Read and Reviewed

Brunswick was an interesting read. I enjoyed the whole idea of a world created through the power of one boy's imagination, and particularly liked how well-developed and thought out the world was. The entire book focuses on the power of imagination, good triumphing over evil, and doing what you know is right, even when you don't want to, which are all themes that were dealt with very well. And I especially loved the creatures that populate this world; Ann Haines did a first-rate job when choosing who would live in this world, and the special abilities they all had to make them unique. I really liked the character of Gideon, and his magical abilities. I would have loved to see more from him, to know exactly what the limits to his abilities were, but obviously, this is Jonathan's story and not Gideon's, so I completely understand why it wasn't something that was really discussed.I also found myself really interested in Dashana. To me, she was the most interesting character of the book. She is forced to do the Destroyer (or It)'s bidding, but knows there's something going on that she's unclear about. She is trying to sort out what to do, while fully knowing that going against him could lead to her death. Her chapters were some of my favorites in the book, because I really liked watching her conflicting emotions and feelings, particularly when she wasn't even sure why she was feeling uncertain.My one complaint is that there were a lot of errors in the book, not only with punctuation (particularly in the dialogue), but also in terms of the way the book is written. There are a lot of run-on sentences, and I found it really distracting in the beginning. The story itself was interesting enough to keep me reading, and by the middle of the book I was more easily overlooking the fact that there weren't proper sentence breaks. But it's definitely something that affected my reading experience, and accounts for some of my rating. I also felt like Jonathan was much younger than his supposed age (15), and I had a hard time believing that everyone in Brunswick (aside from It) was really so perfect and nice; that seemed a bit far-fetched to me, even in a fantasy world.However, I did like to see that Jonathan was a boy comfortable with physical displays of affection with his family (and that his family is entirely intact). It's not something we normally see in YA, so that was rather refreshing. (His conversation at the end of the book with his teacher made me raise an eyebrow, however, because as someone who works in the education field, it just seemed entirely too unrealistic -- not the conversation itself, but her coming to his home, and the kiss she bestows on his forehead. Trust me, NO teacher is actually going to do this, small town or no!) I also liked his display of anger over being brought to Brunswick in the first place, as I felt it was spot-on for a boy of his age.All in all, Brunswick is a tale of adventure, doing the right thing, and trying to save the world. The world itself is richly imaginative with fantastical creatures and wonderful details. I definitely enjoyed it.A copy of this book was provided to me through the YANR Blog Tours.

3.5/5 stars.As someone who has spent the majority of her life working in one form or fashion with elementary aged kids, I am always on the lookout for books that this particular age group would find intriguing and keep them turning the pages. Upon finishing Keaghan in Dreamside, I realized that this was one of those types of books: a book with an engaging main character, fully imagined and realized world, and an adventure (and who doesn’t love a good adventure?).Keaghan is a really fun, spunky hero who is inquisitive and brave in equal measures. It is his curiosity that lands him in Dreamside, which in this book exists in all our homes, and you can get there by rounding a certain number of dream corners. Once in Dreamside, Keaghan must figure out how to return home, and the majority of this book is spent on that return journey. It had just the right mix of surprise and imagination, and was really quite a lot of fun to read. I especially liked the realistic portrayal of Keaghan, particularly when it came to his feelings about his younger sister, who he considers a brat, and likes to use as an excuse for his behavior. His annoyance with his sister, and the blame he puts on her for his actions led to my favorite line of the entire book:"If she can make you do things, then she must be a great puppeteer, and you the puppet." (55%)I love this line so incredibly much that I’ve decided I’m going to use it with my students the next time they try to blame someone else for their actions. What Keaghan figures out in the end, of course, is that he does care about his sister, and just wants to get home to her and the rest of his family. I especially liked his realization in the end, that allows him to get home, but will avoid any details to keep from spoiling you.I also really enjoyed reading about Dreamside, particularly the creatures living there and their jobs, and the fact that all of your lost things (especially the socks!) wind up there. I give Mr. Batt all kinds of kudos for his imaginary world.As a heads up, I did notice some typos (incorrect words in some instances), and my only complaint would be the overabundance of exclamation points; I was willing to let that slide, however, thanks to our narrator and the almost constant state of agitation and exuberance that children that age exist in. It wouldn’t have been the way I would have done it, but I’m not the author, and it really doesn’t hurt anything in the story. :)Keaghan in Dreamside is a wonderful read for mid to upper elementary aged children. They will enjoy Keaghan’s personality, and the journey he must go through to return home. Because of its length, there’s really not too much to it, and it doesn’t go as in depth as you might see in a YA book, but it works very well for it’s intended age group. All in all, this is a solid book that I would definitely recommend to my students. I just wish it was available in print!A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I first requested Something Strange and Deadly, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Zombies aren't normally my thing, but there was something about the summary that piqued my interest. For me, the big draw was the promise of a mystery - a missing brother - set against the historic backdrop of the 1876 Centennial Exposition, or Philadelphia World's Fair. Once I started reading, it was the creepy atmosphere that kept me quickly turning pages (or clicking the arrow on my Kindle), even though I was fairly certain I had some of the plot figured out well beforehand. It didn't hurt that the main character, Miss Eleanor Fitt, was an absolutely feisty heroine. Between her and the setting, I found this book very difficult to put down.

The book starts off with a bang - or rather, a clang - when the Dead alarms go off, and Eleanor comes face-to-face with a member of the Dead (i.e. zombies), who happens to be delivering a letter from her brother, Elijah. Eleanor is convinced that Elijah is being held against his will by the Necromancer, and contacts the Spirit-Hunters for help. Through a bit of start and stopping, she finally convinces them to assist her in finding her brother. It was at this point that the book really took off, because the danger of the Dead, not to mention the bits of intrigue surrounding her father's death that are being dropped piece by piece into the story, really drive the stakes up.

Throughout the ensuing run-ins with the Dead, we really get to see Eleanor become a very strong, capable woman who gets sick of always doing what society deems proper, and finally doing what she feels is right. This includes confronting her suitor, the dashing and very rich Clarence Wilcox, about his odd behavior, and cutting out on a date with said suitor to cross-dress and help the Spirit-Hunters with a task. Add to that the slow-burning romance between Eleanor and Daniel, one of the Spirit-Hunters with his own painful backstory, and I was completely taken in by the story.

