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Review: Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

Nov24

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea PortesAnatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes
Published by HarperTeen on September 2, 2014
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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four-half-stars

This emotional, hilarious, devastating, and ultimately triumphant YA debut, based on actual events, recounts one girl’s rejection of her high school’s hierarchy—and her discovery of her true self in the face of tragedy.

Fall’s buzzed-about, in-house favorite.

Outside, Anika Dragomir is all lip gloss and blond hair—the third most popular girl in school. Inside, she’s a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and, if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular girl in school, will make her life hell. So when former loner Logan McDonough shows up one September hotter, smarter, and more mysterious than ever, Anika knows she can’t get involved. It would be insane to throw away her social safety for a nerd. So what if that nerd is now a black-leather-jacket-wearing dreamboat, and his loner status is clearly the result of his troubled home life? Who cares if the right girl could help him with all that, maybe even save him from it? Who needs him when Jared Kline, the bad boy every girl dreams of, is asking her on dates? Who?

Anatomy of a Misfit is Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Anika’s hilariously deadpan delivery will appeal to readers for its honesty and depth. The so-sad-it’s-funny high school setting will pull readers in, but when the story’s dark foreboding gradually takes over, the devastating penultimate tragedy hits like a punch to the gut. Readers will ride the highs and lows alongside funny, flawed Anika — from laughter to tears, and everything in between.

Anatomy of a Misfit was an oddball book (in a good way!!!) that sunk its teeth into me and refused to let me go. No, I know I’ve said that a few times about a few books but I really mean it for this one. Like, I read this book in about 6 – maybe 7 – hours. One sitting. I put it down once for dinner, but I had only read 6 pages so that doesn’t count. So yeah, (basically) one sitting. 6-7 hours. Done. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that quickly.. High school, maybe? Or possibly my sophomore year of community college. So, a long time. This book made me laugh, made me cringe and tugged at my heartstrings. It was raw, honest and real and the author never held back, no matter how gruesome or horrifying something was. There were definitely some parts that were painful to read and some parts (like some of the language used by certain characters) that disgusted me, but the overall story was.. Epic.

Anika was such a twisted character. Self-deprecating and self-conscious. She had such a dark, sarcastic sense of humor, too. The narrative was a bit odd and I had to adjust to it, but once I did, I felt like I was having a conversation with Anika… Or reading her diary. Or even living it with her. I loved that Anika wasn’t perfect and she definitely wasn’t a goody goody. It was actually kind of refreshing to have a character with so many flaws. And because of the nature of the story, you can see such a stark contrast from her being a flawed character in the beginning, to being broken near the end, to being a changed person with a new attitude at the very end.

Logan was a character with so much depth, so much more to him than we saw. We barely scratched the surface with Logan and what his life was like. He was completely upfront and honest about his intentions and he didn’t play games. It was clear he truly cared for Anika. But he also had his moments where he scared me, though he had his reasons, thanks to a troubled home life. And then that ending… I wasn’t expecting that AT ALL! I mean, I figured SOMETHING was going to happen but… not that. I was basically sobbing by the end of the book. I was shocked. Broken. Dumbfounded…

And then there’s Jared. Jared was… I don’t even know if I can describe what he was. He wasn’t exactly complex, but it was hard to figure out his motives. One second I trusted him, the next I was calling him a jerk-face for something he said or did. And yes, technically he made this a love triangle. But it was so well done and it perfectly reflected the story and Anika’s conflicted feelings over being herself and being popular.

There were a lot of stereotypical cliches in this book – for obvious reasons; it was a huge part of the book and the lessons learned. Becky was the stereotypical mean girl/bully; Shelli was the stereotypical second-in-command, who valued her friendship with Anika but also didn’t want to end up on the mean girl’s bad side. Anika’s family was full of so many stereotypes, I don’t even know where to begin. Mr. Baum was the creepy, racist boss. And even just the town they lived in was portrayed as being small-minded, with Anika’s “vampire” dad being the voice of reason, the person insisting she “Do well and get out of that place.”

As cliche as the book was, as full of horrible things as it was, it did an amazing job of being sarcastic and making fun of itself, which lessened the harshness of some of the harsher material. It doesn’t make some of the things that were said and done okay, but it balanced out the bad to a certain extent.

Anatomy of a Misfit was the perfect example of standing by while someone is being bullied and doing nothing about it. Also, of valuing popularity over doing the right thing. It happens everyday – kids are bullied relentlessly and no one wants to stand up for them because they don’t want to be thrown to the wolves. They know if they try to speak up or protect the bullied party, they’ll also get bullied. But this has to change. Sometimes not speaking up and not stopping a bully is worse than BEING the bully.

IMG_1489*Found on Facebook. Quote Anonymous.

Words can hurt. Bullying can hurt. You can’t judge someone when you don’t know them, because as the quote above shows, everyone has their share of problems. You can’t know what someone is going through just by looking at them.

Some of my favorite quotes from Anatomy of a Misfit (Please Note: These quotes came from the ARC. They might be slightly different in the final copy of the book and may be on slightly different pages):

“More than anything, I just feel bad. We shoulda done something. We shoulda tried to defend her.” — Page 35 (ARC)

“It sucks because all anybody has to do is just say something once, and then everybody just assumed it’s true.” — Page 41 (ARC)

“Does he think I’m involved in this constant humiliation? …. Am I?” — Page 64 (ARC)

“Can you imagine going to school every day and getting shoved around, your books knocked down on a daily basis?” — pg 66 (ARC)

“…Sometimes these things you say hurt people … a lot more than you think..” — Page 273 (ARC)

As mentioned a little bit earlier, the ending of this book was a punch to the gut. It was horrible and tragic and sad, but it also led to Anika’s biggest realization/life-changing moment. I’m emotionally exhausted from this amazing book. There were so many moments where I could relate to one or more characters. It brought up a lot of nasty memories that I’d rather forget, but it also teaches some important lessons.

This book could be considered a trigger book for some people, but if you can tolerate the material, it’s a must must MUST read.

