Tag: review

• Book Review: “Seraphina” by Rachel Hartman

  Posted at 8:43 am by Laura, on February 22, 2013

  Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 

  Publisher: Random House
  Publishing Date: July 2012
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780375866562
  Goodreads: 4.12
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

  Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

  Seraphina, a remarkable musician and uniquely perceptive human, joins the Goredd court as Music Mistress, assistant to the royal court composer. Her arrival coincides with the death of Prince Rufus, an honorable man who aimed to maintain peace between the dragons and Goreddis. With the help of her teacher Orma, a dragon in human form, and her friends Prince Lucian Kiggs and Princess Glisselda, Seraphina helps to uncover the mystery behind Prince Rufus’s murder while keeping her own dragon secrets under wraps. The fate of the kingdom and its uneasy relations with dragons falls on her shoulders.

  Seraphina is a wonderfully fantastic conglomeration of medieval lifestyle, Restoration-esque religious zeal, steampunk machinery, Enlightenment philosophy, beautifully lush musical diction, and high fantasy atmosphere. Phew. It may seem daunting and overwhelming, this 450-page first installment, but the second the reader steps into Seraphina’s inquisitive and perceptive mind, one becomes part of that world. The language, the scenery, the lifestyle — it all becomes incredibly familiar, as if one has lived this sort of life before. This novel was refreshing. Young adult high fantasy, written well, is very rare. Hartman wrote the book seeming to understand that young adult readers can be intelligent too, can desire the full range of emotional complexity, can understand rich diction, and can hear the music described in the book in their heads. Oh, it was wonderful!

  Though there are no dragons in the real world, Seraphina’s struggles as half dragon are immensely relatable. This is a coming-of-age piece, a true painting of self-discovery and self-acceptance. We journey through her neat separation of living the life of an ordinary human, and jumping over to her teacher Orma’s instructions on how to maintain “ard” (a calming, logical, meditative state dragons accomplish) so that her dragon side is under control. As the story progresses, these two parts of her life merge, and she must come to an understanding with who she is in order to move forward.

  The saints, slang, and cast of characters are introduced and given a brief description quite early in the book and rarely explained again. A massive thanks to Hartman for providing a glossary at the back of the book, containing the index of characters, the saints and what they are for, and the human and dragon slang in Goredd. Halfway through the book I stopped referring to this helpful section because it was no longer necessary to understand the story. Hartman truly immerses the reader into the world.

  Absolutely stunning.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight” by Jennifer E. Smith

  Posted at 8:32 pm by Laura, on February 6, 2013

  The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith 
  

  [Otherwise written as “Stat Prob of ❤ @ 1st Sight”]

  Publisher: Poppy, Little, Brown
  Publishing Date: January 2012
  Genre: young adult, romance
  ISBN: 9780316122399
  Goodreads: 3.79
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.

  A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

  Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

  Hadley, whether consciously because she really doesn’t want to attend her father’s wedding or unconsciously because of several other factors, is four minutes late for her plane to London. Frustrated with the entire situation, not to mention the still bitter wounds of the divorce, Hadley books a seat on the next flight out and waits in the terminal. Across from her, disheveled and similarly packed for a big event, sits a boy who offers to help her with her luggage. From his accent to his charm, his helpful distractions and philosophical life lessons, Oliver begins to brighten Hadley’s life in ways she never thought possible. What’s even more is how much she brightens his.

  This book is my dream meet-cute. Hadley’s 24 hours with Oliver is exactly how I want to meet the love of my life (and obviously my love will be British). Each hour of Hadley’s trip is documented in the book, along with her hopes and dreams, her resentment for the divorce, her change in attitude towards her father’s new bride, her interactions with her mother, all the anxieties of travel mixed with the nonchalance around strangers. It was beautifully written, clever, and incredibly entertaining. I truly felt I was there with Hadley every step of the way.

