Artificial Light by Nathan Wall—Angels and High-Tech!

Artificial Light
by Nathan Wall
Sometimes you risk becoming a villain in order to be the hero.

Since recovering memories and incredible abilities nearly two years ago, an insatiable lust to grow more powerful has consumed Jarrod. Now that urge puts the friends he has left in mortal danger. The only way to protect them is to accept isolation. However, Jarrod has made promises and intends on staying with those he cares for until his pledge is upheld.
The Light of Souls has been disrupted and replaced with a fake. The Assassins, three angels from the fallen Corners living out their penance, are charged with eliminating the perpetrator. When their sights turn to Jarrod, he and all those around him are marked for death.
With the most dangerous killers in creation hunting him down, Jarrod must learn to evolve his powers without losing control. When new alliances are formed, and old ones turn sour, Jarrod must decide once and for all if he's a hero, or a villain waiting to be unleashed.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, that was super-confusing! This was my first thought after I read the book. Artificial Light is the 3rd book of a series, but after the author reassured me I could jump in with minimal confusion, I skeptically began my journey into the realm of angels.

Yes, it’s a book about angels! I went through a phase of loving the concept of Nephilim and tried to read as many books with this topic as I could. Artificial Light’s premise of Angels battling against one another sounds quite appealing.

Characters

The character-building of this book sadly, doesn’t reach the potential I was hoping for. First of all, I wanted explanations: who are these people and what do they want? Most of the time I don’t know the characters or their agendas, and the author rarely explains. As a book with a huge cast, each character is somewhat limited from expressing their full personality. Still, there are several that stood out among all the others.

What I liked:
1. Sassy characters—I loved all the witty dialogues and quippy comebacks and wanted more dialogues.

2. Mythological references—the author included allusions to myths from many cultures like Egyptian, Hindu, Greek, Hebrew, and many others.

3. Complicated history—as immortal beings, angels have a long time to make shifting alliances.


Jarrod
(As the protagonist, he gets more time in the spotlight). Jarrod is a product of cloning with superhuman abilities. He is powerful, dangerous, and not in full control of himself; there’s a voice (Later revealed as Ryan, the real personality of his person, in which Jarrod is the second or alternate personality) in his head that takes over during crises, leaving a slew of bodies in his wake. As the story progresses, Jarrod learns more about himself and the voice in his head.

Lain
Lain’s special gift is telepathy, giving her access to everyone’s thoughts and even allowing her to control people at will. She is separated from her brother as a child and has been searching for him for years.

Madame Patricia
I love this character! She is overtly fragile but actually extremely powerful. As an Architect (a superior form of being even to Angels), she can control the earth and all that grows on it, like Gaia in Greek myths.

Isis
She is the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, and she and Horus fled to Horus’s uncle’s realm when Osiris was killed and their Corner was obliterated. Isis is willing to do all she could to help Horus grow into a ruler. She really has my sympathy.

Anubis
He is a giant with the simple mind of a child because of a traumatic event in his childhood. He grew up unappreciated and mocked for his gray complexion and stupidity. Another sympathy-arousing character.



What I didn’t like:
1. Too many characters—Not many authors can handle a Game-of-Throne-sized cast, and the story would have been better if some of the redundant characters had been cut completely from the plot.

2. Bland characters—as I’ve mentioned above, very few characters in the book caught my eye or made me care. I understand this is the 3rd book in the series, and readers would likely already have a fuller picture of the personality of characters, but I would have liked more character development even in the third book.

3. Character interactions—now this is slightly weird. The characters seem way too one-dimensional and immature for people who’ve supposedly lived for so long. Sometimes they start to scream or weep or get into fights without a justifiable cause. For instance, Hathor, the daughter of Amun, is given a girl to take care of, and she jumps scratching and screaming to defend this little girl, going to an extent of accusing her aunt Isis and defying her father. I mean, why? A lot of the characters’ actions are unexplained and abrupt, with little foreshadowing. This is why I find them too undeveloped for their years.

Style

Nathan Wall's writing style is very graphic. Although I love some of the colorful, intense descriptions (I've never pictured someone's arm being sliced into bilateral pieces, so thank you), some fall into the overly-show-not-tell category. I feel like the author can condense some of the action scenes by NOT giving us a blow-by-blow description of every action of the characters.
But, Wall is awesome at dialogue, and I loved the banters and snarky dialogues!

Setting

The setting for Artificial Light is an extremely vast and complicate multi-realm universe. Angels guard the Corners and other realms they occupy. They left their marks on human history as gods in mythologies. Some of them (the most powerful ones?) have a piece of celestial crystal that powers their realm and give them access to other realms. At least that’s what I think they do.

Apparently some angels hunt down demons. I’m assuming demons run the Double-Helix operation (using angel DNA to enhance humans), making the whole affair evil and unnatural. However, some angels are associates of demons, commissioning enhanced humans as soldiers.

What I loved most in the whole book is the aurascale: an extremely advanced full-body armor that allows angels to perform astonishing acts. All those gadgets and screens and hidden weapons in the armors! I want one, please.

Pacing

The pacing of this book is agonizingly strange. On one hand it’s fast and exciting, but on the other hand it drags and includes many unnecessary (in my opinion) events. It jumps from realm to realm and timelines to timelines, and I’m having a hard time tracking characters and remembering names because of these jumps. I simply feel disconnected from the story because of its structure. Only 70% into story did I feel invested in the characters’ fates.

Final Thoughts

I’m slightly put off by the treatment of angels and celestial matters, because it seems the world is run by volatile, warlike, and faithless angels without the guidance of God. That is, however, my personal values and beliefs, and others may not feel this discomfort at all. The plot may also put some off, because it’s too encompassing and meandering. However, a complex world will do that to the plot! Also, the ending is stunning. I didn’t see it coming, and I loved the grand exit! On the whole, the book offers supernatural characters, a confusingly complicated plot, and a messy, chaotic universe. As someone who jumped in late into the series, I highly recommend anyone to read the 1st & 2nd book of the series before coming to the 3rd, just so the timeline makes sense and the characters are more familiar. If you enjoy sci-fi or mythology, try Artificial Light.

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Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra—Prima Donna Drama

Tiny Pretty Things
by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.
Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

I went through a phase of really, really loving ballet. Books, movies, photography, anything ballet. I remember reading Bunheads, Dance of Shadows, Dancing for Degas, and several others I didn’t finish. I also watched Black Swan (I think it’s the movie that set everything off), several real or televised classic ballet performances like Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty, and a TV series that recently came out called Flesh and Bone. Needless to say, when I saw the synopsis of Tiny Pretty Things—Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars—I was elated.

I’m gonna try making a list of all the things I liked:

The Characters

Gigi is the talented new girl to the New York dance conservatory. She has the laid-back, Californian attitude that makes her stand out from all the uptight, straitlaced New Yorker dancers. Her expat African American background also makes her quite rare and disadvantaged in a traditionally all-white performance art realm. That is, if she isn’t so talented and gets all the lead roles. Even though she is amazing onstage, Gigi's gentle, simple nature gives her a hard time maneuvering around school and her petty, vicious competitors.

