FOR REVIEW
Merlin’s Blade (The Merlin Spiral #1) by Robert Treskillard
Captives (The Safe Lands #1) by Jill Williamson
Back Before Dark (Code of Silence #2) by Tim Shoemaker
The House of Journalists by Tim Finch
Outcast by Adrienne Kress
Magic Marks the Spot (The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1) by Caroline Carlson
How to Love by Katie Cotugno
The Whatnot (The Peculiar #2) by Stefan Bachmann

FROM THE LIBRARY
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce
A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle #1) by Ursula K. Le Guin

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The End Games by T. Michael Martin 4 stars

That’s the work of a fantastic writing, Mr. Martin: making me so deeply engrossed that I feel as though I’m the one being chased. I loved it.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau 2 stars

In my eyes, The Testing is The Hunger Games meets Divergent meets Battle Royale. In the worst way possible.

Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer 4.5 stars

It’s no secret that I love this series. And by love, I mean flaily arms, keysmashes, and more exclamation points than WordPress can handle.

Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin 4 stars

Every character felt raw and open and real.

Rebel Spirits by Lois Ruby 3.5 stars

Allow me to fly my bias flag: if a book deals with any of the battles (particularly Gettysburg), you can bet I’ll be reading it.

At the same time, she can’t help falling for Nathaniel, just as he is falling for her.
Genre: YA, Mystery
Rating:

Sixteen-year old (almost seventeen, thank you very much) Lori Chase has just made the move from a swanky hotel in Philadelphia to history-obsessed Gettsyburg, PA. Her brother is stationed in Ghana and her parents thought it would be fun to renovate a Bed & Breakfast. Once July rolls around, business is booming: spectators and reenactors alike flock to the town for the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. For three days 1863 is alive and well: the townsfolk are decked out in giant hoop-skirts and Union blues and replica rifles send the scent of gunpowder into the air.

Lori is less than enthused with her new home – until the night she captures a ghost on film. A Skype session with her brother must have been all-too tempting for the young soldier, for an image appeared on the screen. Lori wasn’t alone in her bedroom. After a few more encounters with the boy, Lori learns his name is Nathaniel Pierce. He grew up in Punxsutawney and enlisted as a member of the 93rd Pennsylvania regiment when he was nineteen. He shocks Lori by sharing with her the true nature of his death: it wasn’t the battle that killed him. He’s convinced he was murdered and needs her help solving the mystery. Unfortunately, he only has three days – once July 3 comes, the reenactors will pack their things and Nathaniel will depart as well.

Okay, guys. It’s SO not a secret that the Civil War holds a special place in my heart. I’ve gone to Gettysburg multiple times – yay for only living a few hours away! – so right off the bat this book and I got along well. Allow me to fly my bias flag: if a book deals with any of the battles (particularly Gettysburg), you can bet I’ll be reading it. It’s one of my things. A YA dealing with a Civil War soldier and his suspicious death? SIGN ME UP!

When I read, I’m constantly doing research or googling certain figures/events/paintings/what have you. In Rebel Spirits a great deal of the novel was devoted to the Kalunga Line, something I had never heard of before! Basically, it comes from certain religions in the Congo and refers to a ‘line’ stretching across the Atlantic Ocean that was the path between the world of the living and that of the dead. I’m all about stuff like this and absolutely loved its inclusion in the book.

As for the characters, there were quite a few, but they were fun and well-developed. Lori’s parents are ever present and that was a refreshing change from the usual absentee parenting typically found in YA. Nathaniel was a sweetheart, but I just couldn’t get into the romance aspect. Over the course of three days the two only met a handful of times for a few minutes at most. Yet somehow they fell in love. Sorry, but no. It was cute when Lori tried to explain modern technology and I easily could have accepted a friendship, but more…? I’ll admit I delighted in Lori’s dad calling her out on her insta-love!

Any reader of historical fiction knows research can make or break a novel. There were a few things Nathaniel didn’t know about that would have existed during his day. Punxsutawney Phil/Groundhog Day as we know it didn’t officially begin until the 1880s, yet it’s origins go back to Celtic tribes and Germany’s Candlemas Day. I suppose that could be splitting hairs, since Groundhog Day wasn’t a part of American tradition until German settlers came over in the 1880s, but it’s certainly been around for quite some time. Anything thing unknown to Nathaniel was the word cahoots. Unfortunately, a quick google search shows this word first entered the English language in the 1820s – 40 years before Nathaniel’s death.

