Review: Let It Snow - Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow
Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Christmas
Publisher: Speak
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads 

Okay, so I fully intended to review Spare and Found Parts today. Actually, I fully intended to review it last last Friday, when, you will recall, I posted my Poisoned Blade review. The book had come out on the 4th and I was scheduled to post on the 7th -- it was perfect timing!!! Alas, I have been hit by not one but two waves of midterms (not uncommon in college, as some of you may know). Are there more coming? Will they bleed into finals? Who knows? Not me. In any case, my Book Reading has been lacking (gasp!!!!) and so I have not even started Spare and Found Parts (note: I wrote pants instead of parts and like...that's definitely a book I want to read). I read Let It Snow some time over the summer (Poisoned Blade too, for the record, since I mentioned it earlier) even though I love both John Green and Maureen Johnson to death and Lauren Myracle's ttyl series was definitely part of my preteen reading selection at some point so I really should have read it years ago.

Anyway, the point of that long paragraph was: fight me if you're bitter I didn't post a review on a ~current~ book.

Okay!!! Let's get down to business!!!!! So the book is three separate stories, but they take place in the same snowstorm in the same town so they're like ~connected.~ The first is Maureen Johnson's, which I loved from the first line. Her writing was so ~sharp~ and the voice was so strong. The plot was a little ridiculous but I think it worked because 1. the plot was kinda ridiculous for all three stories so it wasn't like a high then a low then a high or some other combination, it was just a constant maintenance of shenanigans where you could kinda suspend your disbelief, 2. I feel like Christmas stories and movies always have that quality about them where a lot of things happen that would be absurd normally but are played for drama or sappiness or something. Also, her character's name is Jubilee which is fun to say so like does anything else really matter? I'd give her story 4 or 4.5 stars.

I liked John Green's story as a whole but I liked it slightly less than Maureen Johnson's and I didn't think it was his best work or anything. I think the highlight was the element of Waffle House, which, as a resident of the South, I truly appreciated. Anyway, I think the reason I didn't like his as much as I wanted to was that when considering the characters against the plot, both are good but not great and neither holds the weight of the novella enough to justify the unexceptional nature of the other. The characters are well-written and witty but a little two-dimensional even for a novella. The plot isn't boring or anything but it doesn't bring anything new. The story is enjoyable and fun and I certainly liked reading it but I wouldn't reread it again and again, you know (which I definitely would with some of John Green's other works so it's not the writing so much as this specific story). I'd give it a 3.5.

I liked Lauren Myracle's the least. Her main character was hella annoying but!!! even though she sucked to read, that was actually not the worst part of the story. Although some stories the unlikable protagonist ruins things, I don't necessarily need to like the main character to like a story and this was one of those cases. I could mostly ignore her, especially since she seemed so caricatured there was no way she wasn't depicted this way on purpose, to lead to some sort of epiphany that would make her kind and good at the end or something. The narrative was just...unfulfilling, however, and annoyed me pretty hardcore at times (the whole time). I think Addie (the protagonist) was supposed to have experienced some growth during the events that transpired, but like, it was weird and didn't work. 1 star for the way the stories came together at the end and the teacup pig. (Also, out of the two Lauren Myracle stories I've read that weren't when I was like 12, this is the second one I'm giving 1 star, so maybe she should just...Not)

I know the star ratings I gave don't average out to 3.5 stars but like...fight me. Anyway, the book is cute, especially to get in the holiday mood (because like, you can never start too early) and I may or may not recommend reading the first two stories and then skipping to the last chapter.

- Noor

Waffle House or IHOP?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning - Jessica Cluess

A Shadow Bright and Burning
Jessica Cluess
Series:Kingdom on Fire, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads 

Kiersten picked an ARC of this book up for me at BEA and, looking for something to use to help me procrastinate, I realized this had a recent release date -- September 20th, 2016 -- so I thought I'd read and review for those interested!

I didn't know anything about the book before picking it up and reading the back cover, at which point I learned it involved Sorcerers and Magic -- two things I can always get behind -- and a protagonist who was Not the Chosen One (also something I can get behind). The book, in a nutshell, focuses on Henrietta Howel, a girl who can control fire, in a time when female sorcerers essentially Do Not Exist. Her powers are discovered and she is sent to train with London's best.

I had a hard time figuring out how to rate this one. I liked it more than 3.5 stars but less than 3.75 stars?? I'm gonna stick with 3.5.

One of the things I found coolest about this book was how it just took the concept of the Chosen One and turned it on its head. We know from just the back cover that Henrietta isn't the Chosen One and that forces us to ask: Who is she and what role does she play in this narrative? And if she as the protagonist is indispensable in their fight what title does that give her?

In general, I liked the whole ~vibe~ of the book -- fighting monsters in Victorian England using magic; all my favorite things!!!! However, each facet had something bringing it down too, which contributed to my confusion about how to rate it. Let's examine, shall we?

General themes/plot/etc:
I said I liked the vibe and the concept and everything but I feel like it was definitely not as fleshed out as a first book in a series should be. It's told from Henrietta's first person POV as a 16 year-old who's lived her entire life in this world and she kinda just talks about it in passing -- in a way that would be natural for every day life -- and we have to put the pieces together. Obviously Cluess tries to add some dialogue and narration in that serves as explanation but the worldbuilding is definitely lacking. We get a general understanding of what's going on but I definitely hope the second book will provide more insight.

Characters:
So, I loved all the characters at first glance -- you have the charming, flirty handsome dude, the brooding, mysterious, sullen dude, the stable boy best friend, a charming old man trainer, a terrifying old man trainer, Henrietta herself, etc, and lots more. While reading, they're all fun, and this book is full of dialogue to make you angry or excited or nervous or whatever emotion. Except, when you keep reading, they start to feel a little like Character Tropes. I realized it when Lord Blackwood kept reminding me of Mr. Darcy with his brooding too-good-for-you attitude one minute and then small moments of helpfulness. I'm not saying they're all tropes or stock characters but I think they need a little more dimension. Like, it was super fun to read them in this book but when another one comes out they might seem a little flat if they don't have another layer or two.

Romance:
I'm not spoiling anything here so I'm not going to say or imply anything, but!!!! I want to make a point to say that I think people in general are using the term "love triangle" too loosely. Like, people are saying "omg!!!!! this book has a Love Triangle!!!!" about every book that just has more than one character that the protagonist can be attracted to. I don't really think that's a love triangle, I think that makes a book fun because I can have a ship and see who gets together at the end, rather than just having two people destined from the start. I think a love triangle is more like when three people are all involved in each other's love stories. Anyway, living with like eight guys, there was bound to be some Choices for Henrietta to make and I thought this was a great part of the book that I can't wait to explore in the next book!

Victorian England:
This is purely subjective and did not really impact my review but I think Jessica Cluess should have utilized Victorian England more in the book. Because I really like it as a concept and a time period.

Anyway, this is getting long so some final thoughts: I don't want my negative comments to deter you from reading -- they were more fleshed out than my positive comments so they probably seemed longer and more intense but I really did like the book. I read through it in one sitting because it was a pretty captivating read. I have no qualms with things that actually happen story-wise and am excited to explore things like magicians and magic and the Ancients even more in the next book -- I feel like a lot of this book was Setting Up for things to come. While I do wish some things were more fleshed out, like characters and worldbuilding, I'm still excited to continue this series and for a book that I went into with zero knowledge and zero expectations I was pleasantly surprised.