While I figured out much of the mystery early on, it didn't end up mattering because I found Eleanor's character to be so well-written and developed, and couldn't help cheering her on. And there was enough twist at the end to make sure I hadn't figured out everything, as well as an achy-breaky ending that left my heart hurting a bit. There's definitely some set-up for the second book, but I was very satisfied with the way things ended here.

All in all, I found Something Strange and Deadly to be a thoroughly engrossing, utterly engaging read, with a fabulous main character and wonderful historical flourishes. Fans of steampunk and zombies will enjoy the atmosphere, while fans of everything else will love Eleanor and the characters that surround her (this has a really first-rate cast of supporting characters), with the one exception of her mother, who is really something else. I'd definitely recommend you check it out.

An e-galley was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

When I was first contacted by the author of THE MINE for a review request, I thought long and hard about whether to accept, as I already have so many titles that I need to read and review. In the end, I was charmed by the synopsis, so decided to give a read. And I am really glad that I did, because I really enjoyed this book. It has a very BACK TO THE FUTURE feel to it, and I enjoyed Joel's journey from the cocky, not-always-likable guy he is at the start, to the more thoughtful, humbled man he is at the end. This is definitely a book worth checking out, particularly if, like me, you have a thing for well-written, well-researched, time travel books.Admittedly, Joel took a bit of time to grow on me. I didn't really appreciate the fact that he seemed very "me first" in the beginning, disregarding his friend's requests to head back to pick up his misplaced sunglasses, and instead doing what Joel wanted to do, and explore the mine that inevitably leads to his journey to the past. There's also the romance, which is at the heart of this story, between Joel and Grace, a girl he meets in 1941, who is actually already engaged to another. Again, this was very much a "I want her, so I'm going after her," and while he does wait to get signals from her, he is very proactive in getting what he desires. However, Grace brings out a better side of Joel, and once the two of them are spending more time together, I found myself really warming up to the narrator, which was good, because if he'd continued to annoy me as he had at the start, the book wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable to read. The author does a really great job with his characterization of Joel, and the growth his character goes through.I also would be horribly remiss if I neglected to mention just how well-researched this book is. From the astronomical phenomena that leads to the time travel, to the historical cities and towns we get to witness through Joel's eyes, to the descriptions of the way the people spent their time and what they did in 1941 Seattle, all of the research was first-rate. I really felt like I was there with Joel as he navigated his grandmother's time period and tried to adjust to a life without TV, cellphones and computers. The details of things like the furniture store where Joel works, to the meals that Tom's mother serves, to the dresses that Grace and the other girls wear, everything was very tangible and descriptive, and I absolutely drank it up.The book also contains a really fantastic cast of supporting characters, from Tom's parents, to Ginny, to Linda and Katie, and even Grace's fiance, Paul. I never felt like I was reading flat, cardboard cutouts; everyone was fully developed and fleshed out, and made Joel and Grace's journey that much more fun to read about. You got to experience the very real fears that the men of 1941 were facing in terms of the draft, and their part in a war that hadn't yet hit the US directly. Some of the strongest writing in this book, for me, was when Joel and Tom are talking about Tom's impending departure for the Army, and the ensuing sadness that Ginny feels once he's gone. But interspersed with all of this is the humor and wit that many of the characters have, and the strength of character each of them has and shows. Between the historical details and the phenomenal characters, I really had very little to complain about with The Mine.Do not let the "self-published" part of this book deter you; I definitely think anyone would be able to find something to like about THE MINE. Whether you want something well-researched, or you're looking for a sweet, well-developed romance, or just a man's journey to find himself, this book has you covered. I'd definitely recommend it!A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I want to thank M.L. Wooley for providing me with a copy of this book for review. She was nice enough to even ship me a paperback version, after I'd taken several months longer than I'd initially promised to get it read. Many thanks go to her for dealing with my lateness. :)

Honestly, I had a hard time figuring out how to rate this. The overall idea of the book - battle between good and evil and the preparation for the end of the world - was great, and I enjoyed reading about some of the characters. My biggest problem with this book was in the execution of the story. If I were focusing only on the author's intent and the plot of the book, it would be rated extremely high, because I felt like the entire plot was very unique and fresh. But the style the book is written in caused me to set it aside time and again, because it wasn't particularly gripping; I'd pick it up and read a chapter here, a chapter there, etc. The end redeemed it a bit in that regard, because the last hundred or so pages definitely pick up, but the storytelling definitely left a bit to be desired, at least for me.

My issue with the start of this book is that the narrative changes points of view constantly. I had a really hard time following along at the start, and spent much of the time confused, not only about who was telling their story but also in what was going on. I felt like the plot - good versus evil - took a very long time to develop, and I couldn't quite see how all these characters were going to come together. In terms of nitpicky things, there were also several occasions of incorrect tense usage, where it would switch from past to present to future all in the same sentence, and there were lots of typos, including misspellings and punctuation mistakes. I was mostly able to overlook these things, but if issues like this bother you, you may want to give this book a pass.

However, the biggest problem with this story for me is the rather passive storytelling. You hear all the time about "show, don't tell" and that unfortunately was not what happens in Dark Passage. I was always so disappointed when some big occurrence, instead of being shown to the reader, was told to them later in a conversation between two characters. For instance, there is a big showdown between Jen and her ex-husband which results in Jen seeing the angels, but the reader isn't aware of the bit with the angels because it wasn't written out for us; it was told to us when Jen recounts what happened to Ivy. It would have been so much more gripping for the reader to read this themselves instead of hearing about it later. There's also a chapter from Peter's point of view where he basically recounts everything that already happened. The chapter adds nothing new to the story and is basically just rehashing what the reader already knows. And then you have the romance between Jen and Bill, which the reader doesn't get to experience because everything between them happened offscreen and was told to us later. There are all kinds of places where things like this happen in the book, and each time I found myself skimming because it wasn't advancing the story at all. I wish this book could be thoroughly edited, because I think a great editor would cut out all of the unnecessary details and repetitions, which would really help this fabulous idea and plot shine to their fullest extent.