Apart from a few tiny issues, I had a lot of fun with Rebel Spirits. I’d say the mystery was more Middle Grade in nature – it’s pretty obvious from the start who the bad guys were – but I was able to overlook it and go with the story. If you enjoy Civil War settings, or want a fun story to entertain you for an afternoon, pick up a copy of Rebel Spirits.

But the Walkers have a secret. Max was born with forty-six XX chromosomes and forty-six XY chromosomes, which makes him intersex. He identifies as a boy and so has been raised lovingly that way. When an enigmatic childhood friend named Hunter steps out of Max’s past and abuses his trust in the worst possible way, Max is forced to consider the nature of his well-kept secret. Why won’t his parents talk about it? Will his friends accept him if he is no longer the Golden Boy? Who is Max and who will he be in the years ahead?
Genre: Contemporary, Adult
Rating:

When I was little the doctors called me a hermaphrodite. It’s got a lot of stigma, but as a word on its own I like it better. It’s a thing. It’s not between things. It’s an ancient Greek word. It makes me sound old, like we were always around. I like that.

The Walkers are a perfect family. Steve and Karen are both highly successful in their fields, 15-year old Max is a straight-A student who would never dream of talking back to his parents or getting into fights, and 10-year old Daniel is perfect in that he isn’t perfect. On the outside, the Walkers have it all; they’re media darlings and everyone in town knows their names. Behind closed doors, however, the Walkers are hiding a secret.

Max Walker is the star of the football team. All the girls flock to him and he’s just a few tests away from the top schools. No one would assume Max is anything other than a normal teenage boy. Sure he’s a bit smaller than the other boys in his class, but his two best friends only just recently started shaving, and football has done wonders for Max’s muscles. He goes on dates with girls and leads a normal life.

Max’s secret never bothered him; it was who he was. After one of his closest friends does the unthinkable, however, Max suddenly becomes well aware of just how different he is. Max isn’t like the other boys – Max is intersex. He has both male and female organs. Until now, he’s managed to keep it hidden from the world; his dates with girls never went farther than kissing and while it’s not what Max wants, it’s worked so far. He’s earned a reputation at school as being a Love-Them-And-Leave-Them type and he does nothing to refute the claims.

With Hunter’s betrayal, Max is left in a whirlwind of questions, confusion, and anger. His father’s recent campaign announcement only adds to his distress. The Walkers are supposed to be the perfect family; how could they possibly explain their son’s pregnancy?

You hear about things going wrong during a birth, but when you’re pregnant and in labor, you never think it will happen to you. No one thinks theirs will be the baby with the problem. And then it was my baby, and it made me worry all the more acutely for the rest of his life, because I had been right to worry at the birth, because when it had been time to give birth, to do the most important thing I could do for Max, something had gone wrong.

Oh, wow. WOW. Guys, I was so not prepared for Golden Boy. I’m always up for a good – and tough! – read, but I wasn’t expecting this. That’s definitely not a bad thing though; the author tackled an extremely sensitive subject and I thought she did a fantastic job. Also: SHE’S ONLY A YEAR OLDER THAN ME WHAT.

I don’t get squeamish while reading and I rarely cringe at descriptions, so be warned: within the first few pages there is a VERY graphic rape scene. That alone could be enough to turn away many readers. Other triggers of note: attempted suicide, drug abuse, and abortions. So, yes, decidedly not a sunny day, sitting-on-the-porch kind of read. Despite this, however, I found myself absolutely captivated.

Hunter’s betrayal was one I had not seen coming. I took the summary to mean he leaked information to the media, not that he would rape Max and get him pregnant! Max and Hunter grew up together, their parents were best friends. The boys considered themselves cousins in a way. For Hunter to do such a horrible thing to Max was appalling. He took advantage of Max and his trust and left Max a shell of a boy. This happens very early on in Golden Boy and the novel is spent with Max – and his family – dealing with the repercussions.

Golden Boy alternates between a number of perspectives. We see the events through the eyes of Max, his parents, his brother, his doctor, and his girlfriend. Each one had a distinct voice and felt authentic. Max is understandably terrified and ashamed, his brother is worried and angry. Sylvie doesn’t know why Max’s moods have changed so abruptly or why he’s avoiding her. Karen blames herself for her son’s ‘illness’ and tries to make it go away. Every character felt raw and open and real.

