Read and Reviewed

I've been in a bit of a slump regarding books, having a really hard time finding something that really drew me in and held my attention (seriously, I have four that I've started and set aside just in the last couple of days). That was cured by Croak; I started this book and didn't even THINK about reading anything else until this one was done. This book is very charming and has a wonderful sense of humor about it - sometimes sarcastic, sometimes just LOL-funny - which is especially interesting for me personally considering the subject matter. I mean, Grim Reapers and death isn't really all that laugh-worthy, right? But in the world of Croak, and especially in the narration of our main character, Lex, it totally is. I loved every single second of this book.First off, Lex is probably not what you would consider a charming main character, considering that when we first meet her, she's in the principal's office with her parents after getting into yet another fight. But the fact of the matter is that her inner monologue is simply hysterical; there's really no other word for it. She has a very dry outlook on life, and it shows in her inner musings. She says exactly what she thinks, and doesn't really care of her opinion bothers other people. And while she's suddenly given in to these violent tendencies, the truth is that she doesn't know why, she doesn't know where the anger has come from, and she doesn't know how to stop herself from lashing out. You can tell that she's just as confused as everyone else. So when her parents decide to send her to her uncle, she is of course hurt that they'd send her away, because they're her parents and they're supposed to love her unconditionally and put up with all her crap.But then she meets Uncle Mort, and things suddenly become crystal clear: she's angry and lashing out because she's hit the age where her Grim Reaper blood has stirred. And this is when things got really fun and exciting. She meets a whole group of Juniors - kids around her own age who all have their own stories and histories and can exchange stories about their own falls into delinquency - and it's at this point where I was just completely charmed by the entire world, all the characters, and the story itself. Lex is thrown headfirst into the art of Killing and Culling souls, and of course is paired with a ridiculously attractive guy named Driggs (who was also taken in by her uncle, who, by the way, the family thinks is a farmer) and t~e~n~s~i~o~n starts to form between them, but it was done in such a way that it didn't feel ridiculous or overdone and definitely couldn't qualify for insta-love (which, thank God, seriously, because I would have hated to take away any stars!). On top of all of this, Driggs and Lex start to realize that something weird is going on, in that people are dying who aren't supposed to be. And this is where the mystery and danger start to come into play.Now, I have lamented the fact that I have read several books already this year that use the "teenage girl tries to solve the crimes instead of leaving things up to the proper authorities" trope, but, again, this was done in a way that was different and refreshing, and, yes, I'm going to use that word again, just utterly charming. Mixed in with the strange deaths are all of these humorous asides like how random people have died (shooting themselves in the chest with a nail gun to kill the mosquito that had landed there, choking on a hamster, getting run over by an airlines luggage cart, etc.), and the fun things that Lex and her fellow Juniors do for fun. It really helped keep the grimness (yes, pun intended!) of their occupation from getting too dark.And then you had the mythology of the Reapers, and the story of that one frightening Grim who took his powers and disobeyed the laws and killed for fun, which turns out to be a main focal point of the book and the overlying mystery. I probably should have seen the "bad guy" before it was revealed, but was so caught up in Lex and Driggs' adventures and growing relationship that I didn't. Needless to say, that part of the book - just like the rest of it - was well done.The ending's a little achy-breaky, though, and definitely sets itself up for the second installment (anyone know how many there are going to be total?), so be forewarned about that. But this was just such a good, fun and different book that I was utterly captivated from beginning to end, to the point where I could hardly put it down. If you're looking for a book that's a bit different but utterly charming and hilarious, give this one a read. I would highly recommend it!

You guys, I ADORED this book. Like, I'm sitting here having finished it and just want to draw hearts all over it. There is so much about it that I just loved - our main narrator, her fantastic family, the whole point that you can be so much more than people think you can, the entire world itself - that I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to find the right words and am just going to end up gushing all over this, which probably isn't helpful to anyone reading this review. But I am SO putting this on the list of books to buy for my students! So much good stuff in this book, seriously.Okay, fangirling done, or at least it will be tempered a bit from here on out. This book was like a reverse Harry Potter, in which, instead of realizing she's a wizard (like Harry does), Abby is born into a world where everyone can do magic, and it's expected that she'll be able to do magic because everyone just does. But it's discovered that Abby is what the world calls an "ord" - as in ordinary, as in no magical ability whatsoever. In this world, most "ords" are sent away from their families because their status reflects badly on everyone around them, but Abby's family isn't normal, see, because all of them - her amazing parents and her awesome siblings, all of which I loved to pieces (I think Gil is my favorite) - actually LOVE her, and therefore try to figure out what to do to help her and keep her safe. "It was weird, I felt exactly the same today as I did yesterday. Shouldn't you feel different after you find out that you're, you know, totally useless? I guess not. You're born an ord, I knew that. So I'd always been useless. I just didn't know it until yesterday." (8%)At this point my heart was pretty much breaking for Abby, but I had faith that things would get better, and they did, for the most part. See, Alexa, Abby's eldest sister, runs a school for "ords", where the kids can go to learn how to live without magic (you know, in which they learn to do things like all of us do, unless one of you has actually received a Hogwarts letter). It's at this school where Abby starts to discover herself. She makes friends, and goes to classes (most of which are pretty mundane and normal, but they do have a self-defense class with a really kick-ass instructor), but it's totally not boring to read about because throughout it all Abby is making these self-discoveries and becoming such a strong person. And there are all of these funny asides and humor integrated seamlessly into the narrative that the entire reading experience was just completely engaging and fun.The book does have some darkness in it - see, ords sell for a lot of money on the black market, and Abby has a run-in with a pair of thugs who desperately want her early on (in which Alexa is completely awesome), who then spend the majority of the rest of the book in pursuit of her - and there's some sadness and danger and absolutely gripping scenes that left me white-knuckling my Kindle and wanting to read faster than my eyes can actually move so I could see how things would turn out, but the entire thing was just so perfect that I was through it in a few hours and wanting more (because this seems like it's definitely the first in a series, to which I say, bring it on!).I also like the little hints that something may potentially happen between Abby and Peter somewhere down the line after they're both much older (since they're only twelve here), because I really adored their "friendship" (I use quotes because Peter maintains that they're not friends, thank you very much), plus I'll be interested to see what happens when her parents realize the truth about Alexa's love life (which I totally saw early on). But really I just want more of this world, more of Abby, more of Abby's family and friends, more, more, more!If you want a really wonderful book about learning to accept oneself that also incorporates magic, fabulous characters, and a unique world, definitely give this one a read. I wholeheartedly recommend it.