Review and Contest: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (July 1 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545123283
ISBN-13: 978-0545123280

Synopsis:

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past…and figuring out a way to survive in the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves…and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love-the light and the dark, the warm and the cold-in a way you will never forget.

I reviewed Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater earlier this year (click here to read my review) so I was very excited to read the next installment in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. And, fortunately, I was able to do this in advance (I feel very lucky :-)

Linger basically starts off a few months after Shiver. Sam and Grace are getting into the day to day of their lives. It seems Grace is not feeling quite right, but Sam and Grace would rather enjoy the time they have together (because it was almost lost to them) than discuss what may be happening to her.

We get to meet one of the new wolves brought in by Beck towards the end of Shiver. I have to say, I loved the dynamics of the Cole/Isabel dialogues. Linger takes a darker turn with Cole's character and I was impressed with Stiefvater's handling of his "problems". He's definitely an interesting addition to the mix and I can see what impact he could potentially have in the next book.

The story this times is told through the 4 perspectives of Isabel, Cole, Sam, and Grace, which means we get to understand more about Sam (cause through a bunch of Shiver he was a wolf) but we see less of Grace. Sam is a boy after my own heart: he works in a book store, listens to Damien Rice (among others) and quotes sad poetry, as well as writing some pretty emotional song lyrics himself.

Overall, I felt a sense of melancholy reading this story (but not in a bad way, if that's possible, lol.) Maggie Stiefvater gives us a little hope, then seems to dash it away but leaves just enough of a glimmer for the hopeless romantic (like myself) to continue to believe in never-ending love.

I absolutely devoured Linger! For me, Linger was even better than Shiver! I am very anxious now to get my hands on Forever, the final book of the trilogy, but will have to wait (im)patiently until July 2011.

And now, some good news for my followers....

I have a copy to offer up to one lucky person!

To enter, you must be a follower and fill out this form. Contest closes May 21, 2010 and the winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be picked. Good luck to all!

Review: Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Format: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (Jan 13 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554682738
ISBN-13: 978-1554682737

From the Publisher:

Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started work with a theatre company. Sure, she’s only an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off-Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up—the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley’s about to step into the role of Titania the Faerie Queen in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man named Sonny Flannery plunges her into an adventure she could never have imagined. Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other—and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and the Faerie realm alike.

In My Opinion:

I vaguely remember seeing the movie adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream but haven't read the Shakespeare original, so I was very interested in reading a modern day YA version of this story (it's kind of like cheating a bit, I know or at least I thought so, lol)

We start off in modern day New York, meeting the main character Kelley. What struck me as unusual here is that Kelley is 17 and living on her own (though sharing an apartment with another girl.) But Kelley is fiercely independent and strong willed. I think in reality, this probably happens more than I'm aware of out in the suburbs, with young adults heading to the big city to realize their dreams. It also neatly tidies up the sometimes underplayed roles of parents in YA books. So, kudos to Lesley Livingston for making this believable!

As Kelley runs into Sonny and strange things begin to happen, Kelley's true identity is revealed. It also seems that New York is full of people more unusual than we humans could have imagined, though the Fairy King, Auberon, has been trying to minimize the exposure of otherworldly creatues for quite some time. The Celtic mythology woven through the story and the explanation of Old World versus New World was very well done.

I very much enjoyed the ethereal quality of Wondrous Strange. I loved the chemistry between Kelley and Sonny and had my heart in my throat towards the end, wondering if Sonny would escape unscathed from a certain enchantment. I found that the story wrapped up nicely but also left enough curiousity in me that I'll definitely be continuing on with Darklight.

It would have been nice to have had the background of Shakespeare's tale but it was not necessary to enjoy this book. I am curious to see if the Wondrous Strange version of the Fairy heirarchy is similar (or relevant) in both. So, I'll put Shakespeare on the TBR, but Darklight will be up much sooner. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

If you'd like to browse through Wondrous Strange, you can sample the first 20% of the book at the Harper Collins website by clicking on the book cover above. Enjoy!

Review: The 9th Judgment by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (April 26 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316036277
ISBN-13: 978-0316036276

Synopsis:

The most personal

A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence: a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in bloodred lipstick.

The most dangerous

The same night, the wife of A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burglar who is about to steal millions of dollars' worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria.

The most exciting Women's Murder Club novel ever (Click here to continue reading the book description)

This is the first of James Patterson's mystery novels that I've read though I've heard so much about his work. I actually watched The Women's Murder Club when it was on TV, so I had a sense of Lindsay Boxer (the main character), but was curious to see the differences between the book and TV versions.

For me, this wasn't exactly a whodunit as much as a "why did they do it?" and "how will Lindsay (et al) catch the culprits?" since we learn the "who's" at the beginning. I found it to be a fast paced read and would normally also refer to it as a "light read" but the subject matter was quite dark (the killing of the mom and child.) It was upsetting, to say the least.

As for the differences between the two, there were a few noticeable ones, like Lindsay having blonde hair versus Angie Harmon's dark locks but overall, the feel was much the same. I would be interested to go back and read the character developments in this series at a future time as the others involved were only lightly discussed throughout.

