Sunday, November 28, 2010

Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death (Scarlett Wakefield, #4)Kiss of Death by Lauren Henderson


I love the previous three books in this series, and I'm eager to read this one, too. It'll be released May 10, 2011--just under six months from now.

Isn't that cover lovely? Each of the books in this series has a fantastic cover, usually combining extreme close ups with high attention to detail and a loss of focus in other parts of the image. While I'm not fond of the fact that the girl's face is obscured by her hair in this image, I love the use of flower petals in her hair on the surface below her.





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Review: The Battle Sylph


The Battle SylphThe Battle Sylph by L.J. McDonald

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I downloaded this book for free through Barnes & Noble's Free Book Fridays promotion.

Once again, the editors in charge of the free books have outdone themselves. They've consistently managed to recommend books that are not major bestsellers but are still intriguing nonetheless. I enjoyed this book greatly, and while the general content was only worthy of three stars, the sheer originality of the worldbuilding took it up to four stars, easily.

In this world, men are allowed to create a bond with sylphs. These sylphs are beings from another dimension, almost like elemental spirits. Different kingdoms have different rules about who can bond with a sylph--in some, the king doles out the bonds, and in others, even middle class families can have a sylph. Only the priests know how the summon sylphs, so even in the least restrictive kingdoms, there are still gatekeepers that decide who can have a sylph and who cannot. Most sylphs have the power to manipulate one element--air, earth, fire, water. However, there is another class of sylphs--the battle sylphs. These are given only to the king's most trusted men, whether they're nobles, commoners, or soldiers. To summon a battle sylph is not easy, and it requires the death of a virgin female.

Solie decides to run away from her family after her father arranges a marriage for her with someone three times her age. However, before she can find refuge with her beloved aunt, Solie is kidnapped by soldiers and taken to the castle to be a sacrifice for the battle sylph. Something goes wrong in the summoning, though, and the sylph bonds with Solie rather than the young prince. A bond like this has never been heard of before, and Solie and the sylph find themselves hunted outlaws.

Their bond is the stuff that can destroy whole worlds . . . or make a new one.

The relationship between Solie and her sylph was a little too unbelievable for me. The novel walks a fine line between fantasy and some kind of romance/captivity/empowerment story. The fact that McDonald is still able to tell a coherent story while walking that line is remarkable. I don't know if I'll read the second book in this series or not. However, I am very glad that I downloaded this one. It was the perfect light read when I wanted to destress.



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Friday, November 26, 2010

Review: Magic Under Glass


Magic Under Glass (Magic Under, #1)Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The premise of this book was quite promising, and Dolamore's writing was very good. However, I found myself deeply frustrated because the story lacked depth. Events moved too quickly--there was no building sense of dread, and I found myself unable to suspend my disbelief long enough to accept that the relationships among the characters developed as quickly as they did.



There are some similarities here to Jane Eyre, but I think Dolamore missed the long-building, slow burning, but incredibly intense relationships of that novel. Everything here moves so quickly that I cannot accept that characters would be willing to sacrifice so much for someone so unknown.



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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Review: The Help


The HelpThe Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've seen this book around for some time, and it always vaguely drew my attention. However, I didn't really want to invest the time reading it; I'm working on a dissertation, and a big book like this one eats a lot of time. Further, this book is popular, and I'm always leary of books that make as big a splash as this one did.



However, a few of my friends gave it positive reviews, and that made me curious. Then, Julie gave the audiobook a fabulous review, and I knew what I had to do. I had to get the audiobook and listen to it on my Ridiculous Commute (1.5 hours each way, twice a week).



Listening to this book left me with one clear response: I wish my mom could read it. She passed away 20 years ago, and I know that she would have loved this book. She grew up in Detroit, and graduated from Cody High School in 1966. The Jackson, Mississippi of this book is a world away from the Detroit my mother knew (for instance, my mom was not in any kind of Ladie's League--that was far outside her social class), but she would have still recognized this world. She spent much of my childhood teaching my sister and I to reject racism. Having lived through the 1967 Detroit riots, she knew just how terrible things could be, and she wanted my sister and to be a part of making a better future.



Unsurprisingly, I think that's what the major struggle of this book is: characters seeking to make a new future. Skeeter Phelan is a recent college graduate, and she's returned home, unmarried, to discover that there's no real place for a woman like her in Jackson. All of her friends dropped out after getting their "MRS," and Skeeter's mother wants her to get a job primarily to find a husband. Getting a job for the sake of actually working is outside of anyone's experience. The only job Skeeter can find is writing "Miss Myrna" columns for the local paper--a cleaning and marriage advice column. With no experience in either topic, Skeeter asks her friend Elizabeth if she could talk to Elizabeth's maid, Aibilean, to get answers for these letters. Reluctantly, Elizabeth agrees, and this breakdown of the social barriers between Skeeter and Aibilean will lead to a friendship and to the book itself.



Jackson in 1963 is a city on the cusp of change, and everyone can feel it. Some people, like Hilly Hollbrook, try to resist the change. In additon to publicly segregated bathrooms, she's trying to get all of the local families with "help" to install a separate bathroom for their Afrian American employees. Murmurs of change from outside Jackson arrive throughthe TV every night. And Medger Evers is killed outside his home in Jackson.