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to preface this by saying that this review is probably going to be a little all over the place, as I'm having a hard time really putting my feelings into words. There were aspects of this book that were absolutely brutal to read; the main character, Sloane, is pretty much done with life and wanting to end it all. You get a pretty good look at why she feels this way - her father abused her and her sister, Lily, and even though Lily promised they'd run off together to escape him, it was really only Lily who ran away and escaped - but her thought processes are so depressing that there were times I had to put this book aside and take a break. Then on top of this, the zombie apocalypse has arrived, and the dead are taking over. Sloane and five others have managed to barricade themselves in their high school, but the dead are right outside, sometimes pounding down the doors. There is an overwhelming sense of despair because of this, which just makes what Sloane is feeling about ten times worse to read about.However, with that being said, there was something truly gripping about this book. To call this a zombie book would be doing it a disservice, because while the book is set during said zombie apocalypse, the whole point of the book is Sloane's look at life while the others around her - particularly Cary - are doing anything and everything they can to survive. Her point of view is completely at odds with everyone else's, and there are all of these little asides that she says or thinks that really just get to the reader, particularly when it comes to them having to make some hard decisions: "I know we're not bad people, not deep down inside" (pg. 183). For someone who is pretty much living only because she hasn't been able to off herself yet, Sloane is a very compelling character, and I kind of spent the whole time wanting to shake her, and for her to realize that she really could do something with her life even though Lily left her. And what better time to do so then when the world is falling apart and she's finally got a bit of freedom, in that she's out from under her father's thumb? But instead of focusing on how to survive (although she's very good at this, even if she doesn't mean to be), she keeps thinking of these elaborate ways to go out. There was one line that really struck me about Sloane, and it came up towards the end: "[We won't be able to see our deaths coming] and I haven't once imagined a death that was out of my control since this started" (pg. 291). Kind of puts her whole thought process into focus, you know? She's full of these contradictions and keeps doing and saying these things that go are a direct opposite to what she's thinking in her head, and I just couldn't help but be pulled in.And then you have all of these things that happen because it is the end of the world, and Sloane keeps pointing them out and making note of them, and it just makes you think the entire time you're reading the book, something along the line of, "I wonder if this would have happened or if x would have done this under different circumstances?" And in one respect - i.e. the relationship that happens between Sloane and Rhys, which I couldn't help but love - I would certainly hope it would, because I think it would have helped, but you can't help but think of it as an "end of the world" thing (which is exactly what Sloane says about something else that happened that I won't get into to avoid giving out any other spoilers).Even if you're not a fan of zombies - and I would definitely put myself in that camp - I think you could find something to like about this book. The parts with the zombies are frightening and horrifying and terrible, make no mistake, and there is that sense of overwhelming despair, but Sloane's personal journey is something that anyone would be able to connect with. This Is Not A Test will be out in North America on June 19, 2012. I definitely recommend it.An ARC of this title was provided for free via a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

Since I work with elementary school kids, I read a lot of middle grade and children's titles. When I saw the blurb for this on NetGalley, I was immediately intrigued; I mean, the book promised magic, and fictional characters in the modern world, and adventure! It pretty much screamed "your students would love this!" And now that I've finished it, I really think they will. This book was a lot of fun to read.The book has a bit of a Lemony Snicket feel to it, in that it's told from another narrator's point of view (in this case, a custodian at the University's English Department, who's a bit of a curmudgeon), and also explains the definitions of larger, less-known vocabulary words (I was a really big fan of this, especially when his definitions got a little snarky). He tells the tale of how Linus and Ophelia, who are twins, and their friend, Walter, get caught up in an adventure due to a mishap in an enchanted attic that winds up bringing Quasimodo forward in time, right out of the pages of Victor Hugo's book. He has all of these pretty funny asides, where he goes off on tangents about the professors of the English department, or when he thinks people are boneheaded, and it's all done in a very humorous way that I think kids would love. I know I did, and while I'm not a kid, I am definitely a kid at heart, so there you go.I loved the description of the twins, especially how they complemented each other but were quite different. I also loved the little back story of Walter, and how he's using his trip to the US to turn over a new leaf and do things differently. And Father Lou, the neighborhood priest, was likewise entertaining, particularly the bit about how he used to be a bounty hunter. All of the characters were so unique, with these little idosyncracies that made them really stand out on the page (or e-reader, in my case). And then, of course, you have Quasimodo, who was really such a gentle soul that I couldn't help but love him.The adventure in this book comes courtesy of the deadline imposed on the magic, which says that Quasimodo must be returned 60 hours after he first appears in the world or he'll die. Several things end up having to happen in order to make sure things turn out all right, and this is heightened by the fact that it's raining cats and dogs throughout the book, and the dam is not in the best of shape. So you have this urgency (even though I was pretty sure everything would turn out just fine, this being a kid's book and all) that makes you want to keep reading just so you know everything will be okay. As I said before, I just really had a lot of fun with this book.If you're looking for an easily accessible middle grade book, definitely check this one out. It will introduce students to the story of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and give them a really fun adventure filled with excitement and magic (not to mention talk about how people shouldn't be judged by their outward appearance). I will definitely be purchasing this title for my library and book talking the stuffing out of it!An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw the blurb for The Lost Code, I immediately thought of the Percy Jackson books, and knew I had to give it a read. While it is another of those post-apocalyptic/distopian titles populating the YA shelves, it had a fresh feeling to it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's adventure, mysteries, and even a bit of romance, plus a pretty fabulous main character in Owen. His journey from someone who didn't fit in and just wanted to be like everyone else to the strong, capable person he becomes at the end of the book was really wonderful to read. I loved that