In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters (review)

Hardcover, 400 pages
Published April 2nd 2013 by Amulet Books
Source: ALA midwinter conference
Challenge: Debut Authors 2013

Synopsis:
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Review:

I could have met Cat Winters at the ALA midwinter conference in Seattle. The thing is, we had scheduled a food tour at the same time she was signing and well…food won. As it is wont to do where I am concerned. Anyway, I wish I had met her because let me tell you this, In The Shadow of Blackbirds is fantastic. It really is. I liked it so much that it is currently a contender for the best YA debut of the year award that happens annually in my head. My head, I tell you, the place to go for fun.

Anyway, Mary Shelley Black is my kind of heroine. Funny, sassy and questioning. She doesn’t sit down and let life come to her. She puts on her goggles and goes looking for it. The novel is set at a time in America that I really have no clue about. People are dying all around due to the Spanish influenza and everyone seems to be really loving the onions at this time. Because onions have germ killing skills or something? I am not sure. Anyway, so Shells is a skeptic where ghosts and spirit mediums and images are concerned. She doesn’t believe in them.

But when her first love allegedly dies at war, and she dies after being struck by lightning (don’t worry, she’s revived), she begins to experience things that cannot be explained by science. There are other revelations made in the course of the narrative. There are moments of passion, moments of terror and moments of introspection. The book owes its success to the beautiful prose that is moderately lyrical and contains images that hit you right there. There is an atmosphere of desperation, dirt and helpless sorrow that threatens to consume everything in its path to annihilation.

There is a mystery too that appears gradually and just…I loved this novel. I don’t even have any criticisms for the way it handled anything. Gender constructions are interesting and the romance is honest – sincere, nothing coquettish about Shells.

The book is brilliant. And you should read it. Oh yes, the photographs add to the atmosphere of the novel. The novel is different from others in the YA genre. It has a stark beauty that is reminiscent of When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellison. Must be a Cat thing, eh? Anyway, READ THIS, you guys. It’s brilliant.

The Dead and Buried – Kim Harrington (Review)

Hardcover, 304 pages
Published January 1st 2013 by Scholastic Point
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:
A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

Jade loves the house she’s just moved into with her family. She doesn’t even mind being the new girl at the high school: It’s a fresh start, and there’s that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade’s little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade’s jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn’t.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who’s seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade’s school — until her untimely death last year. It’s up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

Review:

The Dead and Buried is atmospheric and creepy. There is a malevolent ghost…who just happened to be a mean girl when she was alive. Can you imagine how horrible a mean girl’s ghost would be? I can and I’m so glad that I don’t ever have to deal with one. Hopefully.

Some things I liked about this book: the relationship between Jade and her brother, the gem collection, the quick pace, the mystery.

Some things that could have done with a lot more work:

The gem collection is very important to Jade. That much is apparent but I would have liked just a bit more information on it. I felt that it needed to be more explicit than it was.

The pacing was quick enough but perhaps it was too quick. The book would have benefited from a slowing of the pace so that the mystery could be more substantial. Could have more weight. I think Mean Girl’s meanness was well portrayed but I think it could have done with more memories about her meanery (and I totally made that word up right now).

The mystery – I’m not going to lie, I solved it about a quarter into the book. It was kinda apparent to me but perhaps I am supersmart. But the journey to the end is interesting. I also thought the romance was kind of different. Though the insta-love did give me pause.

All in all, this was an entertaining read. For a rainy Sunday when you want some time with a ghostly mystery, this might serve you well. If you want something more, something that will make your windows rattle and the wardrobe seem evil…this is not it. But you know, this would make a perfect summer thriller. I’d go watch it!

 

Paper Valentine – Brenna Yovanoff (Review)

Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: January 8th 2013 by Razorbill
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:
The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Review:

I have been a fan of Brenna Yovanoff’s writing ever since I read the excellent The Space Between so I was very excited to see that she had a new book due for release. Couple that with the gorgeous cover and I was itching to read it. And read it I did. In one setting.