I also was confused about the preparations for the end of the world, because I felt like none of that was even a part of the story until the last fifty pages or so. We have all these descriptions of bunkers and gathering supplies and buying horses, and I'm just not entirely sure how the end of the world has come about. Is it because of the angel vs. demons thing? The mention of the warheads which will destroy the world? Where are these warheads? Who built them and is going to fire them? What role is the government - which is aware of the upcoming apocalypse - playing in this whole thing? I was just really confused about what the heck was going on, and how the two things are connected. More details would have been very much appreciated to better set the reader up for the end of the world. There just wasn't enough description to get me properly invested in what was going on.

All in all, Dark Passage has a unique concept and an interesting overall premise. But the execution of the book and story lines leave so much to be desired that it was a bit of a slog in places to get through. I have seen plenty of five-star reviews for this book, though, so please don't let my review be your deciding factor in whether you read this or not!

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars.When I started reading this book, I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly this is one case where the summary doesn't really tell you a whole lot about what's going on, so I basically went into this with no expectations. Dark Companion takes quite a bit of time to set up the plot. Jane is a newly emancipated minor whose been accepted into a prestigious all girls school, which allows her to escape her terrible foster home and her town of Hellsdale (actually Helmsdale). Much of the first half of the book revolves around Jane doing normal everyday things like shopping, studying, attending classes, etc. For some people, it could get tedious, but I didn't mind it so much because I was using the time to get to know Jane, who was a bit difficult for me to understand initially mostly because she and I are very very different. Throw in her crush on the headmistress' gorgeous son, Lucky, and her strange antagonistic relationship with Lucky's brother, Jack, and you've basically got the first 50% or so of the book.But then things start to pick up, and you finally get the "sinister" aspect of the summary. I don't want to spoil anyone because I honestly think it's better if you go into this not knowing what you're going to get, but I have to say that I sort of saw SOME of what is revealed early on, although expecting something paranormal made me guess a bit incorrectly. Let's just say that it was a fairly unique twist, and I was pleased to see something different. The latter half of the book moves along much more quickly, although I had to put it aside a couple of times because of one major thing that just drove me absolutely crazy.And that thing was, unfortunately, our main narrator, Jane. Jane is totally blind when it comes to Lucky, and she says these things about her feelings for him that made me want to reach through the screen of my Kindle and shake her. Things like, "I was replaceable for now. If I could prove myself to [Lucky] until his feelings for me grew, the equation would change," like she had some ability to change his feelings for her. Lucky is a jerk - I didn't really like him from the start - and it irritates me that she thinks she loves him mostly because he's good looking. Then there was, "On Monday, I raced home from class so I would be there if Lucky called or came by,", which UGH! I get that Jane hasn't had love in her life, and probably doesn't realize what it actually is or how others should act around you if they care about you, but her dependence on Lucky's attention just really made me angry. Thankfully she finally figures it out - 77% through the book - but WOW is that 77% a struggle for the reader, who sees exactly what mistakes she's making and is just along for the ride.Now, let me talk about the things I loved. Jane becomes friends with these absolutely spectacular girls, Hattie, Mary Violet (MV), and Constance, and I adored every single second they were on the page. MV is my personal favorite because she is absolutely bubbly and cheerful and just fabulous (she makes up poems! And makes Jane smile and laugh!), but I loved the interactions between them and Jane so much that they really saved that slog through the first 77%. I also really loved Jack, who had such a quick wit. He confuses Jane because he doesn't actually come out and say what he means, which is irritating in person but actually works really well on the page of a book. He calls Jane "Halfling" because he thinks she's some sort of fairy creature, and there is just a whole lot of tenderness in his interactions with her that she's too blind to see. I adored Jack; next to MV, he was definitely my favorite. Here's my favorite Jack line: "'H is for happy and for hope, and...' Jack thought for a moment. 'And for honey, which is both an endearment and nice with peanut butter in a sandwich.'" ♥All in all, Dark Companion was an interesting read. If you can get over main characters making boneheaded mistakes and strange leaps in logic - particularly when it comes to love - and are willing to give some time for the plot to develop, then you might just enjoy this book. It wasn't the best thing I've ever read, but there was enough in the book to keep my interest and keep me reading. If you're wanting something that's not-quite-paranormal, give this one a read. But check your expectations at the door; I really think it's best to go into this one without any preconceived notions or ideas about what's going to happen.Dark Companion will be available in North America on July 3, 2012.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. Too many mistakes in just the little bit that I did read, as well as the beginnings of an insta-love romance. This book really needs an editor to fix the multiple grammar/punctuation/spelling issues, particularly when it comes to formatting the dialogue and the non-use of commas.No rating since I didn't finish, and really didn't get far enough to establish an opinion on the overall plot and characters.

I just don't have the attention span necessary to dive into this book. Maybe I'll get back to it at some point, but for now it's definitely going on my "unfinished" shelf.

06/21/12: The Kindle version of this is now on sale via Amazon for $1.99 for anyone interested!

Confession time: I actually really liked this one. No one was more surprised than I was at that fact, mostly because I’d seen several status updates pointing out various things that I was sure I would have a lot of problems with. And I am going to be upfront when I say that I DID have problems with some things in this book, and I am going to be fairly detailed when I describe these issues. But there was far more that I liked in this book than I didn’t, which is the reasoning behind the ultimate rating that I’ve given it. With that being said, here we go!

 

I’m going to start with the positives, first. Sweet Evil features a truly fabulous, well-developed, and unique angel/demon mythology. This is a huge, massive kink for me personally, and honestly accounts for much of my delight with this book. Anna is the daughter of a fallen angel – in this case, Belial, the Duke of substance abuse – and a guardian angel. While there have been plenty of books featuring Nephilim, or the off-spring of fallen angels, this was the first that I’ve seen to really branch out and create a very complex world, in which fallen angels live on Earth and have children solely to further their sins. These children are really held down by their demon fathers (all of the demons except one are male), and basically forced to do their father’s “work”. Some of this work – particularly when it came to Kaiden’s role – was downright infuriating and upsetting to read about, but that doesn’t erase the fact that the whole idea of the mythology is – for me – absolutely brilliant. I was truly engrossed in the details of the demons, and what caused their fall from heaven, and especially the little tidbits Higgins included about Lucifer. The whole concept of this book is just truly first-rate.