he finally decided to take action, to not rely on others' opinions, and to do what he felt was right. I think Owen and I are really going to get along well.I loved the set-up of this story. This book is really all about Owen finding himself and taking charge, but there was so much more to the story. See, Owen is at a summer camp in EdenWest, which is enclosed in a dome that's supposed to protect everyone from the harmful rays of the sun. You either live in these domes, or you live underground, because the sun's rays are so strong that they cause radiation poisoning if you're out in them for too long. There's a lot of questions about what's going on at the camp, and what's going on with the campers, and it keeps twisting and turning around on itself so much that I was constantly guessing. And then there are the little bits of the mythology that are revealed throughout, particularly what happened to Atlantis and what it means for Owen's world. I found the mythology particularly interesting, again, because this is a pretty big reading kink for me personally, and it was nice to see something new in that respect.And then you have the romance, which I felt was really true to teenagers, and Owen in particular, who is so afraid of doing something wrong and not fitting in. There are all those awkward moments where he's afraid he's said the wrong thing, or doesn't know what to do, and I kind of adored the entire thing. Lilly was a really well-developed character, with an interesting back story. I found her to be a really strong character, but with her own weaknesses, and am eager to see how her story will turn out.This book definitely sets up the rest of the series; very little, aside from Owen's ancestry and their overall goal, really happens. There's a lot of time spent on daily camp life, from crafts to various activities, and then you have the growing romance between Owen and Lilly. The action doesn't really kick in until about 60% into the book, but once it does, be prepared to be unable to put the book down; I literally read and read until it was done, it was so engrossing. But as the first book in a new series, this sets up the world, introduces the characters and problems, and gets the reader interested in the story quite well. It's a really great start to a new series, and I enjoyed every word of it.The Lost Code will be available in North America on May 22, 2012. I'd definitely recommend you pick up a copy.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 of 5 stars.Born Wicked tells the story of an alternative nineteenth-century US where witches once ruled but were overthrown by the Brotherhood, who believe that witches are wicked and should be punished and eradicated. Cate Cahill is the eldest of three sisters, all of whom are witches. This makes them the focus of a prophecy which states that one of the three will be the most powerful witch in the world, who will either bring the witches back to power or drop them into another dark age.With a story and setting like that, I was hard-pressed to resist this book, and immediately suggested it as a purchase for my local library, so I could read it. I was expecting danger and magic and witchery and exciting happenings. But that's not exactly what this book provided. The truth is that this book focuses on Cate, who is determined to keep her sisters safe, per a promise she made her dying mother (who failed to prepare Cate for anything to do with the prophecy). Cate is a bit of a difficult character to like at first: she believes the Brotherhood that witchery is wicked, and that therefore she, too, is wicked. Her constant "but wicked girls don't deserve x" or "but I'm wicked, so deserve whatever I'm getting" mindset at the start of this story was maddening, and I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her. But she grew on me as the story progressed, particularly once she falls in love with Finn. I also absolutely loved her relationship with her sisters, particularly the youngest sister, Tess.Knowing that this book is the first in a planned trilogy, I wasn't expecting things to be fully resolved. But I was not expecting very little to actually happen. Cate and her sisters get a new governess, Elena, and Cate spends most of the book from that point on being distrustful of her, jealous of her sister Maura's friendship with her, and generally being disagreeable where Elena is concerned. These feelings are not entirely unwarranted, mind you, but when the majority of this book - which I'd thought would be dealing with magic and witches - is instead taken up with feelings of distrust and the back and forth of "can I trust her", it starts to get really tedious. There is also absolutely NO forward movement with the actual prophecy; we are just as in the dark about this at the end of the book as we were at the start.What saved this book for me - and accounts for much of this rating - is the romance between Cate and Finn. I found Finn to be utterly charming, and absolutely loved watching their relationship progress. I do want to mention that there is a second guy in this book, Paul, who is Cate's childhood friend (and the guy everyone thinks she'll marry), and there are some love-triangle-ish things happening, but it's pretty clear whom Cate has the deeper feelings for and which way she's going to go in that respect. That being said, the ending kind of broke my heart. I get why it happened; as I said, it's the first book in a trilogy and there's so much to do with the prophecy left to sort out, so it's too soon for happily-ever-afters. But I still wasn't quite expecting that particular ending, and am worried about how things are going to be resolved to my satisfaction (as if I'm the only one who matters, of course).This book is definitely not what I'd call "action-packed": there's a lot of going to teas, visiting bookshops, and weeding in gardens, but not so much in the way of magic. This had a very "historical fiction" feel to it with just little dabs of paranormal. But the romance, for me, was good enough to pull me through the book, and make me eager for the second installment. All in all, Born Wicked is a decent start to a new series, and I look forward to seeing what's going to happen next.

This book took me an exceptionally long time to read. I tried a few years ago and couldn't get past the first few chapters, and then re-started, took a couple months off, and finally finished it today. The story itself - the actual murder and subsequent trial - were interesting, particularly since the case itself was rather ground-breaking in terms of how many times they tried to try Jim Williams for the murder (and the incompetence of the District Attorney was also kind of astounding). But the story suffered - in my opinion - from the way it was written. It took nearly half the book for the actual murder to take place; instead, we get chapter after chapter where all these crazy, unbelievable characters are introduced. And they are even more unbelievable because they ARE real. You have the guy who knows poisons and could poison the entire town's water supply if the mood struck him. You have his girlfriend, a pinup from the 1940s and 1950s who lounges around her house in her negligee, and drives around intoxicated. And then there is Chablis, a ridiculously over-the-top drag queen. It's hard to believe that one town could contain so many different personalities, but Savannah pulls it off.I enjoyed the look at the characters but sort of spent most of the book just wanting to get to the point. The problem is that I can't actually tell you what the point is. If the book had focused solely on the murder and trials, it would have been boring, even if the four different trials all provided something different and vaguely entertaining. So perhaps the point was the eccentricities of the people of Savannah. But I found myself getting bored by their many descriptions as well. It got to the point where I didn't let myself read anything but this book, just so I would finish it, and now that I'm done with it, I'm just sort of left feeling underwhelmed. Clearly, this book just wasn't for me; at least I can finally cross it off my to-read list, if nothing else!