Golden Boy is definitely not a book for everyone, but I greatly enjoyed it. It was tough and thought-provoking and powerful. I have a feeling both the characters and issues the story raised will stick with me for months to come. If you’re looking to step outside your comfort zone, Golden Boy is worth a read.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust.
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Rating:

“Brotherhood,” he said. “Welcome to the family.”

Spirit takes over where Spark left off and this time, it’s the tatted & pierced bad boy Hunter Garrity who’s the focus. The Merrick boys aren’t quite sure where they stand with Hunter: is a friendship forming or is he just using them for information? And, to be honest, Hunter isn’t quite so sure of himself either.

Life isn’t fun and games for Hunter. His dad’s death caused the already tense relationship he had with his mother to become even more sensitive. She spends her days crying and Hunter can’t stand it. Moving in with his grandparents only made matters worse – he can’t do anything right in the eyes of his grandfather. Things come to a head one night and Hunter is thrown out. The most painful part is that his mother stood there watching and allowed it to happen.

Now homeless, Hunter sleeps in his car and spends the last of his money on sandwiches for his dog. When he’s turned down for a job at the local Home Depot, he’s desperate and considers swiping some $20s he saw in the register. It’s only when Michael Merrick shows up and offers him some work for the afternoon that Hunter regains his cool. Barely. After Michael all but forces Hunter’s story out, he not only provides Hunter with a way to make some money, but also a place to stay. Unfortunately, the other Merrick boys aren’t as hospitable.

“You know I’ve got three younger brothers, right?”
Hunter frowned. “What?”
“It means I’ve got a pretty finely tuned bullshit detector.”

It’s no secret that I love this series. And by love, I mean flaily arms, keysmashes, and more exclamation points than WordPress can handle. Elemental is such a great series and the boys are fantastic. I shared this story in my review of the first book, Storm, but I hadn’t even planned on reading this series. Yes, people were going crazy over it, but I’ve given in to hype in the past only to be horribly letdown. That, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the cover (since then, the first cover & the ones that followed have grown on me ♥). We had a copy in at work and I decided to see what was so great about it. Imagine my surprise when I not only enjoyed it, but fell head-over-heels in love with it!

Here we are on book three. This time around it’s Hunter who’s the star instead of a Merrick boy. While the previous two books were very action-packed, this one is far more character driven. Don’t get me wrong: there’s definitely some action (of multiple varieties~), but Spirit is about Hunter and how he comes to terms with himself, his family, and life in general.

Just as in the other books, the other characters still play fairly large roles. The Merrick clan is back and Michael’s Mama Bear mode is in full-force. (Side note, Michael’s getting his own book and I. Can’t. Wait. He’s hands-down my favorite Merrick and I’m super excited for a full-length story!!) Also, as in the other books, new characters are introduced and I have to admit this group wasn’t my favorite. Silver is SERIOUS BUSINESS and trigger-happy. Kate had her moments and the way her story concluded left me shocked. Gutsy move, Ms. Kemmerer. A lesser author would have hesitated.

The next book in the series is Nick’s and Spirit ended with enough going on that I hope we jump back into the action. Naturally I’ll be all over it once it’s out and I’m pretty pumped. These books go fast – we’re three books in and only SIX WEEKS have passed since the start of the first book. I’ve lost count the number of people I’ve forced to read this series recc’d these books to. They’re that good.

If you haven’t yet seen the light read the first two novels, now’s the perfect time. They’re a little on the longer side, but are SO quick and easy that you can get through a book in one sitting. Also, there’s a readalong going on now, so there you go!

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.
Genre: YA, Dystopia
Rating:

“Well maybe that’s what the whole test is really about. Leaders are forced to kill all the time. Then they have to learn to live with the decisions they make. Just like I’m going to learn to live with mine.”

After a devastating war nearly wiped out the entire population, those left are struggling to pick up the pieces. New colonies are sprouting up in the ruined husks of once-thriving cities. Both food and water are scarce, but civilization has pressed on and remain hopeful for their future.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one already.

Malencia – Cia – Vale has reached Graduation Day, the day when she’ll be recognized as an adult in the eyes of her colony. Unfortunately for Cia, the day is not as joyful as she had hoped. After years of her colony being passed over for Testing candidates, four children are chosen and Cia is one of them. Those chosen for the Testing are required to undergo multiple tests and not everyone reaches the end. Not everyone survives. Those who do pass are then able to attend the University and learn skills to better their society.

