A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

Title: A Corner of White (The Colors of Madeleine #1)
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty (website)
Pub. Date: April 1, 2013 (US)
Source: Publisher
Summary: Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot’s dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds — through an accidental gap that hasn’t appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called “color storms;” a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the “Butterfly Child,” whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses…
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating:

“Okay, I’ve decided to start simple and work back. So, I am, now formally telling you, as your mother, that I want you never to become a smoker, never to own your own motorbike, never to get a chess board tattooed onto your face – and never ever to write to an imaginary friend in a parking meter again.”

Three hundred years ago gaps bridging our world with another were closed. Deadly plagues were wiping out millions of people in our world and Cello’s citizens decided it was for the best if the cracks between the two worlds were wiped out as well. Since then any cracks discovered must be reported to authorities immediately and anyone discovered communicating with anyone in our world is sentenced to death.

Madeleine Tully and her mother have recently set up house in Cambridge after having run away from their lavish lifestyle. Now they live in a tiny apartment with leaking ceilings and patches of mold on the walls. Instead of skipping off to various countries and spending all day at the spa, Madeleine’s mother now sits inside all day sewing and watching game shows while Madeleine receives schooling lessons from a few neighbors. A far cry from what they’re used to.

Elliot lives in the town of Bonfire, a farming community. He goes to school, hangs out with his friends, and is a star athlete. The Kingdom of Cello is a mirror image of our world save for one difference: Cello is victim to deadly Color attacks. A warning system alerts citizens to incoming attacks of Yellows or Purples and each color is deadlier than the last. A Purple is to blame for the death of Elliot’s uncle and he’s convinced the Purple then carried off his father. There have been rumors throughout town that his dad ran off with a teacher, but Elliot refuses to believe it. He’s convinced his dad is still alive and is willing to risk his life to bring him back.

One day Madeleine notices a tiny slip of paper sticking out of a parking meter and allows her curiosity to get the better of her. It’s a cry for help. Someone is trapped and they want to be rescued. Madeleine decides to play along and writes back. With each note her world turns upside down and she begins to suspect there is more to this world than she realized.

“I didn’t have to become Byron,” Jack added, “because I already am him, or anyway exactly like him. But without the poetry. Also, girls are not falling over themselves to have my children. As far as I know. If they are, they need to do it more loudly. Apart from all that, I’m just like Byron.”

Before reading A Corner of White I had heard amazing things about this book. Much to my surprise – and delight! – I received a review copy and couldn’t wait to sit down with it. A good portion of the novel deals with Newton and Byron. As part of their history lesson, Madeleine, Jack, and Belle each chose a name out of a hat and had to research that figure. As the story progresses – and as Madeleine and Elliot communicate further – Isaac Newton comes more into focus and I was pleasantly surprised by how large of a role he wound up playing.

Jack and Belle are Madeleine’s neighbors and her only friends in Cambridge. I personally didn’t care for Belle much at all – especially once she started her bullying. Jack, on the other hand, was great. He was a good guy with a huge crush on Madeleine. In a bout of frustration and homesickness she winds up hurting him deeply and that was a painful scene for me to read. While I enjoyed Madeleine’s character, in the end, I came to know Jack better and saw him as the sympathetic character.

“Cut it out now,” said her mother. “I’m trying to think. I need to get my thoughts in order and present them in an incisive, persuasive way. Because I’m the one with the answers today, which won’t always be the case – for instance, if you were weeping about a mathematics problems, well, I’d be clueless and we’d both end up weeping. Not that you were weeping, of course.”

Elliot’s world, well, confused me at times. I never got a real feel for the Colors and their attacks. I kept reading passages about their waves of destruction and how there have been times where these colors would take hostages, but I just couldn’t picture these scenes. Other than that, however, Cello was a lovely world.

Interwoven with Madeleine’s & Elliot’s stories was that of the Butterfly Child. Every twenty years, a Butterfly Child appears somewhere in Cello. She has amazing powers, capable of growing crops and healing sickness. At first I wasn’t too impressed, but she grew on me.

Between the Butterfly Child, family problems in both worlds, and multiple mysteries, it felt like there was a lot going on, but it worked. I never felt overwhelmed and enjoyed A Corner of White an awful lot. The ending was perfectly set up for the next book and I’m looking forward to it!

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Title: Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible #1)
Author: Stephanie Burgis (website)
Pub. Date: April 5, 2011
Source: Library
Summary: Katherine Ann Stephenson has just discovered that she’s inherited her mother’s magical talents, and despite Stepmama’s stern objections, she’s determined to learn how to use them.