Breaking Beautiful was the first book dealing with abusive relationships that I've read. The subject matter always made me leery, because it could so easily be done incorrectly. But I liked the fact that this book involved a mystery: Allie's boyfriend, Trip, is dead, and Allie can't remember what happened that night. She is automatically looked at with suspicion because she survived and he did not. It doesn't help that Trip is seen as a perfect boyfriend, and was extremely popular in their small town. (It also doesn't help that his father is loaded and single-handedly brought tourism back to the town, rejuvenating it.) But the reader - and Allie - are aware of the darker side of Trip: the fact that, when he got angry - which was quite often - he'd take that anger out on Allie. Allie is afraid to say anything, though, because she doesn't want people to know what Trip did, mostly because she fears that they'd never believe her (and that it would just make her look even more guilty regarding his death). Allie spends much of this book afraid: afraid to remember, afraid to tell anyone the truth, afraid of what others think about her. The book encompasses Allie's journey as she tries to move on, and also her growth as a character.One other thing I loved about this book was Allie's relationship with her twin brother, Andrew, who has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. Allie tries so hard to protect Andrew, because she feels like he isn't as strong as she is, but in truth it was Andrew who was the strongest character in the story. I loved seeing their little talks, the flashbacks to when he tried to help her with Trip, and just their little day-to-day conversations and the way they lived their lives and interacted with each other. This was a really great sibling relationship, and was probably one of the strengths of the book. I also thoroughly enjoyed Blake, and the way we got to see what his and Allie's relationship looked like prior to her meeting Trip. I also loved the fact that, to Blake, Andrew was just another person and wasn't anything strange or different because of his disability (and I ADORED Caitlyn, the girl Andrew starts dating during the book). Blake was such a great character: fully developed, with an interesting back story, who's dealing with a number of things that no one knows about. He's aware of what others think about him, and doesn't care. The only person he cares about is Allie, and I give him so much credit for never giving up on her, even when she treated him horribly. I liked the slow development of his relationship with her, his little insights into what she's thinking, and how he just really cared about her from the very beginning. Their relationship was so well-developed that by the time they were "together" it was just perfect, including Allie's insecurities and worries about what the relationship might imply to others.The abuse was dealt with in a really realistic way: you see the flashbacks of what Trip did to Allie (aside from the accident that killed him), you hear her inner monologues in which she puts herself down, and you see her reactions when people raise a hand to her (even if they're not going to hit her), or get angry with her. Her whole personality screams, "I've been abused," and it's kind of amazing that no one realized what was going on. There were so many lines that just really spoke to me: "I glance around out of habit, to see if anyone is watching before I approach [Blake]," (10%), "[Trip would] get mad if I had something to do that didn't involve him," (14%), "With Trip around, I was isolated from the rest of the school, but I was isolated with him for company. Now I'm just alone," (34%). And then there was the box of her mementos that absolutely screamed "this is what an abusive relationship looks like!" You had the apology letters - "I'm sorry, I'll never do it again, please forgive me, I didn't mean it, etc," and the expensive gifts to make up for when he hurt her. You had all the pictures in which she didn't ever really look happy, or looked horribly stressed out. The whole thing just really made me so sad for her, especially her overwhelming fear and the way she'd changed her entire life for this one guy who treated her so badly. And the fact that she believed him when he'd put her down, and how she wouldn't believe Blake when he said something nice about her just really broke my heart.And throughout all of this, you have the overarching mystery of what happened the night Trip died. Allie is being followed, is receiving threatening letters, and is really struggling to figure out what happened to her (and is torn about whether she even wants to know what happened). I felt like the mystery was really well written, because I was just as confused as Allie was and had no idea how everything was going to turn out. I just really wanted Allie to find the strength to remember, to free herself from Trip's memory, and to start realizing that she was so much better than he'd wanted her to think she was. And most of all I wanted her to realize just how perfect Blake was for her, and how much he cared for her.Everything about this book was so well done, and I've gone on about what I liked so much you're probably wondering why I took a star off. The truth is that this book starts kind of slowly; I didn't find myself really engrossed until about 40% into the narrative. But once I hit that point, the book was hard to put down, as I just wanted to know what was going to happen, and what the truth about Trip's death was. I stayed up far too late last night to finish it, because I got to the point where I couldn't stop reading. Even with the darker subject matter, there is a lot of hope in this book, not only hope for Allie to heal, but hope that everything will work out for the best. All in all this was a really fabulous debut novel.Breaking Beautiful is now available in North America from the bookseller of your choice. I highly recommend you pick up a copy.An e-galley was provided by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from an uncorrected e-galley.