  As the story progresses in time, we learn more about Hadley’s parents’ divorce, her father’s struggles, her mother’s efforts to move on, and even Hadley’s confusion. The back-story for her bitterness is revealed as she begins to fall in love with Oliver, who shows her a new outlook on life. It’s as if the more she opens up and accepts her stepmother and forgives her father, the more we begin to sympathize with her situation. She no longer comes across as a whiny teenager — but instead, a more wholesome being.

  I cannot express how happy this book made me feel. Such a simple story, yet with a complex plot lovable characters!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• ARC Book Review: “Children of Liberty” by Paullina Simons

  Posted at 6:45 pm by Laura, on February 3, 2013

  Children of Liberty by Paullina Simons 

  Publisher: William Morrow, HarperCollins
  Publishing Date: February 26, 2013
  Genre: fiction, history, romance, politics
  ISBN: —
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★

  At the turn of the century and the dawning of the modern world, Gina from Belpasso comes to Boston’s Freedom Docks to find a new and better life, and meets Harry Barrington, who is searching for his.

  The fates of the Barringtons and Attavianos become entwined, on a collision course between the old and new, between what is expected and what is desired, what is chosen and what is bestowed, what is given and what is taken away.

  As America races headlong into the future, much will be lost and much will be gained for Gina and Harry, whose ill-fated love story will break your heart.

  Gina, a young Italian girl on the brink of womanhood, steps onto the Boston shores excited for the future of opportunity ahead of her. The first American she meets, and whose story forever entangles her own, is Harry Barrington, son of the wealthy Herman Barrington and leader of the Barrington town just outside of Boston’s city limits. Her eagerness to learn everything and headstrong, forward-thinking personality, mixed with Harry’s studious and philosophical endeavors, bring these two together. Thus begins a whirlwind romance and a daring adventure in the uncertain, politically unrest future.

  Although it was a great opportunity to read about the interesting view points and backstory for what brought Alexander Barrington‘s parents together, this book felt a bit unnecessary. In The Bronze Horseman, the first of the Alexander and Tatiana epic romance trilogy, the reader discovers Alexander’s true American identity, that his parents were Italian and American, that they fled America for Russia due to their political beliefs, and that nothing turned out the way they expected. While it was fascinating reading this prequel to the trilogy — who wouldn’t be curious about how the parents of favorite beloved characters met and fell in love? — it felt long and indulgent.

  “Long” is really saying something, too. The Bronze Horseman and the other two books are tomes, really fitting the Russian stereotypes for epic romances. This book, however, was rather thin, and I still felt lulled to sleep. I’m sure if I brushed up on my American history, or cared more about politics, I could find some enjoyment from this novel. Unfortunately, the characters felt flat. I did not love them like I loved Alexander and Tatiana. I did not feel the love and connection between Gina and Harry. It was heartrendingly disappointing.

  I believe what Simons gave the reader in The Bronze Horseman was enough of a story for Gina and Harry and should have been left at that.

  Thank you William Morrow / HarperCollins for providing this book for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: romance, goodreads, review

• ARC Book Review: “Requiem” by Lauren Oliver

  Posted at 1:30 pm by Laura, on January 29, 2013

  Requiem by Lauren Oliver 

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Publishing Date: March 5, 2013
  Genre: young adult, dystopian
  ISBN: 9780062014535
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★★

  After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

  See my reviews of Delirium and Pandemonium.

  Lena faces difficult decisions once she leaves New York and goes back to the Wilds with Julian, Alex, Raven, Tack, and the rest of her friends. First and foremost on her mind is survival, as she finds more and more Invalids are dying from hunger, thirst, abandonment, and rebellion. Her choices must be quick and her actions impulsive. Lena also must come to terms with what she feared most about deliria: the symptoms of jealousy and heartbreak. Meanwhile, Hana, cured and prepping for marriage, begins to worry. Worrying signifies a potential problem that the cure may not have worked for her. Hana then learns about the history of the young mayor’s previous wife, and her fears help her break from dependency on wealth and comfort and sacrifice everything she knows.