While not the most complicated story line, The 9th Judgment is a great book to read if you're in between novels and looking for something that requires little effort. I would definitely recommend the Lindsay Boxer series to fans of cop dramas. It did keep my attention until the very end and left us with a bit of a cliff-hanger. Not bad, overall.

Review: Ash by Malinda Lo

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (Sep 1 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316040096
ISBN-13: 978-0316040099

From the Publisher:

Cinderella retold

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. (To continue reading the synopsis, click here

From what I'd heard around the blogging world, this book is considered LGBT-friendly. I'll admit, I had to research the term (I know, right? It seems so obvious now...) So, once I gleaned meaning, I was curious how this new-to-me theme would play out.

As Ash began, I could already sense a darkness to it. Aisling's mother has just died and her world has been torn apart. With her father often away, Ash lies on her mother's grave at night, hoping the faeries will come so she can bargain with them to bring her mother back to life. While this does not happen, things begin to change drastically for Ash.

Much like Cinderella, Ash's father remarries a Lady with 2 daughters, then he also dies. The circumstances surrounding this, though, are emotional and draining for poor Ash, in this retelling of the classic story. Full of the medical treatments of (and I'm only guessing here) the 1600-1700's, including bloodletting, it's frustrating for the reader to relive such a gross amount of stupidity in our history.

As Ash's stepmother relocates them closer to town, away from the faery-fearing folk of her childhood, Ash becomes the indentured servant, working to pay off her father's debts. Unlike the original, Ash becomes enamored with the King's Huntress, Kaisa, though her life is unknowingly intertwined with a faery's also. This strange love triangle is the true focus of the story, but having no Prince to rescue her from servitude, it is left till the bitter end of this story to see how/if Ash will somehow manage her happy ever after.

Okay, call me a traditionalist, but I was rooting for Sidhean, the poor faery that's painfully in love with Ash even though his past acts were fairly distasteful (faeries are notoriously fickle and sometimes cruel.) But that was not Ash's wish, so I had to defer to the character and the author here. In truth, this aspect of the story was not as uncomfortable as I thought it might be. I think this "LGBT" version was handled tastefully and with respect, making it enjoyable for all readers.

The Fairy Tales that Malinda Lo weaves in through the story are also excellent, while not being the "happily ever after" type that we are accustomed to. Lo's tales all seem to share the "be careful what you wish for" moral and are, again, quite dark, blending well with the rest of the story.

I very much enjoyed reading Ash despite any reservations I may have had initially. It was beautifully written and haunting. It's a different kind of "classic story" with a theme relevant in society today.

Review: Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

Hardcover: 592 pages
Publisher: Viking Canada (Mar 30 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670068098
ISBN-13: 978-0670068098

Synopsis:

Shen Tai is the son of a general who led the forces of imperial Kitai in that empire's last war against their western enemies from Tagur, twenty years before. Forty thousand men on both sides were slain beside a remote mountain lake. General Shen Gao himself has died recently. To honour his father's memory, Tai has spent two years of official mourning alone at the battle site among the ghosts of the dead, laying to rest their unburied bones. (Click here to continue reading. There is also a link to download the first chapter.)

I've been a fan of Guy Gavriel Kay since picking up his Fionavar Trilogy many years ago...and then all of his other books. And while I may come off as a bit gushy here or that I'm pandering, if you've read any of his work, you'll know what I'm talking about; if you haven't, you really should.

The main character, Tai, thinks nothing of his role in the world and is doing his self-appointed task without any thought of additional rewards, only to honour the memory of his father. But in his past, Tai has touched other lives, again without much thought to outcome, and has gained respect and loyalty from all of those he has encountered. This plays a very large part in the unfolding of this tale, much to Tai's chagrin.

Like a master chess player, controlling both sides, Kay sets the players in motion with move/counter-move reactions. He displays that one or two men can affect an empire through selfless acts or selfish impulses; that political intrigues can be for the greater good of all people or can be for personal exaltation only.

There is an intricacy to Kay's writing; his sense of time, place, societal rules are stunningly portrayed. From the description of painted screens and silken robes, to the in-depth character-building of Emperors, Generals or just Second Sons, we're able to readily glean the images and people he's depicting in this story. By the time I reached the last hundred pages, I became a puddle of emotional goo. Partly because of what was happening in the story but also because I didn't want these people to leave my life! I was enthralled and enamored, completely.

And then GGK steps outside the story, to show it from the (ficticiously) historical point of view; of what had been written by scholars about that time versus what only we, living in the moment through the story, can determine to be "fact". I haven't really done any research on historical Chinese societies, but on learning the basis for Under Heaven was the Tang Dynasty, I Wiki'd it. I found many similarities but enough differences to make this book unique, also.

Until now, my favourite GGK work has always been Tigana, but on reading Under Heaven it may have just been deposed! This is a wonderful, fictional, history-based fantasy that I just can't say enough good things about. The only downfall for me was that it ended. Period.