2.5 of 5 stars.When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.When I first heard about Gilt I was really excited to read it, and tried over and over to get my hands on an ARC. I was lucky enough to win an ARC via a contest on Shelf Awareness Pro, and once I received it, immediately dove into it. Unfortunately this book didn't live up to my expectations. I so wanted to love it, but there were just things about it that really affected my overall enjoyment. Gilt reminded me of The Other Boleyn Girl, in terms of the fact that we're talking about yet another of King Henry VIII's wives, the story takes place in Henry's court, and the book was a little slow to develop. However, unlike with Anne Boleyn in that book, we get to see some of Cat and Kitty's childhoods. Another similarity is that both books are told from someone other than the Queen's point of view: in The Other Boleyn Girl we got Anne's sister, Mary, and in Gilt we got Katherine "Kitty" Tylney, Cat Howard's best friend. However, while I enjoyed Mary, for the most part, Kitty really grated on me, for reasons I'll get into below.In my opinion, this book used language that was far too modern for the times. It was like Kitty and Cat were living in the 21st Century, instead of 16th Century England. When you're writing historical fiction, and you want to draw your reader in and immerse them in the world you're describing, it works better to use the turns of phrase of the times and have historical characters speak like they actually did. It just helps set the mood and the scene and make things more realistic. This book really failed in that, aside from the terms used to describe the dresses the girls wore (and we got a lot of that, because Cat is obsessed with fashions, and Kitty blindly tags along with her).It was easier to put myself down than build up hope only to have it crushed. (pg. 199 in ARC)Our narrator, Kitty, is perhaps one of the weakest characters I have ever read. She is befriended by Cat when they are girls growing up in the Dowager Duchess's house. Cat is the most popular, prettiest girl there, and Kitty sees herself as nothing more than Cat's shadow. Cat is a master manipulator even at a young age, and basically can convince Kitty to do whatever she wants. Kitty has absolutely no spine whatsoever; she can't think for herself, she can't stand up to Cat (even when she knows Cat is wrong and/or making mistakes) and she is willfully blind to Cat's faults. This makes her a very hard main character to warm up to, at least for me personally. I have a big problem with characters that are little more than doormats, and instead of feeling sorry for her, I spent the wide majority of the book being thoroughly frustrated with her. It did not make for the most enjoyable reading experience.Cat had used me my entire life. Made me do things I didn't want to do ... She had taken away the things I loved. Convinced me to do things I knew were wrong. But I always came back for more. So who was at fault? (pg. 376)And then we have Cat, who is also so unlikable I just couldn't stand her. While Kitty allows herself to be used by Cat, it is Cat herself that just sees no reason not to use whatever or whomever is at her disposal to do what she wants. This only intensifies when she becomes Queen, because now she has the royal standing to do so. She brings Kitty and the other girls to court mainly because they know her secrets, and she doesn't want anyone to spill them, as that could put her marriage to the King in jeopardy. She also endangers their lives while they're at court when she includes them in her adultery; they are aware of her affair with Culpepper, and it makes them culpable to treason, which could cost them their heads. All Cat is concerned with is herself: her pretty dresses, her jewels, her station in life. She spares absolutely no thought to anyone but herself. She is perhaps the most conceited character I've ever read about, and I felt absolutely no sympathy for her plight at all.I had wanted to be at court. Because it was what Cat wanted. I hadn't thought for myself since I was eight years old. And when I did, I spoke too late. (pg. 343)While Kitty did finally speak up to Cat (only after they were all in trouble, mind), just like her doing so was too late to make a difference, her growing a spine was too late for me to warm to her, or this book. The entire thing was just really disappointing for me. Now obviously, because this is based on historical fact, it could be that Kitty really was a doormat and Cat really was a horrid person who used others; I don't know if this is true, because I don't know very much about Catherine Howard, and I don't think too much is really known about Kitty Tylney at all. But both girls were just really difficult for me to read, and it definitely made the book itself suffer in its tale.If nothing else, this was a book that shed light on King Henry VIII's fifth of six wives. It gave me some history behind Catherine Howard, and detailed her fall from grace. I definitely learned some new information about the time, and Henry's court. But the story itself just wasn't terribly enjoyable, at least not for me.Nonetheless, I have seen plenty of excellent ratings for this book, so don't just take my word for it. Gilt will be available in North America on May 15, 2012.An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Mac and Amy were best friends, but then Amy was suddenly killed by a werewolf. After her death, everything starts to spiral out of control; Mac is having dreams where Amy haunts her, Amy's boyfriend, Jason, is drowning his grief in alcohol, and Mac is busy trying to convince herself that her feelings for her friend, Kyle, are purely platonic. When the Trackers come to Hemlock to investigate Amy's murder, things get even worse, and Amy decides that she has to figure out the truth behind Amy's death. But she'll soon discover that there are plenty of secrets surrounding her town and her group of friends, and those secrets may very well endanger her life.Hemlock is set in a (an?) US where the werewolf virus - known as Lupine Syndrome - is running rampant. Those infected are confined to "internment camps", which are very reminiscent of concentration camps, including the comments that they're not as bad as reported. In fact, the whole entire thing had a very WWII/Holocaust feel to it, what with the propaganda going up to "report any suspicious behavior" and the charismatic leader of the Tracker group using anything necessary to find and punish those with LS who are hiding their illness. It's definitely a pretty bleak world, not only because of the illness itself but all of the hatred and fear that's swirling around because of it. If you think about it too much, it starts to get rather depressing, which I'm sure was the point.There is tons of guilt going around in this book. Mac feels guilty about Amy because she cancelled plans with her the night she died. Kyle feels guilty because he didn't answer his phone when she called. Jason feels guilty for ... something I won't spoil. All of them are "dealing" with this guilt in their own ways, and failing miserably. Because Mac is our narrator, we see everything from her point of view, and for the most part I enjoyed her. While she carries the guilt with her, she's also a bit of a fixer, trying to get Jason to sober up and straighten out. She's fairly witty, and I liked her determination to discover the truth about Amy; she was a very strong character. But all the while I was thinking, "Aaaaand here's another book where the main character decides to take it upon herself to solve a crime!" I have read at least three books that had this same plot this year alone, but will say that this was the first to include werewolves. I'm just kind of done with the whole "teenage girl thinks she can solve the mystery better than the authorities"-trope.And then, of course, because this is a YA novel, we have to have a love triangle (because no YA novel is complete without one!), too, but at least it's done in a somewhat humorous way. See, Mac doesn't realize that Jason actually has feelings for her - the reader, of course, knows this pretty early on, but Mac is a bit obtuse - and instead has feelings for Kyle, which are brought to her attention when Kyle kisses her (after her protesting that they are "just friends" for the first part of the book). I am honestly not sure what to make of this whole love triangle thing, because it seems pretty apparent that Mac loves Kyle. But at the same time, Mac can't help trying to fix Jason, too, and it really gets kind of convoluted and confusing. I did like this line, though: "My life was not becoming one of those torrid teen-angst shows on cable." (80%) Kind of like the author was poking fun at the trope herself, but not enough to, you know, NOT use it. And because this is the first of three books, I'm sure we'll see even MORE of the indecisiveness in the future, although I really hope I'm wrong.And the librarian in me loved the little shout-out to the Patriot Act. It's a little frightening to think how it would be used in a world like the one in Hemlock; I don't know if it was particularly chilling to me because we talked about it so much in our classes or what, but this line really grabbed me: "Maybe it was extra paranoid on my part, but if I were a creepy hate group dedicated to finding and eradicating werewolves, I'd try to get the library records and see who had checked out the books on [Lupine Syndrome]." (38%) One can only imagine how dangerous that would be.Because all of this probably leaves the impression that I didn't enjoy the book, let me try to rectify. This book - once I got about 30% or so into it - was a really quick read. It is action-packed, full of danger, twists and turns, and definitely keeps the reader interested. There were definitely things I didn't like (see above!), but I found the story compelling enough to give the next book a read. It's not the best book ever, but is a decent start to a new series. If you like werewolves and strong, motivated female leads, give it a read. Hemlock is now available in North America from your favorite bookseller.