Cia knows there’s a possibility she’ll never see her family again. What was originally an exciting affair is now solemn and filled with unsaid thoughts. Before she leaves, Cia’s father shares his own Testing experience – and it’s not what Cia wants to hear. Her father sometimes has flashbacks, wiped memories have been resurfacing. Cia is warned not to trust anyone, but will she follow that advice?

The Testing was hailed as the next Hunger Games – a title nearly every new dystopia series has held at one point or another. In my eyes, The Testing is The Hunger Games meets Divergent meets Battle Royale. In the worst way possible.

The book reads as though the author (who has written a few adult mysteries before trying her hand at YA) compiled every dystopia trope into story form. Threadbare backstory about a terrible (& unexplained) war: CHECK. Colony in Chicago: CHECK. No food sources or clean water, but still able to have things like cake: CHECK. Big Brother-type organization/government: CHECK. A select few chosen to compete in a series of tests/battles to determine who’s fit to move up in the world: CHECK. A childhood friend who’s possibly more: CHECK. A bad guy who is more than he seems: CHECK. A good guy who isn’t everything he seems: CHECK. I could go on.

The most frustrating part of the book surprisingly wasn’t the over-abundance of tropes. Instead, it was the utter lack of explanation. Why were these kids going through these tests? What was the point? These are supposed to be the best and brightest students in the colonies, yet the government aims to pit them against one another, provide them with weapons, and sit back while they kill each other. How does that further society? It seemed to me Cia’s colony was doing just fine without any Testing candidates for those years.

Once the Testing begins, the book read like the worst parts of Harry Potter‘s camping scenes: Cia and Tomas are wandering around catching fish and rabbits, eating berries, cleaning and dressing their wounds. Repeat ad nauseam for the next two hundred pages. Occasionally there’s a mutant creature/human (the aftereffects of the War) and a few times the pair crosses paths with another candidate. There are also groups of people living outside the borders, people who refuse to live by the government’s rules. Again, I’ve read this same story way too many times now.

The author did very little – if anything – to bring a new aspect to an overwritten genre. The killing and brutality these children partake in is accepted because their memories are wiped at the end of the Testing. SO IT’S OKAY GUYS, SEE!

The Testing was one eyeroll after the next. The only interesting part was at the very end – and I mean the very end. In the last two or so paragraphs Cia discovers a recording she made before her memories were wiped. Suddenly she realizes what she went through and who she shouldn’t trust. And there the book ends. I really ought to learn my lesson by now – Dystopia as a genre just isn’t for me. The Testing only confirmed that.

Die-hard fans of the genre and those looking for a family (extremely!) story will most likely enjoy The Testing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. There were too many questions left unanswered and plot points left unexplained.

And the brothers will never be the same.
Genre: YA, Horror
Rating:

Twenty-two days since Halloween. Twenty-two days since Michael followed the Game Master’s Instructions and carried Patrick through a door into the night and saw their first Bellow. Twenty-two days since that moment, since the world seemed to end, but then instantaneously resurrected, to a frightening and beautiful life.

Michael’s world changed Halloween night. His original plan had been to take his younger brother and run away from their abusive stepfather. Unfortunately for Michael, life doesn’t always go according to plan. Halloween night brought monsters, monsters unlike anything Michael had ever seen before.

Following the instructions he received from the Game Master, Michael led Patrick into the forests of West Virginia, deeper and deeper into the wilderness and into the world of the Bellows.

Fifty feet away, he could just make out the creature: staggering, hitching wild legs through the woods. Its limbs hung at impossible angles, a dozen times shattered. Its clothes were stripes of rot. What skin still cling to the skeleton was in some spots the color of mushrooms and in others that of wax and mostly it was as pale as the bones that jutted through it.

The boys have one goal in mind: reach the Safe Zone. Not only will they be among the living again, but they’ll be able to be reunited with their mother (assuming, of course, she managed to get to a Safe Zone). Along the way Michael and Patrick meet up with a small group of survivors and it’s with them they they learn not only what caused the outbreak, but that there is also a cure. Everything rests with the Safe Zone.

First things first: I’m not a zombie fan. Sure, The Walking Dead is fun and a few years ago I fell in love with Raising Stony Mayhall, but apart from that, I just don’t care about the undead. Zombies are still riding high at the moment however, and I always like to come out of my comfort zone every so often.