Bette is the polar opposite of Gigi: typical WASP, native New Yorker, neurotic, and manipulative. On the outside, she’s epitome of traditional ballet, the porcelain ballerina in a music box, but in reality, she is forever in the shadow of her much-more-talented ballerina sister Adele. Bette also loses both her boyfriend and “her” lead roles as soon as Gigi appears. Naturally, she turns her obsessive energy onto the hapless new girl, and it’s not the first time she’s done this to another classmate. In a word, Bette is one bubbling mess fraying around the edges.

June is a half-white, half-Korean girl who doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. She doesn’t even know who her father is, and her ex-dancer mother wouldn’t tell her either. June starves herself to fit her misguided mold of perfection, and she is pretty liberal about pushing limits to get what she wants.

As a multiple POV book, Tiny Pretty Things is surprisingly engaging, because each character is well-developed. The characters mentioned above are the 3 MCs: Gigi, Bette, and June. Each has a different personality, a secret, and a way of obtaining their goal. I enjoyed how tormented, twisted, (...that sounds bad and sadistic and wrong, but ballet itself is a ruthlessly beautiful affair) and genuine the protagonists are. They’re not teeth-gnashingly pristine little dancers in pink tutus, but flawed real girls with dark sides.

The Diversity

I knowww. Diversity is such an important thing in YA right now, and every author is scrambling to stuff as many diverse characters into their works as possible. BUT, Charaipotra actually allows diversity to unfold in her story; each diverse character is accompanied by a slew of cultural allusions instead of stereotypes. The author doesn’t simply throw in a black dancer and a half-Asian dancer to make her story diversity-friendly, she gives them all these doubts and social bias to overcome. I also love how they don’t obsess over racism all the time but have their own problems to handle, because SURPRISE! ethnic people have lives, too.
(There are also some delicious Korean food mentioned, so kudos! This foodie appreciates it.)

The Atmosphere

This is what I love most about works featuring ballet and ballerinas: the tension. Everything seems to be balanced on a precarious pointe, and any crisis can push someone over the edge. To me, that is what’s beautiful about ballet, the strength and fragility combined. In this book, there are a lot of tension between classmates, friends, and family members. All those pranks, backstabbing, and malicious gossips. Every dancer also has to face the pressure exerted on them by themselves, by teachers, and by the impossible beauty standard imposed on ballerinas.

What I didn’t like:

TOO MUCH TEEN DRAMA

I’m a drama-averse person; I hate confrontations. Don’t get me wrong, conflict is the essence of a good tale, but too much conflict derails into soap opera. A good dramatic story can be absolutely enthralling and just chilling when done right, like Abigail Haas’s Dangerous Girls. Some of the “revenge” and threats in Tiny Pretty Things, however, are unnecessary and left hanging threads when the book ends. This Henri "evil/mysterious" side-character doesn’t seem to actually do much except whispering variations of “I know what you did and I’m here for revenge” in Bette’s ears while taking advantage of her. I mean, what is all that about? WUT? Also, the pranks seem too sloppy, childish, and stupid for those so-called professional backstabbers. Not that I would ever prank someone maliciously, but surely there are better, subtler “messages” than rotting-cookie-dead-roaches combo or signature-lipstick-warning-on-mirror tricks? Though I admit one of the tricks was pretty upsetting even to me. *spoiler* But on the whole, way too much unnecessary drama for me.

The Romance

I also don’t enjoy romance all that much. Call me an unfeeling, ectothermic beast, but I don’t generally like YA romance. A good, squeal-inducing ship is so hard to come by, and I’ve developed an instinctual aversion for any romantic book relationships; meh-until-proven-awesome. Tiny Pretty Things, sadly, has painfully bland and flat romance. I couldn’t care less if Gigi falls in love with Bette’s boyfriend Alec, the GOLDEN BOY. It bogs this story down several notches. Bette is also embroiled with Henri in a disturbing way (?) And June steals her rival/ex-best-friend’s boy friend?? Just NO.

But, on the whole I liked this book! Because ballet and ballerinas. Also, the ending is, again, surprising and shocking and you’ll see what I mean.

So what do you think of Tiny Pretty Things? Does this book intrigue you? Make you wanna buy a pink tutu and pointe shoes and twirl in circles?

CONTINUE READING»

The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr—Jekyll & Hyde!

The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr
Forensic science, magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy steampunk fantasy—a retelling of the horror classic, in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll, daughter of the infamous Dr. Henry Jekyll—pursues a dangerous murderer in an alternate Victorian London.
In an electrified Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with newfangled technological gadgets. She will need every advantage available to catch a terrifying new psychopath splattering London with blood. Hidden in the grimy shadows, the fiendish murderer preys on beautiful women, drugging them before slicing off their limbs. Finding the “Slicer” can make Eliza’s career . . . or unmask her darkest secret. Like her father, she has a hidden second self that emerges when she drinks his forbidden magical elixir. Just a few sips, and a seductive and impulsive Lizzie Hyde is unleashed.
The members of the Royal Society do not trust Eliza, and they send their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she’s a dangerous sorceress. The careful doctor knows that one wrong step can make her prey to the clever Lafayette, a man who harbors an evil curse of his own. No matter how much she craves the elixir, she must resist.
But as the Slicer case draws her into London’s luminous magical underworld, Eliza will need the potion’s power to help her . . . even if it might attract the attentions of Lafayette. .
Even if it means setting the wild Lizzie free. . . .

This book is a retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but with a female protagonist. I love the gender swap and the fact that the heroine is actually a doctor. Of course, it’s a steam-punk book in an alternate universe, so feminism=slightly more advanced even in the Victorian era.

Premise

Anyway, Eliza Jekyll is a forensic doctor who examines murder scenes and assists the police in crime solving. Under her prim, austere face lies a brash and daring alter ego, Lizzie Hyde. Gruesome bodies are found. A serial killer is on the loose.

Character

Eliza Jekyll is quiet, professional, and an exemplary citizen. She is a slightly dowdy glasses-wearer who’s fond of gizmos and gadgets. She is constantly afraid of being discovered for who she really is--a person with an alter ego and who relies on an “elixir” to tame said alter ego. Although she’s portrayed as more timid and uptight than Lizzie, Eliza is a female doctor in a man’s world, which deeply gladdens me. Speaking of Lizzie, Lizzie Hyde is the exact opposite of Eliza, saucy, adventurous, and loves a drink. She isn’t near-sighted, and she’s more curvy (?!) than Eliza. I guess she’s the type of person who has “va-va-voom” in her vocabulary. Between the two personalities of Jekyll, I actually like Lizzie more than Eliza. Even though she gets into far more trouble than Eliza, she is fun and outspoken. What’s more, she has adorably assumed the role of the “big sister” and feels it’s her responsibility to look after Eliza. Their relationship also progresses from mutual dislike to reliance on each other, which is another thing I liked about the pair. 

Captain Remy Lafayette is the arrogant, handsome captain of the Royal Society, an organization that abolishes witchcraft and alchemy. I knew the jig is up when Eliza Jekyll disliked Lafayette; some hate-to-love plot waiting to happen right there! *sigh* On some level I hoped the book doesn’t have romance at all, because I don’t think the romance adds anything to either the plot or character development. Lafayette, though a typical Golden Boy (ugh), does have ulterior motives and secret agendas, so he’s ultimately a salvageable character.