 

There is also something absolutely compulsively readable about this book. While I had issues with our main character – and I’ll get to those in a second – and found some of the occurrences in this book just a tad too convenient, I was still completely taken in by the narrative and eagerly turning page after page. For me, any book that is difficult to put down gets an automatic star from me, which is why this has been rated four stars instead of just three. Sweet Evil suffers from some of the same YA tropes that we’ve seen in countless other books – the ridiculously hot bad boy, the naive female MC, something paranormal occurring to thrust them together – but I never really felt like I’d read this book before. This gets major kudos from me, because, seriously, with all the YA I’ve read, it takes a lot to make something feel original and fresh. Sweet Evil was a breathe of fresh air, at least for me, although I can understand why others wouldn’t feel the same. I am also going to admit to a bit of a thing for the forbidden romance trope. Anna and Kaiden should stay as far away from each other as possible, considering the circumstances, but I can’t help but root, root, root that they’ll figure out some way to be together. My feelings toward the main couple also went an awful long way towards the whole readability factor of this book, and was another thing that made me continue to turn those pages.

 

Now, let me get to some of the things I did NOT like. First of all, Anna is a character who must have lived her first sixteen years under a rock, because this girl is so naive that there were several times I was eye rolling so hard I was sure I’d injure myself. I get it – she’s the daughter of an angel, a “special” child, and Patti, her adoptive mother, wanted to keep her as unspoiled and pure as possible. Fine, whatever. But in today’s world, you need to impart some sort of street smarts in your children, and by not doing that, Patti puts Anna at a distinct disadvantage, not only because she’s also the child of a fallen angel (therefore feeling a pull toward her father’s “sin” of choice), but just because it causes her to make some very stupid mistakes when she’s left on her own among her peers. For someone who wants to keep her daughter safe, she sure didn’t teach her what any sixteen year old girl really needs to know.

 

And then there is the fact that Anna is so saintly she’s nearly impossible to believe. She doesn’t lie – except for that one time, when she did it on purpose, and then felt terrible about it afterward (seriously, stop it). She doesn’t drink or do drugs – except for that one time, when she made a true error in judgement and had to be rescued. She is the girl who reminds a teacher to collect the homework, who feels horrid at the thought of being at a party with no adult supervision after telling her mother that there would be, etc. The extent of her “goodness” was just so over the top that I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this girl exists. It took me a very long time to warm up to her, especially when she says things like this:

 

“Of course I feel temptation, but I’m really aware of it, so I can sort of squash most of the urges before they have time to register. Rules are meant to protect us, so I follow them. Something might feel good at the moment, but the consequences are scary.” (page 192)

 

I mean, really? And then, when thinking about Kaiden’s father (the Duke of Lust, don’t you know), she says something about kicking him in his “prized lust parts”, and I, just … ANNA. “Prized lust parts” is really what comes to mind when you think of the male genitalia? (She likewise has trouble with the word “sex”. I pretty much went *headdesk* at that.) Also, I LOLed when she said her dad looked completely “bad-a”. I’m giggling just typing that.

 

Then there are the little things like Patti just allowing Kaiden – a boy both her AND Anna have just met – to drive Anna cross-country to California so she can meet her father ALONE. Or not having any visual reaction when Anna’s father teaches Anna  how to hold her liquor IN HER LIVING ROOM.  And a few other things I’m not going to get super detailed into, but were definitely eye-brow raising for me. And then you had the road trip, which was formulated specifically so that Anna and Kaiden would be forced into each other’s company to further the ensuing romance. Kaiden is loaded and could have EASILY bought plane tickets; it would have been far faster to travel by air, which was sort of the point of the road trip in the first place. For someone on a time crunch, a five-day road trip didn’t really make much sense. And then you had Anna’s father, who I loved, but also felt a bit too lovey-dovey for me. He’s a hardened fallen angel who’s spent the last sixteen years in prison (oh, and he conveniently has a parole hearing coming up!), but when he sees Anna he basically acts like a giant teddy bear. Again, I liked him, but his character just felt a bit too wishy-washy. Is he “bad-a” or not? (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

 

Also, as a heads-up, this book includes attempted date rape and a mention of underage sex trafficking. The sex trafficking is one of the things that’s really set some people against this book because of Kaiden’s role in the scenario, and I can get where they’re coming from. While it bothered me – I mean, the whole idea of sex trafficking is just awful – I couldn’t necessarily fault him for what he says and does, because of his character and the whole relationship with his father. If you’ve read the book and know what I’m talking about (I am trying to be as spoiler-free as possible), I would be interested to hear your thoughts on that particular part. Also, PARENTS: There are loads and LOADS of make-out and not-entirely sex scenes throughout this book. Kaiden is the son of the Duke of Lust, and is in the forefront of most of these. Because of this – and the reference to some of the other things I just talked about – I would recommend this book probably to readers 15 and up. Ymmv, of course, but there’s my two cents.

 

I would be remiss if I didn’t actually mention my feelings on Kaiden, especially since he’s one of the hot button issues of this book. I honestly like him quite a bit. Yes, he can be a jackass, and he’s manipulative with Anna’s feelings (constantly pushing her away and then pulling her closer), but I felt like every single thing he did was completely representative of his upbringing and background. He is a deeply flawed character who is having a hard time figuring out what he should do, and this is shown by his actions throughout the book. He cares for Anna – even though he won’t say it – but is scared about what that means for him because of who he is and who his father is. For me, Kaiden is the most compelling of all the characters in this book, even if he is a bit too “stereotypical YA paranormal male” for some.