But with her eldest sister Elissa’s intended fiancé, the sinister Sir Neville, showing a dangerous interest in Kat’s magical potential; her other sister, Angeline, wreaking romantic havoc with her own witchcraft; and a highwayman lurking in the forest, even Kat’s reckless heroism will be tested to the upmost.

If she can learn to control her new powers, will Kat be able to rescue her family and win her sisters their true love?
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Rating:

Determined to save her family from impending doom, Katherine Ann Stephenson – Kat – chops her hair, dresses as a boy, and runs away from home. Unfortunately for Kat, she makes it as far as the garden before she’s discovered and hauled back inside.

Kat’s oldest sister, prim and proper Elissa (who has a penchant for dramatics – mostly given her love of gothic romances), is set to wed Sir Neville, an enormously wealthy man who would not only raise the family’s status but also settle a bit of gambling debt. Stepmama outdid herself with this one: she managed to arrange this marriage and she will not let anything stop it. While Elissa is determined to do her duty to the family, she can’t help but worry about the rumors that surround Sir Neville. His first wife had died and he’s the main suspect.

Elissa isn’t the only one with troubles, though. Angeline has been going through Mama’s magic books (their mother was a powerful witch) and created a love spell with disastrous results. Now the boy won’t leave her alone, proclaiming his love night-and-day and proposing at every available moment.

Kat has her own share of problems too: in an attempt to try her hand at a bit of magic, she mistakenly discovers a secret Order that her mother belonged to and learns she’s more powerful than any mere witch: Katherine Ann Stephenson is a Guardian.

Kat, Incorrigible was delightful. Kat is gutsy and fearless, full of nothing but love for her family – though perhaps not Stepmama. Her running commentary was hilarious and more than once I laughed out loud. Kat is the kind of girl I would have loved to be at 12 and would have loved to be friends with.

The Stephenson family had once been fairly respectable in Society’s eyes. Papa was a member of the clergy and was liked by the townspeople. His marriage to Mama raised more than a few eyebrows. Although Mama came from a good family herself, she made no secret of her powers and that ultimately led to her undoing. She died shortly after Kat was born and when Stepmama moved in, she hid all of Mama’s portraits and books in a cupboard never to be seen again.

That is, until Angeline decided to work some magic, which led to Kat finding an enchanted mirror, which led to discovering the Golden Hall, which led to Kat learning she was her mother’s heir and Guardian, which led to… It was a never-ending spiral and I loved it. The best part though had nothing to do with magic. Kat’s bond with her sisters was incredible. Though they may fight and argue and annoy each other to death, they fiercely love one another and would stop at nothing to save the others. When Kat hears about Elissa’s engagement to Sir Neville, she makes up her mind then and there to save her no matter what. No matter how much trouble she’ll get into nor how many lectures Stepmama will give her.

Kat, Incorrigible was a brilliant, lovely novel full of charm and fantastic characters. Each had a distinct voice and it was magnificent. Between the funny commentary (seriously, read Kat’s thoughts on Elissa’s obsession with becoming a gothic heroine and try not to giggle!) and the non-stop action, this book kept me entertained the entire time I was reading and I will most definitely be back for more.

The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland

Title: The Menagerie
Authors: Tui T. & Kari Sutherland
Pub. Date: March 12, 2013
Source: Library
Summary: Logan Wilde is accidentally drawn into the mysterious, dangerous world of the Menagerie when he discovers a griffin hiding under his bed . . . and it leads him straight to the weirdest girl in seventh grade, Zoe Kahn.

Zoe is panicking. Her family has been guarding the Menagerie for centuries. If they don’t get the cubs back fast, the whole place will be shut down. To save the griffins’ lives, she’s willing to break all the rules, even if it means letting an outsider like Logan help. But the real mystery remains: Is someone trying to sabotage the Menagerie?

Who let the griffins out…and why?
Genre: MG, Fantasy
Rating:

The Menagerie is a book that caught my attention the moment I first heard of it. I recently discovered my library had a copy and immediately requested in. I was absolutely delighted that no one else had put a hold on it or had it checked out; I could get started right away!

Logan Wilde is having a pretty crummy summer. His mother left home one day and later sent a postcard stating she wouldn’t be returning home to Logan and his father. Naturally the two are hurt and heartbroken and Logan’s dad makes the decision to quit his job as a lawyer, pack up, and move to a tiny nowhere town in Wyoming – hoping to find some sort of clue as to where his wife went.

Now Logan is stuck in Xanadu and can’t seem to make a friend out of the whopping 24 students in Seventh Grade. That all changes one day after overhearing Zoe’s – the weirdest girl in school – and Blue’s – the most popular boy in school – frantic worries about Zoe’s missing dog. Zoe and Blue are the last two people Logan would ever imagine talking to, let alone hanging out with, and offers his aid in locating the missing pet. As if that wasn’t strange enough, Logan comes home to discover a baby griffin in his bed. A baby griffin that can talk to him.