Jack, or Mr. Todd, is a vividly crafted character who keeps popping up and helping Eliza. He is a psychopathic serial killer who Eliza helped capture and incarcerate in a mental facility several years ago. The two have a weird relationship going on, with Jack telling Eliza how to solve a crime and enticing her to the dark side, AND Eliza actually liking Jack a bit. It’s all very dark and strange but...shippable? It’s disturbing.

Setting

The book is set in Victorian London, with a very thick, prevalent steampunk atmosphere which I love! There are electrical weapons, mechanical gadgets, and all sorts of gimmicky things that intensifies the steampunk feel of the world. Eliza even has a mechanical pet who whirs and buzzes and flashes colored lights according to his mood, and awww I can’t resist a cute little sidekick. Supernatural elements are also present, though I won’t go into details *spoiler*. There’s also some mention of “feys” which I’m assuming are fairies? I would like it to be more developed, though, or cut completely from the plot. Overall the worldbuilding in The Diabolical Miss Hyde is quite successful, making me wanting to read more about this grimy, magical place.

Pacing

The pacing is satisfyingly fast, with many plot twists, and I didn’t feel bored even once in the entire time The climax is also packed with action, so there’s no disappointment throughout the book.

Final thoughts

The Diabolical Miss Hyde is a fun read all the way through. It made me care about the story, the characters, and the setting! I liked both of the protagonists, Eliza and Lizzie, and the properly fleshed-out supporting characters. The serial killer is chilling, talented, and so intelligent I didn’t guess his identity till the big reveal. If you’re looking for a steampunk crime thriller, look no further than this brilliant retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

So, did you love Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde as a kid? enough to read its retelling?

CONTINUE READING»

Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas—She Did It Again!

Dangerous Boys
by Abigail Haas
Three teens venture into the abandoned Monroe estate one night; hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding; the other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense? Or murder?
Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece together the story of how they got there-a story of jealousy, twisted passion, and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful of faces...

After my slightly traumatic experience with Dangerous Girls, I decided to...yep, read Dangerous Boys! This time, I came prepared, muahahaha! Y'all know what they say, “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...” Oh, well. Let’s just say I left nobody out of the suspect list.

Premise

The story begins with a crisis: three teens, Chloe, Ethan, and Oliver, enter a house, the house burns to the ground, only two come out, with one stabbed and unconscious. Chloe and the Reznick brothers Ethan & Oliver have a complicated relationship that eventually led to this catastrophe, but who’s the ultimate culprit?

Character

Chloe is the good, smart girl who’s got her future all mapped out (college, job, etc,...) and can’t wait to escape her tiny, nowhere town. However, her plans quickly fall apart when her father leaves and her mother sinks into mental illness. In her low moments, Chloe encounters the dashing new-comer Ethan Reznick, and the two quickly hit it off. As the story develops, we start to see layers of Chloe being revealed through details: the way she treats her mother, her dark desires, and her impulsiveness.

Ethan is the lovely boyfriend who’s too good to be true. He’s supportive of Chloe, isn't afraid of commitment, and is always there for her. The thing I didn’t like about Ethan is his possessiveness and condescension in some moments. Oddly enough, his sweetness and softness and boyfriendness that would melt fangirl hearts made me snort in suspicion. WHY??? Why are you so good? ARE YOU THE BAD GUY?

Oliver is the apparent BAAD BOOY who’s tall, dark & handsome. He’s instantly portrayed as dangerous and suspicious. He possess a lot of the psychopathic traits: charismatic, reckless, manipulative, and cruel. We can see this when his mother acts all flustered and nervous as soon as Oliver dropped out/came home from college; it’s like she’s trying to pacify an unstable animal. Oliver becomes a strong influence for Chloe, and his presence is a catalyst for most of the events that follow.

I was hoping for more than a mundane love-triangle & brotherly rivalry (with good boy vs. bad boy, no less), but the way Haas treats it, this twisted relationship eventually has a purpose and a consequence, so all’s good.

Setting

Again (like Dangerous Girls), the story is set in a pretty confined area, in a small town with a bumbling, clueless police force. Everyone knows everyone, and Chloe is friends with the sheriff’s daughter, and later becomes an assistant at the police department. Haas perfectly captures the sad, smothering atmosphere of a tiny town. I personally am terrified of living in a small town, because of that claustrophobic atmosphere. Imagine acres of cornfields or woods between you and your closest neighbors, and everyone gossiping about everyone else...It sounds like a grim prospect.

Pacing

Dangerous Boys continues the Past+Present style of Dangerous Girls, making the story very fast-paced and enthralling. I love the suspense of knowing the end and the beginning, but with the middle a complete puzzle that HAS TO BE READ (what is sleep, even). One piece at a time, the whole story falls into place, and not a moment sooner.

Final Thoughts

Dangerous Boys is definitely another dark, mind-bending masterpiece. It gives us these twisted, disturbing characters who can hide in plain sight. They have their own morality that’s just a tiny bit different from that of society’s, but that one bit is enough to wreak havoc on anyone’s life. All it takes is for them to unleash their true nature. In addition to these monsters by nature, we have those others who are simply too apathetic to stop them. In the story, the police essentially acquits a young officer who drove under influence and caused the death of a girl, all because the officer has good lawyers and the girl was a nobody on the wrong side of the tracks. Haas did an awesome job infusing this book with unsettling plot-lines and troubling characters.

Last of all, I really really hope Abigail Haas will write at least one other Dangerous book. Two is far from enough! I’d read anything by Haas that has “Dangerous” in the title. I’d even take Dangerous Pandas or Dangerous Babies, okay? Please?

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Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas—I Was NOT Prepared!

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.
As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

Dangerous Girls has a great reputation, but I never got excited enough to read it. I WAS WRONG. There, I said it. It’s one of my favorite books of the year. The thrilling plot and unexpected turns had me in the book’s clutch all the way to the end.

Premise

The book opens with the death of Elise, and the plot is divided between past and present, with flashbacks to the time before Elise’s death. It’s one of those whodunit books with a murder charge hanging over the protagonist’s head. Who killed Elise?

Character

The book is narrated by Anna, a girl vacationing with a bunch of rich friends on a tropical island during spring break. Anna is accused of her best friend Elise’s murder and imprisoned. She is a sweet, unobtrusive girl who was bullied in school at the beginning until she met Elise in the girl's bathroom, after which the two became fast friends. Through her relationship with Elise, Anna gradually discovered more to her personality; we also get to see how many layers she has through snippets and details. I was surprised at how she stopped one of her friend’s stress-induced hyperventilation with a slap after Elise’s death. However, I was slightly disappointed by how...devoted Anna was to her boyfriend Tate. A relationship is awesome and all that, but I hate it when a character abandon friends and family for her One True Love. Apparently Elise thought the same *spoiler*. speaking of Elise...

Elise is passionate, vibrant, and full of life. Elise is the girl Anna secretly wants to be. She isn’t afraid of anything, and her reckless fire naturally draws Anna to her. In fact, they may be obsessed with each other, and that’s a main point in the book.