 

And because this review is getting out of hand in terms of length, I am going to stop there. To sum up: Sweet Evil is not without its flaws. The characters are sometimes aggravating and the MC is a bit too saintly for my personal tastes. But the mythology – for me – was enough to balance any of that out. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen next, and what’s in store for Anna and Kaiden. I have a feeling this series might just get epic in the next two installments, and I am eagerly anticipating the ultimate clash between good and evil. If you want something different in terms of angel and demon lore, and said lore is a particularly strong draw for you, I would definitely recommend this book. My advice to you, however, is to go in with lower expectations; I think my doing so is what made this a far more enjoyable read for me than it was for others.

Wilde's Fire is a pretty solid debut by author Krystal Wade. When I first saw the blurb up on NetGalley, I was immediately intrigued, as I have a thing for characters being thrust into new situations and worlds and having to adapt, all while trying to save the world. For the most part, this book delivered on all of my expectations, at least in terms of the story itself. The strongest part of the book was probably the world-building. The author has created a fictional land called Encardia, in which Darkness has overtaken the sun and confined the people to living underground, in constant fear of the daemons that attack in the dark and have nearly destroyed the entire world. Kate, our main character, is suddenly thrust into Encardia when her and her sister, Brit, follow a light into an underground cave, which actually turned out to be a portal. In Encardia, Kate meets Arland, whom she had actually been dreaming about for her entire life. Arland is the one to tell Kate that there's actually a prophecy about her, that she's Light, and will save Encardia from Darkness. (I know, all these capital letters are a bit much. If you're going to read the book, get used to them!) In Encardia we also meet probably my most favorite character, Arland's cousin, Flanna. Flanna is an impossibly upbeat, cheerful girl who instantly becomes Kate's friend. She's full of great insight and understanding, and I just really enjoyed every single second she was on the page.I do want to warn that we have a bit of insta-love here - I mean, this is a YA book, right? - but I was willing to let it go for the most part because of the set-up for Arland and Kate. Both of them have prophecies that pretty much dictate their lives, not to mention that Kate's been dreaming about him for forever. To Wade's credit, they actually go a pretty darn long time before they even kiss, so I give her major kudos for at least not having them dive straight into anything physical. I do admit to a minor problem, however, with the fact that Kate's powers don't really materialize unless Arland's near her, though, although I'm assuming that the second book will move away from that, considering the cliffhanger-like ending. And as a heads-up to any parents, there are some minor smexy times in this book, although I wouldn't really call any of it graphic in the slightest.My biggest problem with this book is that I had some trouble with the style at first. Wilde's Fire is told via Kate's first person, present tense voice, and I found the sentence structure to be a bit choppy and unpolished at the start. One thing I noticed straight off is that there is a lack of contractions throughout the book, which always makes things seem more stilted, at least for me. People speak in contractions! I could understand perhaps Arland not using them, since he's from a more formal, rather set world, but there really wasn't any excuse for Kate to not use them. It just generally makes spoken conversation flow more easily. I also felt like the book didn't pick up until about 65% into it, when things really start coming to a head. There are a lot of daily activities, like mucking out the barn, milking cows, chopping potatoes, etc., and it did become a tad tedious. The bits where Kate is working on her weapons skills were better, mostly because I just find sword fighting and learning to shoot a bow exciting. I also liked the little bits where Arland would fill Kate in on Encardian history, and the magic usage. I also had a bit of trouble with the whole Brad plot line, particularly Kate's feelings toward him once he wakes up. That whole bit seemed disjointed, and her feelings were so erratic and hard to follow, but maybe that was the point.I also thought the sort of ridiculous, over the top declarations of love in this book were a bit much. If someone were to say some of these lines to me, I would have a really hard time not laughing in their faces, even if my love for them was all-consuming. Still, maybe that's just the cynical part of me reacting to what - to me - bordered on cheesiness. Your mileage may vary, etc. :)All in all, this was a pretty intriguing, decently written and solid debut novel. There are enough loose ends to make me want to immediately dive into the sequel (which is also up on NetGalley). I am definitely intrigued about where the author is going, and what's next up for Kate. I especially look forward to her character development, and the evolution of her abilities. Wilde's Fire is now available in North America from a bookseller of your choice. If you want something a bit different, give it a read.

Prior to this year, I had never read a book about a plucky female heroine who bucks her Victorian Age traditions and tries to solve mysteries on her own. But that's been rectified, first with A Spy in the House, and then Wrapped, and now Secret Letters. While there are definite similarities between the three books, the mysteries and characters were all different enough that I wasn't nitpicking those likenesses or really comparing the three. If you're looking for historical accuracy in terms of girls not dressing as boys or going out without a chaperon, then Secret Letters is probably your best bet, although there were still some moments where I needed to suspend my disbelief.Secret Letters tells the story of Dora, who has found out that she's actually the daughter of the famous Sherlock Holmes. When her cousin's secret love letters to a past music tutor turn up missing and the focus of a blackmail scheme, Dora travels with Adelaide to London to seek out the expertise of said famous detective, but when circumstances conspire to keep them from meeting him, they fall in with another detective and his handsome assistant, Peter Cartwright. When it becomes apparent that Adelaide's letters are also tied up in the mystery of a missing heiress, Cartwright decides to have Dora go undercover as a scullery maid in an earl's home to suss out the truth. And that's the bit that required me to suspend my disbelief a bit, because Dora has been raised as a proper lady (even though she notices far too much for said propriety), and working as a scullery maid could damage her reputation beyond repair. But Dora is a willing participant in this plan, because she fancies herself a bit of an amateur detective, and also because she wants to retrieve Adelaide's letters (plus, you know, Peter kind of showed her up and she wants to get a bit of her own back).I couldn't help but love Dora. She is inquisitive, intelligent, and willing to break away from tradition a bit in terms of her actions. She also has a kind heart, although she can be kind of thoughtlessly cruel, and even more cruel when she means to be. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where she's at the earl's home pretending to be a scullery maid, for she gets into some tight spots and actually does some things that could have gotten her cover blown. But this is where her creativity and cleverness shine through, because she figures out ways to get the information she needs, even if she can't put two and two together right away. And anyone who winds up dancing on a bartop and singing bawdy songs at the top of her lungs can't be all bad, right?There is a bit of romance in the book between Dora and Peter, but it was well-paced and actually more of an antagonistic-type relationship, which I'm not always a fan of but worked well here, mostly because Dora is just so headstrong. I liked watching them work together and the ways they tried to figure each other out. They both had incredible wit and charm, and made me laugh several times over. Plus there are hints that Peter has had to deal with some type of tragedy, and while you do find out what it is at the end, he played the whole "wounded hero trying to hide his pain behind a humorous exterior" quite well.While I enjoyed this book, it wasn't perfect. The mystery is solid, but I'd guessed the villain about midway through, although not the motivations. And also, the whole deal with Adelaide's letters is never exactly explained, which, considering that this is the whole reason why Dora initially gets involved, it would have been nice to have some sort of wrap-up with that. There's also a bit of a Scooby Doo-ish reveal in which the truth comes out, which was a bit over the top for me personally. But Dora's adventures and the relationship with Peter definitely saved it enough for me to give the book four solid stars.If you like your historical fiction a bit more historical with less girls dressing as boys and running amok in Victorian England, then this is probably the one for you. You'll need to suspend your disbelief just a bit, but I think Dora's spirit will capture any reader enough to get you interested and invested in the book. And the slight romance doesn't hurt, either. Secret Letters will be released on June 26th, 2012 in North America. If you like plucky young heroines, definitely give it a read!An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Transcendence was an interesting look at reincarnation, and what would happen if you could remember all of your previous lifetimes. Cole is a child prodigy cellist, who, while on vacation with her sister and father in London, starts experiencing ridiculously real visions of things that happened in the past. During one of these visions, she meets Griffon, a boy who she seems to have a startling connection to, considering that they've never met. Once back in the States, Cole realizes that Griffon actually lives near her, and the two begin dating. It's at this point that Griffon reveals why they seem drawn to each other: they're both Akhet, meaning they can remember their previous lives, and work towards righting the wrongs and fixing the world. But one of Cole's previous lives is threatening her current one, and Cole must remember what happened in order to keep herself safe.