With that all being said, I want to leave you with this song. The video is a bit.. different. But the song is VERY fitting. It’s relevant to the book – and it’s something we all need to remember/keep in mind. Enjoy.

four-half-stars

Review: Familiar Things by Lia Habel

Nov19

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Familiar Things by Lia HabelFamiliar Things by Lia Habel
Series: A Book of All Hollows #1
Published by Kitten Perfume Publishing on October 28, 2014
Pages: 297
Source: the author
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four-half-stars

Sixteen-year-old witch Everrose Morgantwill isn’t sure which monster is causing her more trouble—the ten-foot-tall wildcat she’s attracted as her familiar, or her emotionally unstable boyfriend.

Half her spells go nowhere, and people always have trouble remembering her name, but even so—Everrose’s life is idyllic. Born and raised in All Hollows County, a secretive world created by powerful witches and warlocks for the protection of the magically inclined, she’s never had to fear persecution. In All Hollows, magic is used openly. A great spell known as the Nestle Ward isolates and protects it, though there is one odd little side effect.

In our world, it’s 2015. In All Hollows, it’s 1958.

Between sewing the perfect high school wardrobe, experimenting with red lipstick and cake mascara, and dreaming about prom, Everrose has a lot on her mind. When her steady boyfriend returns from a trip to “the Layside” a changed warlock, however—she notices. Handsome Vincent Olwen was affectionate and self-effacing when he left, but he’s come back acting sullen and withdrawn. Everrose is lost for an explanation—and lost for what to do.

Troubled by the changes she sees in Vincent, Everrose tries to distract herself by searching for her first familiar—a rite of passage for sixteen-year-olds in All Hollows. But when she does make the Connexion, it’s with the last animal she would’ve ever expected—a massive, terrifying wildeor called a trothenbeast. Only powerful witches and warlocks attract wildeors as familiars. Yet, when it comes to magic, Everrose is completely inept. It makes no sense. Weirder still, the beast fails to alert Everrose to the presence of magic, and refuses to shadow her. In short, he doesn’t act like a protecting, guiding familiar animal at all.

Faced with all of this, Everrose is just about ready to throw in the towel. Before she can, though, she learns that the trothenbeast has been cursed by an evil witch named Ebonella Rosu—and that Ebonella wants him back.

Everrose must contend with a witch who wants her dead, a familiar who needs her protection, and a boyfriend who’s changing before her eyes. When she finally reaches out for help, she finds it from an unlikely source—her boyfriend’s moody, somewhat mysterious father, the mayor of her little town. What secrets does Roderick Olwen harbor? And what do they have to do with Everrose herself?

I’ve been a huge Lia Habel fan ever since I read Dearly, Departed in 2011. Three years later and Dearly, Departed remains near the top of my favorite’s list! So when I saw she had a new book coming out, I jumped on the chance to read and review it! And let me tell you, it definitely did not dissapoint! I had so much fun reading Familiar Things! At its core, it’s a witch book. But Familiar Things is much more than just a witch book. The world-building was incredible, the unique twists kept me engaged and the wonderful characters made me feel like I was reading about real people.

I usually start a review off by discussing the characters, but this time I want to start with the world-building. The book is set in All Hollows. The best way I can describe it is, it’s a world parallel to ours (which, in the book, is called the Layside). It’s very similar to the human world except it’s for witches and warlocks and other magical creatures. Oh, and while it’s 2015 in the Layside, it’s 1958 in All Hollows. I loved the tone this time period set for the book. It meant there was no modern technology – no cell phones, no tablets, no internet, old-fashioned cars, etc. The characters’ speech, dress and behaviors/actions reflected that of the 1950’s. For example, Everrose’s boyfriend “pinned her” and they said things such as “golly” and “swell.” I basically pictured the characters and outfits from Grease!

The idea that it was 1958 in All Hollows and 2015 in the Layside was so intriguing. And the effect that has on the characters – especially one in particular – is fascinating. I think the time period is perfect for this book and it wouldn’t have been the same book if it had taken place in modern times. I can’t really explain it any more than that without getting repetitive, but I really, really loved the time period and what it meant for the story.

I loved Everrose. She was such an awesome character. She felt really relatable. There was nothing cliche about her; she wasn’t the unpopular girl that suddenly became popular and she wasn’t an ordinary girl who suddenly received special powers. Everrose was a typical girl. She wasn’t popular but she wasn’t an outcast. When we’re introduced to her, she already has powers, but she’s considered a mediocre witch. Everyone always seems to forget about her, but she always treats everyone with kindness and respect, even when they don’t deserve it. Everrose is also behind on an important rite of passage for young witches – finding a familiar. This rite of passage really spurs the story on and creates all sorts of problems for Everrose.

Summerlene is supposed to be Everrose’s best friend but woooowwww, I really just wanted to slap her. Like, for most of the book. She’s SUCH a bad friend. A lot of that gets explained by the end, but her actions still turned my stomach. Maple, Everrose’s little sister, was also a major brat and really annoyed me for the majority of the book. She gets Everrose into a LOT of trouble.

Vincent is supposed to be the love interest in the book but man, he scared me… He was mean, self-centered and obsessed with the Layside. He wasn’t a good boyfriend at all and he almost always put his needs first. Of course, again, that was partially explained in the end but I still don’t like him at all.

Typhon was one of my favorite characters!!! Aside from Everrose, of course. I adored him so much!! In the beginning, I wasn’t sure how I felt about him but his character development is insane. He’s so intelligent and loyal! I don’t think I can say much else without giving away spoilers, but he was… perfect. I’d love to see where his and Everrose’s friendship/relationship goes in the second book!

As for Major Olwen… I have many, many thoughts… But I’m still conflicted with how I feel about him and his actions. And I don’t want to spoil anything either… So.. *Slinks away.*

Of course, I couldn’t stand Mr. Silversharp or Ebonella. However, I think there’s more to Mr. Silversharp than meets the eye. And I did feel bad for Ebonella to a certain extent. She went through a lot in life and wasn’t always dealt a fair hand.