“Do you love me?"
"You know I do."
"How much?"
"Miles and Miles."

"Deeper than the oceans?"

"Yup. More than the wind."
"Higher than Everest?"
"I don't know, that's pretty high... Ow!" (laughter)
"Admit it. You love me more than anyone." 

"Maybe."

"What about you - how much do you love me?”
"Enough."
"Hey!"
"You didn't ask, 'Enough for what?'"
"Fine, then. Enough for what?"
"For anything."
"That's better.”

Tate is the Golden Boy (the phrase may even have been used in the book? I’m sure you can already picture him in your mind.) who luuurves Anna but abandons her when she’s in jail. Didn’t like him. The rest of the friends are not that memorable, and I didn’t like how they turn away from her as soon as she’s locked up. Only one friend came to say goodbye to her. They all have the money to walk free except Anna, so that’s...yeah.

All the accusers I hate. I really dislike a book where the protagonist is accused of murder and everyone believes he/she did it. The main prosecutor is infuriating, insinuating all sorts of things against Anna, and there’s also a reporter who interviews Anna and is adamant she’s a homicidal psycho. (!!!) The whole time I wanted to scream “she didn’t do it! Anna is innocent!” 

“Any one of us could be made to look a monster, with selective readings of our history.” 

There’s only 1 person who truly believes Anna is innocent, and that’s not even her father. It’s a completely unrelated young man who works at the Aruba embassy who helped Anna big time on the case. He’s willing to believe in her and help her because he has a sister who was wrongly accused of drug possession and sentenced to jail for a long time. Since he wasn’t able to help his sister before, he will do anything to save this girl from jail. At last, some compassion for our poor protagonist.

Setting

The book is set in Aruba, a tiny island in the Caribbeans. It perfectly encompasses the abandon of spring break!!! and the suffocating confinement of being stranded in a foreign country with a murder charge.

Writing

Haas has a lovely writing style that flows smoothly and inconspicuously with the plot. I love Anna's confused, tortured narration! 

Pacing

As I’ve said before, the book is divided into flashbacks + backstory and the present. Usually it’s confusing, and I tend to enjoy reading part of the tale (usually the present) more than the other. However, this book does it perfectly, winding us tighter and tighter into its web of suspense and mystery. The jump back and forth gives the book a tighter pacing; the past tells you how the characters got to the present and hints at the truth, while the present holds you tight with more things happening. Because there are important events and plot twists in both times, you would miss big clues if you skip a part.

Final thoughts

The ending. The ending. The ending. You will not see the ending coming.

CONTINUE READING»

Wolf by Wolf—Skinshifters and Hitler

Wolf By Wolf (Wolf By Wolf #1)
by Ryan Graudin
The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball.
Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin's brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

Premise

Shapeshifter. Motorcycle race. Killing Hitler.

As a Jewish seven-year-old, Yael was herded into a concentration camp with her mother and selected for gruesome experiments--ones that eventually gave her supernatural powers—she can change her face, hair, and height at will—skinshift. With the help of other prisoners and her new ability, Yael escapes from the prison camp and survives on the streets by stealing. One day she is rescued and recruited by the resistance, who still operated in hopes of overthrowing Hitler. Yael’s superpower can change everything. She trains from then on for one goal: kill Hitler. And not just any ordinary, covert assassination; Yael is to pose as the famous first female motorcycle racer, Adele Wolfe, who impersonated her twin brother to enter the all-male motorcycle race and won, and to whom Hitler has taken a fancy. Every year, Germany and Japan host a motorcycle race, an Axis tour from Berlin to Tokyo. This year, “Adele” will win as a Victor again thus earning the Double Cross, an honor never bestowed on anyone, get close enough to Hitler, and deliver the one public, televised shot that kills him and sparks the smoldering rebellion worldwide.

Babushka—the one who gave her purpose.

Mama—the one who gave her life.

Miriam—the one who gave her freedom.

Aaron-Klaus—the one who gave her a mission.

Vlad—the one who gave her pain.

These were the names she whispered in the dark.

These were the pieces she brought back into place.

These were the wolves she rode to war.

Character

I fell in love with the protagonist Yael one chapter in, something that rarely happen. She has a resilient, unrelenting personality that keeps her alive through all the trials and sufferings thrust upon her. The concept of changing face at will is also very interesting. What if you can effortlessly slip into another person’s identity? Who’s the real you? Yael faces the same problem every day; who is she, really? Is she still the same she if she doesn’t even remember her own face? Yael is sometimes sucked into Adele’s life, its intrigues and relationships, and has to frequently remind herself what her true purpose is.

Yael’s whole life is pared down to five wolves tattooed onto her arm, each representing a person she lost because of the Nazi regime: her mother, a Russian crone she called Babushka, her fellow prisoner Miriam, resistance member Aaron-Klaus and Vlad. The weight of their sacrifice tortures and fuels Yael on to the mission. She is a character with many flaws: she lies, steals, and even kills. She’s not one of those heroes who doesn’t have to make any hard choices.

Also, can I fangirl about the Russian term volchitsa used in this book? It's so fierce and gorgeous and apt!

Adele Wolfe is the girl whose identity Yael steals to enter the race. She's clearly a spunky, headstrong woman who fights hard against the traditional perception of woman: messy, joins motorcycle races exclusively for men, smokes cigarettes, and all that. Her interesting previous adventures causes much trouble for Yael as she tries to bluff her way through Adele's life. This character brings another layer to the story through her absence, if that makes any sense.

Felix Wolfe, Adele’s brother, follows “Adele” into the race. He is bent on persuading her into returning home with him and stopping her shenanigans. To him, racing is a dangerous sport that hits too close to their family’s wound—when the twins were young, their older brother died in a mobile accident—and winning isn’t worth the strain it has put on their crumbling family. To Yael, Felix is a burr that hinders her from concentrating on the race and adds a new level of complexity to her mission, because no matter how good she is at pretending to be Adele, Yael isn’t sure she can fool her twin brother. However, Felix is a sweet character who seeks to protect and support “Adele” after he knows the true nature of her mission.

Luka Lowe is another racer that’s involved with Adele. Yael, once again, is unprepared by their interactions and their development of a relationship. Dangerous, unpredictable, and cunning, Luka presents both an ally and a threat. However, he’s also tender and vulnerable with “Adele,” because he has fallen for her. Luka is a mystery with many layers that seem contradicting, and Yael is quite floored by this unexpected person in her life, who makes her feel things other than pain and hatred. I originally didn’t want romance in this book, because I felt like it is superfluous in this story, but okay, the author gradually won me over. And I’m interested to see if their relationship develops further in the next book (OH YES THERE’S A NEXT BOOK!!!)

Minor character are also colorful and support the plot. There’s Henryka, a resistance leader who constantly fusses over Yael like a mother hen and bakes her good things to eat. There’s Katsuo, a Japanese racer who’s desperate to do anything to win the Double Cross and bring honor to his country. There’s the Japanese girl, the only other female racer this year, and she warns Yael about Katsuo putting drugs into her food and things through origami cranes and stars. Graudin creates all these other characters that enrich the story into a complex, realistic world that we care about.