- Noor

If you could control an element, what would it be?
Let us know in the comments!

Review: Mosquitoland - David Arnold

Mosquitoland
David Arnold
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Children's
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads 

I bought this a long-ish time ago (it's definitely been like a year) and always intended to read it while traveling -- because it's a book where the protagonist takes a 947 mile road trip and I'm all about symbolism. And I'd always bring it on every flight I took and every road trip and I just never got around to reading it (I always bring lots of options on trips and just kept picking different books). However, this past August, I road tripped to New York (I live in North Carolina if you're new) and finally read it!

Just like me, David Arnold seems to love symbolism and metaphors because this book was full of them. It centers around Mim Malone, a 16 year old girl who runs away with the emergency money she steals from her stepmom's dresser drawer and hops on a Greyhound from Mississippi (where she lives) to Ohio (where her mom lives). Even though it's been a little while since I've finished it, I'm still not totally sure how I feel about this book.

The writing was definitely the best part. It's told through first-person by Mim and interspersed are letters she's writing to her aunt Isabel as the trip goes on. Mim had a really unique voice and a lot of the book was Inner Monologue (which I thought was cool and worked with this book) that served to teach us about her character and "the whys behind her whats." I've seen a lot of the negative reviews of this book call the writing "wannabe John Green" but I feel like that's an unfair way of looking at it -- just because someone writes a contemporary novel with an "odd" character doesn't mean they're trying to be John Green. As much as I love him, he didn't invent the Quirky Protagonist. Anyway, I didn't make the connection while reading but if you like John Green's books and are wondering if you should read this: I think the writing style might appeal to you but the book as a whole package is something a little different so that's just a matter of personal taste.

Anyway, the writing really was beautiful and flowed exquisitely and I really just liked the way David Arnold strung words together. It was for sure my favorite aspect of this book.

There actually isn't that much in regard to plot, which is why I think the inner monologue works. A heavy plot and a constant inner monologue would be way too much. The book is just a coming-of-age type thing where she goes on a trip and meets people and learns from them and Weird and Unexpected Complications arise. If you don't like light plots and need something super involved with like crazy plot twists and hella foreshadowing this is maybe not the book for you. This is mostly just shit happening and rolling with the punches. For the most part I didn't feel bored or anything but there was a chunk around the end that felt kinda slow and where I wished it'd hurry along.

I read Mosquitoland essentially in two chunks and while I was reading, I really liked everything, but when it was over I was a little confused about how I felt. I think I was just enamored by the writing style and didn't pay attention to much else and then when it wore off I had time to process. One of the confusing things is Mim herself. She's an unlikable protagonist, but not in the way that makes you hate a book. Like, I've definitely reviewed books where I couldn't stand the book because the main character was just so insufferable and this isn't like that. This is more of a Catcher in the Rye situation where you know Holden Caulfield is a jerk but you still appreciate the book. Mim is very 16 but very much believes that she transcends what it means to be 16. Sometimes, her oddities do make her a character you can like and appreciate, like getting seven scoops of ice cream at a pit stop just because she can, but sometimes they kinda miss the mark, like when she basically goes on a Not Like Other Girls tangent. She also is kinda mean to Walt, her friend/traveling-companion who has Down syndrome. (They have a third companion, a 21(ish) year old named Beck who Mim is highkey in love with but thankfully he has enough common sense to understand how young 16 is).

Mim is also definitely an unreliable narrator, which you understand right from the get-go. She talked a lot about her dad and stepmom forcing her to see a psychiatrist for psychosis and delusions, just like her aunt, and I thought that was gonna play a bigger part in the plot and kept like watching to see which characters interacted with which ones (honestly every time I read a book I always assume someone is gonna be dead or not real the whole time I'm the worst). I kinda wish it'd been elaborated on more.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and loved the writing style. There were a few awkward and questionable parts but the characters were all unique --not just Mim; I know I didn't touch on side characters much but they were all great. I think it's definitely worth a read but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. I'll definitely be looking out for David Arnold's other works!

- Noor

Where's your next road trip destination?
Let us know in the comments!

Review: And I Darken - Kiersten White

And I Darken
Kiersten White
Series: The Conquerers Saga, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

When I first saw the book on Kiersten's spreadsheet of books she got at BEA for us, I wasn't too interested in reading it and marked it as "not that interested but would read." It sounded like too much of a political historical fiction book for me to be feeling it (not that I automatically hate anything with that feel, I just didn't think it would be for me). However, I heard some good things about it from people on the ~internet~ and it sounded more interesting after reading the description again, and Kiersten ended up sending it to me with a few other BEA books -- a decision I'm glad she made because I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.

And I Darken is a gender-bent Vlad the Impaler book but you don't need to know anything about Vlad the Impaler to enjoy it. I actually didn't even realize the connection until after I finished reading the book and I stumbled upon an interview where she mentioned it. I myself don't really know much about him other than he was a mean dude who impaled his enemies. Our Vlad is Lada, a ruthless, brutal girl who loves nothing but her country, Wallachia. In contrast, her brother Radu is weak and sensitive.

Something I liked about the book was that it covered a very large time frame. It started out with the births of Lada and Radu (one year apart) and ended when they were around 17/18 (ish...I don't remember exactly because I don't think it was explicitly mentioned but around that age definitely). You might think this would make the book go slower but it was written in a cohesive way that made it a pretty fast read. They would be an age, and then a Thing would happen, and then we'd skip the unimportant years of them being boring, and then the next chapter they're a few years older, ready for more Things (this makes it sound formulaic but I promise it was not).

Writing the book this way really allows us as readers to immerse ourselves in the characters and the situations and understand more of what's going on, so when it gets politics-heavy or relies on the background knowledge of their universe, we can follow along without being bored. Also, it gave a whole new dimension to Lada, who I love with all my heart and would totally go to war for.

Lada is brutal. She's blunt, ferocious, aggressive, vindictive, scathing, and most of the other synonyms for those words you can find. And yet, you root for her (well, I did). We see her birth, see her grow up, see her ruthlessness diffused through the ages, and see her reasoning for her actions inside her head. I didn't think she was cruel or monstrous as I read the book, I thought she was so strong and maybe a little misguided at times, but she was 12 for like half the book so I'm willing to let it go. I loved that she made the hard choices and made them quietly and assuredly -- she didn't need to justify her decisions or make sure she was still liked, she just needed to get her goal accomplished. Like, in one scene, she lets Radu get physically punished because she won't answer her tutor's question. She knows if she shows any hint of this affecting her, he'll be used against her always, so she has to sit quietly and continue to disobey, so it seems that punishing Radu over her is ineffective, and it stops after this incident. Radu, of course, doesn't get it, and spends a lot of time contemplating why she let him get hit.

I went really back-and-forth with liking Radu, but eventually I did. I didn't like him when he was a kid and all he did was talk about how he wanted his nurse and how he cried about literally everything (even though I cry all the time too but not as insufferably as him). However, as he grew older, he became a lot more cunning and a lot less spineless. I appreciated his type of cunning -- mostly ~ends justifies the means~ stuff -- and how even though he wasn't a warrior he wasn't just a useless little boy with too many feelings. Also I'm intrigued as to where his romantic angle will go, which was a part of the story I really liked. It took a while for me to warm up to him but Radu is definitely a character I care about.