There were definitely some Beauty & The Beast parallels in Familiar Things, which I loved! I’d love to see these parallels explored more in the second book!

And the ending.. Holy crap. Most intriguing, unique twist in a witch book ever! I completely did NOT see that coming and I really, really loved the explanations and reasons behind everything. This is supposed to be a series and I seriously can’t wait for book two! I’m so in love with this world and these characters, I can’t imagine not being able to get to know them better.

Overall, I loved this book – if you couldn’t tell from my gushing review. I love Lia Habel and I’m so glad she’s doing well and writing again (See this post for more on that). I’ll always have hope in the back of my mind that we’ll get a conclusion to the Dearly series. But authors are people, just like everyone else. Their health and happiness comes before them writing new books. With Familiar Things, I think Lia has come back healthier, happier and stronger. She wrote an amazingly wonderful novel that I count as one of my favorites for 2014.

With that being said, I think you all know what I’m gonna say next…. Go read this book!!!! Sooooo good!!!!!!

four-half-stars

Review: Captive by Aimee Carter

Nov15

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Captive by Aimee CarterCaptive by Aimee Carter
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #2
Published by Harlequin Teen on November 25, 2014
Pages: 304
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four-stars

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever.

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape.

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Captive was a crazy, intense book with one “Oh, crap!” moment after the next. While I enjoyed Pawn, I had several issues with it, so I was uncertain about moving forward with the series. But I’m so, so glad I did! Captive kept me on the edge of my seat and refused to stop messing with my head until the very last page.

I’m still really not a fan of Kitty. In Pawn, she was boring and passive, which was bad. But in Captive, she either said she wanted to help, then backed out and refused at the last minute OR she tried to take matters into her own hands – and that got her into a LOT of trouble. Seriously, I get that it’s hard for her to trust people, but every time she opened her mouth or tried to “help,” she ended up getting someone killed or she ruined a perfectly-crafted plan. I just wanted to grab her, shake her and smack her. Not necessarily in that order. I definitely think she matured a lot by the end of Captive, but she still has a long way to go.

I’m still not a fan of Benjy as a love interst, either. I usually go for the “best friend” or the “underdog” in love triangles, but I just can’t see them together. I really can’t. When I picture them, I really do just see him as her friend and nothing more. I still ship Kitty and Knox. Knox was… frustrating in this book, though. Oh, man, was I annoyed with him.. I don’t quite remember Knox and Kitty hating each other that much in Pawn, but they sure were at each other’s throats in Captive. Their batter was, at times, hilarious. At other times, it was frustrating beyond belief. But the way things ended…

We met a lot of new characters in Captive. Some that stood out were Scotia, Noelle, Mercer and Hannah, to name a few. It’s REALLY hard to discuss these characters without spoilers, though. I will say this: those I thought were trust-worthy, weren’t – and those that I didn’t trust, surprised me. If that makes sense without being too spoilery. I think that was my biggest issue with Captive.. It was very back-and-forth with the “Trust this person.. No, don’t… Actually, you can.. Wait, never mind, don’t.” It made me dizzy. Some of the fake-outs annoyed me, too – There were just too many of them! When you read the book (cause you should), you’ll know what I mean.

Despite my annoyance with all the deception and lies, I will say that those deceptions and lies kept me on my toes and constantly wondering/guessing/cursing. I had the worst time figuring out who to trust and who would be revealed as a traitor. Everything Kitty did, everyone she spoke to, I was leery that she was putting her trust in the wrong person – and she did, several times…

Elsewhere was brutal. More brutal than we were led to believe in Pawn. When I say this book was intense, I mean it. And the sections in Elsewhere were the most intense. It was just an epic bloodbath – which, honestly, was sad but realistic. In most YA books that deal with revolutions and over-throwing governments, everyone miraculously gets out alive. Sometimes, there are small casualties with secondary characters, but not with anyone we’ve grown to like or love. But Aimee Carter didn’t hold back at all in Captive and people – even ones you wouldn’t expect – were killed and sacrificed. My heart still aches for some of those loses.

The most important thing with Captive? It never felt like Second Book Syndrome. Only once, for one small section of the book. Otherwise, it was crazy good – better than Pawn – and full of intense action and craziness. And the revelations.. Holy crap, the second half of the book was so riddled with revelations and shocking twists, I could barely turn a page without being shocked and surprised. There were several revelations, especially, that I’m very excited to see unfold in the next book.

Despite some issues I had with Captive, I’m really glad I read it. While Pawn was enjoyable, Captive was epic. I’m so glad I didn’t give up on this series and I’m really excited to see what happens in the third and final book, Queen – though 2015 is a long way off! I have no idea how I’ll make it to 2015!

So yeah, if you couldn’t tell, I definitely recommend Captive! If you haven’t read Pawn, I say go for it! Binge Pawn and Captive! And if you read Pawn and were unsure if you wanted to continue on with the series, I highly recommend you give Captive a chance. It might surprise you!

four-stars

Review: The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

Nov13

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Dolls by Kiki SullivanThe Dolls by Kiki Sullivan
Series: The Dolls #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on September 2, 2014
Pages: 384
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all.

Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit.

But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right.

I’ve been dying to read The Dolls ever since I first saw it on Tea Time (Hosted by Epic Reads, A.K.A HarperTeen) during their Fall 2014 #ARCParty. The second Margot and Aubry began discussing it, I was major grabby hands! First of all, it has a GORGEOUS cover! Then, Margot described it as “Pretty Little Liars meets The Craft” and called it a “southern gothic boarding school cattiness” book. Sooo… Yeah, I was completely and totally hooked. I DESPERATELY wanted to get my hands on it! Well, the Book Gods smiled down on me because it was already on Edelweiss (An online site for reviewers and bloggers)! So I went and downloaded it right after #ARCParty was over! Sadly, I wasn’t able to read it right away – which I seriously regret now, knowing how much I loved it!! I wish I had read it sooner!!