Setting

Speaking of world, the world-building of Graudin is exceptional. Set in an alternate timeline where the Axis WON WWII and where the Third Reich is established, Wolf by Wolf depicts a world that still struggles with racism, persecution, and oppression. Even the racers demonstrated the separation of nations; Germans and Japanese don’t usually speak to each other, a custom broken when they were all kidnapped by Russians (of course it’s going to take a disaster for humans to unite). Even though the whole setting is gloomy and despairing, Graudin creates a sense of hope through Yael’s progress with her resistance mission.

Pacing

The pacing of this book is quite fast and gripping. While there are many instances of backstories and memories, the book doesn’t drag for one moment because of the tightness of events—spanning the motorcycle race. 

You will not see that ending coming. 

Wolf by Wolf is a delightful book that’s packed with excitement, motorcycles, and intrigue. It also features a strong heroine, Yael, that’s both complex and lovable. If you enjoy reading about World War II, resistance/espionage, assassination, and urban fantasy, then it’s very much the book for you!

So what do you think? Will you read Wolf by Wolf? 

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CONTINUE READING»

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo---In Which I Express My Ardent Love for My New Favorite Book!

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)by Leigh Bardugo
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

The hype. It is real.
For some weird reason I always find myself avoiding over-hyped books (Cinder, Throne of Glass, Emmy & Oliver, all those series!!!) and putting them off for a long time until I succumb to the temptation. And then. Slip, and I fall down the rabbit hole of raving and giggling and fangirling. Here are 2 possible reasons why I approach popular books with trepidation:

1. The fear that the book doesn’t live up to my sky-high expectations and leaves me in a disappointed slump of misery and broken dreams.

2. It’s absolutely worth it and leaves me in a glowing, disappointed slump of misery and broken dreams. Because how do I get over it!? How?

After that rather long preamble, I remember this post is about Six of Crows, for whom I can use hundreds of screaming, fangirling GIFs. The only regret I have is not jumping onto the bandwagon sooner.

Premise

A band of teenage gangsters (2), acrobat/assassin (1), magicians (2 *spoilers* One of them is hiding in plain sight!), sort-of-useful-but-useless-tag-along (1) and witch hunter (1) breaches a super-secure prison called the Ice Court to rescue a super-drug inventor/chemist--for a handsome monetary reward--lest he falls into the “wrong hands.” You had me at

“assassin” and “heist,” Leigh Bardugo.

Grisha—magicians who have the ability to manipulate matter and are divided into three main categories based on hteir powers Corporalki, Etherealki and Materialki. Etherealkiwork with basic elements like wind, fire, and water, while Corporalki work with the human body, either as Healers or as Heartrenders. Materialki deal with steel, fabrics, poisons, and glass. Like any race with special powers, Grishas are regarded as either protectors or threats, but no one can deny one fact: they are formidable no matter which side they're on. In Six of Crows, Grishas are experimented on because of their gift; people capture them and use on them a drug that turns them into weapons.

Characters

They are one of the best parts of the book, because there are so many of them, and each one is very vivid and lovable. Lets’ name them:

Kaz: the leader of the group. Grew up in the alleys pulling cons and running jobs (did I use that phrase right? Will Google) in the Barrel, the slum of Ketterdam. He also has a limp, uses a walking stick, and wears gloves all the time it’s legendary.

“Well,I'm the kind of bastard they only manufacture in the Barrel.”
Inej: the contortionist/assassin. She was kidnapped and forced into prostitution before Kaz’s gang redeemed her. She’s also known as the Spider because she can eavesdrop on the wall unseen. Also, she frequently sprouts proverbs from her home country like a wise little old woman.

Nina: the Heartrender, a magician who can manipulate the human body (make your heart rate slow to a stop or close your lungs) AND who’s sassy and brassy and loves cake.

"How about cake?"
"What about it?"
"I'm very keen on cake. I'm wondering if we can find some common ground."
Matthias: the gloomy witch hunter who’s brought up to hate magicians like pests. He’s also breaking into his own home because the prison is his old headquarter. Talk about conflicting interests!
Jesper: a comic side-kick who’s got some good lines and surprising secrets.

Waylan: the...meh. I tried to care about him but nope, I honestly didn’t even remember his name when I write this. He’s probably just there to make an even number.

“Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?"
"Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.
"Gun to the back?" said Jesper.
"Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.
"You're all horrible," said Matthias.” 

What I love most about these characters is that each one’s got a back story that goes WAAAY back. They also have a lot of personal struggles, fears, and desires that really develop and deepen their character growth. In the beginning of the book, to me they’re “Wow, criminal geniuses, assassins, magic! My body is ready!” But by the end of the book, most of the characters have grown into fleshed-out, realistic persons that are so much more than just “cool.”

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.” 

Let’s also talk about the relationships~Some OTPs, eh?

Kaz + Inej

This is rather surprising, because both of them are their own individuals and don’t really need shipping. But. We start to see all those cute/awkward little moments that get you secretly shipping them and hoping Bardugo pull the strings further. They’re not IN YOUR FACE SMOOCHING AND LOVEY DOVEY, which is far better. I also enjoy the incompleteness of their relationship (I don’t think they’ve kissed...?) even by the end of the book, so I look forward to seeing how it develops further in the next book. 

“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.” 

Nina + Matthias

This pairing is improbable but we see it coming. Nina is rescuing Matthias out of a prison at the beginning of the book (not the super-secure one but still), and Matthias is actively hating Nina for putting him there in the first place. If that sounds confusing, well, basically everything about their relationship is. They’re on the opposite sides of almost every spectrum: religion, personality, etc, and they’re enemies. They shouldn’t fall in love, but they did! *swoon* The conflict and misunderstandings and betrayal thrown in there add so much spice and drama to the ship. Also, the two are utterly adorable together, which makes up for the angst. I ship ‘em hard.

“Oh, I see. I'm the wicked Grisha seductress. I have beguiled you with my Grisha wiles!"
She poked him in the chest.
"Stop that."
"No. I'm beguiling you.”

Jesper + Waylan (?)

Is this even a pairing? I feel like Bardugo is trying to match-make everybody in this group and kind of threw the two together. I’d rather she leaves a few loose ends and not tie everything neatly together in the relationship department. For me, there’s no chemistry or even ship-able material between the two, which makes it a bit weird.

Pacing

It’s quite fast-paced and action-packed because Six of Crows is, after all, a heist book. The clock is ticking, and there’s no time for fluff. Some of the back stories may feel dragging to some people, but to me they’re just added bits of awesomeness where I can get to know the characters even better and understand their motives for their actions. Every part is just pushing the story towards its climax.

Setting

A fantasy land with kingdoms like Ketterdam (kind of an Amsterdam with traders and harbors), Shu Han (Asian/Chinese), Ravka (Russian), Fjerda (northern Europe), and Kerch (African), plus a handful of other small countries. The above parentheses are just my conjecture from little clues like last names, currency, and phrases in the books and may be entirely wrong.

I admire Bardugo’s treatment of diversity and culture in this book. She introduces a realistic diversity into her world without making any culture into a caricature. Each is pretty vibrant and believable. You do not get the feeling that the author is ticking off boxes: White? Check. Black? Check. Asian? Check. What else? Check. Her world just feel very organic and not forced at all.