I found this book to be enjoyable; it is a solid, 3-star book, nothing more, nothing less. There were moments when I was fed up with Cole and her thought process, because the choices she was making seemed a tad far-fetched, and I admit to being a little annoyed by the insta-love as well, even though it happens because Griffon and Cole are both Akhet. I get that, and was willing to look past it for the most part, but wish that there had been a bit more buildup. I also couldn't stand Cole's mother, who is the epitome of the stage mom characterization. She doesn't permit Cole to do anything that would interfere with her practice, and you can tell that, while Cole enjoys playing the cello, her mother enjoys the fact that her daughter is a child prodigy. After an injury makes playing the cello impossible for at least a little while, her mother refuses to accept this and, instead of being happy that her daughter survived, can only gripe at the doctor about the fact that she can't play, constantly reminding him that Cole is spectacular at the cello, as if her being good makes a difference. Seriously, I didn't like the mother AT ALL.

I haven't read too many books dealing with reincarnation, so for me this was a refreshing change from the current onslaught of other paranormal titles. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks into Cole's previous lives, and liked watching her try to figure out how everything fit together. The flashbacks were woven seamlessly into the narrative, so they were never disorienting or confusing. I also loved the richness of the description used when describing the time periods; everything from the description of the place they were, to the fabrics they were wearing, to the temperature or smells was spot-on. Omololu really has a knack for writing her settings. The flashbacks were some of my favorite parts of this book.

I was tempted to bump this up a half star, but the truth is that this book, while having an interesting idea and well-written characters, didn't wow or amaze me. This probably had more to do with my feelings toward Cole's actions late in the book than anything else; it sort of made the book end on a down note for me, mostly because my annoyance level kept going up and up as the book progressed. I just felt like she did a complete 180 in terms of what she thought and felt, and it really had me scratching my head at some of the leaps in logic she was making. I also had figured out the twist regarding the villain way before it came to be in the book, and while sometimes I like having guessed the truth, this time I just felt like the hints and clues dropped by the author were a bit too heavy-handed. Plus, there is a pretty big clue regarding one of her other previous lives that comes up right at the end, and seemed inserted simply because the author wanted to set up the next book. I felt like, at that point, that putting that in sort of disrupted the narrative and the flow, and would have been better left out all together. In fact, I kind of wish this was just a standalone book, because there are so few of those being released today, and this one was tied up nicely enough - aside from that scene - that it could have been over and done with in one installment. But alas, everything seems to be series these days!

Transcendence is a well-written, fun read that uses an interesting and new idea. The main characters are fully fleshed out and developed, and there is a smattering of humor throughout. If you're looking for something a bit different, give this one a read. I think almost everyone would be able to find something they like about it.