First of all, I loved the characters in this book! All of them! Even the ones I wasn’t supposed to like. Sullivan did an amazing job creating these multi-dimensional characters. For almost every character, there was more to them than the face they showed the world. While they would say one thing to friends, they’d be feeling the complete opposite on the inside. Or, in some cases, they had mixed feelings/emotions, but didn’t want to be made fun of or ostracized for those feelings – something I think almost everyone can relate to.

Eveny was a fun protagonist. Like many YA characters, she has a tragic back-story, but it’s a bit more complex than it seems at first glance. She was cautious when she had to be, yet she seemed to trust too easily. I liked that she was hesitant to believe the stories she was told; it made it seem more realistic. Because really, if you were told all the things Eveny was told, you’d be skeptical at first, too… Unless you read a ton of YA, then you’d probably be totally on board! But anyway.. I felt there was a nice balance of her being skeptical and her doing what had to be done in order to protect those she loved. She was kind of like the moral compass of the story.

Peregrine reminded me a LOT of Noelle from Kate Brian’s Private series. She enjoyed the privilege and wealth afforded her and she reveled in the power she had. But she had moments where she was very vulnerable, too. Even when she was being horrible to Eveny, I had a hard time getting upset with her because I could tell there was more to her than that. I’m curious if we’ll get to see more of her vulnerable side in the sequel. Chloe was a bit of a cliche. She was the eager side-kick who wanted to do everything she could to please Peregrine. But she definitely had a mind of her own and, when necessary, expressed her opinions and feelings. She stepped up when she had to.

Arelia and Margaux really annoyed me in the beginning. They were the mean, snobby girls who assumed hanging with the “cool” people would entitle them to everything the “cool” people were entitled to. They were horrible to Eveny, too. But near the middle/end of the book, there’s a HUGE revelation with Arelia that completely changed my opinion about her.

Now for the guys! Let’s start with Drew! He was the awesome sweet-talker and had the boy-next-door feel in the beginning. He had moments where he was very judgmental, though, and a bit high and mighty about certain things. But that was explained at the end and whoa… *Clears throat* And Caleb!! I expected Caleb to be that “hot jock” who falls for the “average girl” and tells her she’s “so different from other girls…” Which would have been completely cliche and annoying. But I’m pretty sure Caleb ended up being the most interesting, complex character in the whole book. His backstory and the explanation of everything.. It just blew my mind.

I loved that the adults were kind of/sort of/at times involved and helping. You don’t see that often in YA. I liked Aunt Bea, though she totally loses brownie points for all the lies and deception. She had her reasons, I get that, but still! She could have saved everyone a LOT of trouble if she’d just been honest. Mrs. Marceau and Mrs. St. Pierre were interesting characters, though, and I’d love to learn more of the background on them and Eveny’s mother in the sequel. Also, Eveny’s dad… Which…. *Zips lips* I can’t because spoilers but OMG!!! Also, I loved Boniface! Not really sure how to describe him without spoilers, so just read the book and see for yourself!

The overall tone/feel of this book was CREEPY and EPIC. The first thing we learn about Carrefour is that it’s locked behind a giant fence/gate with a magical key handed down from generation to generation. No one can enter the town if they don’t have a key. Basically, everything that could possibly be creepy about a town, is creepy about this town.

The funny thing is, as I was reading, I had forgotten that Margot (Epic Reads) had described the book as “Pretty Little Liars meets The Craft.” I remembered hearing it was like a Southern version of Pretty Little Liars with magic, though. Then, about 20% into the eARC, I wrote a Goodreads status saying that “So far, this has a Pretty Little Liars meets The Craft feel to it.” Which means that Margot was dead-on with her description! It also reminded me a little bit of Beautiful Creatures, just for the southern gothic part of it.

The ending was insane and twisty and creepy and not at all what I expected. So many things happened, I felt like my head was spinning. I actually got to the end and couldn’t believe it was over – I was convinced there had to be AT LEAST one more chapter and I was SO SAD when I realized there wasn’t! I hadn’t heard if there was going to be a sequel, either, so that didn’t help my feels! But then I stalked Sullivan’s Twitter account and found out that there IS, indeed, going to be a sequel! And now I’m all excited!!! It’s not coming out until 2015, though, which is really far away.. I just hope we don’t have to wait until next September for the sequel! I seriously don’t think I can wait that long!!

So, overall (if you couldn’t tell from my review), I absolutely loved The Dolls. It was a creepy, gothic, magical read that I think will appeal to fans of Pretty Little Liars, The Craft and Beautiful Creatures. Also, I think fans of House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple will love it, too! In both books, magic has consequences. You can’t just cast spells and charms and get off scot-free – every action has a reaction and every action has a consequence. I can guarantee that Kiki Sullivan is now and forever more on my “Auto-Buy Author List” and I’ll read anything she writes. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go stalk Goodreads, Kiki’s website and the Epic Reads website for a release date for the sequel…

four-half-stars

Review: A Murder of Magpies by Sarah Bromley

Nov11

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: A Murder of Magpies by Sarah BromleyA Murder of Magpies by Sarah Bromley
Published by Month9Books on October 28, 2014
Pages: 326
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

Winter in Black Orchard, Wisconsin, is long and dark, and sixteen-year-old Vayda Silver prays the snow will keep the truth and secrecy of the last two years buried. Hiding from the past with her father and twin brother, Vayda knows the rules: never return to the town of her mother’s murder, and never work a Mind Game where someone might see.

No one can know the toll emotions take on Vayda, how emotion becomes energy in her hands, or how she can’t control the destruction she causes. But it's not long before her powers can no longer be contained. The truth is dangerously close to being exposed, placing Vayda and her family at risk.

Until someone quiets the chaos inside her.

Unwanted. That's all Ward Ravenscroft has ever been. To cope, he numbs the pain of rejection by denying himself emotions of any kind. Yet Vayda stirs something in him. He can't explain the hold she has on him--inspiring him with both hope and fear. He claims not to scare easily, except he doesn't know what her powers can do. Yet.

Just as Vayda and Ward draw closer, she finds the past isn't so easily buried. And when it follows the Silvers to Black Orchard, it has murder in mind.