Griffins, strange conversations, and stores missing their entire stock of food? Just what on earth is happening in Xanadu?

Okay, be honest: who wouldn’t want to find out griffins, yeti, and unicorns are real? & not just that, but they’re all being housed in your own town! Logan’s reaction to this realization is, naturally, pure shock. Ultimately his initial surprise wears off and is simply in awe of the creatures he sees. Zoe’s house is in near-total seclusion on an enormous area of land. The Menagerie can be found there and it’s under the protection of Zoe’s family. And Blue…well, turns out he’s half merman. And, yeah, about the lost ‘dog.’ Somehow six griffin babies escaped their pen in the middle of the night and it’s up to Zoe’s family (along with Blue) to find them. Having griffins run amok in town would be a cause for panic anytime, but the SNAPA – SuperNatural Animal Protection Agency – are set to drop in for an inspection and if those griffins aren’t found by the end of the week, the Menagerie could be shut down. Or worse.

Giant hellhounds who are actually big, loveable, and slobbery; a mammoth named Captain Fuzzbutt; and an ADORABLE griffin named Squorp (who happens to love hamburgers) made The Menagerie an absolute joy. Add in shout-outs to Diana Wynne Jones, Men in Black, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and SO many more. This book was a ton of fun, although I will say there was a downside: everything wrapped up a little too nicely for me. Logan just happened to be right – on the first try – anytime he guessed at a location for one of the griffins. Also, the ending was a total cliffhanger and there were multiple plots left hanging. There were a lot of questions I had that weren’t answered, but I have high hopes for the sequel!

On Remembering Diana Wynne Jones & Being a Howl Newbie

August 16, 1934 – March 26, 2011

Like most bloggers, I was a voracious reader as a child: I loved immersing myself in new worlds and meeting new characters. Sure, I had my favorites – still do to this day – but I also couldn’t wait to discover new authors. Sadly, I forget how it came into my possession, but I had a copy of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones. My copy was a collection of the first books in the Chrestomanci series: Charmed Life & The Lives of Christopher Chant. At 600 pages, it was certainly among the largest books I had read at the time, yet I tore through it in a matter of days and quickly moved on to the second volume.

Fun Fact: My family actually owns multiple copies of that series; I have at least two at my house and my mom has one at hers.

After Chrestomanci, I wanted MORE. Who was this Diana Wynne Jones and what else did she have to offer? Turns out, a lot: she’s written a ton of books and I can’t begin to express how ecstatic I was. I immediately dove into her Derkholm series (GRIFFINS, people!) and the rest is history. I was in love.

I have to be honest with you guys: although there are so many authors I absolutely adore, there are only two whose deaths have made me upset and felt as though I was losing a member of my family. The first was Brian Jacques who passed away February 5, 2011. It’s one of those cases where I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news. My entire world was crushed and I cried. I broke down and cried over the loss of this wonderful man. Just as I was coming to terms with his passing, I heard about the loss of Diana Wynne Jones a month later. Again I was hurt and upset and how could this happen.

The following day, March 27, Neil Gaiman posted a beautiful and heart-breaking blog entry about his friendship with her and her final moments:

I do miss her, very much. I have some wonderful friends. I have people in my life who are brilliant, and people who are colourful, and people who are absolutely wonderful, and who make the world better for their being in it. But there was only one Diana Wynne Jones, and the world was a finer one for having her in it.

Here we are, two years later. A few weeks before she passed I quit my job and took a new position as a bookseller. Since then I have introduced so many children – and adults too – to the wonderful world of Diana Wynne Jones.

Through it all, however, there remained a book that I had yet to read: Howl’s Moving Castle. Naturally I had heard of it and all my friends LOVE the movie, but for some reason I never bothered. I felt this two-year anniversary would be a good time to finally read this book and I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three girls and is, by order of birth, doomed to be a failure. Lettie, the middle girl, is breathtakingly beautiful while Martha, the youngest, is certain to find fortune and a happy life. The girls’ father runs a successful hat shop and upon his death, their stepmother takes over and begins making arrangements for the girls to take up apprenticeships. Sophie will stay at home and inherit the hat shop one day, while Lettie will train under a highly skilled witch and Martha will learn all there is about cakes and pastries.

At first, Sophie was comfortable. As the months go by however, she feels a longing to do more and be more than a hatter apprentice in drab grey dresses. Unfortunately for Sophie, she crosses paths with the evil Witch of the Waste and soon discovers she has been aged 70+ years. She’s now a 90-year old woman, cursed to be old – for she can’t tell anyone about the spell – until the day someone comes along to release her.