You know who I really don't like though? Mehmed. I know he's supposed to be the ~cute, main love interest wow~ but he just annoyed me. I actually liked him earlier on in the book and thought he was pretty chill, but he just kept growing more obsessive and annoying and insufferable. Also, I feel like all he did was create a rift between what could have been the most powerful pair of siblings, and involve them in his dirty politics.

Even though they were like 12 for so much of the book, they came across as so much older. They spoke like adults, planned like adults, were given thrones for adults. It was a little unnerving but nothing I couldn't get past.

Speaking of thrones, a lot of the book's driving force was about nobility and who would be the king of the Ottomans and the Prince of Wallachia and who would invade who. All these political alliances and battles set the stage for why the characters were doing what they were doing. It wasn't really historical fiction as much as it was alternate history. I found it really interesting and I'll admit I could have used slightly less Ottoman war politics from 1400, but it were a good aspect in the book.

Overall, this book was a pretty short read, which I wasn't expecting because it seemed like it would be really heavy and I'd have to take a week to get into it. I didn't like the love element and felt like it was unnecessary, especially because I don't ship the couple and feel like she is way too good for him. I thought some of the war and politics and history stuff was a bit dense at times and a lot of info at once, which sometimes made it tiresome to read. I did like the side characters and their purposes in the book, like Bogdan, Mara, and Mehmed's mom (I can't remember her name oops). I didn't think the book was perfect but I liked it enough that I definitely want to continue the series.

Also, on an end note, here is a fun quote from Lada.

“On our wedding night,” she said, “I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied.”

- Noor

Ruthlessness or cunning?
Let us know in the comments!

ARC Review: Black Widow: Forever Red - Margaret Stohl

Black Widow: Forever Red
Margaret Stohl 
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Superhero, Action
Release Date: October 13th, 2015
Publisher: Marvel Press
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Natasha Romanov hates pierogies and that's more insight into her character than we've seen from all her scenes in every Marvel movie she's been in combined -- and that's from the first line of this book.

Black Widow is my heart and soul. I want her to pull a gun out of a cleverly concealed spot in her clothing and shoot me in the face. I welcome the sweet embrace of death if it's being delivered by a swift punch from Agent Romanov's gauntlet clad fists. So when I heard this book existed it was a big deal to me, because her on-screen scenes are not enough for me. Margaret Stohl was giving me a full length novel about the queen of my heart, and I could have it months in advance, signed and everything by arguably the sweetest author in existence? A dream come true.

The story Stohl tells in her book is of Ava Orvola, a girl Natasha Romanov saved eight years ago from Ivan Somodorov, the same man who ran the Red Room where Natasha became the Black Widow. Now, he's back and down to even shadier shenanigans and of course now only does Nat have to get Ava involved (whose just trying to live an innocent civilian life at this point) but another homie, Alex, gets mixed up in this business as well.

The book was full of action. From page one to the end, I don't feel like it ever lost its momentum or it pacing. It was a short book but because of the way it was paced, so many things happened one after the other (or all at once) that content-wise, nothing was lacking.

The characterization was the most interesting part to me. There were some scenes where I could see the Black Widow I had in my head saying and doing those things and there were some scenes where she seemed slightly out of character, like the dialogue didn't quite match up with the mouth of the person saying it. I wasn't sure if I just had a false perception of her or if Stohl's representation of her was a little off, but ultimately, she still displayed the signature Black Widow characteristics, and considering I have mostly the movies to go off of, my view of her is probably skewed as it is, so I don't want to knock Margaret Stohl for her characterization. I do think some of the lines read a little bit choppy/awkward, but I think that might have been a dialogue issue, not a character issue. Overall, I liked her imagining of Natasha: she had the sarcasm, -- especially evident in the bits of dialogue from the case files inserted after each chapter -- the closed-off nature, the intelligence.

The other two main characters, I totally loved. They were well-written and well developed and even though I wished there was slightly more Black Widow point of view compared to their point of views, I still loved their point of views. Ava had the same tormented past and her snark and loner lifestyle mirroring Natasha's was just too interesting not too be drawn into. And Alex was hilarious and endearing and once Black Widow starts digging deeper, a mystery. I did think they were a little insta-lovey (more from his side considering she saw him in her dreams so at least she thought she knew him kinda???) but they were cute and not obnoxious and not the point of the story so I'm willing to let it go. Also, on the topic of characters, I loved the appearances from Tony Stark and Phil Coulson and the references to the Avengers. Stohl did a great job tying everything to the universe.

Some of the writing was a little awkward, particularly the fight sequences. I enjoyed the parts about analyzing the scenes, but other than that, the fight scenes didn't really hold my attention and I didn't enjoy reading them, even the internal monologue-y parts. I don't know if that's just me or if they truly were awkward to read but throughout the book there were just bits and pieces of weird phrasing.

However, there were also beautifully phrased parts and most of the story was enjoyable enough that I plowed through, trying to figure out the next plot point. I liked all the directions the story took (speaking of directions, there was a One Direction joke in the book, which is automatic grounds for recommendation) and a lot of them I didn't see coming at all. It was cool how all the characters were interconnected and there was always a little more to the story.

I'm still waiting for that novel all about Nat's grueling Red Room training so that better be next, but until then, I totally liked the book, shortcomings and all, and would definitely suggest fans of Black Widow pick it up, if not for the story, for the sole fact that Alex Manor's longest inside joke is "Taylor Stark" -- a poster of Tony Stark with Taylor Swift's head taped on -- and if that doesn't inspire you, nothing can.

- Noor

Black Widow movie? Yes or Yes?
Let us know in the comments!

Double ARC Review: Court of Fives - Kate Elliott

Court of Fives
Kate Elliott
Series: Court of Fives, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,
Release Date: August 18th, 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Court of Fives is an ARC we picked up at BEA, and focuses on the protagonist, Jessamy, and her struggle to compete in the Fives -- an athletic competition that someone of her social position wouldn't dare participate in. In fact, there are a decent amount of things someone "like her" shouldn't or can't do. The book is heavy with descriptions of classism and racism, both of which remain central to the story, which is about more than just the aforementioned competition -- while the Fives are interlaced throughout the book, something bigger and more sinister is happening as the story progresses.

Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to want to read the next book in the series, so I'd deem it a successful literary endeavor, though there were definitely some parts I liked more than others.

The story itself was compelling, in my opinion, even though it wasn't too complex (although I feel like in the next book in might get a little more complicated (but I'm not the author so I won't make any hasty predictions)). I was generally interested in where it was going, but at some points it did seem to drag where it seemed like not much was happening to advance the plot. Those parts were nice to read for a little while and it isn't that they were bad but I just wanted to know when I could expect a shift. Also, towards the end, I felt really tempted to skim, and I'm not sure if it was the writing or the story or if I just, again, wanted to get to get to a point where something else was happening. Something I liked about the story was that even though the story is about the Fives, it isn't totally about the Fives and they aren't the primary focus of the plot.

As for the characters, I had mixed feelings about them. I liked Jessamy's character a lot, and I liked her sisters but I thought they were very one dimensional for a lot of the book. Bettany and Maraya, two of the sisters, kindof stayed one dimensional the whole time, but Amaya showed a little bit of growth/change. They were still fun to read about and I liked them all but I just wished they were fleshed out a little bit more than "the smart sister", "the pretty sister", and "the loud sister." In fact, we see very few multifaceted characters. Everyone else is either purely good or purely bad.