For a peek inside the mind of Guy Gavriel Kay, check out his Bright Weavings, where he journals and shares info with his readers/fans. He is a widely published author that has also got his finger on the pulse of the book blogging community, which I'm sure is of personal interest to those of you that share my love of books.

Review: Angel Time by Anne Rice

Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher: Knopf Canada
ISBN: 978-0-676-97808-7 (0-676-97808-8)
Pub Date: October 27, 2009

From the Publisher:

Angel Time is a dark, suspenseful novel about angels, reluctant assassins and a journey of redemption. (click here for more of the synopsis)

I have always enjoyed Anne Rice's novels but had been hearing mixed thoughts about her works since re-affirming her faith. When Angel Time was being released, I was curious to see how her writing had been influenced, if it had been at all.

I struggled with the first two chapters of Angel Time, as they were scene-building but I felt it went overboard on the description on San Juan Capistrano, The Mission Inn, etc., the area where the story begins. The main character, Lucky the Fox, is more than interesting, making up for this aspect.

As I got further into the meat of the story, Lucky, formerly known by (his real name of) Toby O'Dare, is approached by an angel, Malchiah, with an offer of redemption; if he gives up his life as an assassin and helps out this angel, he will be forgiven for his previous misdeeds (putting it very mildly.)

This is where things got very interesting for me. "Angel time" is described as the area or realm through which the angels can see all that has happened, all that is happening, and all that will happen. Lucky and Malchiah travel into angel time and end up in 13th century England, amidst a quarrel between the Christian and the Jews. A Jewish family has been accused of poisoning their daughter because she went to the Christian church to see the holiday pageant.

It is this scenario that held my attention the most. I think it's common knowledge that the Jewish people have had harrowing times over many millenia. The situation being played out here illuminated for me one instance of this history. While being rich enough to play the role of money lenders in the community, the Jews were stigmatized by having to wear badges on their clothes to indicate their religion. (For me, this is unthinkable!) Lucky's job is to placate the Christians, smoothing things over for the Jews to allow them to continue living.

This was emotional, eye-opening, and a decent historical look at how religions were viewed at that time. I hope today, while I know that it is far from a certainty, for most of the world, people are allowed to believe whatever they choose without having to publicly share those beliefs or justify them (barring extremists, in my opinion, of course.)

Angel Time is the first novel in Anne Rice's new series, Songs of the Seraphim. For me, I think that Anne's writing has always included elements of faith, so I don't really see a huge difference as far as it goes. I think she gave a very fair interpretation here, with the added richness of Toby's character. I'm glad I didn't give up on it at chapter 2.

Review: Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (Jan 1 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402219512
ISBN-13: 978-1402219511




Beauvallet, originally published in 1929, was my first foray into the world of Georgette Heyer. I have seen her name around the blogging world, along with great reviews of her work, so I had to check her out. Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks and their re-release of it, I was able to review Beauvallet!

We first meet our hero, Sir Nicholas Beauvallet, as he is taking over a ship somewhere near the Caribbean. Also known as Mad Nick, he is not very popular with Spaniards at this time (to say the least) and the ship he is capturing is of Spanish ownership. On board, is the former governor of Santiago and his daughter, Dona Dominica. Beauvallet is immediately smitten but steadfastly rebuked by Dominica, as an enemy to her homeland.

As they venture closer to home, Beauvallet, a man of his word, delivers father and daughter safely to Spain and vows to Dominica that within the year he will come to Spain for her and make her his bride. Needless to say, Dominica has had a change of heart from her initial refusals.

This was a slow starter for me, as you may have seen from my Monday discussions of it, but once I became more accustomed to the language involved, the story began to move quicker and with more excitement. I'll just say that the naval terms had my eyes glaze over more than once, not having any nautical terminology in my personal repertoire, but the term "poop deck" had me giggling every time... but I digress.

I used to watch old black and white movies (when I could find them on TV), and especially loved Errol Flynn movies. Beauvallet brought this all back for me with its swashbuckling but honourable hero and the strong willed woman he was determined to make his own.

As he risks his neck to venture into Spain, he becomes involved in intrigues that bring together historical facts from French, English, Spanish and even Scottish societies. Set during the rein of Elizabeth I (who makes an appearance in the book a few times), this is a fun glimpse into life at the time. There were situations that looked dire for Mad Nick, but he weathered through it all with a laugh and love in his heart. Beauvallet is full of adventure and enough roguish romance to make a girl weak in the knees.

Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Harperteen; 1 edition (Mar 16 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061779814
ISBN-13: 978-0061779817

I came across the cover for The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting when I was new to the blogging world and was completely enamored! (Plus, the story sounded interesting, too.) This was last September, so I've been patiently waiting all this time. As soon as I received my copy in the mail, I jumped right in.

In The Body Finder, we meet Violet Ambrose, a 16 year old that has the ability to locate dead bodies, be it human or animal. She senses their "echoes" which come in the form of colours, sounds, smells, etc. We soon find out that there's a serial killer on the loose and Violet feels her special talent will be the only way of discovering the killer. This idea is reinforced by her uncle, the police chief.