Because her stepmother obviously would be a bit shocked to discover an old woman in her shop, Sophie makes the decision to leave. She leaves Market Chipping, the town she has known her entire life, and heads off in search of her own fortune. All the while the large, floating castle – home to the evil Wizard Howl – looms overhead.

“That’s magic I admire, using something that exists anyway and turning it round into a curse.”

It’s when Sophie enters the moving castle that things really get going. She meets Michael, Howl’s young apprentice, and Calcifer, a fire demon trapped in the fireplace. She quickly strikes a bargain with Calcifer: if she lifts his curse, he’ll find a way to change her back. All the while Howl is nowhere to be seen.

When he finally does appear, Sophie is more than surprised. Instead of the fearsome wizard who steals girls and eats their hearts, there stands before her a young man not much older than she is (was?). Over time they become something of a very dysfunctional family: Sophie cleans the castle and cooks the food, Howl and Michael supply spells and potions for the surrounding towns and villages, and Calcifer…well. He’s Calcifer.

Unbeknownst to Sophie, Howl is also cursed. The Witch of the Waste has been hunting him down and now she’s finally found him.

Howl’s Moving Castle is short, y’all. We’re taking barely over 200 pages here (my copy is 212). Going into this book I knew about Sophie and Howl, but everything else was completely new to me and not at all what I had expected!

These are the kind of books I love. That lazy Sunday feel is super strong in this book and I love it. Apart from the big battle at the end, not a whole lot happens and I know that’s where the book can lose some people. Luckily for me, I’m all about easygoing stories and gobbled this one up.

Over the course of her travels, Sophie meets an enchanted scarecrow, a teacher who might not be all she says she is, and discovers a strange new world: Wales. I was right there with Sophie, taking in every night sight, sound, and emotion.

The ending wrapped up a little too well, but I can easily look past that. It’s no wonder Howl’s Moving Castle is so beloved and I know it’ll be a book I’ll revisit time and time again.

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Title: The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen (twitter ☆ website)
Pub. Date: March 1, 2013
Source: Publisher (Thank you, Scholastic!!)
Summary: Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya. Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom?
Genre: MG, Fantasy
Rating:

I had arrived early for my own assassination.

With that, The Runaway King jumps right back into where The False Prince left off. Jaron is crowned king of Carthya and just a few weeks later the funeral for his family is held. However, even though it’s a somber affair, Jaron can’t let his guard down. War is looming between his country and the neighboring Avenia and the arrival of the Avenian King Vargan leaves Jaron cautious and alert.

An assassination attempt sets the wheels in motion: the regents believe Jaron is too young and reckless to fulfill his duties and begin discussing appointing a steward to take the throne until Jaron comes of age. Naturally the regents want the power for themselves and Jaron isn’t foolish. In order to stop the vote to remove him from the throne, Jaron must track down the pirates and face their king Devlin – the pirate who tried to murder him four years ago. In order to do so, Jaron once again adopts the name Sage and leaves the comfort of his castle for the harsh forests of Avenia and Tarblade Bay.

As much as it pains me to admit it, The Runaway King is a prime example of Second Book Syndrome. I gushed over The False Prince and wrote what amounted to a love letter for a review. I couldn’t believe my luck when Scholastic sent me an ARC for the follow up and couldn’t wait to dive right in. Unfortunately, while it was a decent book on its own, The Runaway King is no match for its predecessor.

Hurt – that was the effect I seemed to have on those closest to me. Maybe what I’d done over the past several days had been necessary for Carthya, but there was always a price for my actions. This time, it had cost me the dearest friendship I had.

Jaron (you beautiful, lovely boy) returns, but it feels as though he’s a completely different person. Whereas he was rude and obnoxious and snarky in The False Prince (WITH REASON!), I just didn’t get that in The Runaway King. Yes, he was rude and obnoxious, but this time he was mean for the sake of being mean and more often than not, his actions were towards characters who didn’t deserve it. A father figure is introduced and how does Jaron repay him? By robbing him blind and leading a band of thieves to his manor. Poor Imogen was dismissed from the castle without so much as a goodbye or an answer to her myriad questions.

I couldn’t believe that Jaron could change so much in the three weeks between the first book and this one. Jaron was right: hurt was the effect he had on people. I know I certainly was upset he was no longer the clever, witty boy I had grown to love.

The Runaway King introduces new characters and I met them with mixed feelings. Fink hovered on the brink of intolerable the entire time. Other readers see him as a precious little boy, but I wasn’t having it. The pirates were enjoyable, but they were nowhere near the murdering, pillaging band of nightmares they were set up to be. Their king, Devlin, was the closest to what their reputation claims, but the ending was so ridiculous I couldn’t handle it.