I want to preface this review by saying that I’m a member of this book’s street team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. And my opinion of the book does not change the fact that I love being on this street team because Sarah is awesome!!! I will continue to help promote this book to the best of my ability.

With that said, A Murder of Magpies is not the type of book I typically read, though it definitely intrigued me. My curiosity and desire for answers prevented me from putting the book down until the very last page. Though there were many things that annoyed me, I found it to be an overall fun read with an interesting, unique plot.

Vayda was a frustrating character. At times, I really liked her and felt bad for the hand life had dealt her. At other times, I wanted to smack some sense into her. Her abilties were interesting, though I was a bit confused on what, exactly, said abilities were and how they worked. I also couldn’t figure out how they worked alongside her twin’s powers – though, if I understood correctly, they’re basically like opposites – push versus pull; hot versus cold.

Jonah scared the bejesus out of me. When I first heard Vayda and Jonah were twins, I thought they would have epic twin powers. And they did. But Jonah used his powers for evil.. Well, maybe not “evil” evil, but he definitely walked a very thin, fragile line between good and evil. He used Vayda a lot, which wasn’t cool. And he got his family into a LOT of trouble SEVERAL times. He just wasn’t very rational about things and he often did things without thinking through the potential consequences.

Ward really ticked me off. He was more frustrating than Vayda. Sometimes, he was awesome and adorable and I loved him. He was SO CUTE with the dog! (“Like I could resist hurt doggy kisses.” I mean seriously!!!!!! THAT’S ADORABLE! This is a guy after my own heart!). And at other times, he was such an ass, especially to Vayda. He would get angry with her over the stupidest things and say some pretty jerky things to her, stalk off and not talk to her for days. And then out of nowhere, they were holding hands and acting like it never happened. Uhh… *Scratches head.* I mean, I know Ward must have had trust issues after everything he went through when he was growing up.. But he overreacted like a giant drama queen so many times!

Chloe and Marty were both bat-shit crazy. And there’s one scene with them and Vayda near the end that made me go all ragey. Also, there was a thing with Ward’s dog that almost made me DNF… I mean, these two were certifiable! Though at times I wanted to slap some sense into Vayda, most of the time I just wanted to slap Chloe and Marty because they were mean, rude and crude. I couldn’t believe some of the things Marty said!!!

No one ever explained their actions in this book, which made for pretty confusing scenes. One second they had no friends and didn’t want any, the next moment they were friends with Ward because he showed up at their house with no invitation or warning and continued to do so until Vayda and Jonah befriended him. One minute Chloe despised them, the next she was showing up at their house and inviting Vayda over to her house. In some cases, the “why” was explained later on in the book. But until things were explained, I was left incredibly confused. Plus, the characters would get into fights and then, out of nowhere, be friends again, like the fight never happened. No (or very few, very brief) apologies.

Those issues aside, this was still an enjoyable read. It was dark and creepy and left me guessing until the very end. I loved the overall concept of the books; gypsies are something I haven’t seen a lot of in YA books. The fear and paranoia over what they could do felt realistic – people rationalize the things they don’t understand. When that doesn’t work, they use fear and anger to suppress those they find odd and abnormal. So that felt realistic and made complete sense.

The ending was pretty interesting. Like I said, a few things happened at the end with Marty and Chloe that really upset me. Like, ragey raging upset. One character sort of redeemed him/herself, though, which softened the blow a bit. One character I thought was completely untrustworthy, turned out to be incredibly trustworthy, which totally shocked me. And then one character I never suspected of anything, who seemed completely loyal and trustworthy, turned out to be behind SO MANY THINGS. Talk about epic craziness!

Overall, though there were definitely some parts that really turned me off and upset me, A Murder of Magpies was an overall fun, interesting read with a unique (to me, at least) concept. I’m on the fence with how I feel about most of the characters, but the overall premise and plot held my interest. I needed answers so desperately, I refused to put the book down until I had said answers. Would I still recommend this book? Absolutely. Though I had some issues with it, I still enjoyed it and I think others will, too. And others might enjoy what I didn’t. As I said at the start of my review, I still adore Sarah and still intend to remain on the street team, promoting the heck out of her and this book and any books she does in the future. She’s just that awesome!

three-stars

Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Oct31

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia GrayA Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
Series: Firebird #1
Published by HarperTeen on November 4, 2014
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

A Thousand Pieces of You was my most highly anticipated book of 2014. And Claudia Gray is one of my absolute favorite authors (I’m a huge fan of Spellcaster and Fateful, especially!). And I must say, this book did NOT disappoint! First of all, I read it in two days – it’s nearly 400 pages long – so that should tell you something! Second of all, Claudia Gray is brilliant. She creates masterful stories, unforgettable worlds and beloved characters that stick with you long after the story is over.

Marguerite was an amazing character, if not a little bit frustrating at times. She wanted to see the good in everyone, she trusted blindly and she refused to be calm and rational in the beginning. I know it’s hard to be rational after what she went through, but it would have saved her a lot of trouble if she had gotten her facts first. Then again, she may not have had a certain revelation near the end of the book had she been calm and rational in the beginning. So it all balances out. I really loved how take-charge she was from the beginning, though. She refused to sit on the sidelines, despite the uncertainty of what she was doing.

Despite what we’re told, I liked Paul from the beginning. There was something about the way Marguerite described him.. It just didn’t mesh with what we were led to believe he did. Seeing him throughout his various parallel lives further cemented this feeling for me. No matter what he did or didn’t do, I love him and ship him with Marguerite. Nothing can or will change that feeling.

From very early on, Theo is established as the hero, the one trying to avenge the wrong he feels was committed. But I just didn’t trust him at all. It’s weird and hard to explain, but from the moment we were introduced to him, I just had this really odd feeling. Despite that, I liked his chemistry with Marguerite. Theo felt like the “bad boy” to me; he reminded me of Damon from The Vampire Diaries, whereas Paul reminded me of Stefan. Despite everything that happened, I still ship Marguerite with Paul, though I still have a soft spot for Theo. And after that epic revelation near the end of the book, I’m curious to see what happens with him in the second book..