  After Pandemonium, I was worried Oliver would agonize the reader with a Team Julian or Team Alex plot. This is not the case. While Lena does come to realize what jealousy and heartbreak feel like, Oliver describes the pain with such beautiful prose that the issue no longer hangs on “which boy should I choose?” but rather muses on how one can overcome these feelings, especially when it had been ingrained since birth these feelings were symptoms of a disease. This push-and-pull attitude is so realistic and plausible that this third book rings with truth about love: it is never easy, and there is no such thing as a triangle. Humans can love in different ways.

  The major point of the book is formalizing a plan for revolution, and hoping the execution of said plan will work. Each day, each hour, the Invalids in the Wilds are under attack. Any minute could be the last. Lena, once a sweet-tempered character, is now independent, strong, a leader. It was such a joy watching her grow through each of the books.

  I truly enjoyed reading Hana’s perspective. She was the inside voice, the one still within the walled city of Portland, as well as a cured perspective. The language is stiff and bland. Her emotions are dulled. And yet her voice, in its plain-spoken and truthful way, is trust-worthy and interesting. Hana gives the reader the facts straight out. When she begins to analyze her dreams (which she is not supposed to have) and fears of her future husband-to-be Fred (and fear is an irrational emotion), she questions the validity of the cure. By searching through her husband’s past and facing his strength head-on, she grows to appreciate the Invalids’ purpose. The cure may take away love, it may lessen emotional turmoil, but it can leave behind a heartless being. Hana’s experiences within Portland shed light into these themes.

  This is not your typical love triangle, as many may have predicted from the first book alone. In fact, I’d hardly call this trilogy a love triangle at all. The Delirium trilogy is a series that examines love in all its forms, and the result of taking that love away. Freedom and love go hand-in-hand.

  Thank you HarperTeen for providing this ARC for review!

  Posted in books, Link, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: dystopian, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Days of Blood and Starlight” by Laini Taylor

  Posted at 9:21 pm by Laura, on January 19, 2013

  Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

  Publisher: Little, Brown
  Publishing Date: November 2012
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance
  ISBN: 9780316133975
  Goodreads: 4.35
  Rating: ★★★★★

  While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

  But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

  Hidden away in an abandoned desert castle, Karou takes on the role Brimstone had trained her for in her previous form as Madrigal: a resurrectionist. Though Karou does it to keep her people, the chimaera, alive, Thiago has a more sinister plan in mind. Akiva, teamed with his brother, sister, and small squad of soldiers, do their best in Eretz to warn and save the remaining chimaera from the terrifying angel emperor’s mission of destruction. Through a series of whirlwind and unpredictable events, Karou and Akiva cross paths, and must come to a decision to bring peace to their world before it destroys humanity.

  Taylor’s world, her imagination and skill and detail, blows my mind. I am nearly speechless. While the first book was lighthearted, spunky, artistic, romantic, and mildly tragic, this second installment is dark, weary, painful, and full of loyalty and determination. Rich with characters — chimaera and angel alike — and intricate plots bouncing from the human world to Eretz, you’d imagine the reader would become confused. Taylor is so talented, I can guarantee every character mentioned will leave a mark in your mind. You will know Ziri from Razor, Thiago from Joram, secondary characters from other secondary characters. Their points of view are scattered throughout the book, each with distinctive voices and overlapping events.

  While this second book has a dark and bleak tone, especially in comparison to the first, Zuzana and Mik’s commentary and chapters bring enough warmth and happiness to the book to provide hope when Karou needs it most. Even Karou’s observations are sparked here and there with sarcastic one-liners she must keep to herself.

  Another brilliant aspect of Taylor’s plotting is her ability to surprise you with every chapter. This book was entirely unpredictable. Characters that seemed to only appear once and could be forgotten would actually crop up again, with something important to say or do, a key event to become a part of. Events once seen will rise again with an eerie explanation, a twist in plot, a change in tide.