Writing a book of interviews with household help is a dangerous task in Jackson at this time. Skeeter knows this, but she doesn't really understand the risk. All of the woman that work with her do understand, but all of them take this risk. They know that they have a chance to speak, finally, and the words must be said.



I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is beautiful and terrifying, heartwarming and chilling. It is the kind of book that reminds us not only how ugly humans can be but how amazing as well. It's a book that understand that sometimes changing the future is as simple as telling a child "You is good. You is kind. You is special." It is one of the best books I've read in a very long time.





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Monday, November 22, 2010

Review: Heat Wave


Heat Wave (Nikki Heat, #1)Heat Wave by Richard Castle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was initially hesitant to read this book because it seemed too gimmicky. However, after my husband bought it at a garage sale a week ago, I gave it a spin.

For the most part, this is an entertaining book. It's extremely lightweight--both in length and in any kind of graphic detail. In many ways, the book read like an episode of Castle, although since it's supposedly written by Castle himself, it also read like a wish-fulfillment of his. To be honest, I didn't mind that part of the book. It was fun to see Beckett through Castle's eyes, see the way he lumps the other detectives together into "Roach," see him cast as being moderately heroic.

The parts that got to me were the tie-ins to the Disney/ABC empire. At various points, the book references the movie Up, the TV show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Diane Sawyer. Every allusion is to a Disney/ABC product. Admittedly, this is a tie-in to an ABC show. And Disney owns the publisher, Hyperion. But it was a little much.

I know that this is not the first time a television show has launched a real-world spin-off like this. I can remember when an actress on Days of Our Lives recorded a duet called "Friends and Lovers in the 80s. In the real world, the song was released under her real name, but in the show, it was released by her character. The song actually charted for little while. More recently, at least two other soap operas have tried to release books--one by "Kendall" of All My Children. So far as a I know, despite initial success, those other tie-ins have pretty much always proven to be failures. Part of their problem is the inherent suspension of disbelief it takes to imagine these preexisting characters recast as successful artists (whether that is as a musician or writer). Also, the TV shows have, by and large, not been willing to continue the story line of character-as-artist. While it may be fun for Kendall to become a novelist in the short term, the TV show will not allow that to become her life's vocation.

Unlike those other shows, the concept of Castle is centered around a writer and his relationships in the "real world" of the TV show and how those relationships inform his fiction. So long as the TV show is on the air, I can easily see this book series continuing in popularity. Instead of a tie-in, or a gimmick, as I've called it above, it seems more like a companion. That's probably because this novel is actually fairly well-written. Personally, I'd like to see the book series develop further and tell more involved stories than what might appear on the TV show. I do think that this book was good enough that I will likely keep up with the books.

However, I'd really like to see an end to the Disney advertising.



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Review: Hearts At Stake


Hearts At Stake (The Drake Chronicles #1)Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


A reasonably entertaining first entry in a new paranormal series. The characters, Solange, Lucy, Nicholas, and Kieran, are fairly well drawn. The book moves swiftly and has a fairly action-packed plot.



While I have no serious complaints with this book, it wasn't my "cuppa," as we used to say at Readerville. I have very high standards for the YA fiction that I enjoy. Most of the time, being merely entertaining is not quite enough. I want my books to have something great about them--a fantastic mythology (this one was decent, but not amazing), excellent writing (as with Becca Fitzpatrick's books, fun characters (The Morganville Vampires), or a wonderful setting (the Gothic South of Beautiful Creatures).



I'm sure that a number of readers will enjoy this book. I did, too. But I didn't enjoy it enough to keep going with the series.



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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Review: Slayed


SlayedSlayed by Amanda Marrone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I would love to know if Amanda Marrone's books take place within the same world. So far, there have been no cross-over characters that I can find, but each of the books seems to live in the same world with similar rules.

Daphne Van Helsing is much like the other heroine's in Marrone's works. She is an older teenager with parents that simply cannot hear her. Unlike Marrone's other characters, Daphne has not turned to drugs or sex in despair; she understands that she needs to stay sharp for her job. Like her parents--and generations of her family before them--she's a vampire slayer. She has no magical powers, but she does know how to wield a stake and slay a vamp. She should--she's been doing it since she was 12.

In this story, the government and policing community knows all about vampires. Whenever a town is infested, they call in slayers to take care of the problem. Witnesses are bought off; they either sign a non-disclosure statement and take the money, or they disappear. Slayers, we quickly learn, are given great leeway when it comes to raising their kids--Daphne had been homeschooled until she achieved her GED. After that point, her parents stopped caring about education and brought her in as a full slayer, even though she was still a minor.

Very quickly, they learn that things in South Bristol, Maine, are worse than they appear. Something is attacking infants, draining their life force. And there are lots and lots of vampires--far more than a small town like this one should ever see. Worse, the government has also called in another slayer family--the Harkers. Far from welcoming the extra help, Daphne's parents are furious. Her mother hates Mr. Harker, for reasons that she refuses to explain to Daphne. But that in itself is not that unusual--Mrs. Van Helsing never explains anything to her daughter and refuses to discuss the past.