Another thing I wasn't a fan of was the love story. The two just didn't seem to have a connection or have chemistry, the whole thing seemed forced and awkward. I really liked Kal's character on his own and I really liked Jes, and I didn't think it was even obnoxious or in your face -- that's actually something I'd like to commend Kate Elliott on, because if the two characters fit well together I would have really liked the way she handled the romance. However, it just didn't really work for me.

I feel like I've spent a lot of this review talking about negatives and I swear I didn't mean to, so I'll mention something I liked, which was how heavy an influence classism and racism had in the society Elliott wrote about. I know it sounds weird writing that I liked those things but what I mean is that I liked that they were included and touched upon because in a lot of fantasy books you have different species and sure, elves are better than dwarves but that's pretty abstract, and in this book it's clear that the dark skinned people are unattractive and those who sail to the new land are superior Patrons to the lowly Commoners and it just created a whole aspect of the world-building that was really cool.

Speaking of the world building, I liked the idea of it, but sometimes it was carried out in large info-dumps, like "oh hey dad why don't you tell us this story" or like sometimes Jessamy, who was narrating, would just break up chapters of action with narration of world-building, and it was a lot of info-dumping and a lot of names that I honestly forgot a lot of. It was kindof hard to keep straight and I got some of it confused so I wasn't huge on the way it was told, but at the same time, I get it because there are only so many ways to get that information across in a book this size, you know??? So I'm not too hung up on that, but I definitely liked the subtle things, like slipping in things into lines and actions of characters rather than chapters of explanation.

I know my review has made my opinion sound really mixed, but I actually got through this book really quickly because I was enjoying myself reading, so it wasn't something I forced myself to finish or that I finished so I could laugh at. I really liked the language and the actual flow of the words, which really gave the book an added flair. Despite the things I mentioned that I disliked, the story and the supporting characters pulled me through and like I mentioned earlier, it was likable enough that I would definitely read the second book in the series once it comes out (although this one isn't even officially out yet so I might have to wait a bit).

- Noor

Amrutha's Court of Fives Review
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I really agree with Noor for most of her review: the characters were a bit one dimensional, the plot seemed to drag a tiny bit due to not being as complex as I would've liked, but all in all, the book was a fast and easy read (I read it all in one sitting), so I will definitely read the second book in the series.

That being said, let's get started. The book is, like Noor mentioned, about Jessamy and her sisters, who grow up in a lower class/social standing than what is needed to train for the Fives, which is this really intense athletic competition that could bring really good things for her. However, Jessamy is the daughter of a Patron (higher social standing) and a Commoner (lower social standing), which is forbidden in her land. She faces not only pseudo for being the daughter of these two, but also classism for being in such a low social standing -- this is probably one of my favorite elements of the book, solely because it's a part of dystopian fantasy that I always look forward to. I read a review of this book that compares Jessamy to a mudblood in HP, so here it is basically a half-blood with the same amount of discrimination of a mudblood.

So, I liked Jessamy to an extent -- she was a bit wishy washy but she is still a young protagonist with a lot of issues, so I tried to look past it. I think that this will all play into her character development in future books so I'm withholding judgement for now. Kal (our love interest) was interesting too, I'm expecting that he'll be a bit more fleshed out in future books so I'm reserving judgement again. Pretty much all the other characters are really one dimensional and static, which as we all know is something that drives me absolutely insane, so I wasn't a huge fan of that.

100% agree with Noor on the romance, I didn't love Kal and Jessamy together because they just didn't quite fit. But to be honest, I didn't think Katniss and Peeta fit that well in THG but they still ended up having quite a bit of chemistry, and I feel like Kal and Jessamy could be similar in that sense.

I'm honestly a little disappointed at the lack of world-building and how it was more of just a dump of information that I had to wade through, I wanted more from it than what I got. Everything just felt very slow, and as someone who likes fast paced fantasy, this just didn't deliver on that front.

That all being said, I really did enjoy the book. The book flowed together in a way that was enjoyable and interesting, and while it had its flaws, I look forward to reading the next one, because it really feels like it has so much potential.

- Amrutha

What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?

Let us know in the comments!

ARC Review: The Dead House: Dawn Kurtagich

The Dead House
Dawn Kurtagich
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Paranormal, Psychological
Release Date: September 15th, 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

I grabbed an ARC of The Dead House at BEA and if I'm being honest I'm not entirely sure I actually did it on purpose. Well, I vaguely recall intentionally picking the book up (okay, I remember the straw bookmark poking out of the book) but I don't remember reading anything about the book or the blurb or whether I was even in that area for a reason.

It turned out to be a good decision.

The Dead House was so much better than I imagined it being and I kept finding myself drawn into the mystery. The story is kickstarted by a huge fire at Elmbridge High School in which three students are killed and one, Carly Johnson, goes missing. Twenty years later, a diary is found, and the case is reopened. The diary isn't Carly Johnson's though, it's Kaitlyn Johnson's. Records from their psychiatrist show a (rather peculiar) diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder, and it's implied Kaitlyn is a manifestation of this. However, as the story is told through the diary entries, video footage, tapes of their sessions with the psychiatrist, police records, online conversations, etc. another picture begins to unfold of possible something deeper and darker being at play than a personality disorder.

I really liked the way the book was put together with the diary entries and the transcribed tapes and such all put together. I thought it gave it a nice edge while still remaining cohesive enough to tell the story. I'm usually not a fan of found footage films because I find them boring and this didn't read like the literary version of those or anything so I think Kurtagich was on the right track if that was anyone's concern. Also, speaking of the diary entries, I really liked the way they showcased Kaitlyn's descent into feeling crazy and followed, because it was just the right amount of creepy and dramatic and made it really effective.

In the same vein, the actual writing style, especially of the diary entries, was also effective. For example, I thought this one line was excellently written (note, this is an ARC and any quotes are subject to change in the finished copy):

"Some people say the night blooms. I've always said it cuts. Like a guillotine." 

It was a comment that stuck and kindof shows the jarring narrative style of Kaitlyn. She crosses out a lot of words and you're left with things like "Before my parents died left went away" which gives an air of panic and choppiness and added to her character and the way she advanced the story.

The characters were interesting to read in the literal sense of the word. I mean, some of them were more fun than others, but when it comes down to it, I was more intrigued than entertained (not in a bad way). Even with characters like Naida, who was Carly's friend and went to the high school, I was waiting to see what she'd do, if she'd screw anything up or help them, or if she could be trusted. I was interested in watching her more than being amused by her toting her video camera around everywhere she goes. When it got to Carly and Kaitlyn, I was especially interested. I wanted to know about who they were and how their situation worked, like: if Carly existed in the daytime and Kaitlyn existed at night, did their body ever sleep or get rest?

I was also really interested in delving into the psychological aspects of the character -- was Kaitlyn actually an alter personality created by Carly? -- and I really liked the way the book went into that with the transcripts of the conversations with their doctor. It provided a nice solid background of information on them and set the stage for some of their actions later in the book. On the other hand, the book also delves into the paranormal quite a bit, and it's up to the reader to see which reasoning they can get behind more.

While I did which some of the parts of the book had been more elaborated on -- Naida's voodo magic for one (actually I wasn't a fan of her whole Mala thing at all I would've nixed it) -- I enjoyed the book and thought it wasn't too predictable and was nice and creepy and had an interesting (though not totally unexpected) ending. I usually probably wouldn't have gone for a book like this if I saw it lying around or on a shelf so I'm glad I took the chance and my review doesn't really capture the essence of the book. I definitely would recommend it, although if you're really easily creeped out or scared, maybe you should skip this one.