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 of 5 stars.This was the first vampire book that I've read since New Moon, and I was a little leery of diving into this one because of my feelings for that series. Luckily there are NO similarities between the aforementioned vampire series and The Immortal Rules, for which I am eternally grateful.Allison Sekemoto lives on the Fringe, the human "city" outside of the Vampire City of New Covington. She survives by stealing and scavenging. When one of her trips outside into the "ruins" (actually what's left of the suburbs) ends with her getting attacked by Rabids, she's given a choice: take immortality and live as a vampire, or die. Allison has lived her entire life hating the "bloodsuckers" and not wanting anything to do with them, but when faced with death decides she would rather live, and becomes what she's always hated. After circumstances force her to flee New Covington, she stumbles upon a group of humans and finds herself falling for the handsome Zeke. But it's hard for Allison to maintain her humanity when the Hunger is constantly rearing its head.I really and truly enjoyed Allison. I liked her struggles to survive, and her inner strength, and her stubbornness and unwillingness to give up. Even when she becomes a vampire, she decides early on that she will be a different sort of "monster" and not hunt humans for sport; she is determined to hold on to what's left of her soul and her humanity. She is a wonderfully strong heroine, and I loved that the author wasn't afraid to show her faults; they made her a more real character, and someone that I was really rooting for the entire time. I really appreciated that we got to see Allison's struggles with her vampirism; this is so often overlooked or glossed over in vampire books nowadays that it was just nice to get a bit of realism (or, at least, as much realism as you can get when dealing with fantastical characters).As for the love story, I was a bit torn. Zeke is a very determined character, who will stop at nothing to get those he loves to safety, but he's sort of an anomaly because he has such faith that things will work out. In a world like the one they're living in, I can't imagine that having such faith is a very easy thing. You also have the whole "human and vampire in love with each other" trope, but it was handled in a very interesting way here. Allison really struggles around Zeke; her Vampire nature can't help but view him as prey, but she cares so much about him that she doesn't allow herself to give in to her desires. I can't help but wonder what's going to come of their love affair, because it seems to impossible; Allison is immortal, Zeke is not, and I can't see Allison ever doing anything to bridge that difference. They just honestly belong in two separate worlds, and it will be interesting to see what happens.This isn't just a vampire novel, though; it's also a dystopia, which I tend to have a lot of trouble with simply because of the overwhelming depression that's prevalent in many of these post-apocalyptic stories. And while that's certainly there - a disease known as Red Lung has decimated humanity, creating horrifying creatures called Rabids, which are a cross between vampires and zombies and are truly quite terrifying - I think the fantasy element helped me get through this more easily than some other dystopian titles I've read. The overwhelming arch of this story is the search for a cure, some way to rid the world of the Rabids and overthrow the Vampire rulers who control everything from food to who gets to live where. There's a lot going on in this book, and I am definitely looking forward to how everything is going to come together in the following installments.All in all this was a really solid first book in a new series. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what Allison does next, and where her journey takes her. If you're looking for a new twist to the vampire genre, definitely check this one out.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 of 5 stars.Everyone knows the gist of the tale of Robin Hood. He and his Merry Men robbed the rich to feed the poor, during the time when King Richard was off fighting in the crusades and the Sheriff of Nottingham was taxing the people to the point of death. One of those famous Merry Men is Will Scarlet, Robin's knife-throwing sidekick. But what if Will Scarlet were actually just Scarlet? A knife-throwing girl? Well, then, you get Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, a book I really wanted to love and just ... didn't.Let me preface this review by first saying that I LOVE retellings, and this one sounded so unique that I knew I had to read it. Scarlet has a backstory - she's hiding her past, pretending to be a boy, and it somehow ties together with Guy of Gisbourne, a thief taker that she had some sort of run-in with in the past. What I didn't know was that this book has a rather unlikeable main character and a love triangle, which I hate. And this love triangle goes from the first pages until the end of the book, with no relief. Truly it was the love triangle that accounts for much of this three-star rating; it annoyed me to unknown depths.And then you have Scarlet, who suffers from a pretty major martyr complex. She is also grumpy, uncouth, and irritating in equal measures. My biggest problem with her, though, was her dialogue - her constant use of "were" instead of "was" - which, considering this book is told from her first-person pov, got really grating really quickly. I had a really hard time getting into her narrative because her manner of speaking just kept throwing me out of what was going on. I also have a problem with a character who punishes herself for her perceived faults, particularly when others are relying on her. Again, see above re: the martyr complex.As for the love triangle, here is the gist: Scarlet pretends she doesn't have feelings for Robin - "It weren't like I wanted him. Or that I could have him, which were the same thing, right?" - and basically leads John on. John clearly likes her (and so does Robin, but Scarlet is too stupid to see this for herself in true YA fashion), and instead of confronting how she feels about Robin, she just goes along with John's feelings for her. At one point, Robin actually says to her, "Figure this out, Scarlet. Figure if you're with John or not, because while you toy with him, you're toying with my band, and that means you're toying with the people of Nottinghamshire ... [and] you're toying with me, too." (pg. 171) But Scarlet doesn't figure it out, not until the end of the book, and it seriously just got to be too much. The other problem is that both of the guys have issues of their own, particularly Robin, who has his own martyr complex going on. And I couldn't help but LOL when Scarlet calls him out on it, particularly when she's been doing the same exact thing the entire book. Pot, kettle, much?The book picked up toward the end when the truth about Scarlet's past comes out, and it culminates in a Big Action Scene (per the usual), but by that point I was only reading to finish the book and not because I was enjoying it anymore than I had been. The truth is that the love triangle really ruined this story for me, which is unfortunate, because I think the whole idea behind the retelling had a lot of promise. But I have seen tons of glowing reviews for this book, so please don't just take my word for it. It's worth a library checkout to see if you can find more enjoyment in the things I didn't like.