All of the parallel dimensions were facinating – The technology in the London dimension was crazy cool! – but the one I loved the most, the reason I was MOST excited to read this book, was the dimension in which Marguerite was a grand duchess in a Tsarist Russia. Oohhh, the Anastasia-like feels! First of all, I believe I’ve stated this in previous reviews, but I LOVE historical YA, with royalty and castles and all of that. But I’m especially fascinated by the story of Anastasia Romanov. Part of that is thanks to the animated movie (#SorryNotSorry) and part of it is because I love history and mysteries. And though I would have read this book no matter what since it’s a Claudia Gray book, this post that Claudia posted on Tumblr guaranteed that I would be all epic grabby hands when it came to this book! Also, this post = All the feels!!!!! And you’ll know why when you read the book!!! (For the record, the Anastasia aspect of the story wasn’t the main reason why Claudia wrote this book. To learn more about where the idea for A Thousand Pieces of You came about, check out this post on her website).

The ending of this book was epic, insane, crazy, whoa! I got to a certain point in the book and my heart was just in my throat from there until the end. I kept waiting for “the other shoe to drop,” as the saying goes. And it did.. quite a few times. And my poor heart couldn’t take it! And then… The worst thing ever happened.. I turned the page and saw ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!!!! I just stared at that page for a long time, sobbing. Because… HOW COULD I HAVE REACHED THE END ALREADY?!?!? HOW WAS THERE NOT MORE TO READ?!?!? I NEED BOOK TWO IN MY LIFE NOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!!! *Sobs*

Overall, if you couldn’t tell from my… *Stares at review, clears throat…* Insane fangirly review, I adored this book to (A Thousand) pieces! As I said, it was my most highly anticipated book of 2014 and it didn’t disappoint at all! I love Claudia Gray, I love her books and this is now up in my Top Three Favorite Claudia Gray Books with Spellcaster and Fateful! I swear, Claudia Gray comes up with the BEST story ideas and I just can’t wait to gobble up Steadfast (Spellcaster, #2) (which I’m behind on reading) and – when they release – Sorceress (Spellcaster, #3) and the second Firebird book! And anything else she writes.. Really, she’s on my Auto-Buy Author List forever. If it wasn’t obvious…. *Clears throat* Anyway, A Thousand Pieces of You releases on November 4, 2014 – just a few more days. Everyone needs to read this book when it releases! It’s amazing and you won’t be disappointed!

five-stars

Review: The Collectors’ Society by Heather Lyons

Oct27

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Collectors’ Society by Heather LyonsThe Collectors' Society by Heather Lyons
Series: The Collectors' Society #1
Published by Cerulean Books on October 23, 2014
Pages: 333
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

From the author of the Fate series and The Deep End of the Sea comes a fantastical romantic adventure that has Alice tumbling down the strangest rabbit hole yet.

After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though. Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth.

It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?

*This is the first book in the Collectors' Society series.

Every book Heather Lyons has written is amazing. And if you asked me to recommend only one of her books, I wouldn’t be able to pick just one. They’re all amazing for one reason or another. They all hold a special place in my heart for one reason or another. But The Collectors’ Society is different. It’s more than just a story. It’s several stories told within a larger story. It has so many beloved characters and unforgettable worlds and it pulls you into each and every one of those characters’ stories. Most importantly, it breathes new life into old classics, making you want to read them for the first time (if you haven’t already) or re-read old favorites.

I loved Alice pretty much right from the beginning. It was entertaining, watching her adjust to the 21st Century. And it was endearing, seeing her growth from beginning to end. She showed a lot of maturity in the decisions she made. She was also a kick-butt character and I loved seeing that. Alice really shined in the second half of the book, especially. She became the ________ she was meant to be (Eep, avoiding spoilers!). She really embraced who she was and who she was fated to be. I would have loved to see more of this part of her life – and maybe we will in book two! *Stares at Heather…* I also really loved Heather’s version of Wonderland and her take on Wonderland history. I don’t want to go into too many details, but I really loved the way Heather stayed true to the original while building upon it and making it even better.

Finn!!!! I can’t express how much I loved Finn. He was epic and amazing and wonderful and perfect. Which isn’t surprising, with how well Heather writes swoony boys! I’ve never read the original classic his story is based on, but I know enough about it that I was excited when I found out who he was. He has such a haunted past; in some ways, he’s grown from it and in some ways, he’s still clinging to what was. But through it all, he was amazing and loyal and I adore him.

One of my favorite characters was Mary, mostly because I love, love, love the story she’s from. Again, I haven’t read the original classic she’s from, but I used to read the “kid” versions when I was little and I loved, loved the movie version from the 90s. I don’t even think I can put into words how perfect Heather’s depiction of Mary was. She was slightly bratty and whiny, with an adultness to her… Does that even make sense? I think this conversation with Alice best describes Mary:

“Why Mary,” [Alice] said, “Were you not a good girl in your book?”

“I was a wretched bitch when I was younger,” [Mary] says cheerfully. “And I can still be so as an adult. My filter is close to none. But, let us not be fully defined by what some people scribbled down centuries before, right? Books don’t tell every detail, nor can they fully represent us as living, breathing individuals.”

Now, I forgot to mark down where in the book that was and I might not have it 100% verbatim. But you get the idea. Mary fully accepts how awful she was as a child and concedes that she may still be just as bad now that she’s an adult. But she doesn’t care what people thought of her then (when she was a child in her book) and she still doesn’t now. It made her feel so real. I really, really, REALLY want to see more of her and her world in book two! *Stares at Heather again.*

I really want to discuss the White King with you… He was swoony, sexy, epic, wonderful, dreamy… I totally ship him and ___!!!!! But.. As you can see, just from that one little line, it’s hard to discuss this guy without spoilers. So PLEASE READ THE BOOK AND THEN WE CAN FANGIRL TOGETHER!!!! That being said, if you’ve read Heather’s Fate series, you know she writes pretty epic love triangles, ones in which you can’t help but love both guys and wish the girl could just pick both! However, I’ve been told this isn’t technically a love triangle.. A girl can hope, though, right?!!?!