I found that while this was the catch for the book, the story centred more around the relationship between Violet and her best friend, Jay, which was taking on new dimensions.

I thought Kimberly Derting did a great job of explaining Violet's strange "gift" while not being too over the top, technically. Derting also managed to get us inside the head of the killer which, to me, she pulled off well; these glimpses were most definitely disturbing, to say the least.

I read through the book quickly and enjoyed it, especially because of the love story. In speaking with Mel at He Followed Me Home , we agreed to disagree about Jay's character (click her blog link to see her review.) Maybe it's just that I've been single for far too long, but I very much enjoyed this part of the story; the excitement of new, young, love kept me reading page after page to get to the good stuff (despite the evil being done.)

Thankfully, for me, The Body Finder is an example of much truer relationships between parents and teenagers, which is always a bone of contention with me. Violet's parents are around and involved; they're not perfect but they are more realistic.

I have also discovered that there will be another book, Desires of the Dead, coming in 2011. I'm very excited that we'll get to see more from Violet and Jay in the future!

Review: The Wrecker by Clive Cussler with Justin Scott

Book: Hardback 235 x 159mm
480 pages
ISBN 9780399155994
17 Nov 2009
Putnam Adult 18 - AND UP

From the Publisher:

In The Chase, Clive Cussler introduced an electrifying new hero, the tall, lean, no-nonsense detective Isaac Bell, who, driven by his sense of justice, travels early-twentieth-century America pursuing thieves and killers . . . and sometimes criminals much worse.

It is 1907, a year of financial panic and labor unrest. Train wrecks, fires, and explosions sabotage the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Cascades express line and, desperate, the railroad hires the fabled Van Dorn Detective Agency. Van Dorn sends in his best man, and Bell quickly discovers that a mysterious saboteur haunts the hobo jungles of the West, a man known as the Wrecker...(to continue reading the synopsis, click here)

I walked into a used book store one day with the purpose of buying Clive Cussler books for a friend's husband, who very much enjoys them. When I went to pay for them, the conversation got around to the man behind the counter saying to me, "Yeah, you don't look like a Clive Cussler reader." Well! That irked me. What should a reader of any book look like? So, when I had the opportunity to review The Wrecker, I jumped at it.

The story starts off in 1934, with snow falling in the mountains somewhere near Germany and a man trekking across this (on skis) to reach a castle. The imagery was reminiscent of Indian Jones (and who doesn't love Indy?) Then we move back to 1907 to discover why this foray into a snow storm was necessary.

There seems to be alot of troubles attacking the Southern Pacific railroad and only the president of the company, Osgoode Hennessy seems to think it's sabotage. When he brings on the Van Dorn Detective Agency to investigate, the lead detective, Isaac Bell, is quick to discover that Hennessy just might be right.

The book trails around America, with action at every turn; Isaac Bell is kept on his toes trying to discover who is behind it all. What was great for me was the look back through history to this time. Parts of the country are using the telephone, while others remain on the telegraph system. There was mention of D-cell batteries, which I didn't realize existed at that time. The Wrecker highlights a time in America when technology was rapidly changing and it was interesting to get a look at things from this perspective (how did crimes ever get solved pre-CSI?)

While I've probably learned more than I'll ever need to know about how to build a railroad (creosoting the ties, 2700 ties per mile, etc., etc.) and it was fairly obvious from early on who the criminal really was, the final chapters were chock-full of excitement. This book is something that would make for fantastic visual effects on the big screen.

Cussler's hero, Isaac Bell, is a blend of class and rough, hands on worker; tough when necessary, yet also very tender with his fiance, Marion Morgan. The only thing I didn't like about the character was the description of is curly moustache but this was a popular affection at the time, to I'll have to defer Mr. Cussler on this one.

Throughout the book, I could see why some people consider his writing "guy-lit" but truly, I enjoyed this book. I will at some point go back and read The Chase, where Bell was introduced and look forward to the next in the series, The Spy, which releases on June 1, 2010. And to the gentleman at the used bookstore, I offer a great big raspberry! See, I am a Clive Cussler reader :-D

Blog Tour and Review: Jonas, Beautiful Dead, Book 1 by Eden Maguire

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (Mar 1 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402239440
ISBN-13: 978-1402239441

Beautiful Dead is the story of Darina, a teenage girl dealing with the trauma of the death of her boyfriend, Phoenix (click here to read more of the synopsis.) On a drive in a neighbouring town, she stops and hears a banging noise. As she follows the noise to a seemingly abandoned farm, she discovers far more than she'd bargained for. She finds Phoenix.

In an unusual story about zombies that veers slightly from the grunting, flesh-eating stereotype (though the foundation of these common thoughts is addressed), Phoenix has returned, along with several other of Darina's recently deceased friends, to uncover the cause of their deaths.

For me, it felt a little redious at first and I wasn't sure I would make it through. As the story progressed though, this did change. I think my issue with the beginning was the numb, disjointed feelings that Darina was giving off, but anyone that has lost someone close will probably understand this. There is definitely an unrealistic sense when you can't pick up the phone or see that person; like you're living in a constant cloud. So, I'm gonna go with this as the reason for my impression of the first few chapters.