The characters irritated me so much at the beginning - can you get more controlling or manipulative? - that I skipped ahead and read the Jasper chapter, and then the end. I really loved the Jasper backstory; it was pretty much the highlight of this entire series for me, personally. I adore Jasper.

During the Civil War, Iris Dunleavy, the wife of a plantation owner, is convicted of madness and sent to Sanibel Asylum. Knowing full well that she is not insane, Iris longs for the chance to escape, and is determined to get away from the asylum and its egotistical doctor. But her plans are made more difficult when she meets and befriends Ambrose, a soldier whose madness is so severe that he can only be comforted by the color blue. The two begin to fall in love, and Iris becomes convinced that she must take Ambrose with her when she escapes. But can their love survive in such maddening times?I don't read a lot of adult historical fiction, but the summary - and the love story - were too good for me to pass up. And I'm glad I got a chance to read this book, because I really enjoyed it a lot. There was something very gentle and smooth about the storytelling; the prose isn't unbelievably beautiful or anything, but there were still numerous phrases and lines that caught my attention and were just really well done. I enjoyed the characters, which you get to experience because the book flips viewpoints throughout, so we're reading from Iris' point of view, and Ambrose's, and the doctor's, and the doctor's son, back and forth constantly. Normally this would bother me because it's so easy to do this in a clunky manner, but the switch was very seamless and smooth and just worked perfectly for this book.All of the characters had something about them that made them memorable. Iris, who is willing to stand up for herself and what she believes in and is so incredibly strong throughout the entire story. Ambrose, who is stronger than he thinks he is, but so clearly in the grip of what we'd now call PTSD (which of course was considered insanity back in the 1860s). The doctor, who is so unbelievably arrogant and pompous and who can't stand to hear a bad word said about him. Wendell, convinced he's going crazy because he's doing what all boys his age do, who is stuck on the island without any companionship his own age, which is ultimately what's making him crazy. And then you have the numerous asylum inmates: the woman who swallows things, the man whose feet are too heavy, the girl who's overly sympathetic to all living things. All of these characters just created an absolutely memorable setting and a truly wonderful story.The doctor was perhaps the most striking character for me personally, particularly his insane (ha, see what I did there?) infatuation with Iris. He absolutely cannot stand her to be upset with him, and goes to great lengths to try to win her approval, when all he would have needed to do was simply LISTEN to her. I had such a hard time with him - I went back and forth, feeling sympathetic, and then hating him, over and over so many times that I lost count. He is so condescending, and one line in particular really got to me (and to Iris): "I know there will be some words and phrases with which you will not be familiar..." like she can't possibly understand because she is a woman and he is a man and there's just no way she can possibly be smart or cunning or anything else. Just crazy, because her husband and a judge said so. But then he'd go and do things to try to make up for his mistakes at various times and you could tell he was trying but just really didn't know what to do. He was just really well-developed and written; it takes a lot for me to hate a character, and that's exactly the emotion I was feeling toward him at times.At the heart of this book is the love story between Ambrose and Iris, that was really beautifully crafted. I have a soft spot for romance novels, and while this wasn't completely a romance, there were large portions of it that definitely felt that way. Ambrose is a very sick man, but Iris is convinced that she can fix him, that they can live together and be happy. As the book goes on, you learn her story, and also Ambrose's, and you can see why he is the way he is, and what drove her to be called "insane". Ambrose had a line about war that I loved, which said, "...that is the horror of war, that somewhere inside it for every unlucky man is the moment that undoes him." I think it's particularly apt in today's time with all of the veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan who have come home with PTSD and are truly struggling. And I think that Iris was good for him; I loved the time they were able to spend together, the love that they felt for each other, and the ways that each made the other a better person.There were a couple of quotes that I want to share. Keep in mind that these are from an uncorrected e-galley, so they may not be the same in the finished version."...the doctor did not believe her memory. It was copper next to her husband's gold." (18%)"'...[why] did you not think of more appropriate venues to have your voice heard?''I am a woman, Doctor. I do not have a voice.'" (35%)"I was not crazy when I came to this island." (39%)"She loved it when he broke through with a gesture of strength. Became the man again. Let her be the woman." (91%)The one thing that caught my attention the most was that the asylum had a habit of making even the sane "insane" in some way. I loved how this book showed that; you can see it in everyone, from the doctor, to his wife, to his son, to the patients who probably didn't have anything wrong with them at all, particularly Iris, whose only fault was that she was independent and a free thinker, which just wasn't the done thing. This was just a really fabulous look at that time period, and the ways that everyone viewed each other, and the societal norms and what happened when you didn't follow them. There were also all these little additions about the war itself, and the effect it was having on the country and the people, even those who weren't fighting. How the war itself was causing its own type of insanity, not only in the former soldiers but in everyone. Insanity was a very clear theme in this book, and it was addressed in really careful and interesting ways.If you want a fast read, with multiple engaging characters, and a beautifully-developed love story, check this one out. I'd definitely recommend it.