Yovanoff’s trademark lyrical prose is rather missing in this one – it has not totally disappeared but Yovanoff’s opts for straight forward prose rather than the style used in her previous novel and that’s okay with me. The novel is extremely readable, it grasps your interest and keeps it until the book is done. However, it is not without its faults and those are what I’m going to talk about before I go on to the good things of which there are plenty in this novel.

It feels that Yovanoff attempts a bit more in this novel than there is space for. For instance, there are issues of suicide (of a sort), eating disorders, death and grief, serial murderers, social status and discrimination between social classes, poverty, parental abuse – there is just too much going on and sometimes things do get muddy because when there are too many themes, the narrative tends to get swamped. Oh, I forgot to add life after death, hauntings and ghosts. Dead best friends and a mean girl parade. There were so many things going on that there was a lack of focus and detail on a single thing. There were questions that weren’t answered and this was jarring because I wanted to know why Hannah saw ghosts, what was the story there?

Why was Angelie such a bitch? I understand that there was a hierarchy in their little group but her venom was way more acidic than the situation called for. And this part is going under the spoiler tag so please don’t read it unless you want to be critically spoiled but I feel like I have to put it in because it is the reason I reacted to the book as I did.

We live in a society where common people fancy themselves well versed in matters of crime and crime detection. We have learned to ask searching questions and look for logic thanks to dramas such as CSI and Criminal Minds. We actually know a little bit about the psyche of killers and we look for logic in such events. That is why Paper Valentine with its serial killer was so interesting to me. Unfortunately, Yovanoff did not deliver what the situation called for. When Finney is taken away by the police and we are told that there is a danger that he would be charged for the murder, it doesn’t make sense because if he is innocent, there would be no DNA or any other evidence connecting him to the murder scene and the murder site. They cannot keep a minor in custody without concrete evidence tying him to the crime. Minors are protected by law. So that threw me out of the narrative.

Furthermore, Connor’s fixation on Hannah is never explained. Why her out of all the girls he knows? Why not his girlfriend? Is it because she is the one who told the police about his partner in crime? This is never addressed and it bothered me. And if Yovanoff was going to make Connor the culprit, she should have given us some hints, hints we would not have taken but hints nonetheless. He’s not much of a character in the novel until he shows up in the end as the villain. So, this was the biggest quibble I had with the book and one that dominated my entire thinking of it.

However, as I said, there are some awesome aspects to the novel that made me like it despite its rather glaring flaws.

First, the relationship between Hannah and her sister. Ariel is such an awesome character with all the irrepressible charm of a twelve year old who is trying to be an adult too soon. The conversations between Ariel and Hannah are sweet and Ariel’s concern for her sister shows affection in a subtle way. I like how Yovanoff portrayed the dark hot days Hannah spends in her room with only the ghost of her dead best friend for company. Lillian is a curious character – cold, melancholy and somehow malevolent towards everyone except Hannah.

The greatest plus in this book is Finney. Or to be more exact, Finney and Hannah’s relationship. It’s subtle and almost wordless. There is no grand scene where love confessions are made and accepted. It is a natural progression from looking into each others to holding each others hand to kissing each other. Finney has plenty issues and I so wish Yovanoff had decided to focus on them and on the way these issues shaped Finney and his relationship with Hannah but alas. I liked the person Hannah became when she was with Finney.

So this book, you guys, it isn’t my favourite Yovanoff book but it is not my last Yovanoff either. I think you should read this one, if only for Finney.

 

The Unquiet – Jeannine Garsee (Review)

388 pages
Published July 17th 2012 by Bloomsbury
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents’ separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn’s bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be “touched” by Annaliese…or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about–not to mention her own–she can’t help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

Review:

If you are looking for a really creepy novel where ghosts are not the benign Caspers that populate kiddie cartoons, The Unquiet is for you. Its supernatural elements are truly frightening and the atmosphere evoked does a lot to create a sense of fear and hesitation as the narrative hinges upon the unknown. What I mean is, you don’t know where the narrative will go next. The Unquiet contains one of the most malevolent ghosts ever. The ghost has a backstory but that does not in any way give the ghost any sort of humanity or softness that you would otherwise expect.