Some other characters that deserve notable mentions are Wendy, Victor, Brom and Katrina – all characters from beloved classics! I could go on and on with this review, doing nothing but talking about the characters because they’re amazing! But where’s the fun in that? If you want to know more, go read the book! I promise, you won’t be disappointed! Also, I want to say that the villian picked for this book was.. Priceless! Perfect and epic and awesome. … I’m using those words a lot, aren’t I? I’m sorry, I can’t help it, THIS BOOK, YOU GUYS!!! But on a serious note, I really, really loved the villians Heather chose and I’m excited to see what happens in book two with them! I can’t name them because it would be a huge spoiler, but it was just.. perfect!

I touched on this briefly in my intro paragraph. But my favorite thing about this book was all the classic literary characters. Seeing how they’ve grown and matured (well, most of them have, anyway), was amazing. When you love a book, it’s hard not to wonder what happens to the characters AFTER their stories end. And with The Collectors’ Society, those characters don’t have an ‘end’ – they continue to live on and become even more awesome. Reading about all my favorite characters gave me this huge desire to re-read some of my favorite classics – even those NOT mentioned in The Collectors’ Society! And there are several classics I have still yet to read that I’m now dying to read twice as much as I was before. Getting to revisit those characters and those worlds made me nostalgic for their original stories.

I have so many things on my Wish List for book two. I’m hoping to see characters from Labyrinth and The Wizard of Oz, as well as several other classic favorites. I’d also love to see more of Mary’s world (as I’ve mentioned) in book two. I think this series is off to an amazing start and it can only get better! If you’re a reader, you’ll love seeing the different stories and beloved characters and how Heather ages those characters and incorporates those stories. I also think non-readers will love this – it’s a wonderful introduction to classics and may spark a love of (classic) reading in a non-(classic)-reader

The ending of this book was… Perfection. It wrapped a lot of things up nicely, so it felt like it could stand on its own. But it left just enough open that I’m excited for book two. I know you can’t tell AT ALL from my review *Stares at fangirly, gibberish review….* but I loved this book. Heather Lyons has once again written an epic story with wonderful characters and an amazing world – or worlds, I should say! Seriously, drop everything you’re doing and READ THIS BOOK!!!!

five-stars

Review: They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire

Oct21

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. ClaireThey All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire
Published by Delacorte Press on October 14, 2014
Pages: 339
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Pretty Little Liars meets Final Destination in this YA psychological thriller that will have readers' hearts racing right till the very end!

Every year, the lives of ten girls at Vienna High are transformed.

All because of the list.

Kenzie Summerall can't imagine how she's been voted onto a list of the hottest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her.

This is the power of the list. If you're on it, your life changes.

If you're on it this year? Your life ends.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the They All Fall Down blog tour! Today, I’m sharing with you my review of this young adult psychological thriller. Enjoy!

I don’t think words can describe how epic, crazy, intense and fun this book was. It was described as Pretty Little Liars meets Final Destination – two things I love – and it definitely delivered! Plus, in my opinion, it threw in some The Skulls action, too! (Yes, I’m well aware I’m dating myself with that reference. Which is exactly why I linked to the IMDB page for the movie. But it has Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker. Need I say more?).

Kenzie was a pretty bad-ass character. She was smart, strong and level-headed. She refused to just sit back and wait for “fate” to happen – she did her research and hung out with the people who could help her find answers. She never got wrapped up in the list and what it meant for her social life. She didn’t become full of herself or arrogant. The people around her might have.. but she refused to buy into it. I really admired that about her. She also had a very tragic back-story and a lot of guilt that held her back in the beginning, but fueled her desire to fix things in the end.

Kenzie’s best friend, Molly, really annoyed me for a good chunk of the book. She was so wrapped up in what Kenzie’s success meant for her social life, she never stopped to consider Kenzie’s thoughts or feelings concerning the list or the things that were happening because of the list. She was mean and selfish. I’m not saying her reaction wasn’t a little bit understandable. But a good friend – a BEST friend – would NOT have been THAT selfish. There’s one thing Molly says in particular that really annoys me, but I won’t say what for fear of spoilers. Despite all that, I like how her story ends.

Josh was so slimy! There was something about him that just made me cringe and not trust him. Same with Tyler! There were several moments in the book when it became VERY obvious that Josh knew more than he was letting on. But the ending… Wow. Literally, the last 15 pages of the book blew my mind and my opinion of Josh was… Let’s say, it wasn’t what I expected at all and I didn’t see it coming.

Levi, though, Levi I loved right from the moment we were introduced to him. I don’t know what that says about me. But man, was he yummy! I was always worried about Levi though! He was the Neverending Scapegoat and I really didn’t know what would happen to him by the end of the book, but then he… Well… *Smirks* You didn’t think I’d tell you, did you? Go read the book and find out!!!

I think my favorite part of this book was the way the author managed to trip the reader up. It was impossible to develop theories as to what was happening because every time I thought I had it figured out, something happened and I had to re-think that theory. Also, the ending was insane and twisty and totally threw me for a loop! I’m a pretty good guesser and I couldn’t even fathom where the book was heading until it happened. There were a couple hints and I had a feeling. But then the author would do something and make me doubt if I was right or not. In the end, I was mostly right and yet still completely shocked!

Overall, if you couldn’t tell, I really loved this book. “Pretty Little Liars meets Final Destination in this YA psychological thriller that will have readers’ hearts racing right till the very end!” is the most accurate description ever. My heart was in my throat, my mind was going in a million directions and I really, really, REALLY hope the author writes another book in this genre very, very soon!

four-half-stars

Review: MARY: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

Oct14

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: MARY: The Summoning by Hillary MonahanMARY: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan
Series: Bloody Mary #1
Published by Disney Hyperion on September 2, 2014
Pages: 256
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her.

Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them--Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna--must link hands, follow the rules . . . and never let go.

A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY." A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror.