What Eden Maguire also hits head-on is her portrayal of a petulant teenager. The conflicts between Darina and her mother or, worse, of those with her step-father, are dead on for that age, when kids think their problems are the worst ever. As we grow up, we get to see a different side of things, but as memory serves, the teenage years are lived very much inside your own little world.

While I can't say I absolutely loved this book, I did warm up to it by then end. I am looking forward to seeing where these characters are headed in future books.

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Middle Grade (Mar 2 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006172680X
ISBN-13: 978-0061726804

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

When I first started reading Before I Fall it brought back memories of school, though I don't remember high school being that bad (yes, it's been awhile, so my vision may be slightly skewed.) Sam and her bestfriends, Lindsay, Elody and Ally rule the school. And they do it by fear - of their displeasure, of becoming social outcasts for any that "cross" them, of being uncool in their eyes. Actually, it seems that everyone else IS uncool compared to them - according to them. I wanted to wring their necks! These were the most rude, judgmental, opinionated, cruel girls.

As the story progresses, a little more of each girl is revealed, showing a bit about why they act the way they do. Personally, I don't find these reasons should condone the actions at all, but it's just all part of the story. What we see most is Sam's struggles with her own life, personality, attitudes, etc. Through each repeat of the day, Sam discovers things about people and makes attempts to change certain parts, trying to make things better, with only slightly different versions of the same ending.

For me, these trials and errors are hard to watch. But, then again, how would I have known to do any different? Being the reader gives you more power of observation and the opportunity to say, "Why did you do *that* instead of *this*?" Argh! I felt angry, sad, frustrated, even a little relieved that something good came out of all of Sam's hard work, yet maybe left with more questions than answers.

There are some lovely moments in the book as Sam recounts her childhood, with stunning imagery and feeling. It's a nice reminder of things we may have forgotten from our own childhood. A sunny day, a particular hiding spot we used to have; perhaps places and moments we should try harder to remember and embrace more readily, not take them for granted.

Before I Fall was a total page turner, I couldn't wait to see how everything resolved. And, boy, was I shocked. I envisioned so many different endings that when I finally finished, I wanted more...surely Sam's day could continue until the absolute optimal conclusion was reached, right? Nope. It ended where it ended. I give huge kudos to Lauren Oliver for drawing out conflicting emotions (from me, at least) with her writing and for staying true to her own vision.

So, as I pick up my rose-coloured glasses and put them on, I will make up my own (preferable) ending (where the entire world lives happily ever after - you can't blame a girl for trying) and patiently await Lauren Oliver's next book. She is definitely a writer to keep our eyes on!

Review: The Lion and The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Sep 1 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316013560
ISBN-13: 978-0316013567
Product Description:

In award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney's wordless adaptation of one of Aesop's most beloved fables, an unlikely pair learn that no act of kindness is ever wasted. After a ferocious lion spares a cowering mouse that he'd planned to eat, the mouse later comes to his rescue, freeing him from a poacher's trap. With vivid depictions of the landscape of the African Serengeti and expressively-drawn characters, Pinkney makes this a truly special retelling, and his stunning pictures speak volumes.

I had seen mention of this book around the web, particularly that it had won The Caldecott Medal: this intrigued me. With many thanks to Melanie at Hachette, I received a copy of this stunning book to review.

From the picture above (which is the dust cover) to the book cover itself, the inner linings, as well as the actual content of the book, Jerry Pinkney's drawings are beautiful, and barely any space is left blank. The size contrast between the lion and the mouse, the visual effect of the lion's roar, and the mouse diligently working to free the trapped lion, are lively rendered through the pages. The stunning drawings of the Serengeti are a reminder, also, of the delicate nature of our world in Earth's current tumultuous time.

Aesop's story was one that I vaguely remembered, but on reading the author's note at the end, I had to re-read it for myself (which I found online). With Mr. Pinkney's version, it is truly a tale we can teach our children from a very early age, with the purely visual aspect, but also remind ourselves how relevant the moral of the story is and how it transforms through circumstances and remains true in this modern age.

Definitely a fantastic addition to any book collector's library!
(This review has been cross posted at Rated By Kids)

Review: Legend of the White Wolf by Terry Spear

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402219059
ISBN-13: 978-1402219054

From the Publisher:

In this fourth in Spear's series, Private Eye Cameron MacPherson and Faith O'Mallery are both on quests that lead them into the world of magical wolves…

Cameron arrives in the Canadian Arctic to search for his partners in his P.I. business who are late returning from a hunting trip. Faith is there to discover what her father had seen in the same area years earlier that had made him lose touch with reality—man-wolves, he called them.

The two tumble into an icy world of enemies bent on destroying the lupus garou kind. As they turn into lupus garou themselves, and bond with the pack that only they can rescue from destruction, Cameron and Faith find their soul mates in each other.