Rinn is a compelling character and through we get to take a closer look at neurological disorders. She has bipolar disorder and a history of not taking her medicine. What makes Rinn’s circumstances perfect for this story is that even when she tells the truth about the ghost and its antics, no one will believe her because she has already been there and done that. They will think she’s delusional as a result of her disorder.

I wasn’t too keen on the romance though the love interest was pretty immersing. This would make a perfect Halloween thriller. I can imagine the tunnel and the swimming pool, gaping in the distance…eerie and waiting. And the ending is just as terrifying. Do I recommend it? Well, do you feel like being scared?

The Ghost’s Child – Sonya Hartnett (Review)

Paperback, 192 pages
Published May 2008 by Walker Books Ltd
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

The sky was pitch, and gashed by lightning; loutish waves rose and slumped heavily as mudslides. At a moment when she was filled with desperation, Maddy opened her mouth and yelled for Feather. And half-expected him to appear, because she wanted him so much.

Maddy yearns for life to be mystifying, to be as magical as a fairy story. And then one day, on the beach, she meets the strangest young man she has ever seen.

The Ghost’s Child is an enchanting fable about the worth of life, and the power of love.

Review:

(This review was originally the second part of a book talk presented in my Libr 521 class).

For a novel its length, A Ghost’s Child is surprisingly heavy where the themes are concerned. The book deals with self-discovery in a multitude of ways. Before the story of Maddy and Feather even begins, Maddy sets off on a journey of self-discovery with her father. Maddy and her father travel around the world together, seeing wondrous things, places and people. Maddy discovers facets of herself in everything she sees.

Another moment for self-discovery is when Maddy realizes she has a question to ask Feather so sets off on a sea journey helming her own boat to find Feather and ask him that question. When she finally finds him on his island and asks the question she wanted to ask, she makes another realization about her own self: she is not prepared to be stagnant in a world that is always moving. Her ability to pick up the pieces of her life and live without Feather shows her discovery that she is more than a broken heart and that she can still live no matter how much she has been hurt.

Another theme in this book is loss. Not loss caused by death but loss cause by intentionally letting go of a person, a dream or an idea and finding the strength to continue life without these things. Maddy loses her adventurous fun-loving father to the rigors of daily life when they return from their journey around the world. She chooses to let go of Feather twice because she has realized that she cannot accept his philosophies and adopt them for her own. She has to let go of her house in the woods and the dreams with which she built it.

Death is another prevalent theme. Maddy loses her parents and her grief  is present throughout the narrative but it is an accepting pain unlike the loss of her baby due to miscarriage which causes Maddy a whole different kind of anguish. However, as much as death is a theme, so is life and living. The book is , if you’ll pardon the floweriness, a celebration of life and living. Maddy makes a choice when she leaves Feather on  his never-changing island. She chooses to live and she does so, wholly and fully. She lives to the old age at which we find her and relates the story of her life, the good, the bad and the painful. And that is what makes the book beautiful.

If I had to attach a literary term for the style the book is written in, I’d say the author makes use of magical realism.  Wikipedia defines the term as an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. Maddy has a nargun for a friend (consult handout for information about it) whom she consults on everything from her parents to her love life. Maddy also goes on a crazy journey on a boat and converses with sea animals and birds. She is also part of the audience watching an organized fight between a kraken and a leviathan. She talks to a wind called Zephyrus who helps her get to Feather’s island. Most magical of all, perhaps, is the young boy who sits in Maddy’s very ordinary living room and listens to her story.