Bardugo also tackles also some deep issues like human trafficking, racism, and drugs. Inej, for instance, is trafficked from her home country into the gritty life in the Barrel. Racism is also a huge part in the book, namely the struggles between Grishas and Fjerdans. Fjerdans regard Grishas as an inferior, even evil, race to be eliminated (sounds familiar?) and round them up to be “tried” at the Ice Court. This really brings depth to the character Matthias because to be in love with Nina, he has to overcome deep-seated prejudice and question the beliefs he was instilled into from birth. Drugs is also a quite terrifying factor in this book. The invention of a super-drug--one that can enhance Grisha powers and turn off their humanity, essentially making Grishas killing machines--changes the political landscape of the kingdoms. This drug leads to unethical experiments on Grishas and clashes among kingdoms as everyone tries to harness this new Grisha power for their own ends. These topics definitely brings more darkness to the story.

“The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive.” 

Final thoughts

It’s been some time since I’ve read a fantasy book this satisfying. The beginning may not feel hypnotizing or addictive, but trust me, a few chapters in and you won’t be able to walk away. I was like “oh, I couldn’t care less about some callow guard’s mustache (yes) or his obsession with this Grisha.” And then the real cast comes on stage and I’m hooked. So, if you haven’t read Six of Crows already, do it now! I promise you’ll love it to pieces.

By the way, do you know Leigh Bardugo also wrote the Grisha trilogy? I had no idea until I read it: it's the same universe! You can catch up on those while waiting desperately for the next book in the Six of Crows series!

CONTINUE READING»

Pretending to Be Erica by Michelle Painchaud—ME LOVE HEISTS!!!

Pretending to Be Ericaby Michelle Painchaud
We Were Liars meets Heist Society in a riveting debut!
Seventeen-year-old Violet’s entire life has revolved around one thing: becoming Erica Silverman, an heiress kidnapped at age five and never seen again.
Violet’s father, the best con man in Las Vegas, has a plan, chilling in its very specific precision. Violet shares a blood type with Erica; soon, thanks to surgery and blackmail, she has the same face, body, and DNA. She knows every detail of the Silvermans’ lives, as well as the PTSD she will have to fake around them. And then, when the time is right, she “reappears”—Erica Silverman, brought home by some kind of miracle. 
But she is also Violet, and she has a job: Stay long enough to steal the Silverman Painting, an Old Master legendary in the Vegas crime world. Walking a razor’s edge, calculating every decision, not sure sometimes who she is or what she is doing it for, Violet is an unforgettable heroine, and Pretending to be Erica is a killer debut.

It feels like I’ve been waiting for this book FOREVER, so I’m super excited to review this one. What’s more, I really love those heist/con artist novels, don’t ask me why, but yep, this genre is my jam. The premise of this book is so interesting and exciting. Identity theft, impersonation, and grand art heist CHECK CHECK AND CHECK. After finishing the book, I’m glad the author delivered and met my high expectations. 

Violet, our heroine, is brought up by her con artist foster father for one purpose, become Erica Silverman, the kidnapped rich little girl who’s still missing/dead. After plastic surgery, DNA tests, and some “miraculous revelation and escape,” Violet reappears as the missing Erica, whom Mrs. Silverman embraces with her whole desperate heart. If she pulls off this impersonation, she would live in the Silverman mansion and enjoy the luxury of Erica’s life. What’s more, she would get close enough to steal Silverman painting, a legend among thieves and con men. Violet fully prepared by her father to know every detail of Erica’s life, the ability to lie convincingly, and other skills a con artist should possess. What she isn’t prepared for is how warmly Mrs. Silverman accepts her and how she is making friends--real ones that she never got to have. 

Violet/Erica is a very developed character, because we can see her struggle first with self-identity and later loyalty. By inserting herself into Erica’s shoes, Violet feels like her real self is disappearing and ceasing to exist. She spends her entire life trying to convincingly be someone else, which seems to me is a thousand times worse than having a perfect older sibling to live up to. I’m surprised at how quickly she turned from a professional con artist into an angsty teenager eager to rebel against her father. Why does she have so many inner monologues about pitying Erica and sorry sorry sorry blah blah blah...? I was promised a con woman with a jaded conscience but received a weepy, softhearted teenager. Where did she get all this... this contrition and sorrow from? Gimme back that confident, conniving con artist in the beginning of the book, please. Nevertheless, I guess it’s partly because she never got to choose for herself how to live her life. Once let loose, her real nature begins to take over (which is a good thing, because she does the right thing in the end). Even though the transition from “bad-ass teenage heistmeister” to “loyal, righteous heroine” is a little too fast and cheesy for my taste, it’s understandable. Plus, she’s got some pretty awesome friends to be loyal to.

James is a boy Violet has a crush on from their first encounter. He’s a sweet, caring boy with a musical talent. His father is a pianist and wants his son to follow in his footsteps, so, conflict. I’m glad there’s some gradual development from a crush to full-on romance. At least there are many encounters and events they experience together. Personally I don’t care about this romantic interest, but it’s nice to have this character in here to make decisions more complicated for Violet. Mwahahaha.

My favorite character in this book would be Taylor, a messed-up, snarky girl who becomes friends with Violet. She’s very intuitive and know from the beginning Violet is pretending to be Erica. But she doesn’t care. As the daughter of a lawyer (read: she can get in and out of any trouble), she’s seen a lot. Although I’m not a fan of Taylor’s partying/drinking/wildness, she’s an honest person who speaks what she thinks.

Another really weird character is Kerwin, a gorgeous exchange-student with a British accent and an iffy feel about him, who instantly gets Violet’s hackles up. I won’t ruin the surprise but can promise you there’s no insta-love or love-triangle. Even though he’s super HOT and DESIRABLE. So rest assured.

Mr. and Mrs. Silverman are both lovely characters. Mrs. Silverman is wrapped up in grief and despair, and Mr. Silverman is driven crazy by his little girl’s disappearance and is in a mental institution. A lot of Violet’s impostor mission relies on the parents’ trust and need for her to be the real Erica. They would rather believe she’s their Erica instead of wondering about her fate.

The world-building leaves something to be desired. It’s set in Vegas, one of the coolest places on earth, and all I could see was rich people in fenced-up mansions, and a regular old town. There’s got to be a reason why Painchaud set the story in Vegas and not any other place, so if she had included more iconic scenery and just let readers feel Vegas through the story would have been nice.

Ultimately, Pretending to Be Erica is a moderately fast-paced story with an enjoyable plot, and the characters are more or less likable. The ending seems a little like a cop-out, but on the whole, I’m glad I read this book. So, do you like books about heists? Heist Soceity? Dear Killer? If you do, definitely try this book.

CONTINUE READING»

Mary Bloody Mary by Hillary Monahan--Ghost Crawling Out of Mirrors, Why Not?

MARY: The Summoning (Bloody Mary #1)by Hillary MonahanThere is a right way and a wrong way to summon her.

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

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

Once is not enough, though--at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered.
A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary--and Jess--before it's too late?