First, to set the record straight, the book takes place just outside of Millinocket, Maine, a town not far from Bangor (though the Canadian Arctic does get mentioned several times as the summer home of the wolves.) Now that that's out of the way, lets talk about the book:

We meet Cameron and Faith as a strange "accident" leaves the two of them in the same hotel room. With even more accidents involving keys locked in rooms, etc., Cameron and Faith seem to be becoming friends. When they both end up at the same place to investigate their individual mysteries and they find a dead man. It appears that what they were looking into separately may have things in common, after all.

The book focuses more on the wolf element than the mystery of the dead man, though everything is truly intertwined. I found it to be a bit repetitive at times, going over the transformations from man to wolf many times, as well as both Cameron's and Faith's inner thoughts and their resistance to each other.

The author, Terry Spear, tended to make the bad guys appear tougher then they really ended up being, in attempts to gradually make for happy endings all around (except for a select few who had to suffer the consequences of their actions.) There were also a few too many points of view involved but not to the confusing point. It was clear whose perpective we were getting at any given point.

There was alot of talk about snow, so it's a good read for winter time when we're already feeling the effects of the cold weather. Legend of the White Wolf is a cute adult version of the werewolf tales so popular in young adult novels.

Review: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

I know, I know, you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but from the moment I saw The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink, it nagged at me to buy it. It just seemed mysterious, maybe a little creepy, definitely dark. I hadn't picked it up yet but Mel @ He Followed Me Home asked if I could give her some input on it, so I borrowed hers and, well, devoured it. On my way back from returning it to her, I immediately stopped to purchase my own copy.

Prophecy of the Sisters takes place in a small town New York in the late 1800's. The twin girls live in a large manor house, set a distance from the town, and surrounded by woods, a river and cliffs. As we start the book, the girls are at the funeral of their father. (See what I mean? Perfect setting for dark themes!)

Lia is the narrator, so we get to see her inner workings very well. Her twin sister Alice, is another story, having been involved in some sinister actions. Lia is unaware of the Prophecy mentioned but gradually comes to the realization of its effect on her and her twin's life.

We get a taste of scary nightmarish-realms, a strange bond between the sisters that transcends the love/hate relationship, and find out about what their father was working on before his death, that could potentially put an end to the Prophecy or see it to its ultimate, disastrous fruition.

There are some parts of the story that left me wanting more; the relationship between Lia and James is only touched on but I can see where he may play a larger role in the future. Also, the Prophecy itself is multifaceted and left me with some confusion. But I am confident that anything that was unclear or untouched will become known throughout the future book(s).

I have done nothing but rave about this book since reading it, though I can't really pinpoint why it effected me so much. Perhaps its the dark imagery invoked or the multiple myths/legends/folklore that are blended into the story. I know for sure that I'm very much looking forward to continuing this story when Guardian of the Gate gets released in August of this year.

Review: Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago

Phew, I'm not sure where to start with this one. Ok, let me begin with the writing style. I don't recall reading a book that has forced me to look up so many words, ever, and what is weird with this is that it is a translated book! From page one, I was researching "matutinal", then on to terms like "bactrachian" and "lucubrations"...but wait a minute, there was also "joe schmoe". Seriously, is there a Portugese equivalent to joe schmoe? I haven't even learned these words in English yet (except for joe schmoe, I've heard that one before) nevermind what their equivalents would be elsewhere in the world. I was fascinated! Then there were the "paragraphs", and I use quotations here because some of them ran on for four or more pages, quite often only including only 3 or so sentences. The author completely puts my comma usage to shame! There are also no quotations used in the book. Most sentences were the largest of run-ons I've ever come across but also containing the dialogue only separated by the commas and the change of speaker only indicated by a capital letter....God help us if a statement of dialogue began with "I", then all was almost lost. I have never experienced anything like Death with Interruptions before but I feel infinitely smarter for having read it.

Jose Saramago touches on all facets imaginable and unimaginable, if, for some reason, death (the small "d" in the name is important) just didn't work anymore. From the effects on the insurance and mortuary businesses to the precarious border situations with neighbouring countries (when it has been realized that death will still occur if the sick that can't die in one country are taken across the border to another country to finalize the deed.) He even gives an arguement, by mathematical calculations (not the actual math, but the common sense to the numbers approach) that shows in certain cases, euthanasia is more than acceptable, it's a necessary solution. My mind reels (and probably will for some time) with the implications as described by the author.

Mr. Saramago leaves no stone unturned, from the government's constant attempts to cover its ass (including dealings with the maphia ("with a ph...to distiguish...from the original mafia...") to the Catholic church working on new dogma to explain why something (eternal life) that "was once bestowed as a favor to one individual...had been replaced by a depersonalized, global gift..." . We see the micro and macro (potential) effects from responsibilities at home to those in nursing homes and hospitals (there are so many old people now that they're being put in attics) and finally, to the overall fiscal damage involved.

But this book is not all thinly veiled accusations at these establishments. It also includes some harsh, sad realities, as, early in the story, a mere infant is on the verge of death but is unable to succumb to it. It's a heartbreaking tale yet sarcastically, ironically witty. So much thought appears to have gone into this work that I'm amazed it didn't span several volumes. Our constant ventures to search for fountains of youth or eternal life are systematically criticized and contradicted by common sense.