The prose itself is incredibly detailed but deceptively simple in its diction. There is careful attention given to colours and the way things are described so they become easier to visualize. This novel is definitely a cross-over novel that will appeal to both adults and children. However, I do believe that this one book that librarians will need to recommend to get kids to pick up. I can see it being very popular if its read out to kids because as I said, the writing is simple but exquisite and the plot is also full of adventure. However the fact remains that the protagonist at the time we meet her is an old woman. There is an instance in the novel when the boy tells Maddy, as though he is delivering very bad news, “your house smells like old people.”  Most kids like reading books with protagonists they can relate to.

There is a duality to this novel that I appreciated. An adult reading the novel will have a different take on it than a child. For example, the author never explicitly states that Maddy miscarries or the baby dies. The baby is always called the fay. And it’s abstract enough in the way it is mentioned that a child would probably not realize the fay is a baby but an adult would.

The book feels Australian in its regard for the sea. We are somehow always in or around the sea whether at a beach or on a boat or on an island. There is also the mention of tea and biscuits which is what we call cookies on that side of the world.

In conclusion, the book is beautiful. It’s eerie, poignant and lingering. Please read it.

Velveteen – Daniel Marks (Review)

Hardcover, 464 pages
Expected publication: October 9th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that’s not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it’s not a fiery inferno, it’s certainly no heaven. It’s gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn’t leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what’s really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she’s figured out just how to do it. She’ll haunt him for the rest of his days.

It’ll be brutal… and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen’s obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she’s willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can’t help herself when it comes to breaking rules… or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

Review:

The beginning of this novel is so very awesome that I have to applaud Mr. Marks on it. I started the novel without rereading the synopsis so I literally walked in blind. And then as I started reading, I started frowning because what is this girl in some serial killer’s house, why is she not running for her life and why is she not calling the cops? What in the world is going on? And then, very slyly, the reader is hit with the information that changes things substantially. And then, we’re off. Velveteen is a wonderful protagonist. She is bitter, full of angst and intriguing mix of loyalty and vulnerability. She is flawed as anything out there and she has this hero complex going on and you don’t know whether it will lead her…well she’s already dead…to something worse, say, than what and how she exists right now.

I found the novel to be fresh, yes it is possible, and rather innovative. It deals with subjects and themes that are very common in paranormal YA but it does so in a manner that is markedly different. Marks’ version of Purgatory is gritty, sad and entirely fascinating. The whole question of what happens after death, where we go, is there really a God is not answered at all. I must say that Marks avoided the entire conversation of religion rather prodigiously. Moving on to the actual meat of the story, I will be honest, there were times when I wished that Marks would hurry with the narrative without, you know, describing stuff but it wasn’t crazily distracting.

What surprised me was  how much I liked the romance. I am not a mushy person and I do not like reading mushy romances but in this case, for some reason I cannot fathom, I liked it. It was sweet and it convincing. It was really sincere. I guess this is because the love interest is not the usual bad boy confident character who is certain of his ability to win the girl. In fact, I’d say that the gender roles were reversed and the power was in the hands of Velveteen. Who did not disappoint.

The novel presents a solid, entertaining story with its share of tragedies and little pockets of unexpected happiness. It talks about how life and death are not necessarily the full stops in one’s existence. It is not without its faults, certainly not, but I think that its strengths outweigh the faults. I am certain that the majority of the readers will enjoy this novel immensely. I know I did.

Everlasting – Angie Frazier (Review)

Hardcover, 336 pages
Published June 1st 2010 by Scholastic Press
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Sailing aboard her father’s ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a lady in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love in order to preseve her social standing. On her last voyage before the wedding, Camille learns the mother she has always believed dead is in fact alive and in Australia. When their Sydney-bound ship goes down in a gale, and her father dies, Camille sets out to find her mother and a map in her possession – a map believed to lead to a stone that once belonged to a legendary civilization…

Review:

I was worried before I read this book that it would turn out to be one of those sappy books that are all about soulmates and falling in lurve. You can’t blame me. Look at the cover! Look also at the trailer. However, to my surprise, I found that the novel was refreshingly brisk and while there are loads of tense moments where hearts beat in the rhythm of first love, it is not the focal point of the novel. And yes, I totally did that purple prose on purpose. Hur. I also alliterate to entertain myself.