An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars.Monument 14 is another of those post-apocalyptic, end-of-the-world books that seem to be coming out in droves of late. I am the first to admit that the genre typically isn't exactly my cup of tea, but I've read a few of them in the past few months that I've actually really enjoyed (much to my surprise), and I can safely add this one to that list. The book isn't perfect by any means, but there was something very gripping and engaging about the narrative, and I found myself really enjoying Dean's voice, particularly the sense of humor that pervaded the book. It helped add levity to what was a terrible situation, and was probably the main reason I was unable to put this book down.The book starts off with a bang, and for the next couple of chapters, doesn't quit. The kids are on their bus, heading to school, when a massive hail storm hits, leaving so much destruction and death in its wake. I mean, we literally have a character die within the first few pages. Thanks to a bus driver who takes her job very seriously, the kids - one bus of high schoolers, one bus of middle/elementary kids - make it to Greenway, a sort of superstore a la Walmart, where they then spend the rest of the book trying to keep themselves safe from the chaos outside. The hail storm isn't the end of the destruction - there's then a massive earthquake, and a chemical spill that attacks people based on their blood type, and causes Dean to turn into a raving lunatic who wants to kill everyone. Couple that with several children under the age of eight who just all want to go home, and I was instantly gripped by the scenario and wanting to see how everything would work itself out.Because the kids are cut off from the rest of the world - there is one lone TV which can connect to CNN and keep them semi-appraised on what's going on - the rest of the book focuses on their daily activities inside the store, from cleaning up in the aftermath, to cooking daily meals (Dean winds up with kitchen duty, much to his chagrin), and, yes, to the typical YA romance tropes, including an assortment of hookups and love triangles. But none of that bothered me, because I could sort of see why the author did it; these kids have no idea what's going on outside, they are trapped inside the store (the riot gates were engaged), and they are all trying to take care of each other and themselves in the best way they can. All of them - ALL of them - make mistakes, and bad decisions, and there's the usual grapple for power (which was broken up wonderfully by Josie, who I couldn't help but enjoy), but the author just had a way with words that made all of it feel fresh and kept my interest, even though nothing really massive was really happening.What I really loved, however, were the elementary kids. This probably has something to do with the fact that I work with them on a daily basis, and that I could see actual real versions of the children in my head as I read about them. You had Max, who has absolutely no filter and just tells it like it is, including his uncle's outrageous trips to strip clubs, and his parents accidentally forgetting about him at a restaurant (I once had a Kindergartner tell me all about his dad's crime that led to his incarceration). Then there's Batiste, who has been raised in a super religious family and admonishes everyone whenever they curse, or do anything to hurt someone ("Cleanliness is next to Godliness, Dean!"), and Chloe, who is clearly a spoiled brat and used to getting her way. So many good quotes came courtesy of these kids, and when you combine that with Dean's humor, there were some truly laugh-out-loud moments. And I know: this is a book about the end of the world, it probably shouldn't be funny. But, again, these kids have absolutely no clue about what's going on outside, at least for a vast majority of the book, and they've basically set up their own little home, so even though the circumstances are dire and dangerous and hopeless, the kids themselves don't know that. Honestly, this wasn't necessarily a book about survival so much as keeping each other safe and out of harm's way and trying to make things as normal as possible, which these daily activities and the happenings of the characters did quite well.Things gear up again at the end, and I was a bit surprised at the choices Niko made. There is apparently going to be at least a sequel, so I look forward to seeing how everything is going to be resolved. Be aware that, because of this, there is no solid ending, no definitive resolution to the plot or the problems facing these kids, so don't go into this expecting that things will be tied up nice and neat, because they aren't. In some ways, I feel like the ending works as an open-ended one, though, so it will be interesting to see what comes next.Monument 14 is now out in North America. If you're looking for something grittier and darker, with the characters having to struggle to survive, then you're better off reading something else. After all, these kids are living in a superstore full of anything and everything they could possibly need, so there is no desperation in terms of having to find shelter or food or anything else. But if you instead want a book that focuses on the day-to-day activities that come with picking up the pieces and trying to keep things as normal as possible, give this one a read. I, for one, found it quite enjoyable.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Of Poseidon is one of those mermaid books that are populating the shelves in the year 2012. I have always been a fan of mermaid lore - they are secretive, alluring beings that exist in a world that humans can't venture into - so I eagerly dove into this one. But almost from the get-go, there were just little things about this book that bothered me, and at times made reading it a chore. The mystery itself is good enough - Galen is a Syrena prince who hears about a girl who can speak to fish, so he goes looking for her because the ability to do so means she's "of Poseidon", and it was thought that that bloodline had died out. But then he finds her, and, instead of doing something new, this book tumbled headlong into typical YA paranormal fare.Emma, our narrator, is another of those girls who is friends with the popular girl (who was also a bit too stereotypical African-American for my taste). She doesn't realize that she's pretty. She's clumsy as all get out. And the first time she meets Galen, she literally trips into him, nearly killing herself on his "sculpted" chest. Emma also doesn't realize that she's anything special, or that she has this unbelievable ability. Galen is also your typical paranormal boy: ridiculously good looking, charming, the fastest swimmer ever, and a Syrena prince, plus he assimilates himself seamlessly into the human world, even though at the start of the book the author tries to make us believe that Galen has a hard time holding conversations with others, and admittedly, he did struggle. You know, for the first chapter or so. He's also unbelievably rich. In other words, there was nothing special about Galen, at least not in my opinion.Normally I would gobble up all the talk of the mythology that the author is using, and there were parts of the Syrena background that I loved (particularly the love story between Grom and Nalia). But I found the exposition on the history more like listening to a history professor, in that the facts were sort of just recited, sometimes rather dryly, so what should have been the best part for me also felt lackluster and uninteresting. I also had a problem with the Syrena take on marriage - marrying only to mate, not out of love - and the rather medieval look at women and their roles. Galen spends much of the time demanding that Emma listen to him because he's royalty, and she - in typical female human form - does the total opposite, and includes some tantrums as well. Then you had the whole rather icky relationship between Rayna and Toraf, in which they were mated without her knowledge or consent. I don't care if she really did care for him all along, he shouldn't have been able to get her eldest brother's consent without her own involvement in the discussion.Couple that with my annoyance with some of the phrases Emma uses throughout the book - like "ohmysweetgoodness" or "fan-freaking-tastic" - and my irritation was a constant presence. I also had trouble with Galen at the start; I think the reader is supposed to find him charming from the get-go, and maybe some people do, but I found him to be a liar and a manipulator for much of this book, until he's finally forced to tell Emma the truth thanks to Rayna's intervention (from this point on, I didn't mind him as much, and he actually started to grow on me a bit). Their whole relationship just really didn't sit right with me, because Galen was not being entirely truthful with her, but Emma was just eating up all of his attention. We also have another instance of insta-love, and I get that there are hints dropped as to why that is, but it was still yet another thing that made this feel like your typical YA paranormal. I do give the author credit, though, for not having Emma and Galen dive into any physical shenanigans straight away. It took 70% before we even saw them kiss, owing entirely to Galen's back-and-forth in his own mind (in which he was trying to do the right thing), so kudos for that."If stupid were a disease, I'd have died from it by now." (36%)I don't really want to call Emma stupid, because I'm not sure that you can really put this on her. She's relying on Galen to tell her what's going on, why she can talk to fish, etc., and he's not telling her the whole truth. But she feels used by him, and tries to do the same with him except that it doesn't work, because she likes him too much, and can't help but be swept up whenever he looks at her, or smiles at her, or teases her. I have a problem when a guy's favorite thing to do is make the girl blush, you know? And boy, does Emma spend a lot of time doing that in this book. I also had a problem with how quickly Emma forgets about Chloe once she realizes what she is and starts spending all her time with Galen and Rayna. Considering the knockdown, drag-out brawl that ensued when Rayna brought Chloe up, plus the fact that Emma's entire existence prior to Galen rotated around Chloe, this was a little hard for me to believe, especially when Emma starts off the book lamenting the fact that everyone else at the school would probably forget her.This book also ends in a most inopportune place. I get it - we're being set up for the second book - but this book sort of has this massive reveal and then BAM we're at the end. I'd seen enough people's reactions, though, to expect it, so I wasn't quite as upset as some readers have been with the abrupt ending. Still, not a whole lot is resolved in this book, and I have a problem with a book that didn't seem to have much of a point aside from setting up for the next one.If you're reading this and thinking that I must have hated this book, I really didn't. I don't think there's anything absolutely spectacular about it, but there were certain aspects that I did enjoy. Of Poseidon has an interesting plot, and I am curious about what comes next, and what the big reveal at the end will mean for the Syrena, and Galen and Emma specifically. I'll just make sure I go into it with more tempered expectations.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Quote taken from an uncorrected proof.