  In a year, the world will see what will become of Karou, Akiva, and the hope they have to bring peace to Eretz…

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” by Laini Taylor

  Posted at 3:15 pm by Laura, on January 7, 2013

  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

  Publisher: Little, Brown
  Publishing Date: September 2011
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance
  ISBN: 9780316133999
  Goodreads: 4.09
  Rating: ★★★★★

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

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

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

  Karou, an art student in Prague, sketches beautiful creatures and monsters. Her friends think she’s imaginative, but the truth is these creatures are real. When Karou meets Akiva on one of her missions for the creatures, a sense of wholeness and terror fill her. Akiva, an angel and an enemy of Karou’s family, hopes to help Karou discover her past and her role in the never-ending war.

  Usually “teen paranormal romance” is poorly written, with obvious outcomes and cliche plots. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is entirely different. I have visited Prague and thoroughly loved the city — but one does not need to have traveled there to feel like you’re walking in the streets with Karou. Taylor paints a beautiful picture of the city, and the descriptions only heighten from there. As the reader is introduced to Karou’s adoptive family, the beasts, monsters, and creatures called chimaera, the story begins to unfold and build a new world.

  Drop everything you know about angels and devils. The angels are not the benevolent, holy beings of Scripture; devils are not sinful and ugly. It is all in the eye of the beholder, in this story: who are the real monsters? Taylor’s Karou, Akiva, Brimstone, Zuzana, and Madrigal may not all be human, not all angels, not all devils, but they have such deep humanity, such raw emotion, such powerful personalities, that it’s easy to see where Karou’s inner conflict builds.

  The plot is addicting, the characters engaging, the world — both real and magical — stunning. I cannot wait to begin the next book!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

  Posted at 10:00 am by Laura, on January 5, 2013

  A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

  Publisher: (of this particular edition) Harper Press
  Publishing Date: (original) 1859, (of this particular edition) 2010
  Genre: historical fiction, Victorian, gothic
  ISBN: 9780007350896
  Goodreads: 3.69
  Rating: ★★★

  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” With these famous words, Charles Dickens plunges the reader into one of history’s most explosive eras — the French Revolution. From the storming of the Bastille to the relentless drop of the guillotine, Dickens vividly captures the terror and upheaval of that tumultuous period. At the center is the novel’s hero, Sydney Carton, a lazy, alcoholic attorney who, inspired by a woman, makes the supreme sacrifice on the bloodstained streets of Paris.

  One of Dickens’s most exciting novels, A Tale of Two Cities is a stirring classic of love, revenge, and resurrection.

  From the moment Dr Manette is released from prison, a decade-long plot begins to unfurl surrounding English lawyer Sydney Carton, French aristocrat Charles Darnay, and Lucie Manette. The two men fight for the love of Dr Manette’s daughter Lucie, but outside circumstances with the French Revolution begin to interfere. Only Lady Guillotine, the icon of the Republic, can solve end the battle.

  Admittedly, I began this book thinking it would be all about love and heartbreak. It is referred to several times in other favorite books of mine. However, this is Dickens, and Dickens is so much more than a simple love story author. I have learned from my Victorian literature classes that, to read Dickens and fully appreciate his work, one must read slowly and split it with another book. His work was read serially, just like TV episodes today are aired. I practiced this method again (breaking up every few chapters with a chapter of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — vastly different genre) and it certainly helped me enjoy the novel. But Two Cities was nothing like I’d imagined.

  I was most interested in all the scenes containing Darnay, Carton, and Lucie, of course. The error in paying close attention to those scenes meant lots of confusion towards the end when the complicated plot began to unravel and reveal itself in the final chapters. I did not pay close attention to Mr Lorry — “only a man of business” — or Madame DeFarge — always knitting, knitting, knitting — nor do I know enough about the French Revolution. Because of my personal flaws, I could not enjoy the novel as much as I should have.