You know what? I liked The End Games. I really liked The End Games. Those Bellows are how I expect zombies to look and act; they shambled along in such a quiet, terrifying way that my breath caught multiple times. That’s the work of a fantastic writing, Mr. Martin: making me so deeply engrossed that I feel as though I’m the one being chased. I loved it.

I’ve mentioned time and time again that I live in Pittsburgh & this story really hit home for me. Literally. I’m less than an hour away from the West Virginia border and could easily picture myself in Michael’s & Patrick’s shoes.

“No, no, I totally get it,” she said. “You worked the whole time to get to the ‘the Safe Zone,’ but it lacks ‘the Safe,’ so if that didn’t work, then what will, right? What we’ve got on our hands is one highly unreliable apocalypse. A hundred years of post-Armaggedon narratives! And the world ends without the courtesy of a sale place to go to.”

The reveal with the Game Master and his true identity broke my heart for Patrick and made me love Michael even more. Everything he has done has been for this little 5-year old boy who he loves more than anything. These two boys felt so real to me: they fight and argue, but would die for each other. Even with the world falling to pieces, Michael is still a teenage boy and gets shy around a pretty girl. Patrick might put up a good front, but he’s still a picky eater and wants his mother when he’s too scared to go on.

There is a romance and, personally, I could have done without it. It felt a bit tacked on as an afterthought, an attempt to draw in romance fans. On the plus side, it wasn’t a love triangle.

As a standalone, I felt The End Games was really well done and enjoyed it quite a bit. I can see both long-time zombie fans and those new to the genre having a good time with this novel. That the author used his own name and his brother’s name for the two main characters feels a bit Mary Sue-ish (or Gary Stu, if you will), but I can easily look past that. As a debut novel, The End Games was great and has me interested in what Martin comes up with next.

Mr. Lynch’s Holiday by Catherine O’Flynn
You know I love me some adult fiction & this one sounds like it has the potential to be heartbreaking – in a good way. A father and son reconnect, ex-pats, goat hunting, Spain, & Ireland. :) Sounds like a good time to me! O’Flynn’s most recent work, The News Where You Are has been on my To Read list for ages & has received a ton of praise, so I expect good things from this new book!
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
I’m normally not into coming-of-age stories (they tend to be overy sappy), but this one sounds great. A perfect family (two athletic, intelligent, popular sons; a criminal lawyer mother; a father with his eye on Parliament) is hiding a not-so-perfect secret. With the family now in the media’s spotlight, a childhood friend steps forward and betrays Max. This one sounds fantastic and it’s told through multiple perspectives which will be interesting.
Rebel Spirits by Lois Ruby
A Civil War ghost story? Yes, yes, & yes.
The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke
A ten-year old boy with a 9000-year old demon for a best friend. A suicidal mother has left him seeing a psychiatrist and she questions his ability to see demons – she’s dealt with this before in her daughter and wonders if this demon isn’t something more.
Cherry Money Baby by John M. Cusick
Hollywood glitz meets small-town life. I love ~when two worlds collide~ stories.
Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones
One of my obsessions is the golden age of the Circus: turn of the century sideshow acts. Wild Boy is a Middle Grade murder mystery set in Victorian London with a main character who was most likely based on Stephan Bibrowski (a fascinating man in his own right!).
The Extra by Kathryn Lasky
This book hits home for me and depending on how it goes, could wind up being extremely difficult for me to read. A family is rounded up by Nazis and the MC’s way of escaping a concentration camp is by becomming an extra in a film directed by Leni Riefenstahl.
Fallout by Todd Strasser
What is it with me and difficult books? Fallout takes place in 1962 when the threat of nuclear war was on everyone’s lips. Scott’s dad built a bomb shelter for the family and stocked it with enough food and supplies to last them two weeks. One October night, the neighbors – the same neighbors who had originally scoffed at the shelter – force their way in before Scott’s dad can lock the doors. There’s not enough food, not enough room, and not enough air. I cannot wait to start this one!

April was a pretty great month for books! Out of the nine books I read, five were 4-stars or higher, three were 3-stars, and only one was a dud.

REVIEWS
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 4.5 stars

Life After Life is not a lazy Sunday read. Though there are many witty and humorous scenes, this is not a fluffy, easy-going novel. After closing the book, I sat still, very much overwhelmed, and let the full weight of the story wash over me. As I watched each layer slowly unfold I was hit by the realization of just how deep this novel reached. Every little detail has a purpose, every single decision was made for a reason and carried a particular consequence.