Amarinda plays a larger role in this novel, but I’m still feeling indifferent toward her and the sort-of-but-not-really love triangle needs to go. Jaron and Imogen have finally confessed their feelings for one another (♥ and made me all kinds of happy), but they know it can never work out between them. Jaron is already set to wed Amarinda and Imogen is little more than a servant girl.

Don’t get me wrong: The Runaway King isn’t a bad book. This is more a case of me setting my expectations so high and being letdown. Fans of The False Prince will be sure to read this one, but don’t go into The Runaway King expecting another mind-blowingly wonderful novel. Despite my disappointment, I am without a doubt pumped for the third and I’m hoping the conclusion will be amazing.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Title: The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen (twitter ☆ website)
Pub. Date: April 1, 2012
Source: Library (BUYING SOON ♥)
Summary: In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, MG, FABULOUS
Rating: + A MILLION MORE

Guys. GUYS. This book. I initially planned on writing an open love letter to it in celebration of Valentines Day, but I couldn’t get my thoughts together in any coherent manner and, quite frankly, I still have my doubts now.

Everyone has heard of The False Prince by now, the book that took the MG/YA world by storm last year. AND FOR GOOD REASON! I tend to shy away from hype; in the past I’ve caved in and read books that were hailed as the Second Coming only to be horribly and utterly let down (Divergent, I’m looking at you, dear). So, naturally, when so many bloggers started gushing over The False Prince, I took note and backed away.

A few weeks ago I received an ARC of The Runaway King, the second book in the trilogy, and decided to put all reservations aside and finally (FINALLY!) read everyone’s favorite book of 2012.

I wish someone would have forced this book upon me sooner.

Conner said he would let the devils have his soul if it meant succeeding with his plan. I had the feeling that when he did, the souls of all the rest of us would go to the devils too.

Sage is a sharp-witted, thieving 14-year old orphan. Life doesn’t get much worse for children of his status, but he makes the best of it. One day a nobleman by the name of Conner arrives at the orphanage and pays a generous – overly generous as far as he’s concerned – sum for Sage and soon the boy finds himself in the back of a wagon along with three other boys his age.

Conner is secretive and strict with his rules, but eventually he announces his plans to the boys: The royal family has been murdered, but for now, word hasn’t gotten out. Certain members of the court are very eager to take the throne for themselves, including Conner. The boys will have two weeks to go from orphan to gentleman and the boy he chooses will be presented to the court as Prince Jaron, long thought to have been slain by a band of pirates. The other boys… Well, they’re orphans with no family or friends to miss them and Conner wouldn’t want to risk the secret slipping.

The boys are taken to Conner’s manor and for the first time have a real bed with nice thick blankets, warm clothes, and a hot meal. Not to mention a bath. Sage’s first wasn’t deemed sufficient and his servant had to scrub him down a second time. Ha! Over the next few weeks the boys will be taught manners – including how not to hold a spoon like a shovel, swordsmanship, horseback riding skills, and reading. They’ll also be constantly drilled on the court and key members.

Over time, strengths and weaknesses appear in each boy and the desire – and need – to win takes precedence over all.

“You have a clever tongue and an arrogant tilt to your head. I’m surprised Mrs. Tutbeldy hasn’t beaten it out of you.”
“You mustn’t blame her. She beat me the best she could.”

Let’s pause for a moment and discuss Sage. I. Loved. Him. Not only was he the best character I’ve read all year, but he’s hands-down one of the best-written characters I’ve ever read (and I certainly don’t hand out praise like that lightly!). For once there’s a character who is as far away from cardboard cut-out as you can get! He’s so lovable and funny and arrogant and stubborn and scared and worried. He has his flaws and he knows it.

As sad as it is, it’s become apparent to me that not a lot of YA authors these days care about character growth. Instead they rely on stock personalities and assign traits: there’s a Mean Girl, the Boy Who Has Always Been The Best Friend But Secretly Wants More, the Hot Mysterious New Boy. That’s not the case with The False Prince. Sure you’ve got your good guys and villains, but they have reasons for being who they are.

He whispered something under his breath. I’m sure some sort of curse aimed at me. That wasn’t a problem. The devils were used to receiving curses with my name on them.

There were numerous plot twists sprinkled throughout this novel, some I had anticipated and some I didn’t see coming at all. The False Prince surprised me and enchanted me and the only reason I didn’t finish this book in a sitting was because I wanted to spend as much time with it as I could. Also, it’s only because I’m a kindhearted, sweet girl that I dragged myself to the library and begrudgingly handed it back when it was due. Since working in a used bookstore where I get an INCREDIBLE discount I haven’t been going to bookstores like B&N to shell out $35 for a new hardback when I could be patient and get one for a few dollars. But with The False Prince I’m more than willing.

This is a novel I want to read again and again and save for my future children to love.