  Dickens is a master with characters, though. He makes everyone incredibly memorable, even archetypal. We know, as a reader, that every time DeFarge appears, she’ll be knitting. She’s grouchy and revengeful. We know that when Mr Lorry appears, he wants to do the right thing by man but wants to keep his hands clean, so he will only do what his business will allow him to do. We know Darnay to be a kind and gentle person, easy to fall in love with and difficult to hate. Carton knows this, and although a drunkard, he is a good man at heart. This makes the love triangle heartbreaking to watch — neither man wants to fight the other, they have mutual respect in their love for Lucie, and it’s all so personal, raw, and human. It makes Carton’s sacrifice unbearable.

  After I spend some time researching the French Revolution, I will come back to this book and try again. I truly think that if I understood my history and pay closer attention to the outside plots that later converge, I could love this book.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2013 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: fiction, genre: history, review

• Book Review: “Witchlanders” by Lena Coakley

  Posted at 5:35 pm by Laura, on December 24, 2012

  Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

  Publisher: Antheneum
  Publishing Date: August 2011
  Genre: fantasy, young adult
  ISBN: 9781442420052
  Goodreads: 3.73
  Rating: ★★★

  High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

  It’s all a fake.

  At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

  But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

  Are about him.

  Everything about the Baen, the dark-haired and brown-eyed people, bothers Ryder. His mother’s consumption of maiden’s woe is to blame for her insanity and obsession with reviving her witchcraft. Ryder feels burdened by his life, growing up into the father figure of the household before he was ready. But great things are happening. When the Baen Falpian enters his mind, Ryder is determined to seek him out and exact revenge. Upon meeting Falpian, and their connection and talent as one, Ryder’s plans begin to change in the midst of a Baen and Witchlander war.

  If high fantasy is your cup of tea, Witchlanders is it. Coakley expertly creates an entirely new world for readers, with everything one can relate to: mental instability, skepticism in lore, love for family, unexpected burdens. These trials and triumphs are set in the backdrop of a highly prejudiced and beautifully descriptive magical world, the Witchlands and the Bitterlands. It was stunning and I wanted to learn more.

  Falpian and Ryder were interesting characters as well. They were quite complex characters, never truly seeing eye to eye with one another due to their deeply ingrained prejudices, and yet they understood their purpose in the impending war and worked together. Every step these boys took had disastrous consequences. It was difficult to side with one over the other due to the psychological and emotional complexity, which was actually very refreshing to read.

  There is very little YA out there with high fantasy like these and characters as difficult as Falpian and Ryder. This novel is meant as a stand-alone, which is rather a shame. I’d love to read more about the Witchlands and Bitterlands. The ending is a solid one, but there so many other aspects to this world and to the characters that I’d love to explore.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern

  Posted at 9:32 am by Laura, on December 24, 2012

  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

  Publisher: Anchor
  Publishing Date: September 2011
  Genre: fantasy, gothic, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780307744432
  Goodreads: 3.99
  Rating: ★★★★★

  The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

  But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

  Two magical schools of philosophy are at war: the alchemical, charming, scholarly side versus the natural, inborn talent. If put in a competition with only one competitor left standing, which school of thought would win? Two magicians, Prospero and Alexander, pluck two young children, Celia and Marco, to battle. But everything changes once the venue is created for them: Le Cirque des Reves. The circus is not simply a place to compete; it becomes a part of Celia and Marco, another half of their beings, another limb, a soul itself. When Celia and Marco fall in love, the consequences for everyone involved could be disastrous.

  I have never come across a book that has left me as enchanted as this. The whole experience was a dream. The luxurious language, the confectionery sweets, the lush descriptions, the stark contrast of black and white with splashes of red, the vibrancy of the characters, the fierce competition, the free-falling into the unknown. It was nothing short of magical.