Everlasting is an adventure. The kind with swords, pirates, shipwrecks, tough decisions and islands with buried treasure. The novel is populated with colourful characters who will make you chortle, who will make you seethe with anger and who will make you wish you were present right there in the novel along with two loaded pistols. There are spiders, thick and as huge as a man’s palm, that had me shivering and shuddering, there are beasties who would kill you and eat you as a snack between luncheon and dinner and there is good writing, folks.

There are themes of greed, of sacrifices, of filial piety, of acceptance and forgiveness, both of one’s own self and other people. The pace of the novel is brisk at times and I loved how minutely the author has envisioned the world her world is set in. I must say this because I am currently reading a novel that is driving me nuts with its absolutely overwhelming description that this author manages to create a world without descending into extreme verbosity. I felt the heat, felt the spray of the ocean, heard the roar of the beast.

I also liked how the romantic conflict is approached. The physical part of a relationship is addressed and considering that it’s a historical novel, I found that refreshing. She has a fiancé but he doesn’t give her thrills and she has a friend who actually does. There is no insta-love in this, thank you author, but a gradual realization of love that does not seem contrived at all.

In plain speak, I enjoyed the hell out of this novel and I recommend to all you people looking for a good book adventure to go on.

The Name of the Star – Maureen Johnson (review)

Hardcover, 372 pages
Published September 29th 2011 by Putnam Juvenile
Source: Library

Synopsis:

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London, it’s the start of a new life at a boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

 

 

 

Review:

So I really, really, really liked this one. I didn’t think I would but I did. A lot. I always find it interesting to read about main characters who are uprooted and set in different countries because it presents a wonderful chance for the author to develop character without spelling things out. Like in the way the main character reacts to situations etc is very telling about the character. Good stuff like that. Rory’s a fun character and an interesting protagonist. Her reactions to London and the culture there seem authentic and are probably what Johnson herself experienced and went through in the course of settling there (I’m assuming, here). I liked how the descriptions of the places seemed more realistic than dreamy. I compared this novel to Anna and the French Kiss because to an extent, both novels are quite similar in certain things and I reckon, I found Rory to be a more engaging character simply because she’s a bit kooky and I kinda love kooky characters.

The weakest bit about the novel would be the mythology. The explanation is a bit weak and I would have liked to know more about this ability that lets teenagers see ghosts. How exactly does it develop and what spurs it. What are the aspects of a teenager’s life that makes them more likely to develop this ability etc etc. That said, I found the plot to be insanely chilly and atmospheric. Yeah, Johnson is superb at creating atmospheres and heightening the tension in scenes that require tension. Her characters are also individual and I loved that they displayed the English humour (slightly batty) that I find in Louise Rennison’s characters.

This reincarnation of the Ripper is just as terrifying as the original one may have been and I liked how the story plays out. Also, the ending is fantastic and I can’t wait to read what happens when Rory figures out what she can do. The one thing that bugged the hell out of me is the fact that no one seemed to be concerned, no, that there was no consequence of Rory’s plagiarism. Okay, she gets her paper written by a ghost and while I understand that he’s a ghost, plagiarism is plagiarism as is cheating. That really turned me off for a good long while before the story sucked me back in. I think that could have been done better and I don’t like that plagiarism and essentially cheating is shown in the positive light it was in the novel. So that took off points from the novel for me.

That said, I still enjoyed the novel and I recommend it to people who like good novels.

A Perfect Blood – Kim Harrison

Hardcover, 438 pages
Published February 21st 2012 by Harper Voyager
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth–a would-be creator is determined to make his (or her) own demons. But it can’t be done without Rachel’s blood, in this latest blockbuster by a “New York Times”-bestselling author.