My Beloved Brontosaurus by Brian Switek 3.5 stars

Despite an abundance of scientific info and terminology, Switek has the ability to write in a way that I never felt lost or confused. I didn’t feel in over my head and I’m sure that aspect alone will appeal to many people.

Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer 3 stars

Personally, I’m glad that Adam’s around now – especially if it means Quinn won’t be around much longer.

Infestation by Timothy J. Breadley 3 stars

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a fun, easy read. Infestation was just the book I was looking for. To me, this was Goosebumps-lite.

The Menagerie by Tui T. & Kari Sutherland 4 stars

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.

Taken by Erin Bowman 2 stars

I could rant about this book until I’m blue in the face, but I’ll leave you with this: don’t waste your time with Taken. Go find a copy of The Village and waste two hours with that movie instead.

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis 4 stars

Kat is the kind of girl I would have loved to be at 12 and would have loved to be friends with.

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty 4 stars

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 Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand 4.5 stars

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls reminds me of dark, gothic stories I enjoyed enormously as a child. It’s delightfully creepy and the sinister feel didn’t let up once. Interspersed throughout the chapters are gorgeous full-page illustrations and every so often there are smaller illustrations of bugs. Ha, more than once I forgot they were just drawings and nearly threw the book across the room. That those drawings kept me on edge while reading only added to the overall feel of the novel and worked in its favor.

FEATURES
History 101: Papa Hemingway’s not-so-heroic WWII feats

Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Historical Fiction
Rating:

I who had never been haunted, who had been skeptical of visitations, suddenly accepted all possibilities. Or as a priest would say, in that moment, I allowed the devil into my life.
But the priest would be wrong. I did more than allow him in. I gave the devil a warm hearth and a hospitable place to rest for as long as he wanted one. I gave him access to my very soul.

Prior to receiving Seduction, I was unaware it was the fifth book in a series. While I was able to follow along with little difficulty, I feel I would have understood much more had I read the other books first. Also, from the summary I had expected a book along the lines of Katherine Howe’s The House of Velvet and Glass (read my 5-star review here!). THoVaG deals with seances and reconnecting with loved ones who drowned during Titanic’s sinking. It was one of my top picks of 2012 and Sedeuction sounded as though it was going to have a similar feel. Also: Victor Hugo!

Unfortunately I got another City of Dark Magic (read my 3-star review here) – strange obsession with noses and smells included!

Jac L’Etoile comes from a line of French perfumers. She also comes from a family with a firm belief in reincarnation – and that certain smells could evoke memories of past lives. After discovering her mother’s corpse when she was fourteen, Jac was sent to a very New Age-y school where she met a boy named Theo. Over time the two came to be close until the night of Jac’s accident. When she came to, she had no memories of the event and no explanation as to why Theo was sent away.

Seventeen years later she’s reunited with Theo after receiving a letter about the discovering of a possible Druid site. Again the better judgment of those around her, Jac accepts Theo’s invitation and heads for the UK where she will not only put her mythological studies to use, but finally find some answers.

150 years earlier, Victor Hugo walked along the beaches in exile. After the devastating loss of his daughter, he partakes in a seance – hoping to communicate with his daughter – and falls into obsession. He’s received messages from a number of spirits, but one night a mysterious Shadow of the Sepulcher comes through and his offer to restore Victor’s daughter is too tempting to ignore.

Seduction. Where to begin? I think this is a case of each individual part being great, but the combined whole is lackluster. The main components of this novel: reincarnation, Druids, Victor Hugo, seances, these are completely suited to my interests. This should be a good I can’t put down. Sadly, it just didn’t work for me and I struggled to finish. More than once I was tempted to set it down once and for all, but I kept going, hoping there would be that AH-HA! moment when everything would come together and suck me in.

I don’t know if it’s because I hadn’t read the previous books in the series. Perhaps if I had I would have come to better understand and care about these characters and what they’re doing. Instead I’m left with nearly 400 pages of so. much. telling. and confusing decisions. One thing the book had going for it was its dual narrative. I love me some dual narration. Late in the novel a third storyline was introduced – this one taking place millennia ago and focused on a Druid priest and his family. Interesting, yes, but it came far too late in the book to have much of an impression.

