An author is on her last legs and has one more tale to tell. She hires a biographer to record this story, and the biographer makes some haunting discovers about a mansion, some deranged twins, and a horrifying house fire. One of my absolute favorite books (and a new one out in a few weeks); check out my review!

  8. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness — Albeit not frightening or a ghost story, this book is packed with magic, lore, history, and alchemical science. If that doesn’t scream a book to dive into during a magical time of the year, I don’t know what does. Read my review!

  9. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill — Best. Ghost. Story. Ever.

  10. The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter — The Hardscrabble children are sent to live with their aunt in London, but they wander through many adventures and come across a boy who is half human, half animal. A creepy and wonderful middle grade novel worth checking out.

  What are some of your favorite Halloween recommendations?

  Posted in books, Top Ten Tuesday | 15 Comments | Tagged books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: horror, genre: mystery, genre: sci-fi, top ten tuesday

• Book Review: “Cruel Beauty” by Rosamund Hodge (ARC)

  Posted at 9:27 am by Laura, on September 8, 2013

  Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge 

  Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  Publishing Date: January 2014
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, science fiction, mythology
  ISBN: 9780062224736
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★

  Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

  With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

  But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

  Nyx’s purpose in life was decided before birth: destroy the Good Lord and free her people from him and his demons. She’s trained to find the hearts of the four elements and bind them, for no mortal weapon will kill the demon king. But once she’s trapped in his ever-changing castle, she begins to have doubts about her task, and wonders who, exactly, is the one at fault for her kingdom’s misfortunes.

  An interesting retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty will be one of those books readers will either love to pieces or, like me, find it to be too much. While it’s understandable for Nyx to be an angry, revengeful sort of character — destined for a life she did not choose — she comes across as stubbornly annoying. The anger she feels to her family seems unjustified, apart from her father, and the impulsive and rather silly things she does against Ignifex are childish and not at all calculating like her killer instincts would seem.

  I also had a difficult time understanding the world of this story. It combines mythology and fantasy and science fiction so much so that I lost track of what was considered a tale and what was considered real and factual for this world. It also felt like there were so many powers in this world, there was no limit. Every power needs a limitation.

  This book was not for me, although I wish it was. I simply could not get into it.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Raven’s Gate” by Anthony Horowitz

  Posted at 1:18 pm by Laura, on August 19, 2013

  Raven’s Gate by Anthony Horowitz 

  Publisher: Scholastic
  Published: October 2006
  Genre: young adult, gothic, horror, sci fi
  ISBN: 9780439680097
  Goodreads: 3.91
  Rating: ★★

  Raven’s Gate was closed long ago by five children. On the coming Roodmas black magic festival, blood sacrifice can re-open the portal. Professor Dravid sees power in orphan Matt, 14. But all who help the lad die. His new guardian Mrs Deverill, with the Yorkshire village of Little Malling, are powering up the abandoned local nuclear plant for the evil Old Ones to return.

  Fourteen-year-old orphan Matt is accused of a crime he did not commit and is sentenced to a year’s time within the government’s LEAF project — Liberty and Education Achieved through Fostering. When Mrs. Deverill brings him to Hive Hill in Yorkshire’s Little Malling, Matt instantly realizes something is not quite right. The villagers are mad. All the roads lead back to the same intersection. And a strange abandoned nuclear power plant is lighting up at night. Matt risks his life to find the answers to all of his questions, included the most avoided of all: what is Raven’s Gate?

  Horowitz has made a name for himself in young adult fantasy and horror. He has everything a great writer should have: good plots, engaging characters, steady pacing, and enough mystery to keep the reader going. Unfortunately, this book was not for me and I found it lacking. It simply did not hold my interest.

  I will note though that there are plenty of chapters here that lived out my worst nightmares. There’s a whole section dedicated to Matt riding a bicycle in the middle of the night to escape Hive Hall. He comes to an intersection of five roads, and with each path he takes, he ends up back where he started. It was a never-ending nightmare, moving quickly and yet going nowhere, never escaping. The horror elements of this novel were spot on, and the science fiction aspects between nuclear energy and black magic could be very intriguing for those with that particular taste.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: horror, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• 

• 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 knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

• Search the Blog

  Search for:

• Currently Reading

  

• Book Review Rating Key

  ★★★ — It’s good
  ★★★★ — It’s great
  ★★★★★ — OMG LOVE!!!

• Recent Posts

  • MSWL for 2023
  • Favorite Reads of 2022
  • Deal Announcement: Annie Cardi, YA Contemporary
  • Deal Announcement: Molly Horan, YA Contemporary
  • Deal Announcement: Ana Holguin, Romcom
•