For some weird reason, I was drawn to the horror genre these days. Why do I like to scare the living daylight out of myself? What’s wrong with me? Anyway, I found Mary: The Summoning adequately frightening, but not brilliant enough. 4 girls. Seance. Restless ghost. Blood. Salt. Pretty much all the clichéd elements of a great horror. It definitely had some potential to be even better, but for the fainthearted (hint: me) it’s enough. Ha.

So, Basically

Shauna, Kitty, Anna, and Jess are BFFs since childhood, and when Jess suggests hosting a seance to summon Bloody Mary, everyone hesitantly says yes, because that’s what friends do, right? (not in a million years. Ghosts? No way!) Jess is convinced Mary Worth is Bloody Mary, and she even has a letter to prove. The seance begins with the girls holding hands in front of a mirror and chanting whatever abracadabra that can summon ghosts. Boom, Mary appears inside the mirror. The ignorant teenagers are shaken, but excited. Let’s do it again! Except this time, Mary’s here to stay! You don’t simply summon a ghost and expect her to cater to your wishes, ignorant teenagers. For some reason, Mary latches on to Shauna because she’s the protagonist and appears from every single shiny surfaces: mirrors, glass doors, windows, plates, even TVs. Worse, she can control all things metal. You happy now, ignorant teenagers? 

Character Development?

The character development in this book is minimal at best. The four girls are more like cardboard cutouts instead of fleshed-out characters. Shauna is the nervous victim; Kitty the fat, nervous girl; Anna the nerdy, nervous whiner; Jess the strangely un-nervous ringleader. Where’s the back-story or at least some evidence this BFF bond they have? Do they listen to Jess simply because she’s charismatic? I sincerely feel Mary is the most flesh-and-blood character in this whole book. Here are some reasons:

1. She’s vividly graphic. I love how the author describes Mary in all her rotting, disgusting glory. The slime, the putrid flesh, the tattered dress, the beetles crawling out of her palms (BEETLES OUT OF HER PALMS). My imagination is both very happy and very angry at the author for painting such a memorable picture in my head. 

*slow clap*

2. The backstory. Mary Worth is the only person who has a backstory, it seems to me. Through her two letters to her sister, we can see first a healthy, sassy girl complaining to her sister about the creepy new pastor, the mean girl, and her admirer’s onion breath, and later a grieving, abused girl who’s about to die tragically. The transition in between is a little bit lacking (but I’m hoping the author will fill us in later in the next book), but the character is so lifelike and poignant. I’m impressed by how Monahan can portray such an expressive character through two letters, and I can’t wait to see her explain how and why Mary Worth died and became the vicious ghost Bloody Mary.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is spooky, gloomy, and awesome. I love how the author uses shiny objects as the vehicle for her ghost. Look around. They’re basically everywhere. You probably have a mirror in your room right now. Just the comprehensiveness of such a setting is enough to make me avoid mirrors for several days. 

One Small Disappointment

However, the plot keeps letting me down. Here is how it goes: Mary emerges. Girls scream and throw salt at her. Mary retreats. Repeat. Sure, there are some revelations (no spoilers here) thrown in with the salt, but the plot flops around with only the sheer malicious tenacity of Mary keeping it all together. After the initial scare passes away, I begin to realize how little really happened in the entire book. Mary climbing out of every shiny surface begins to sound...well...annoying. You see this spoon here? I’m gonna come out and claw your eyes out. You see this window? How about I drag you through the glass and shatter your bones? Very kick-ass, but very petty. I hope the author will offer some explanation as to why Mary is in the mirror anyway and why she haunts people. Definitely something to do with the creepy pastor, nay?

My Thoughts

Overall, Mary is a good book if you only want a scare. It lacks some depth and sophistication other more mature horrors possess, but that’s YA horror for you. I feel like it’s on roughly the same level as The Girl from the Well, but with less plot. So, what do you think? Would you want to read Mary?

CONTINUE READING»

Book Review: Cracked by Eliza Crewe

Meet Meda. She eats people.
Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.
They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.
Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.
The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.

My Thoughts

I love love LOVE Cracked! It’s been so long since I read a book that made me laugh this much! Eliza Crewe has created something so hilarious and exciting I’m in awe of her. Her characters are just extremely real and vivid and cute!

Meda Melange is a villain-protagonist. Before you ask how that even works, let me tell you, it’s so awesome. She’s snarky, selfish, egotistic, and “evil” and she’s not remotely sorry. She even has to borrow her dead mother’s conscience and have conversations with her inside her head so she wouldn’t do anything wrong. Now I’m not saying I approve of questionable morals, but don’t you think the saintly, goody-two-shoes MC is SO overdone? I’d rather have a slightly wicked but relatable female protagonist over “the weak, perfect girl” any day! And did I mention Meda is totally kick-ass? She eats souls--ideally only bad souls, so she’s more of a vigilante. It reminds me of Okiku in the Girl from the Well, but only Meda’s alive and part human, part...other. She has a Hunger inside her that demands to be fed. The story begins when she eats a bad guy’s soul and ends up in a fight with three demons, accidentally discovering what that other part of her is. Then she’s rescued by demon hunters and well, kind of sided with them. Throughout the story Meda doesn’t stop making wise cracks, so basically I laughed through the whole book. Here’s an example among so many:

"Okay? I've gone from thinking I'm Superwoman (OK, maybe her evil twin) to having my ass handed to me. I learnt my beloved mom was one big, fat liar and now there's a boy exhaling souls who might try to kill me any minute. It's been one hell of a day.
But, it occurs to me he's probably asking about all the blood and not my emotional turmoil"
The way Crewe handles this character makes her very likable and distinctly teenage. She hisses and cackles and sulks. It’s perfect.

“Crush! Kill! And above all - cackle!”
Three other characters are thrown together with Meda: Chi, Jo, and Uri. They’re all from demon hunter school and sneaked out to fight demons, rescuing Meda in the process. They’re clueless about who Meda is and thinks she’s a Beacon (a saint that attracts demons) and are assigned to protect her. Chi is the “Golden Boy” with perfect blond hair and a hero complex. I was slightly worried it’s gonna turn insta-love between Meda and Chi, but thankfully there’s none of that. Jo is the grungy ex-best-friend of Chi with a crippled leg. She’s angry at the world for treating her like an invalid and lashes out at everyone.

“I'm pretty sure Jo couldn't talk about the weather without somehow including a threat. Forecast today: cloudy with a chance I'll kick your ass.”
You can immediately tell there’s *tension* between Chi and Jo. Uri is the little puppy groupie of Chi who worships him like a big brother. I especially love how the characters don't seem flat or bland. Meda originally wanted only to learn more about herself, seeing her mother told her she’s one of a kind--a big fat lie, but she ends up liking this group and becoming loyal to them; with them she experiences the kind of friendship she never had.

The world-building is not heavy-handed but effective. I can totally picture the demon hunter school that’s dilapidated on the outside and lovely on the inside (ring any bells?) and the trailer park where demon hunters live. What’s more, Crewe’s demon world is also totally creepy and dark and brilliant.

The pacing is just right. The plot never stagnates, there’s enough action, and things escalate in a normal, believable way. I think the plot twist and the great reveal are a bit predictable, but that’s a minor issue. Again, let’s just focus on how awesome Meda is. You’ve got to read Cracked.