It was no surprise Jac’s hallucinations were actually past life memories, but when it was revealed they weren’t her memories, I had to roll my eyes. The novel had been steadily declining and that scene was where I had had enough. It was a struggle to continue, but continue I did and when I finally finished it was as though a weight had been lifted. The strange love-square-that-went-nowhere frustrated me as well.

In the end, Seduction didn’t turn out to be the novel I had hoped. It appears I’m in the minority though, as it’s been receiving quite a bit of praise. I had been curious about this series for a while and even had the books on my To Read list. Sadly, I’ll be removing them and won’t be reading anymore of this series.

If anyone can sort this out, it’s Victoria—even if it means getting a little messy.
Genre: YA, Horror
Rating:

“We don’t run indoors. We don’t disobey our elders. We don’t speak too loudly. Sometimes we don’t even speak at all, hmm? Sometimes children shouldn’t say a word.”

Victoria Wright is the best at everything she does. She wakes up at precisely the same time every single day, she expects her school uniform to be pressed just so, and all of her desk accessories are in clearly labelled boxes. Her parents brag about her to their friends – who certainly don’t have children nearly as perfect as Victoria – and when her teachers assign 5-page papers she hands in 10.

Then came the day Victoria never dreamed would happen: she received a B in Music.

She had been too angry and ashamed in her less-than-perfect grade to notice the disappearance of her best friend Lawrence. Lawrence, who constantly needed reminders to comb his hair or tuck in his shirt. Lawrence, who loved his piano above all else – despite his parents’ wishes to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in dental care. Lawrence, who might be a fairly average student, but would certainly never receive a B in Music.

All her life, Victoria had never been one for tears. When people cried, it made her uncomfortable. People who cried couldn’t handle their lives, and Victoria could always handle everything. Plus, crying messed up your face. It was disorderly and inconvenient.

When Victoria finally does realize Lawrence is missing, she immediately heads to his house to find out where he went. His parents casually mention a sick grandmother, but Victoria can’t help but notice something is…off: their smiles are a little too wide, their eyes a little too bright. The more people Victoria runs into, the more she notices things aren’t quite right. While her own mother is no stranger to skin creams and products, her neighbors are starting to look less like humans and more waxy and shiny.

Also, she can’t help but notice the sudden swarm of bugs popping up all over town.

Victoria’s investigation eventually leads her to the largest house in town: the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls. Until now, Victoria never had a need to visit the orphanage and avoided it at all costs (who knows what kind of filth and germs those children would have!), but with time running out – and more missing children – Victoria will stop at nothing to bring Lawrence back.

“I must have imagined it,” she told herself, slipping into her bed and shutting her eyes tight. “I imagined it, I imagined it. Houses don’t move like that. Houses aren’t alive.”

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is a book that had been on my radar for a while now, but it wasn’t until I received an ARC of Legrand’s The Year of Shadows (out this August), that I made the decision to move Cavendish up a few spots on my list.

Spring has finally graced Pittsburgh and that means rain. Rain and gloomy, dark days. I can’t think of a better atmosphere for a novel like this. I curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a blanket and devoured this book in a sitting. Initially I had my doubts about Victoria. She was the quintessential definition of a snob, yet this was the main character! How on earth was I going to spend 300+ pages with her and her incessant quibbling over incorrectly ironed pleats?

Imagine my absolute shock when I realized I really liked Victoria! Her need for perfection would have been intolerable in anyone else, but with her, it was adorable. Her quirks came off as amusing rather than grating, and her no-nonsense attitude helped move the story along at a wonderful pace. The story doesn’t really come alive until Victoria winds up in the Cavendish Home, but once she does, the book takes off beautifully.

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls reminds me of dark, gothic stories I enjoyed enormously as a child. It’s delightfully creepy and the sinister feel didn’t let up once. Interspersed throughout the chapters are gorgeous full-page illustrations and every so often there are smaller illustrations of bugs. Ha, more than once I forgot they were just drawings and nearly threw the book across the room. That those drawings kept me on edge while reading only added to the overall feel of the novel and worked in its favor.

Though this is most definitely YA, there were a few moments that surprised me – unbeknownst to the children, they were partaking in cannibalism. These instances did nothing to hinder my enjoyment of the book, however.

Having one Legrand novel under my belt, I cannot wait to read The Year of Shadows! If you’re in the mood for a dark tale, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is for you!

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
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“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!