Death begins a new routine to notify people, giving them a weeks notice prior to their death. Then the author points out the absurdity of it all describing how she gets out of sealing envelopes by licking them (because death has no lips, only bone, right?) with the new "technology" of self-seal envelopes. Death then begins to ponder email as a more reliable source of delivery. There is a timeless feel that is contradicted by these elements, in weird. anachronistic twists. The spin involved is often humorous yet all too true (in the nonsensical sense.)

Mr Saramago also delights in the breaking down of certain common turns-of-phrase, demonstrating how misleading they can be. I think the only statement he didn't tear down was that of "The only sure things in life are death and taxes", but what he did was virtually eliminate one of these certainties.

By the end, I felt sorry for death, poor thing that she is. This was the power of the writing in this book. I was confused about the timing of the story, though, as the letters mentioned above were implimented many months after her original work stoppage yet the stoppage occurred by an undeliverable letter and her follow-up investigation into why. The whole of it seems to contradict itself. My only conclusion is that it's Mr. Saramago's final attempt to mess with the reader, which he seems to have done fairly well through the book's entirety.

Death with Interruptions is an adventure in thought, life and the English language (and many other languages, too) but most definitely not a light-weight read. While at times it was a bit draining, overall I very much enjoyed it.

Review: Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (Jan 26 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402237014
ISBN-13: 978-1402237010

From the Publisher:

Laura Kinsale's unique and powerfully written love stories transcend the romance genre. In this, her first new book in five years, she delivers a poignant, funny, sexy, Regency romance sure to delight her many fans and attract a whole new readership.

Trevelyan and Callie are childhood sweethearts with a taste for adventure, until the fateful day her father discovers them embracing in the carriage house and, in a furious frenzy, drives Trevelyan away in disgrace. Nine long, lonely years later, Trevelyan returns. Callie discovers that he can still make her blood race and fill her life with excitement, but he can't give her the one thing she wants more than anything—himself.

For Trevelyan, Callie is a spark of light in a world of darkness and deceit. Before he can bear to say his last goodbyes, he's determined to sweep her into one last, fateful adventure, just for the two of them.

Poor Callie is down in the dumps, having been engaged then left hanging three times. She now has quite the self-esteem problem. Along comes Trevelyan, with whom Callie has some interesting history, just in time to liven things up in her life. But Trevelyan has had his own issues recently, making him a wanted man.

There are elements throughout where you just want to shake the two of them and get them discuss things. But, we have to endure some of the characters' stupidity in the name of suspense and fun. The two of them do seem well paired with Callie, the shy one and Trev, the bold, brash one. Sadly, it seems that the society of those times will erect every barrier possible to keep them from being together.

The book goes from extremes of proper English court (while the story takes place in a country town, the rules of society still apply) to the mischief that happens behind closed doors. We see some sadness as we learn Trev fought with Napoleon only to be captured by the English, though his loyalties always remained true. He was just a victim of circumstance while trying to stay alive to recapture a lost dream.

From the cover, I was immediately expecting Lessons in French to be a cheesy romance novel. What I wasn't prepared for was the quick wit in Laura Kinsale's writing. I very much enjoyed this book, with its crazy cow in a kitchen scenario and the main characters resorting to disguising themselves to make things happen. I have never as much cared about the outcome for a fictional animal as I did for Herbert (when you read it you'll see what I mean.)

Lessons in French is a fun romp through Regency Romance, for sure!

Review: The Clone Codes by The McKissacks

The Clone Codes

Scholastic

978-0-439-92983-7

By Patricia C. McKissack, Frederick L. McKissack, and John McKissack

From the Publisher:

The Cyborg Wars are over and Earth has peacefully prospered for more than one hundred years. Yet sometimes history must repeat itself until humanity learns from its mistakes. In the year 2170, cyborgs and clones are treated no better than slaves, and an underground abolitionist movement is fighting for freedom. Thirteen-year-old Leanna’s entire life is thrown into chaos when the World Federation discovers her mom is part of the radical Liberty Bell Movement. As startling family secrets are revealed, Leanna must face truths about self-identity and freedom. Through time travel, advanced technologies, and artificial intelligence, this exhilarating adventure asks what it means to be human and explores the sacrifices an entire society will make to find out.

The Clone Codes is set in a futuristic world where Earth now has the technology to clone humans and create cyborgs (humans with mechanical/electronic parts). The clones' skin is shaded certain colours to distinguish their purpose and cyborgs are stamped/tattooed to indicate there difference from "humans". Both of these new life forms, though, are deemed as less than human and are restricted from some parts of society.

Leanna attends a virtual school and as we start the book, she is running with slaves, attempting to escape to the underground railroad. This actually blends in beautifully with the story as we see more about The Liberty Bell Movement and what the restrictions placed on the cyborgs and the clones truly means.

I think this is an excellent story for kids around the 9-12 age range, when they are learning alot about history, especially slavery. We see many tie-ins between America's past and this fictional future world. There is an awesome summary at the back that reinforces the historical facts while differentiating the fictional parts that are woven through the book.