To make matters still worse, in her first night on the job in South Bristol, Daphne slays a vamp in front of a witness--Kiki Crusher, daughter of the famous kiddie rock duo known as the Disco Unicorns. Kiki wants to join in the action--she's been searching for a life with meaning every since her parents kicked her out of the family band when she was five.

Nothing is normal in this town, and Daphne and Kiki will need each other to find the answers and set it right.

Amanda Marrone is one of the few authors on my must-buy list. She writes amazing teenagers. These characters are flawed and real. They struggle with who they want to be in this life that they have not chosen. They struggle to find a path without parental support. And they try to support each other as they become responsible for their own lives.

As with Marrone's other books, Slayed is a wonderful exploration of teenage life. Her books remind me of the fabulous Joss Whedon series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While Buffy had extraordinary powers, her greatest problems were always centered in how to compromise between her destiny and her need for companionship. Marrone's books walk a similarly fine line: the monsters are real, but so is each character's struggle to make decisions.

I cannot recommend these books highly enough. They're not for young teens--the drugs and sexual references may upset some parents--but they're still some of the best YA fantasy being written today.



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Friday, November 19, 2010

Remodeling

I've had this blog space for some time now, and I've neglected it horribly. If you've seen this blog in the past, you might notice that I've been making some changes. I plan to slowly continue those changes until this blog is something like what I had originally intended it to be.

Back when I was worried about the wisdom of shouting my thoughts into the ether, I allowed to this blog to be taken over by my teaching. However, I have deleted those posts and plan to revision this as a book review blog with only occasional reflections on life. Most of my book reviews will be synced with my GoodReads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/754607

However, I do plan to write material specifically for this page as well. I look forward to my new vision for this blog and the opportunity to share my thoughts with others.

Review: Jekel Loves Hyde


Jekel Loves HydeJekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side when I read it last year, and I've eagerly awaited reading Fantaskey's follow up. This book did not disappoint. In fact, it's safe to say that I was blown away.



As the novel opens, Jill Jekel is at her father's funeral. He was killed in a violent attack in a parking lot. Sadly, Jill's not receiving the sort of sympathy one would expect after having lost one's father; after his death, investigators learned that Dr. Jekel was apparently involved in illegal activities. Instead of giving sympathy, all her neighbors and classmates really want to do is gossip. As the mourners pass by, Jill is surprised to receive genuine comfort and sympathy from Tristen Hyde, the new kid from England. He tells her that he knows it will get better, and hugs her. From that no-so-casual encounter, Jill and Tristen establish a bond of sympathy and trust.



Several months later, Jill, Tristen, and Darcy Gray are invited to enter a prestigious science competition. They can work in pairs, and the teacher encourages Jill & Tristen to work together. He thinks a "Jekel and Hyde collaboration" will give them an edge at the competition.



Jill and Tristen do work together, but each has a different goal in their research. Jill needs the prize money for her education fund--apparently, one of the things her dad stole was her college money. Tristen needs the research to save him from a very dark secret that has been haunting him. As the teens start their work, they gradually become closer. Soon, their previous goals will no longer matter, and the only thing they'll want to save is each other.



This is a quick read, with chapters from both Jill and Tristen's point of view. Rather than feel contrived, the changing viewpoint allows for a deeper understanding of the events. In Jessica's Guide, the alternating POV was played for humor (most of the time). That is not the case here--this is not a funny book. It is intense. As with Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this book asks readers to consider just what we want to change about ourselves and what are the possible outcomes of that change.



In sum, this is an excellent book, and I recommend it highly. While familiarity with Stevenson's novel is not required, it will help to make this book even more enjoyable.



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Monday, November 15, 2010

Review: Blameless


Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate, #3)Blameless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Carriger's prose is still delightful, but I found this book less enjoyable than the first two. Rather than fear the Templars, as I know I was should have, they seemed like Keystone Kops. If this were the first book in the series, I would not have read book two. However, I'm hoping this book was more of an aberration than a trend, and I'll read the fourth book when it comes out.



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Sunday, November 07, 2010

Review: Mistwood


MistwoodMistwood by Leah Cypess

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Robin McKinley recommended this book highly in her blog. Personally, I recommend that you read her review, as she quotes long passages that help to explain just how marvelous this book is.



I've been reading YA fantasy and adult fantasy for over 25 years. McKinley's The Hero and the Crown was the first YA fantasy that I remember reading clearly. It set the bar quite high, and after that introduction, I've never been that patient with bad fantasy. After reading this book, I think Leah Cypress is going to join McKinley on my very short list of truly wonderful writers.



Mistwood is an amazing book, filled with plot twists that surprised even me, and truly wonderful writing. I really don't want to discuss the plot too much; others may be more perceptive than I am and guess some of the twists. Personally, I think this novel works best when you sit back and gulp it down without trying to second guess our narrators or the truths they've been told. Trust me. Read McKinley's review (if you dare!) and read this book. It's an experience not to be missed.



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