- Noor

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Double Arc Review: Fuzzy Mud - Louis Sachar

Fuzzy Mud
Louis Sachar
Series: N/A
Genre: Middle Grade, Suspense, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Release Date: August 4th, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

I picked up an ARC of Fuzzy Mud at BEA after seeing it was by Louis Sachar, author of Holes and the Wayside Stories books. The book was definitely enjoyable and full of suspense, causing the reader to wonder what's happening throughout the novel and also appreciate the dynamic of the characters while its happening.

Speaking of character dynamics, I found the exploration of those in Fuzzy Mud to be quite interesting. For example, we have Tamaya Dhilwaddi, our main protagonist. Her walking-home-from-school buddy, Marshall, is the one who is with her when the dangerous, blister-causing "fuzzy mud" is discovered and a school bully, Chad, is chasing them. Chad gets a fistful of it to the face, with dangerous results, but Tamaya isn't let off the hook easily herself. All the characters learn and grow from their experiences dealing with the fuzzy mud and use it to benefit themselves and others in the future, which was something I liked about the characters. They handled their situation(s) well and used them as learning experiences.

Besides the character dynamics, the characters themselves were fun to read too, although very few points off for being slightly typical -- a little variation would have been nice. Regardless, they were very nice characters, who I enjoyed greatly. Tamaya was a girl who played by the rules at first, but came out of her shell a bit and started to go into the woods which led to the whole fuzzy mud incident in the first place. Chad is a bully who's just jealous. Sound like stuff you've heard?

They are interesting characters, though. I liked Tamaya's attention to detail and her sweetness and Marshall's inner conflict and overall they were all just fun to read about.

The story was just fun to read in general. I liked how the characters grew, how they explored, and it kept giving surprising twists and turns that make me change my mind from it being "fun" to read to it being "full of suspense" and "sympathetic." It was a good premise and a solid plot.

The writing itself was also a selling point. Sachar's wordplay is tough to describe, but he has a style that resonates through all his books so if you've read one, there's an idea of the way he commands the English language. It didn't seem dumbed down, as if the narrator was speaking to small children. It seemed like a person speaking to another person but in a very fluid, soothing sort of way. I personally highly enjoy his writing style. It didn't feel like I was reading a middle-grade book at times but in a way that if someone younger that me was reading the same portion of the book, they could get lost in it too, without feeling overwhelmed.

My only big issue is that at the end, too much is happening in not enough time. It's a short book, so I expected that either not that much would happen (like lots of exposition), or if it did, it would be a fast-paced book, and I was super cool with that. However, the entire book told the story up until this big climactic thing and then the last few pages are just aftermath page and more after aftermath page and then what's this a new Thing is happening let's spring on some more developments this is a good idea so it's all these things being thrown at you in the last few pages until finally it's over and you see why the end stuff was important but you also wonder if they could have planned that even a little better.

Besides the pacing being off though, I enjoyed the book, and I thought it was an entertaining read. I read it in one sitting and I honestly couldn't tell you how long it took but probably not too long so it isn't time consuming and it's definitely entertaining enough to give it a shot!

P.S - Our protagonists name is Tamaya Dhilwaddi. That just screams person of color. While that may not have been something discussed or featured in the book, although I wish it had been, even for a line or two, it's important to have non-white or at least non-white sounding protagonists and characters in our novels so like, good on ya Louis Sachar for taking a step.

- Noor

Amrutha's Review of Fuzzy Mud

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Gotta agree with Noor's rating on this one -- I liked the writing as usual: Louis Sachar has been one of my favorites since I was rereading the Wayside Stories every other day and was in love with Holes and Small Steps. When I saw another book by Sachar at BEA I knew I had to read it.

Little disclaimer if Noor didn't make it clear already: This book is Middle Grade, which I know isn't a thing we review often, but we made an exception because Louis Sachar is a gift and his writing is always entertaining and his characters are usually a joy.

This story is about Tamaya, a fifth grader, and her walking-home-buddy, seventh grade Marshall. When Marshall is bullied, they decide to take a different way home, through the woods that they aren't supposed to go through (little more ballsy than I might've been in fifth grade, but you do you guys). You might guess that they discover Fuzzy Mud. Fun fact, before I read this I didn't read the blurb and therefore had no idea this was going to be science-fiction-ish. Not going to lie, I kind of thought it was the middle grade sequel to Holes.

Anyway, they find this fuzzy mud and lots of drama happens and as Noor points out, it happens in a really forcedly fast way. I get that this kind of fast paced drama needed to occur because this book is so short and also is Middle Grade and not directed at an audience with the patience to read 400 pages to find out the outcome of the mud.

The little tidbits of the scientists being untrustworthy and annoying were actually one of my favorite parts of this book (surprisingly too, because I don't normally like those kinds of inclusions). They actually help shed some light on the story and excuses some of how rushed the plot is.

While the characters seemed really typical, I find that this is true of literally every Middle Grade novel because really quirky character developments don't seem to appeal to the audience this book is targeted at (at least, from my experience with kids that age recently). That being said, I really did enjoy the main characters (Chad was such a stereotypical bully that I cannot even try to like how his character was constructed) and they were fun to read about, which is really all I'm looking for in a short MG novel.

The best part about this was the actual writing style. The writing seemed a lot more YA than most MG novels do, solely because Louis Sachar doesn't write books in which he talks down to his audience of tweens and kids, and instead talks to them as though they are older with a tone that resonates (as Noor touched upon above) through all of his books.

Not going to lie, I wanted more from the plot because of the experience I have with Sachar's books, but I'm happy with what I got. The flow of the writing hasn't changed and that's more than I could really ask for. This is a pretty good Middle Grade novel, but don't read it expecting it to be Holes! This book is for a different audience and is much shorter, so adjustments in expectations should be made accordingly.

- Amrutha

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ARC Review: A Million Miles Away - Lara Avery

A Million Miles Away
Lara Avery 
Series: N/A
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers: Poppy
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Thanks to Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC I received at BookExpo America!

I picked up an ARC of A Million Miles Away at BEA and if we're being totally honest, it was one of those books that flew under the radar that I probably would have forgotten I had if Kiersten hadn't noticed out that it was an ARC I had being released soon if I wanted to read it. And in the interest of honesty, going in to the book, I didn't think I would be all that impressed. I think the whole premise -- a girl's identical twin dies in a car crash and she doesn't have the heart to tell her boyfriend serving in Afghanistan so she panics and pretends to be her but keeps it up and falls in love with him herself -- just sounded so ridiculous when put on a blurb. Also, I wasn't feeling the cover. (Sorry if Lara Avery or the marketing team or anyone else involved reads this but please keep reading so you know that the rest of the review is positive)

Anyway, I didn't have super high expectations but I was definitely proven wrong and pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this book. The first thing I enjoyed was Lara Avery's writing style. While subtle, her diction had a nice flow about it that gave the book a sort of lilting quality, although the lilt came and went, but Avery's style rang through. The first thing that made me really start to appreciate the book was the description of Kelsey's (the twin that didn't die) depression after Michelle (her twin)'s death (that's not a spoiler, right? people sad after their twins die?). Anyway, something about watching her unable to cry or really speak to any of her friends was intriguing, especially compared to the way we saw her in the first scene, a party girl who could do the longest keg stand and socialized with everyone. It was truly haunting seeing the way Michelle's absence was affecting her and weighing on her and a beautifully done part of the book.