In short, Ms. Nielsen, I apologize for being as stubborn as Sage and refusing to read this book until nearly a year later. I loved everything about it and have forced it upon countless people already.

Percy Jackson who? The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis

Title: The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders #1)
Author: Peter Lerangis
Pub. Date: February 5, 2013
Source: Publisher (Thank you, HarperCollins!)
Summary: One Boy

Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die.

One Mission

Jack needs to find seven magic loculi that, when combined, have the power to cure him.

One Problem

The loculi are the relics of a lost civilization and haven’t been seen in thousands of years.

Seven Wonders

Because they’re hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Rating:

On the morning I was scheduled to die, a large barefoot man with a bushy red beard waddled past my house.

That, my friends, is how you start a book.

Jack McKinley was just like any other 13-year old boy: always woke up late for school, didn’t want a babysitter while his father worked out of town, dreaded math tests. His world changed one morning when he passed out just before school. The next thing he knew he was in a hospital with the strange red-beared man claiming he was a doctor. Suddenly Jack was whisked away to a totally remote island – radar doesn’t work there, it’s not on any map, even the inhabitants aren’t entirely sure where they are.

Along with Jack, three other 13-year olds are housed at the giant compound: the Karai Institute. There’s Marco, athlete extraordinaire; Aly, a genius hacker; and Cass, able to memorize anything. Jack learns he’s not like other kids. He’s one of the Select, an extremely small group of kids who possess a specific gene. This gene allows their natural talents to expand and become heightened. Unfortunately, Jack also learns that no Select has lived past 14. It’s at the Institute that Jack receives treatment in order to halt his impending doom – and possible discover the secrets of Atlantis in the process.

The Colossus Rises was fun! It started out a bit slow and bogged-down with all the world-building and explanation, but once the action started, I settled in and enjoyed the ride.

The Select all bear a white λ in their hair. I don’t know if it’ll become key in the following books, but it seemed unnecessary in this one. Especially since it doesn’t really do anything – Aly dyed her hair and her λ is covered, resulting in…nothing. It makes the Select special snowflakes and nothing more.

While reading I couldn’t figure out if certain characters were good guys or bad guys. Even after finishing I’m still questioning certain actions and scenes. The Professor in particular. He used these children as pawns, as a way to discover the heart of Atlantis and uncover the seven hidden powers. However, there were times when it truly felt as though he cared for them.

The children were great. Jack, Cass, Marco, Aly, they all had their own personalities and felt like real kids. They questioned authority, they were scared, they joked around, they missed their parents. Marco was loud and boisterous to the point of being annoying and overdone, but even he was great. Although I could have done without his constant Brother Jack/Sister Aly.

The thing about horror – real-life horror, not the kind you see in movies – is that it is so silent. No screaming sound track, no fancy camera angles. Just two bodies vanishing into the shadows. Gravity doing its work.

Things really got good toward the end. After a mistake on Jack’s part unleashes griffins the kids uncover old riddles and codes telling them where to go to track down the seven powers. The seven wonders of the ancient world. Their first stop: the Colossus of Rhodes. Unfortunately for them, the statue has long since been destroyed and what’s left is buried deep under the sea.

The Colossus Rises is a wonderful start to a new series! Although my studies dealt with other aspects of history, I’ve always been fascinated with ancient history – the Greeks in particular. The seven wonders of the ancient world? Sign me up! From the moment I first heard about this book I was intrigued and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m hoping that, with the world-building and explanations out of the way, the next book will jump right into the action. I can easily see this series appealing to a younger crowd although I certainly enjoyed it myself!

on being sick and comfort reads (+ 2 mini-reviews!)

I don’t do sick well. I’m not the kind of person who can suck it up and plow through. When I’m sick my world collapses into a horrible mess of tissues and teabags. I knew it was bound to happen – the majority of my family/co-workers have been battling colds/the flu this past month, so I figured it was only a matter of time before I caught it.

Well caught it I did. Thankfully I had a long weekend and apart from remaining a bit stuffy, I’m feeling much better.

Like many people, when I’m feeling crummy there’s nothing I like more than snuggling in bed and getting lost in a book. Also, like most people, when I’m feeling crummy my reading tastes change. I just don’t have it in me to get through a tough or emotionally-investing read.

I wanted to find some good comfort reads: easy, light-hearted books that didn’t require much thought. Naturally I already have quite a few of these, but I was in the mood for something new, a book or two I haven’t already read. As much as I love my e-reader I decided to go the traditional way (to be honest, Nook Colors + cases are weighty and I didn’t feel like dealing with that). Luckily for me I have more than a few books on my shelves that have yet to be read.