Review:

Another rollercoaster ride but one that I did not love as much as the one before it. That one was kinda awesome so I am not surprised that A Perfect Blood shone a bit dimmer in the face of its brilliance. Also it might be because I read both within a space of twelve hours and my mind was reaching oversaturated levels in Brimstone (jnsiders will get this). Anyway, at the end of the last book, Rachel’s demon-ness was established and her absolute lack of rights in the human world was also alluded to. This novel elaborates on the premise laid down in the previous novel by showing how exactly circumstances have changed for Rachel especially with regard to the way she is treated by human and supernatural alike.

The humans, who have not really been key players in this series, come to the surface in the novel and complicate things a whole lot, showing that things are a lot more complex than Rachel and in extension, we the readers may have realized. It also reworks the supposed hierarchy which features the supernaturals at the top of the food chain. It also exposes some of the uglier aspects of human nature and I was very ready to become a witch by the end of the novel. Rachel’s growth in the novel was frustrating and there were moments when I wanted to scream at her for her stupidity and her thick headedness and her stubborn need to learn every lesson the hard way.

But she does learn those necessary lessons and if she has scars to prove that she did, well, it’s her fault. What’s more interesting is the way Trent is developed in this novel. I really enjoyed seeing him in a way different than what we had been shown previously. Since Pale Demon, his character has been slowly unraveling to reveal someone more approachable, more…human for lack of a better word and someone who is, again, more complex than we had been shown. And his relationship with Rachel becomes a lot more interesting though she is still mooning over her bodyguard’s butt who is also making her offers of unattached sexytimes. I don’t know. If Harrison goes down that road, I am going to very disappointed. Hm. I enjoyed this book, there were glimmers of Al as a more substantial character and more hints about the conclusion of the novel. The next three books in the series promise to be really, really good and I can’t wait to read them.

New Girl – Paige Harbison (Review)

Paperback, 304 pages
Expected publication: January 31st 2012 by HarlequinTeen
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

They call me ‘New Girl’…

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

Review:

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is perhaps one of my most treasured reads from when I was a child. I read it when I was very young and haven’t revisited it in a while but the atmosphere of New Girl rings very close to what I remember of Rebecca.

The book is skillfully crafted and the reader is unaware of how pervasive the missing girl’s presence is until the end of the novel when the main character…well, I will let you make that discovery for yourself. It is just one of those subtle things that I really liked and that showed that the author trusts in the intelligence of her readers. One of the greatest achievements of the book, in my opinion, is the creation of the atmosphere. It is not easy to create  an atmosphere in a book. I mean, with a movie you can use visual effects, shadows etc but it gets more challenging with a book. Harbison is skilled enough to create an atmosphere that is parts menacing and sinister, parts mysterious and parts utter bewilderment.

So I was quite pleased with the novel in terms of its loyalty to the tale it is retelling. With that said, if I were to look at the novel as a story without having an origination in the classic, I would have some trouble with it. Becca Normandy has a lot of sex – that is not at all a bad thing. What is bad, in my opinion, is that she is the negative character while the new girl does not have any sex and is, most obviously, the positive character. So you see what I’m getting at? It is unintentional and Rebecca’s problems were not that she liked sex but that she had a thing going on with another guy right underneath her boyfriend’s nose – which is not cool. I also was not charmed by Max Holloway. He seems like the usual egotistic broody dude and while I would usually jot it down to him being cheated upon, his continual treatment of the new girl did not win him any favors and the unfavorable light I see him in compounded by the fact that he remains a static character throughout the novel.

The only character who goes through the changes and becomes an entirely stronger person is The New Girl which should explain why I ended up liking the novel. Strong main characters who know how to tell a jerk off are welcome. Would I recommend this book to you?

Well, I think you should read Rebecca first and then The New Girl as the experience will be much more enriching that way. The New Girl may sit a bit uneasily with you because it shows us children who are much more adult than they should be  and whose morals and values occupy that gray area that no one wants to question but everyone secretly judges.