CONTINUE READING»

Adorable Kid Zombies?--The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius."
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.
Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.
I came across The Girl with All the Gifts on a list of “Plot Twists You Didn’t See Coming.” Before I came to the ending of the book, I was suspicious of the so-called plot twist. Where is it? Sure, it has ZOMBIES in it and has a great The Walking Dead feel to it, but that’s nothing special, right? Then, thwunk, I was hit in the back of the head by that ending that I couldn’t see coming a mile away.

Melanie lives in a cell when she’s not in class, where she’s strapped to a wheelchair with other kids. Even though what they learn is pretty standard, history, literature, math, Melanie has this feeling everything they’re taught is useless from a careless remark made by an adult. Moreover, the adults like Sergeant Parks or Miss Justineau, her teacher, never touch Melanie or any of the children, ever. When they strap or unstrap her from the wheelchair, they point guns at her. She once jokes, “I don’t bite,” but no one else thinks it’s a joke. A terrible attack on the institution smashes Melanie’s world into pieces and shows her just how small and confined it had been. Surviving on the road teaches her many truths about herself and humanity, prompting her to make serious decisions. Throughout the novel, Melanie is self-sacrificial and meek, obeying orders from the Sergeant and voluntarily restrains herself in case she harms anyone. On one hand I’m thankful we have such a non-annoying un-whiny protagonist for once, but I still get an uneasy feeling about her: she’s a kid, and kids don’t do things like this. It’s like she’s plotting away in her little brain and maintaining a disarming front. The only certain thing about Melanie is her deep, fierce adoration of Miss Justineau, the teacher who shows her affection.

The supporting characters are also well-developed. Miss Helen Justineau specializes in psychology and is in the institution to observe the behaviors of these children, who we later find out are all Hungries, the book’s name for zombies. Unlike other wheezing, stumbling hungries, the children retain their thinking ability and function as normal humans, as long as they don’t get a whiff of human flesh. What’s so special with them? That’s for Dr. Caroline Caldwell to find out. Shut out of an elite scientist program, she is determined to find a cure for humanity, to show them just who they rejected! She spends years at the facility enduring unsophisticated tools and inconclusive results, but finally she found something groundbreaking. As fate would have it, she’s already contracted a fatal blood poisoning from the attack and the journey, and the only person she can pass on her knowledge and findings is Melanie. We can see all her hopes and despairs and selfish ambitions playing out and the consequences. The two military men, Sergeant Parks and Kieran Gallagher. Both are used to dealing with zombies and crises the army way, and suddenly three female civilians are thrown at them to protect and usher across the country to a safe area. Seeing them deal with their journey and knowing their stories are really endearing and bring readers closer to the two soldiers. They also represent another aspect of the civilization, so it's nice to see their opinions in addition to the female scientists.

The mood of the book is bleak, hopeless, and seriously depressing. Like in the Walking Dead, there are unscrupulous raiders who look out only for themselves, who stormed down the facility and forced Melanie and several adults on the run. We also know there’s no possible cure for the zombie disease, and Melanie’s decision at the end of the book may cause irreparable damage to mankind. The notion that human civilization could be gone forever really depresses me! Nevertheless, the plot is without doubt exciting and gripping, keeping me interested in what’s gonna happen next. If you like the theme of zombie apocalypse, definitely give The Girl with All the Gifts a try. Although the pacing lurched into super-speed near the ending, remember that plot twist I told you about? Watch out for it. Chances are you won’t see it coming too!

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Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty--What? Teenage Sherlock Holmes & James Moriarty!

In modern-day London, two brilliant high school students, one Sherlock Holmes and a Miss James "Mori" Moriarty, meet. A murder will bring them together. The truth very well might drive them apart.
Before they were mortal enemies, they were much more.
FACT: Someone has been murdered in London's Regent's Park. The police have no leads.
FACT: Miss James "Mori"Moriarty and Sherlock "Lock" Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.
FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.
FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock's one rule--they must share every clue with each other--Mori is keeping secrets.
OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can't trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again.

My Thoughts

I love Sherlock Holmes. It may be one of the few fandoms that I actually belong to. That said, it’s unsurprising I gobble up whatever Sherlock pastiche thrown my way. Earlier this year I heard another Sherlockian book’s coming out, and the synopsis promised so much! Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty? A female Moriarty? Gimme!

While I enjoyed the book, I must say I’m slightly disappointed. The story is narrated by James Moriarty, our female protagonist, which somehow dulls Sherlock Holmes’s brilliance. Granted, they’re both teenagers who don’t know much yet, but sometimes their actions are just so immature I can’t feel that awe I do for the real SH. Nevertheless, I like Mori for the most part. She’s a cop’s daughter with three younger brothers. Her father is abusive after her mother’s death, and his colleagues make sure the children have nowhere to turn to (it’s not like they can run over to the police and tell them their father beats them). Trapped in this desperate situation, Mori can only hope she become independent fast so she can take care of her sisters. She’s also intrigued by Sherlock Holmes, the strange boy who does chemical experiments in his house. After they arrive at a murder scene in Regent’s Park, they decide to take it upon themselves to solve the crime. But the more evidence Mori discovers, the more confused she becomes about her past and her future. In this book, Mori is kind and responsible in some moments, but we can also see her slightly cruel nature beginning to show. Even as she plays the vigilante and stands up for her friend, she enjoys the thrill of threatening others. I think the author does an excellent job developing her character; not yet a full-fledged mastermind, but has the potential to form plots. We can sense she’s an unreliable narrator. Hopefully we can see how Mori turns into a more mature and mysterious character in the next book.

Sherlock Holmes, the character I came for, is hardly in the book. Sure, he appears in nearly every chapter, but his presence feels as thin and unreal as a runway model. We know he has a brother (a shorter, fatter, know-it-all), a sick mother, and they live in 221B Baker Street. But that’s pretty much all. The deductions? The logical mind? Where are they? How can our author drum up a socially awkward, “super-intelligent” protagonist and stick the illustrious name of Sherlock Holmes on him without giving him his most defining qualities? Our author’s SH is more vulnerable and unsure of himself. More than once Mori wants to comfort him or hold his hand because he reminds her of her younger brother. I don’t want a younger brother SH, I want a so-brilliant-my-eyes-hurt Sherlock Holmes!

Of course, boy Lock + girl Mori = teen romance. As a romantic, I want to ship them, but I’m also conflicted because I know how it’s all gonna play out. Their romance has an Insta-love smell to it, because out of nowhere they’re kissing and saying I LOVE YOU. While the author teases us with their relationship, at the end of novel Mori also says she’ll never forgive Sherlock, after saying she’ll always love him. It’s just one confusing mess of teen hormones and tangled feelings. Once again, I’m waiting for the big fallout and the turning point of Moriarty. Apart from the characters, the setting is quite realistic. Modern day London, high school, etc. The family abuse part is also tastefully executed, and provides a back-story to how Mori can eventually turn into someone twisted and manipulative.

Altogether Lock & Mori is very promising even though a bit unsatisfactory. The plot is twisty and entertaining enough, so if you're a Sherlock fan, I recommend this book. But I must also mention Eva Morgan's Locked, also about a teenage Sherlock & Irene Adler. SOOO good. 

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