My first pick was Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes by R.L. Stine. Confession time, guys: I have never read a Goosebumps book before. I know, I know. Chalk it up to an overactive imagination as a child: I avoided these books when I was younger because I was convinced they were terrifying. Unlike me, Matt was a huge fan of the series and when he was sick last year I bought a few books. Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes was my introduction to the world of R.L. Stine and, for what it was, I had a good time.

Joe and Mindy Burton’s father is obsessed with two things: his garden and lawn ornaments. There’s a friendly rivalry with the neighbor until the day Mr. Burton brings home two fat and ugly gnomes. Suddenly the gardens are getting terrorized and Joe refuses to believe it’s his dog’s fault.

Short chapters, a quick pace, and fun characters made this an extremely quick read. I’m not sure if this is the case for the series as a whole or just this book, but Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes definitely felt like a “boy’s book.” Not that that bothered me, nor would it have bothered me when I was younger.

I expected a bit more than I got, though I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes held my interest at a time when I desperately wanted to take my mind off my cold.

I’ve got a little collection of gnomes and that was what led me to buy this book. I can’t fault the writing style – this is, after all, a book written for children. Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes was fun while it lasted and I can see why so many kids love Goosebumps.

Yesterday I picked up Practical Demonkeeping, Christopher Moore’s debut. I’m a HUGE fan of his, but had never read this one before.

Travis, a 90-year old trapped in the body of a 25-year old is stuck with an invisible demon (Catch) by his side after an accidental summoning. Seventy years later Travis has finally tracked down the one person who can help him free himself.

Wow. Just…wow. Another short book with a few pages per chapter, but definitely not what I have come to expect from Moore. I suppose a head cold has subdued my critical eye however, because I found myself going along with it. I didn’t have any feelings for the characters, but that was my intention in the first place. For once I was more than happy to play the observer as opposed to feeling like I was part of their world (& now it’s stuck in your head. You’re welcome.)

Hidden among the numerous plots and characters were moments of brilliance, however. There were a few parts that made me laugh out loud and it was a taste of Moore’s genius and what was to come.

What about you? What are you comfort reads?

review; broken

Title: Broken
Author: A.E. Rought
Pub. Date: January 8, 2013
Source: Publisher (Thank you, Strange Chemistry!)
Summary: Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating:

I wanted monsters. Instead I got an 18 year-old sex god and a deer with a limp.

Broken was hailed as a fresh, new retelling of Frankenstein. That alone was enough to command my attention. I’m a huge sucker for retellings and they’re certainly in abundance these days. That there was a Frankenstein retelling… I couldn’t pass it up.

Unfortunately Broken is a classic example of an intriguing idea with a horrible execution (something I’ve dubbed the Matthew Pearl effect). Broken is a typical YA romance – awful poetics (and the fastest case of insta-love I’ve ever seen) included.

A few short months ago Emma Gentry lost her boyfriend Daniel in a horrific accident. Since then she’s retreated into herself, sleeping in his hoodie every. single. night. and hanging out at the local cemetery where she feels his presence. Emma’s haunted by his memory and when she closes her eyes all she can see is Daniel’s broken, bloody body.

All of that changes when a new boy, Alex Franks, shows up at school. There’s something familiar about him and his mannerisms that Emma can’t quite shake. Why does he remind her so much of Daniel? Why does he call her by the nickname Daniel gave her?

Ugh. Really, that’s all I have to say. Broken was one steaming pile of meh. Emma stubbornly refuses to let go of Daniel until Alex shows up. Naturally he’s got a jawline to die for and amazing cheekbones. And don’t forget that brooding, mysterious aura! I wonder if the author has ever read Frankenstein. But of course she has! Alex has scars all over his body, guys. See how wretched and horrifying he is?? Not at all. In fact, Emma muses – multiple times – over those scars and how hot they are.

Emma is a typical girl who sits at the Theater Nerds lunch table. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why she was the sole piece of gossip. She wasn’t a popular cheerleader, but she also wasn’t a part of the out crowd. Somehow there’s a new rumor about her everyday and I just didn’t get it.

The fact that Alex’s last name is FRANKS, his father is a crazed doctor, and the high school is SHELLEY HIGH never raised an eyebrow. For an English project, Emma has to read Dracula and other classic gothic novels. If those books exist in this world, wouldn’t Frankenstein exist as well?

I could go on and on with my list of grievances: Emma only loves Alex because Daniel is a part of him, certain elements are introduced (Alex’s ex-girlfriend, for instance) only to never be discussed again, etc etc.

I’ll admit that at the very end I was interested. All the talk about memory fusion in tissue was great. Sadly, by that point, I was reading Broken just to finish. I don’t think I could have handled one more page detailing Emma’s school day – including a play-by-play of each class – or her on-going text conversations.