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Viola is a teenager living in warn-torn South Sudan with her grandmother, mother and younger brother, Francis. When the danger and desperation become too much to bear, they leave their small town of Juba and escape to Cairo, where they finally gain refugee status and come to the US, and the town of Portland, Maine. However, once in the US, Viola finds it difficult to keep her identity straight. The Good Braider tells the story of Viola's transition to a new life, and the struggles and sorrows that go hand-in-hand with that change.This book was written in free verse, and I have to say that the short phrases, the emphasis on portions of the sentences, really worked well to convey Viola's voice and feelings. You get to see through her eyes as things become too much for her to bear in Sudan; you get to experience what it's like to be a refugee traveling to a camp, and then on a boat to Egypt, and a bus to Cairo. You get to see her and her mother's struggles to gain refugee status and be permitted to come to the US, and the differences in cultures and the ways they had to adapt and change. Viola was a very well-drawn character with such a unique voice and spirit; even when she's at her lowest, there was just something about her that didn't allow her to give up. She has very real flaws, mostly dealing with the fact that she had to leave her grandmother behind in Sudan, and also something traumatic that happened to her. She and her mother face so many difficulties, but both are wonderfully strong women who never give up.I do want to warn that this book contains a rape scene; it's not graphic so much in terms of the way it's written about, but the words she uses when she's flashing back and thinking about it are quite descriptive and could trigger someone who experienced something similar. While the initial scene isn't long, it's referenced several times throughout the story, so I just want to give a heads-up if that's something that you might struggle with.There were portions of this book that were so moving I was almost in tears; Viola's struggles to adjust to the US, to try to become more American, to try to get out from under the sometimes suffocating presence of the Sudanese community in Maine, were so well written that I was just completely empathetic to Viola's plight. Like most children of immigrants, she has an easier time of it than her mother, who wants to continue to raise Viola the Sudanese way, not realizing that what she could do in Sudan is not tolerated in the US in terms of punishment or even lifestyle. There was one particular section that was quite painful to read, but I don't want to expand on my thoughts in order to avoid spoilers. You'll know what I'm talking about if you read the book.Throughout it all, you get to see pieces of the Sudanese culture, particularly when it comes to the way the women braid each other's hair. Viola learned from her mother to braid, but the journey from Juba to the US leaves her with a bit of a bitterness toward it, and she refuses to braid anyone's hair, least of all her own. As the book progresses you see her continued struggle with the idea of braiding, and you see her work out where she stands and how she feels, until it comes to its natural progression. The mentions of the braiding were particularly strong; it's such a part of her, but she's so traumatized - even if she doesn't know it - that she refuses to let her gift live inside her.The Good Braider is an extremely powerful look at what it's like to journey from one life to another, and the challenges and hardships that leaving your life behind entails. There are some very disturbing parts to this book - I would rate it as upper YA - but the strength of Viola's character is so wonderful that I can't help but recommend it.The Good Braider will be released in North America on May 1st, 2012. Definitely check it out.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 of 5 stars.When Wendy Geller's body is discovered in Central Park, the newspapers dub her "Party Girl" and the rumors about Wendy's personal life start flying. Her former best friend, Rain, has lived her life by the motto "listen, don't speak." But when it becomes apparent that there's more to Wendy's death than the papers - and her classmates - are letting on, Rain realizes that it's time she stood up and let her voice be heard.I am a big fan of the well-written mystery, and that's exactly what this was. From the start, I was engrossed in the story, desperate, like Rain, to discover the truth about what happened to Wendy. I also found myself drawn to Rain herself; she is a very real, flawed character, and she was really wonderfully drawn. Rain was born with a cleft palate, and as such, had to undergo years of speech therapy. She doesn't like to talk, because, during those times when she was taking speech, she was ridiculed by her rich classmates, and still feels that lingering sense of, "I'm going to say this wrong," every time she goes to open her mouth. But she loved Wendy, and can't stand to let the version of her that's being painted in the papers and news stories be the only side of her people see. Rain becomes determined to figure out exactly what happened the night Wendy died, and I really appreciated her unyielding search for the answers.As for the mystery itself, it had enough twists and turns that it kept me thoroughly engrossed; I was finished with this book in two sittings. I liked how Rain kept discovering new information, and how her gift for listening to others helps her figure things out. As someone who's quiet herself, I liked that the main character of this book wasn't out there and in your face. She was very deliberate in the way she went about gathering information, and while she ends up making mistakes, she does her best to correct them and try to undo the things she's gotten wrong. I just really enjoyed Rain a lot.The reason I took a star and a half off, however, was the way the book itself was written. While the characters and plot were fully fleshed out, the writing was a bit clunky in places, particularly in the sentence structure. The author used a lot of interjections in the sentence, which made everything kind of jerky and not run as smoothly as I would have liked. Also, there are no contractions used in this book, which really threw me off. I mean, we all speak with contractions all the time - they help shorten sentences and make them flow more easily. Without them, the sentences just didn't move as fluidly as I would have liked, and it made me think, more than once, "why didn't she just say 'I'm' or 'hadn't', etc," which pulled me out of the narrative. It was disruptive enough that I had to mark off for it. I know this is a style thing, and it's the author's preference, and everyone is allowed to write the way they want to. But for me, personally, it just really didn't work.The Girl in the Park is a really great read, nonetheless. The mystery is solid, the characters well constructed, and the story itself quite satisfying. I would definitely recommend it.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.