Once is not enough, though--at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered.

A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary--and Jess--before it's too late?

When I first saw this book at BEA, I snatched it up so fast, I nearly toppled the whole pile of books. I’ve always been fascinated – and totally creeped out – by the Bloody Mary myth. I remember trying it when I was younger. I stood in front of the mirror, said the words… and officially freaked myself out. Of course, it didn’t work. But I was ten and terrified to turn my back to the mirror while I walked out of the bathroom. I had to walk out backwards… Anyway, while this book definitely had a couple of creeptastic moments, it fell short of my hyped-up expectations.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters. Which, for me, is a major point against a book, since I’m very character-focused when I read. I felt like the characters were very stereotypical and cliche. There was the mean girl leader who gets her way because everyone is afraid to say no; the fat girl with zero confidence; and the peacekeeper. The guys were very cliche, too: the jock who wasn’t very smart and the jock who was big and beefy.

Shauna kind of grew on me as the book went on, but not by much. She kind of reminded me of the girl in horror movies who runs up the stairs instead of out the door. In the beginning, she didn’t do much to help herself – she was scared and made poor choices. All the girls made poor choices, to be honest. They had the crap scared out of them the first time, yet were stupid enough to do it again. Shauna got better in the end, but all she did, essentially, was get back at Jess, not fully save herself.

Jess was insane. We find out part of the reason behind her fascination with Mary at the end, but not why she’s so obsessed and crazy about it. Or whose side she’s actually on. Did she mean for those things to happen? Did she do it on purpose? Supposedly this is only the first book in a series, so I guess we’ll find out more in book two.

Kitty was the fat girl with no self-esteem and I’m kind of tired of that stereotype in books. All that does is make girls like her feel worse about themselves. She did have some amazing moments where she was really brave and stepped in to fight by Shauna’s side when the others wouldn’t. She also suffered the greatest loss and I felt very bad for her. Anna had no personality. She was only good for two things, one of which was fighting with Jess and the other, I can’t say because of spoilers.

Like I said, though, there were some pretty creepy parts in this book. The first night I read it (I finished it in about two days), I actually had trouble falling asleep and kept looking back at the mirror behind my door. I even jumped quickly into bed so nothing could grab my ankles! So if you’re looking for a book that has that creep-factor to it, then you should definitely give this book a shot.

Overall, despite my issues with the book, I still recommend it. If you love horror movies and horror stories, if you’re fascinated by the Bloody Mary myth, or even if you just want a creepy Halloween read, this book is for you. I still think the author has a lot of potential and I think she’s going to do great things. Though I’m uncertain if I’ll continue this series, I’m keeping an open mind and I’d be eager to see what happens next, especially after the way this book ended.

three-stars

Review: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Oct13

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Stitching Snow by R.C. LewisStitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
Published by Disney Hyperion on October 14, 2014
Pages: 338
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

Stitching Snow was an epic Snow White retelling that will satisfy fans of Marissa Meyer. The world is intriguing, Essie was a kick-butt character who refused to sit on the sidelines and the Snow White parallels were really interesting and so fun to spot. R.C. Lewis is an amazing writer. The story just came alive for me and I was completely absorbed in it until the very last page.

I really loved Essie. She was strong, independent and smart – qualities I love seeing in a main character. From the very first page, it was established that she was not some maiden in distress who needed rescuing. That’s definitely a far cry from the fairy tale this story is based on. I guessed her “secret” early on in the story, too. It was pretty obvious, but I still loved the reveal. Essie had to grow up a lot along the way. She matured, accepted her past and embraced her future. Basically, she was just a very strong character, in my opinion, and she became stronger as the story unfolded.

My feelings towards Dane went back and forth several times. I loved him in the beginning, then I hated him, then I _______ him. It’s tough to talk about without spoilers, honestly. But I will say that I loved him and Essie and I loved his character development from the beginning to the end. He has such a tragic back-story and I feel so bad for him. But in the end, his story really feels complete and I’m happy with how everything ended for him.

I looooved the Seven Drones (a.k.a the Seven Dwarfes!). This was such a fun, creative way to incorporate the original fairy tale into a sci-fi retelling. I loved it, loved it, loved it! Fans of Marissa Meyer who adore Iko will adore Dimwit, who was by far my favorite of the seven.

The “evil queen” character was beyond evil. I mean, she gives the queen from Snow White a run for her money! The things she did and tried to do.. But believe me, she gets what’s coming to her in the end! As does the king. Again, I wish I could be less vague than that, but this book is a spoiler minefield and I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone!

I loved, loved, loved Kip! Right from the beginning, he became one of my favorite characters. As we learned more about him, his backstory and some of the explanations he gave for his actions, I liked him even more. He was like a father-figure to Essie. At times, he was a bodyguard and at times he was a friend. But he was always there for her, one of the few people I always trusted.

There were a LOT of secondary characters in this book. I admired Lewis’ ability to make us care for characters that we didn’t really have a lot of time to get to know. Some note-worthy characters are Petey, all Seven Drones (though, as mentioned, Dimwit stood out for many reasons), Laisa and Theo. Some of them had wonderful happy ending, others had.. Well, not-so-happy endings. But they are/were all wonderful characters that I loved reading about and, in some cases, would have liked to read about more and get to know better.

I think my only complaint with this book is that there were a few sections that dragged a bit – but very few. And there were a couple minor plot points left dangling – again, very few. Otherwise, this was an amazing, amazing book and I can’t say anything bad about it.

I believe Stitching Snow is going to be a stand-alone. And if so, I absolutely loved the ending. It was the perfect combination of realistic ending (tragedy mixed with triumph) and happily ever after. I was very satisfied with how it ended and where all the characters were at the end. The last 20 pages or so were insane, epic and my absolute favorite part of the book. I truly can’t wait to see what R.C. Lewis comes up with next – I’m definitely hoping for another fairy tale/sci-fi retelling!

If you couldn’t tell from my gushing review, I definitely recommend this book! And I highly, highly recommend it to fans of Marissa Meyer.

four-half-stars