When all is said and done, Broken is 250 pages of overly dramatic high school days (and don’t forget the coffee shop!) with a few chapters that were relatively interesting. If you’re looking for a creepy monster tale, look elsewhere.

review; city of dark magic

Title: City of Dark Magic
Author: Magnus Flyte
Pub. Date: November, 2012
Source: Publisher
Summary:

Once a city of enormous wealth and culture, Prague was home to emperors, alchemists, astronomers, and, as it’s whispered, hell portals. When music student Sarah Weston lands a summer job at Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven’s manuscripts, she has no idea how dangerous her life is about to become. Prague is a threshold, Sarah is warned, and it is steeped in blood.

Soon after Sarah arrives, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor, who was working at the castle, may not have committed suicide after all. Could his cryptic notes be warnings? As Sarah parses his clues about Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” she manages to get arrested, to have tantric sex in a public fountain, and to discover a time-warping drug. She also catches the attention of a four-hundred-year-old dwarf, the handsome Prince Max, and a powerful U.S. senator with secrets she will do anything to hide.

Genre: Fantasy
Rating:

Prince! what you are, you are by circumstance and by birth. What I am, I am through myself. Of Princes there have and will be thousands – of Beethovens there is only one.

- Ludwig Van Beethoven

I’ll admit, going into City of Dark Magic, I was expecting a book WILDLY different than what I got. ..and, unfortunately, that’s not a good thing. On the surface it sounds like a fun fantasy novel with some historical mystery and immortal dwarfs thrown in. In reality it’s 300 pages of the main character sleeping with multiple guys (even statues aren’t out of the question) and 150 pages of actual – and even interesting – plot.

Sarah Weston is a doctoral candidate living in Boston. Her beloved professor has left for Prague where he’s helping restore a royal family’s treasures, his area of specialty being Beethoven. After his suspicious death (officially ruled a suicide) Sarah receives a strange letter with a plane ticket and a handful of money along with the promise of a well-paying job for the rest of the summer.

Beethoven is something of an obsession for Sarah and she readily accepts the invitation. It was here my interest went rapidly downhill – and this was still in the first chapter! Mere minutes after meeting her fellow colleagues (each focusing on a particular area of the collection) she not only sneaks off to the bathroom to have sex with one of them – after some fooling around in the middle of dinner – only to realize the man she slept with wasn’t who she had originally thought and it’s not until 100 or so pages later that she discovers who it really was (while she’s in the process of sleeping with him. Again.) Then there’s the previously mentioned arousal regarding statues and Sarah’s nose. The book mentions numerous times Sarah’s sense of smell is so heightened that she makes decisions based solely on it. Decisions like who she’s going to sleep with next, for example.

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t mind graphic scenes in books, but this completely went against Sarah’s character and was so over-the-top it bordered on ridiculous.

When Sarah isn’t sleeping with someone, the book attempts to weave together a few storylines including the Bad Guy (who we know is bad right from the start, so it’s really no surprise once it’s revealed) and an interesting mystery involving Beethoven and a mysterious drug.

Sarah sat down on the bed. She was living underground. Like a mole. Like a bottle of wine. Like a corpse. Like nuclear waste. Sarah tried to tell herself that a window was not an essential part of a bedroom. Bedrooms were for sleeping. And with Prague’s history of defenestrations, she should be happy there were no windows for her to be thrown out of.

The history and landmarks were beautifully described. That aspect of the story I really enjoyed. Also, there was a secret library and you can never go wrong with a secret library.

Prince Max and Sarah decide to uncover the mysteries surrounding Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved. Historians and academics believe this was a person, but Max and Sarah have other ideas. They take a ‘drug’ of sort (by eating Beethoven’s toenails – SO. DISGUSTING. WHY WHY WHY) and are sorta kinda transported to the past. They’re able to see into the past, but it’s like watching a movie: they aren’t able to interact with or touch those they see.

I was on board with this plot and was disappointed to see it didn’t go anywhere. That seemed to be the case with the majority of storylines in this book: they simply fizzled off into nothing.

Only the passionate were immortal, it seemed. If you fought, screwed, screamed, laughed, or otherwise experienced life intensely, for better or for worse, you left a record. Those who lived a quiet, well-behaved, well-tempered life? Gone without a trace.

The most interesting character in the novel was the 400-year old dwarf Nico. He was there when the drug first came into being. However, he has no idea where it or the Golden Fleece is hidden because he was knocked out by someone. Convenient. Again, his storyline is never resolved and I didn’t get to find out whether or not he found what it was he had been looking for.

It’s such a shame City of Dark Magic fell flat. I had expected so much more from it and, at times, it certainly had potential. Unfortunately a jumble of plots and a completely unlikeable main character made this book a chore rather than a delight. Also, the cutesy introduction and multiple mentions of Beethoven farting tried my patience.