  Morgenstern incorporates fantasy with reality, turns a battle of the mind into action, gothic essence into a deeply timeless story. This is more than love. This is more than magic. It’s about all the lives in-between. She allows the reader to jump across countries and oceans, from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, from one perspective to another. We’re in the minds of Widget and Poppet, the mysterious and talented circus twins; of Chandresh, the planner and financial backing to the circus; of Isobel, a tarot-reader in love with Marco and in control of the perfect balance of the circus; of Tsukiko, the contortionist who subtly points out the mysterious idiosyncrasies of the environment. We experience each and every tent with Bailey and Friedrick, attendees and reveurs, and gaze at the still human statue Snow Queen, wander the Ice Garden, sit in awe watching the illusionist. And, of course, the heart-wrenching and exhilarating journey Marco and Celia take to overcome the rules of the challenge and find a way to be together.

  An absolutely enchanting piece of work that I will read time and time again!

  Edit: I wrote this a few weeks ago and apparently it never published! So here you go!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, genre: history, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Reached” by Ally Condie

  Posted at 5:02 pm by Laura, on December 6, 2012

  Reached by Ally Condie
  

  Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books
  Publishing Date: November 2012
  Genre: young adult, dystopian
  ISBN: 9780525423669
  Goodreads: 3.83
  Rating: ★★

  After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

  Cassia, Xander, and Ky are all members of the Rising. Ky flies planes filled with medical kits and cures for the Plague that has consumed the Society. Xander is a medic that administers the cure within the Society. Cassia continues to sort, a vague position still left unexplained, and trade with other Rising members. The three eventually team up to help the Pilot fully, when a deeper issue begins to concern both the Rising and the Society they once loved.

  I deeply wanted to love this. Matched  was a favorite. I loved the Brave New World concept, the use of pills to calm or forget things, a Society that only allots a certain amount of knowledge so that the people will not be overwhelmed with needless facts. I enjoyed the language: simple, cut and dry, very much like the Society Cassia lived in. Unfortunately, this did not meet my expectations after Matched and Crossed (which I also loved for its gritty politics and on-edge fight-or-flight feel). I was disappointed with this last installment.

  The flaws in the book point to the perspectives, the writing style, and the meekness of the Rising’s plot. Condie overwhelms the reader with three perspectives: Cassia, Ky, and now Xander. Xander and Ky had distinct voices — excellent when writing from two different male perspectives, as it can be a bit of a challenge — that kept the reader updated on the events about the Rising in that same dry tone from the first book. Xander is, unbelievably, a high-ranking medical staff, and Ky is, also unbelievably, one of the best fighter pilots the Rising as ever seen. Despite this, their point of view within Society walls and on the outskirts of Society help create a rounded story. Cassia’s perspective, however, was dripping with poetry. It was beautifully lyrical, but there were so many illusions and strange references that it made me fear for her sanity. I could not understand what exactly was going on from her end of the Rising, other than a desire to create a culture through art once again. Her mentality also came into question for every single reference she made to keeping silks and papers against her skin underneath all of her uniforms, or tacking sheets of paper covered in poetry onto tree branches. Really? Cassia, you do not sound stable.

  As for the plot, there was no power behind the propaganda.  The Rising simply swooped in to save the day, bringing a cure for the Society’s Plague. And then what? There was no fight. No struggles were made from the Society. And yet the book dragged over 500 pages when nearly 200 of it could have been cut. I felt no emotion, no anticipation, no concern or worry for any of the characters. Everything I had hoped for, considering the success and tension from Matched and Crossed, was left to dust.

  For the sake of the series, I gave this book two stars for “it was okay.”

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 6 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: dystopian, 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 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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• Recent Posts

  • MSWL for 2026
  • Favorite Reads of 2025
  • Deal Announcement: Nina Moreno, YA Romance
  • Deal Announcement: Sharon Choe, YA Fantasy
  • Deal Announcement: Hanna R. Neier, MG Historical/Contemporary