It's hard to talk about this book without giving anything away about what actually happened but the progression was definitely well-done. My only grievance with the book is that everything that happens is a bit far fetched. I know it's a book and I should enjoy it for what it is but a lot of the time I kept thinking of ways situations wouldn't work in reality and how Kelsey wouldn't really get away with some things. Most of them are major spoilers so I can't really say. One tiny example that doesn't spoil the story if I tell you is that Kelsey switched classes in the middle of the year so she could switch into an AP class (because Michelle took it and she wanted to connect with her more). You can't just switch classes in the middle of the year like that! That wasn't a big thing but something that for a moment took me out of the story. While that specific detail wasn't a big one I had an issue with, some other things were a bit much.

However, in general I very much enjoyed the storyline and the direction it went. I knew I was sucked in when I literally felt my heart drop during a certain scene and could feel every emotion Kelsey was describing herself as feeling. Speaking of Kelsey, she really drew me in as a character. While whatever she was projecting was an amalgam of her and Michelle, the more she explored who her sister really was, the more these understandings of Michelle's personality and life led to Kelsey's shift in character from beginning to end. I enjoyed reading about the things she cared about and the way she saw the world -- and the way this changed throughout the book.

I also really liked Peter and his charm, especially the way his voice came out in his letters. He was funny and sweet and all in all a great male lead. I have opinions about the other characters as well: Kelsey's friends were cute but I didn't loooove them, they were just ok, I think I was mostly indifferent towards them, but I liked that they were dynamic for side characters; I really wasn't a fan of Davis, he was very annoying to me in every scene he was in but I kindof felt bad that I didn't like him because he was a sweet kindof annoying; Meg was adorable A+ Meg 4 for you; Sam was also A+ despite being so minor of a character I don't know why I'm so emotional over him; lastly, Michelle's presence lingered throughout the book despite dying after making one appearance in the first chapter.

I realize this is getting long so I'm going to wrap it up, but essentially this is an excellent book with wonderful prose and a heartwarming story. If you want something cutesy that's emotionally resonant that'll leave you happy and with everything neatly tied up definitely consider this book. I'm glad I read it and hope you all do the same!!

- Noor

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Review: Follow Me Through Darkness - Danielle Ellison

Follow Me Through Darkness
Danielle Ellison 
Series: The Boundless Trilogy
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Very Original
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

I picked up Follow Me Through Darkness at BEA and was instantly intrigued by the premise -- Elders choosing paths of life for members of society? Sign me up. Neely, the main character, figures out that basically all of the government is a lie -- as usual -- and her search for the truth snowballs into something huge.

The concept was not only something I found to be very original (my description doesn't do it justice, read the blurb and you'll see what I mean) but carried out very well and I commend Danielle Ellison for not turning this book into something very typical and generic as it would have been easy to do in this style of writing.

I enjoyed the story a lot and thought it was done well. I wish there had been more focus on world-building because I feel like at some points things were kinda vague or not really explained and I really hope they're elaborated on in the next book. There were also a few instances where there would be info-dumping about a particular subject before they were about to encounter it -- not a lot but enough where the world-building aspect is one I hope to see improved on in the next book.

The characters were definitely well-developed. I liked Neely a lot and the way we get to know her. I honestly really enjoyed her personality, especially that she didn't really like to deal with other people's bullshit and wasn't exactly the most sensitive person. I think that might be off-putting to some people and I can totally understand why people would have problems with her character but I think my own ways of thinking just made me appreciate her a lot. Also, she faced some tough choices and was pretty indecisive and I can feel that because making decisions is really hard whether it's what kind of chocolate you want to purchase or life or death decisions that could bring down a government (I think they're on the same level tbh) so I think Neely is pretty rad. Other characters include Thorne and Xenith. I liked the way they were both done as well and hope to see them expanded upon in the second book. There was definitely the beginning of a love triangle here but it wasn't heavily focused on here and while it'll probably become more apparent later on, I was appreciative of the way it was introduced.

The plot itself was also very compelling and I was really entertained by the whole story and was kept interested by everything that went on. The beginning a little show but once it picked up the pace it didn't slow down and was definitely a good read. The story alternated in between flashbacks and the present and as it went on we learned a lot about Neely, which was cool, and also about their world and the Elders and everything. Some of it involves a countdown which builds suspense. Overall, it was just a good story and definitely worth reading, and I'm hopeful that the second book will be even better and I can't wait to see what happens after the cliffhanger this book left the readers with!

- Noor

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Double Review: Vampires of Manhattan - Melissa de la Cruz

Vampires of Manhattan
Melissa de la Cruz
Series: Vampires of Manhattan #1
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult / New Adult
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Word Rating: A-
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

I've been following Melisa de la Cruz a bit on and off and so while I've read some of her work, I'm still new. New, and hooked.

(Still, this might be a little more tame of a review than the awe-fest that infected We Live and Breathe Books last week.)

Disclaimer: Vampires of Manhattan is in many, many ways a sequel to the last Blue Bloods book, Gates of Paradise. The same characters appear: Oliver, Finn, Mimi, Edon (if you loved Jack and Sky, they're only in the last scenes, sorry!). If you haven't read any Blue Bloods books, you should at least wiki the summaries; the novel is thick with a mythology that de la Cruz doesn't spend too much time easing you into if you haven't read the past books and references that will fly over a new reader's head. She does do a terrific job, however, of creating (and in most cases re-introducing) a loveable, exciting cast.

This is the main reason Vampires of Manhattan acts as a wonderful re-introduction into the Blue Bloods world. Ten years after Lucifer's alleged death, the coven is thriving with its new Regent, Oliver - yes, OLIVER THE DESPERATELY WEAK AND ADORKABLE HUMAN I'M STILL NOT OVER THIS - who has become incredibly rich, hot, immortal, and ever so subtly a pompous, vaguely misogynistic bag of crap. He's an entirely new character (though some things pierce through the years now and then) and it's quite disconcerting. Thankfully, Cruz balances Oliver's ambitions with Finn, who has (at least, seemingly) not changed much.

Along with Oliver and Finn, there are two other sets of main characters, a young venator Ara teamed with Edom, and Mimi along with Kingsley. Mimi and Kingsly, though utterly predictable, are so hilarious in this novel. They hate each other one second and are having sex the next second. It is one hell of a ride (GET IT HAHA BECAUSE THEY LIVED IN HELL YEAHHHHH. Alright I'm lame I'll stop) and it contrasts the "picture perfect" image of Oliver and Finn that we're given in the beginning.

Totally unrelated is the super badass team of Edon and Ara.

As is obvious, the characters were what sold me. Everything just sprouts out of them, the humor, the wit, the imagery. Even, the plot, an intricate combination of past and present, with revelations and twists strewn in, was quite subtle and secondary. I could really tell the difference between this and the first Blue Bloods; Cruz focuses in on what's important to this particular novel - characters and characterization - and lets it drive everything else. It's neat.

- Marlon

Noor's Review of Vampires of Manhattan
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Enjoyable 

When I first picked up Vampires of Manhattan at BEA, I didn't realize it was the first book in a continuation of a previous series I had not read. I decided to just go for it and read it anyway and see what my experience would be like.

There was definitely a lot of the worldbuilding that I realized had been previously established and wasn't going to be elaborated on in this book and I wasn't sure how many of the characters were recurring and how many were new. However, even though I might not have gotten as many of the references out of the book as someone who read the previous series, I don't think that my reading of the book was negatively affected in that I don't think it was impossible to understand anything that was happening. It wasn't too difficult to pick up on what the background was and kindof just go with it and Melissa de la Cruz did a good job making this book a bridge between the two series'.