4.5/5 stars.This book has gotten quite the love and five star reviews from people whose opinions I trust, so I went into it with some high expectations. With those high expectations, however, was that little voice at the back of my head that kept wondering if I was setting myself up for a fall. In fact, I kept putting this book off because I didn't want to be disappointed in it. But after spending the last few days struggling through two other books, I finally decided to take the plunge, so around midnight last night, I took out my Kindle and started Shadow and Bone. And a little before 3am, was still reading, having not stopped for even an instant. I was completely and utterly engrossed in this tale, enchanted by the world and the magic, and thoroughly invested in the lives of the three main characters. I finally put it down because I knew I had to go to sleep, but then got up this morning and dove right back in. My one thought upon finishing was a resounding, "WHY did I wait so long to read this?!" Sorry, Goodreads friends, I shall never doubt you again!First of all, let me talk about the characters. There are three main ones: Alina, Mal, and the Darkling. Alina is the main narrator - the book is told from her first person point of view - and admittedly I had some issues with her at the start. She doesn't have very much in the way of self confidence, and basically lives her life in accordance with Mal, her best friend. This is not through any fault of Mal's however: it's purely Alina, and her unwillingness to leave him, to find her own place, and to do things to make herself happy. This was disconcerting for me, because I can't imagine ever depending on someone so much that I would make my life decisions based on someone else's. Then there's also the whole part where Mal doesn't realize that that's exactly what Alina's doing. They're friends, but his world doesn't revolve around her in the way that hers does him, and we have to deal with some internal conversation about how she's in love with him but he doesn't know, and she's jealous that he pays attention to attractive women, and just, seriously, enough. But all of that changes when Alina's power reveals itself in a truly frightening run-in with the volcra, terrifying beasts who eat the flesh of men, and she's swept away by the Darkling into the world of the Grisha.The Grisha are sort of like magicians, but each of them is good at one specific type of magic. Alina is the first of her kind in probably forever, so she's instantly taken under the Darkling's wings and set apart from the others. But Alina struggles with that whole self-confidence thing, and can't believe that she actually belongs with the rest of the Grisha, mostly because she can't call upon her power like everyone else, but also because she's not as pretty as the rest of them. Yes, seriously, this is her actual thought process. Nevermind that she called out light in complete darkness, and that her power comes forth when she's in the Darkling's presence, oh no!, she's not pretty so she can't possibly be Grisha. And she spends much of her time at first pining away for Mal, writing him dozens of letters that go unanswered, and it did get tedious. But there was just something about the world, about the way the book was written, that made me continue to read compulsively. And I was rewarded, FINALLY, when Alina stood up and took charge of her power and became someone who did was SHE wanted and not what someone else wanted. From then on, Alina and I got along quite well.Now let me talk about the Darkling, because I would be remiss if I didn't spend some of this review discussing him. I was really unsure what to think of him - he's described as being gorgeous and over-the-top powerful, but then he has these moments with Alina where I was just as swept up as she was, and wanted so much to believe him. He keeps saying all these things - "I've been waiting for you forever," or "you and I will change the world" - and I wanted to believe that he was being truthful, that he really could feel something for her, mostly because SHE so desperately wanted it. And also? I wanted her to forget about Mal, because even at this point he was still in her thoughts. Of course, nothing about anything in the Grisha world was actually how it appeared to be, and things came to a head and a whole bunch of drama happened that I won't get into because of spoilers. But I'm still torn about what I think about him - he's dangerous, ambitious, but I'm still completely intrigued by him, and I am fairly certain (or hoping, whichever) we'll be seeing much more of him in the future installments.This book is set in a sort of pseudo-Russia, and the descriptions of the food and the places and the people was written in a way that was almost tangible. I think the author's grasp of description and world-building is probably the biggest strength of this book; I felt like I was there, right beside Alina as she tried to catch up to the other Grisha her age, attending class to control her power, reading about the Grisha history, and getting the tar beat out of her in her self-defense class. There is also court intrigue, and some very steamily-written kissing scenes, and the amazing descriptions of what the Grisha can do with their abilities. I've seen complaints that it wasn't Russian enough (even some reviews pointing out some downright errors, but the only one that bothered me was Alina's last name, because it should have had an 'a' on the end of it), but I don't think it was really supposed to be Russia - just similar to it - so that didn't bother me quite as much. Still, if you're big into Russian history, be forewarned about that!All in all, I found Shadow and Bone to be a completely compulsive read, full of absolutely enchanting magic and realistic characters. It's not perfect - again, I had some issues with Alina at the start - but it is very, very good. There's the struggle for power, the struggle for love and acceptance, and the desire to just fit in and belong somewhere. Alina is a very real girl with very real problems, who's trying to figure out where she belongs and what she should do. Because this is the first in a trilogy, it does set up the next book - there's no solid wrap-up of the story, more like a pause in her journey. But if you're looking for a truly magical book with wonderful world-building and engaging and complex characters, definitely give this one a read. Shadow and Bone will be released in North America on June 5th, 2012. I definitely recommend it.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.