The Clone Codes is a book I probably wouldn't have picked up while looking around a bookstore. It does have a cute cover but I'm not sure the premise made it as appealing as it actually is. I'm very glad now that I've read it and will be passing it on to my daughter in a year or two, when she's a bit more involved in chapter books (this is something she's just beginning with in school.) I very much enjoyed the story and actually felt an open-endedness to it that could evolve into more from Leanna's world.

Review: Gone by Lisa McMann (Wake, book 3)

From the publisher:

Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her.

She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves—she has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.

Then a stranger enters her life--and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out....

Gone is the third book in the Wake series by Lisa McMann (I've previously reviewed the first two books in the series: Wake and Fade). I was anxious to see where things were headed, how they would conclude in this YA set. I have to say, Gone left me a bit disappointed. Some of the elements of the story did not wrap as nicely as I would have liked or they just didn't wrap up at all which actually leaves me hopeful. I think there is room for more from the main characters, Janie and Cabel, and have my fingers crossed the Lisa McMann may continure their story in the future.

In fact, all three of the books were quite small. I feel they could have been made in to a single, three sectioned book and that would have made book one in a series that might have delved into things like MRI's for Janie or continuing the sleep lab experiment, while adding in some trickier, more entertaining cases with the Captain. Perhaps there will be a fourth book, in the popular trend of four book trilogies.

Overall, I found Gone much better than Fade though I don't know that it lived up to the potential I felt in Wake. In saying that, Gone did reduce me to tears through one facet of the storyline. The entirety of the Wake series is still, in my opinion, well worth reading and I will continue to remain hopeful that we haven't seen the last of these characters.

Review: Fade by Lisa McMann (Wake, book 2)

Simon Pulse, February 2009
Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1416953582
ISBN-13: 9781416953586
Ages: 14 and up
Grades: 9 and up

Fade is the second book in the Wake Series by Lisa McMann (for my review of Wake, click here). I must admit, I didn't love this book as much as the first. The "case" that Janie and Cabel were put on this time just seemed a little on the lame side to me.

I did not let this deter me though. I still very much liked the way the book is written, in short, time-stamped entries. It makes things flow faster without a whole lot of fluff filler.

The part in this story that kept me interested in the series is the personal struggle of Janie and the potential effects her "talent" will have on her future. It's a topic that hits close to home for me, so I may have been more open and sympathetic to her plight than the "average reader". (Her vision issues, I mean, not her ability to jump into peoples dreams....I can't do that, lol.)

Overall, I felt this book was more of a bridge between the first and third novels, so it lacked a bit of the "wow factor" that I got from Wake. It is still a must read, if you plan on reading the third in the series, Gone, and I do still recommend Lisa McMann's books wholeheartedly.

Review: U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

416 pages

ISBN 9780399155970

01 Dec 2009

Putnam Adult

18 - AND UP

From the Publisher:

It’s April, 1988, a month before Kinsey Millhone’s thirty-eighth birthday, and she’s alone in her office doing paperwork when a young man arrives unannounced. He has a preppy air about him and looks as if he’d be carded if he tried to buy booze, but Michael Sutton is twenty-seven, an unemployed college dropout. Twenty-one years earlier, a four-year-old girl disappeared. A recent reference to her kidnapping has triggered a flood of memories. Sutton now believes he stumbled on her lonely burial when he was six years old. He wants Kinsey’s help in locating the child’s remains and finding the men who killed her. It’s a long shot but he’s willing to pay cash up front, and Kinsey agrees to give him one day. As her investigation unfolds, she discovers Michael Sutton has an uneasy relationship with the truth. In essence, he’s the boy who cried wolf. Is his current story true or simply one more in a long line of fabrications?

I've said it before, and once again it totally applies here: I can be a bit backwards when it comes to reading books in a series. This is the first Sue Grafton book that I've read, and let's face it, U is for Undertow is getting pretty close to the end of the series (unless Sue starts with numbers next, lol.)

So the pitfalls of doing things "my way" are perhaps missing out on some of the previous references and experiences that our main character, Kinsey, has made/had. For the most part, I felt that this wasn't the case here. There was enough background throughout the story that I wasn't left feeling confused or out of the loop. It could definitely be read as a stand alone story.

The book bounces back and forth in time and I was a bit concerned about how/if it would all fit together in the end, but fit it did. The mystery wove around many characters; we get to see their points of view and how each came to be involved. It was never over the top gritty but had a generous amount of reality, like drug overdose, child abandonment, psychological problems and family drama.

I'm still not sure about my feelings regarding Kinsey. I didn't get a sense of her appearance, but this may have more to do with my reading order than anything else. What I could easily see is that she's a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of woman. I learned some new terms from Kinsey, like "choners". I'm not sure if this a regional thing, but there were a few others that I'd never read anywhere else. So kudos to Ms. Grafton for expanding my slang vocabulary!

All in all, I enjoyed reading U is for Undertow and am very likely at some point in the future to start at A is for Alibi and work from there. I think this series would be a great fit if you like JD Robb, Kathy Reichs or Patricia Cornwell, with its strong female lead.