Ok, I really loved all the characters and the dynamic they had with each other and how everyone was fleshed out so well. Melissa de la Cruz did a good job making me invested in the fates of all the characters and also made me want to learn more about their backgrounds and lives. They all had their own distinct personalities and ways of speaking and really stood out. I really liked all the points of view that let us explore their lives.

One of the things that stood out to me the most was her writing style. Filled with descriptions and very elegant, this book read very fluidly. I enjoyed reading her writing and it pulled me along just as much as the plot did. The imagery was all very stark and the book had a very intense feel to it, which I really appreciated.

I liked the storyline of the book as well, even though it was fairly simple and straightforward, although I'm assuming that's because it's the first book in a sort of spin-off type series and things are going to get more intense from here.

Overall, I really liked the book, which took me a few pages to get invested in but once I was in, I was hooked.

- Noor

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Triple ARC Review: Falling into Place - Amy Zhang

Falling into Place
Amy Zhang
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Release Date: September 9th, 2014
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Word Rating: Interesting
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

I picked up an ARC of this book at BEA, mostly being attracted by the cover and then thinking it looked like an interesting enough story from the description. After reading it, it's definitely taken me a while to really understand how I feel about this book.

For some background, Falling Into Place tells a story in nonlinear chapters, switching between before and after Liz Emerson crashes her car in a suicide attempt. As readers, we get pieces of the puzzle this way and we get pieces of the lives of the peoples close to her and we find out about the characters and their dynamics which each other and what pushed Liz to the edge. These chapters of background information are laced with the chapters of reaction to the attempt, and of taking her to the hospital, and ultimately seeing if she lives or dies. I really liked that the story was told this way instead of straightforward "This was Liz's life and these were her friend's and she was sad. Then she crashed her car (into a bridge I don't care I love it) and everyone else was sad. Does she live or does she die? Here are some pages of drawing it out and here's the last page where you finally find out woo."

I thought the way the book was written was much more effective because it allowed you to actually appreciate the characters (even if you didn't like them, because I definitely didn't like all of them, but some grew on me) without a giant info-dump and even though the only real place to put the "does she live or die?" moment is at the end, doing it in a traditional linear format would have felt like wading through everything else to get there, while this captured my attention more and I didn't feel like I was reading only for that moment of revelation, because there was so much else going on.

As for the characters, while I did think Amy Zhang did a good job, something felt slightly off about them. I think it's that even though they're all written with dimension and fleshed out with their own problems and backgrounds, they're very hard to connect to. Liz Emerson, for example, is a very unlikable main character. I personally don't like her at all. And I usually wouldn't see that as a problem because you can still appreciate a character without liking them. However, in this book, there was just a stark disconnect from the reader and the characters. Her friends Julia and Kennie were all fleshed out and Zhang covered all the gritty topics like drugs and abortions and whatnot. Even Liam, who I liked more than anyone else, I couldn't make a strong connection with, because so much of his background just involved being in love with Liz, rather than anything about him.

Also, the narrator, who I liked the idea of, although it isn't such a mystery who it is, especially after one certain scene, gave me mixed feelings. On one hand, I liked that the narrator allowed us to jump in and out of scenes and how they inserted comments in about Liz, but I think a lot more could have been done with it, and because it wasn't used for much other than literally telling the story, there wasn't much of a point, because it just took away from the gritty, realistic feel of the novel without much reason.

In any case, Amy Zhang's writing style is spot on and is what pulled me through the disconnect from the characters. Her writing has a sort of whimsy to it, but the sentences aren't typically long and rambling, which is interesting. She has sort of a lyrical quality to her words and everything just flows well. It makes the book easy to read in one or two sittings, which is nice.

I definitely liked this book and as I was reading the plot and the whole concept of it was pretty interesting. I never got too invested emotionally in Liz, so even though at the end I really wanted to know how it played out, I would have been okay with either outcome. I think it's a pretty interesting book and worth a read, even if one or two aspects of it did fall a little short.

- Noor

Kiersten's Review of Falling Into Place
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Absolutely brilliant

I know Noor thought Falling Into Place fell short in some aspects, but I absolutely loved it.

I picked up an ARC of Falling Into Place at BEA this year. With a blurb that begins, "On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road," I was completely drawn to this story. As it turns out, this is also the first line of the book and the start to the reader's journey through Liz's life.

One of the most important things about this book is how it's told. Firstly, the story is told in a non-linear path, starting with when Liz crashes her car and alternating between the future and the past, showing us how Liz got to crashing her car and what happened after. Then, there's the voice the story is told in. The narrator that Amy Zhang chose for this story was one that sort of struck me as odd at first, but the more I think about it the more I think the choice adds so much to the over all feeling of the story.

The other important thing about this book is the story (duh). Liz Emerson is not a nice person - she's a mean girl. With all the bad things Liz has done in the past, it's a miracle that she even still has friends. However, this story isn't about liking Liz or even making her into a nicer person - it's about how despite everyone thinking she had it all together and she had everything a person could want, she didn't feel that way. Liz felt empty and like no one could see her past the front she put up.

While Liz is technically the main character, the story would be nothing without the supporting characters. Amy Zhang was able to capture all of these messed up kids, all with their own struggles. More importantly, though, she was able to show how all those struggles intertwined with Liz and why she drove her car off the road.

I can't tell you how much I loved this book - it's definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. Falling Into Place is such a raw portrayal of how a person can seem a certain way but feel completely different and I think it's something people don't think about everyday. The story was told so beautifully and I can hardly believe that a high school student wrote this seriously brilliant story. Amy Zhang has such impeccable insight for someone so young and I'll definitely be watching for her future works. I highly recommend this to any and everyone, especially if you like contemporary coming of age stories that are heavy but cathartic.

- Kiersten

Amrutha's Review of Falling Into Place
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Flowy

After getting this book at BEA this year, I was super excited to read it, for several reasons: 1) it has a really rad cover, and 2) as Kiersten and Noor have touched upon, an amazing blurb. To be quite honest, it took me a long time to decide quite how I felt about this book. It had a really twisted nonlinear plot, which I thought was done fantastically well. For a first time author, Amy Zhang truly captured a plot about death in away only a nonlinear plot can. It definitely held my interest -- I read this all in one setting. Like Noor said before, it was really the writing style that captured my attention in terms of this book -- it is usually so hard for me to find first time authors who's style of arranging plot and poetic syntax I can really appreciate, so when I find one, I tend to be excited for future books.

However, Falling into Place only earns a 3 star rating from me. Although the writing style was interesting, I found myself pulling away from the characters, especially Liz, our protagonist. I've read quite a few books about suicide and I feel as though there are so many ways to make a dying protagonist likable, and that just didn't happen here. I don't know what it was, but I didn't connect to Liz, our queen bee/suicidal chick as well as I should have as a main character.

Moreover, a huge problem I had with this book was the narrator. In the beginning, I thought an unknown narrator would be interesting, especially one that would be revealed at the end, but it became quite obvious pretty early on what was happening. It kind of took away from the mystery of the book, and I feel as though it contributed to me not feeling as much for the characters. While omnipotent narrators are great when written well, I feel like Falling into Place didn't capture the feelings of all the characters as accurately as it could have. I was so interested in Liam as a character, like Noor was, but it was so unfortunate that all I learned about him really was that he was in love with the protagonist. I wish there had been more elaboration on the minor characters in the story, because to be honest, I liked them a lot more than I liked Liz.

If I'd really suggest reading this book for one particular reason, it'd be for the writing style. Amy Zhang has so much potential and really has the ability to tell a story in a way that is both enticing and unique. I only wish that what little suspense there was with the narrator had lasted longer, and that the omnipotent narrator would have said more about the other characters. Other than that, I really did enjoy the book, and I look forward to reading more from Zhang.

- Amrutha

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Double ARC Review: Trial by Fire - Josephine Angelini

Trial by Fire
Josephine Angelini 
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, #1
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Something different
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I picked up a signed ARC of this book at BEA this year after immediately being drawn in by the premise. A young girl, Lily, who suffers from life-threatheting allergies that keep her from doing anything and everything lives in present day Salem, a normal, every-day town. Until she gets transported to a different Salem in which there's a different version of Lily, who is powerful and evil and cruel. Also there are witches and things, how cool does that sound?

Anyway, the very beginning of the book was honestly kindof disappointing and I really thought I was going to be in for something cringe-worthy but once you get past the part where she's in normal Salem and gets to witchy-Salem, it gets exponentially better so just hang in for those first two chapters. They're only 40 pages out of the 374 the book possesses but they are probably the weakest point of the book and definitely do not showcase Angelini's writing abilities at all. I thought the descriptive technique and the writing style itself was just off and lacking in these two parts, especially the way she described the characters' appearances. Also, I wasn't a fan of what was going on, with the whole typical being in love with your best friend and then him noticing you and then hurting you scene, it all just felt so dramatic and made the book seem like it was going in a different direction than it was and I'm really glad those two chapters weren't representative of the rest of the book.

It's clear that once she started worldbuilding, Josephine Angelini really got into her element because as soon as Lily goes from her Salem into the other Salem, the writing gets so much better. The writing itself increases in quality and the descriptions flow better and really help set the tone of the world and what's about to happen. I enjoyed how the book felt very paranormal but also historical at the same time which had a lot to do with its being set in Salem and everything thats associated with it. Also, going back to the worldbuilding, she did a good job of not just adding typical witch tropes, and adding in things that would make her book different, such as the concept of willstones, which I thought was one of my favorite parts.

The characters were all very interesting as well, especially the ones we see exist in both worlds. I definitely really enjoyed Rowan but I don't think that's a stretch to say. Lillian was also one of my favorites to read because of how fleshed out she was. I think some of the minor characters were a little too two-dimensional even for minor characters but that wasn't a huge hindrance to the way the book read.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book a lot more than I thought I would from just the beginning and I think it was refreshingly different from a lot of other paranormal, witchy books out there!

- Noor

Kiersten's Review of Trial by Fire
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Extremely well thought out

While attending BEA this year, I decided to pick up an ARC of Trial by Fire after reading the description - the idea of a Salem witch trial retelling definitely intrigued me.

After a few months between first reading the description and actually starting the book, imagine my surprise when the first glimpse into this world was to that of Lily Proctor, a modern day girl with really bad allergies. What? This was not what I signed up for. However, as slow as the portion of the book that takes place in modern time is, the story gets infinitely better when Lily gets sent to a world of magic and witches.

The thing that is the most impressive about Trial by Fire is indubitably the world that Josephine Angelini builds throughout the book. While reading it, I could not get over how much thought went into this story - the background of the concept is just so well rounded out. Josephine Angelini thought of everything, from how magic works to the social order to what magic can do.

Besides the incredible world building, I thoroughly enjoyed the main characters.

Lily has a great sense of humor throughout the story. Her modern references juxtaposed with a bunch of people who don't understand them was truly comical. Besides that, Lily is an overall well balanced character. She is a character who is well balanced between being willing to sacrifice for the greater good and being worried about her own interests. She can be strong, and she can be weak; she can be brave, and she can be cowardly. Lily has so many dimensions, making her feel so real - she's put in such an odd position throughout the story, and I really enjoyed seeing her grow into the role she chose to play.

Besides Lily, Rowan is AWESOME. I loved seeing the dynamic between Rowan and Lily throughout the story. Even though Rowan isn't thrown into a different world that he has to adjust to, he's still put in an awkward position when he has to watch over ex-girlfriend's alternate world persona. Yes, it is as complicated as it sounds.

All in all, I really liked Trial by Fire! While it was far from the fastest paced story in the beginning, once it got going, I really got into it and loved it. The enormity of Josephine Angelini's idea is something I can barely wrap my mind around because it is so complex and well developed. I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the next book - I can already tell this wait will be too long!

- Kiersten

What would an alternate version of you be like?
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Review: Orange is the New Black - Piper Kerman

Orange is the New Black
Piper Kerman
Series: N/A
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Captivating
On Goodreads

This past summer, I binge watched the entire first season of the Netflix original show Orange is the New Black and completely fell in love with every aspect of the show. I loved the dynamic of the characters, the witty dialogue, the prison drama, all of it. I quickly learned that the show was based off a memoir and mentally added it to my reading list. I didn't end up reading it until now, just a few short months away from the next season of the show, and I really wish I'd picked it up sooner, as it was a very enjoyable read. It was really interesting seeing how the book compared to the show. I feel like I would have liked the book better if I had read it before watching the show, but I'm glad I read it when I did. Obviously, a TV show takes many liberties and hypes up drama for entertainment factor, and I was expecting the memoir to be a lot more mellow, which it was. I really liked meeting the characters or reading the stories and connecting them to incidents and people in the show, and I can't wait until next season, when I can watch and pick up on which parts of the book they're referencing.

Okay. Enough about the show vs. book comparison. Let's get down to why you should totally read this book. The first and foremost reason is the characters. They are all so wonderful and dynamic and it makes it even better that these are real people. Piper stays among the company of a very wide variety of people and she tells us about all of them. There's Pop, who works the kitchens, and there's her bunkmate Natalie, and tons of other characters. I really wish she had told us more about them, which is partially where she loses stars. Some of the characters were barely described, and when she would bring them up later I would get confused as to who she was referring to. This didn't take too much away from the other people she wrote about. From the shady correctional officers to the fiesty women of Danbury correctional facility, everyone's stories were so interesting and fascinating I just wanted to keep reading about them. In one scene, Piper wakes up and sees a woman peeing on the floor of another woman's "room." She also talks about how she got an on-site electrical job and all the people she worked with and got to meet, how she had to learn to hold her own among the seasoned and experienced prisoners, and just so many interesting stories that talk about life in prison.

Piper's correctional facility was a low security one, and even though prison is prison, this isn't a tough-as-nails, horrifying account of being tortured and treated like less-than-human in some dump. Piper received pleasures like being allowed to have books and visitors, and was allowed to do things like work. Nevertheless, the personal account of prison life is still full of surprising details and strange experiences that make this book totally worth reading.

Sometimes, her writing style got a little dry, but the story itself made up for that. I didn't like hearing about her own experiences as much -- unless they were from her rebel days -- because her upper-class WASP lifestyle seemed a lot less interesting than the stories about the people she spent a year with in prison. She had a huge support system including her family and her fiancee, Larry. Even though I was happy that she didn't have to deal with being ostracized and judged outside of her prison life, it was all very clean and happy, and not as fun to read about as the other women.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it to everyone, especially if you watch or are planning to watch the show, which is phenomenal in its own right.

- Noor

Have you read any good memoirs lately?
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