A Corner of White (The Colors of Madeleine #1) by Jaclyn Moriarty (review)

Hardcover, 373 pages
Published April 1st 2013 by Arthur A. Levine Books
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:
The first in a rousing, funny, genre-busting trilogy from bestseller Jaclyn Moriarty!

This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot’s dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds — through an accidental gap that hasn’t appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called “color storms;” a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the “Butterfly Child,” whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses…

Review:

I love Jaclyn Moriarty’s writing. I may not always love her books but her writing is superb. She has this way of linking words, thoughts and pictures that is seamless, beautiful and sometimes heartrending. When I heard that Moriarty was writing a new book, I was happy. I did a happy dance to prove my happiness and it was okay, because no one could see me dancing. And that’s how I like it.

I picked up an ARC of this book at ALA but Scholastic Canada sent me a complimentary review copy, a finished copy, of the novel and if you haven’t seen the book in its physical form, you are missing out because the book is beautiful. Scholastic books are always so beautifully crafted. The cover is different from the Australian version and at first it perturbed me but then I read the book and now I reckon this cover fits the book better than the Australian one does.

On to the book itself. If you have read Shades of Gray by Jasper Fforde, you will have some idea of the content inside. But more on that cryptic statement later. First, I have to admit that I spent a good portion of this book frustrated. I didn’t realize that Madeleine and Elliot would have separate stories and their only contact would be through the white pieces of paper on which they wrote letters to each other so I kept waiting for them to meet. To interact in person rather than textually (though to me it would be all textually, that kind of blows my mind, hee) and when that didn’t happen and doesn’t seem like it will happen, I got impatient.

However, once the story gets its groove on, and I’m not gonna lie, it takes a while to get its groove on, it is full blast fantastic, The Kingdom of Cello is well built, the politics, the seasons, the geography, heck, even the dialects of the various people living there. The stereotypes and the habits, it is all so well imagined and expressed. Elliot is an interesting character – Madeleine imagines him as some sort of bucktoothed, fantasy loving geek when it couldn’t have been further from the truth. Both protagonists have daddy issues but both have lucked out on their mothers. Between Madeleine and Elliot though, I liked Elliot better because I couldn’t get a handle on Madeleine. She’s a rather fey creature and though we get a lot of stuff from her, the interiority that I wanted, the glimpse of her that I wanted remained elusive. And I think this is rather intentional because Elliott seems more substantial because he has always had a strong foundation, a family, friends and a strong sense of self. Madeleine, on the other hand, is fragmented. She’s a mixture of people, places, colours and languages. We cannot grasp her wholly because she doesn’t know herself wholly. I don’t know if it is intentional but I like that we come upon her as she is being formed.

Of course, she has the signature craziness of all of Moriarty’s protagonists and I loved that. Her fascination with colours (the model on the cover is Madeleine in a scene) connects her to Elliot.

The Kingdom of Cello is beset by a problem of hostile colours. They attack in swarms and can kill or maim unsuspecting citizens. Elliot and Madeleine converse a lot about colours and it’s fascinating – this will be a perfect companion book for Fforde’s dystopian novel, I’m just saying. Anyway, I won’t go into too much detail about the colours because that is an experience best had without any expectations. The book is far stronger in the second half than in the first half and the ending is awesome. The ending is actually what pulled the rating up from 3 stars to 4. The ending sets up the next book perfectly and pulls together all the strings that you had no idea were waving about.

The book is not Moriarty’s best but it does contain some wry but absolutely on point observations about the world. It is a delightful foray into fantasy but Moriarty’s signature technique (?) remains: strong characters, fresh and funny writing. I’m not sure this book will be for everyone as it requires a lot of patience but if you want something that will leave you with a warm glow at the end, this is definitely it.

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles) – Marissa Meyer (Review)

Hardcover, 464 pages
Expected publication: February 5th 2013 by Feiwel and Friends
Source: ARC provided by Raincoast Books

Synopsis:
Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Review:

The second installment in the Lunar Chronicles introduces various new characters into the exciting world created by Marissa Meyer. I have many things I want to say about this novel so bear with me.

As one of my friends, Stephanie Sinclair, said in her review, (paraphrased) it felt like Meyer attempted to do a whole lot more in one book than was possible. I really liked some of the things she did and I understand why she wanted to do everything she did but it just felt like there were too many things to focus on. As a reader, I felt that too many separate things wanted my attention and the things I really wanted to pay attention to weren’t granted enough page time. Know what I mean? No? Well, maybe you will sooner or later.

I loved Scarlet. She’s kickass, badass and all sorts of spunky. I loved how much she adored the farm she lived on and how close she was to her grandmother. In fact, while I knew the story was a retelling of Red Riding Hood, I felt that Scarlet, her grandmother and the world she lived in were totally original. I appreciated the troubled relationship she had with her father, it made Scarlet more multifaceted than she would have been. We’ll talk about Wolf later.

I was SO glad to see Cinder, you guys! I had been afraid that most of the focus would be on Scarlet and Cinder would be reduced to having a cameo in the book, with like ten pages dedicated to her troubles. I didn’t need to worry about that at all as she was very much present in the novel as was Kai though both were separated. The new character introduced, the unrepentant, irrepressible Carswell Thorne who is redeemed by his good heart and his willingness to help Cinder, adds a much needed lightness to the fare. More pieces of the puzzle that is Cinder as the Lunar princess fall into place and we get an intriguing look into the evil queen’s mind. I found that portion to be very satisfying as that glimpse into her thoughts made the queen more than a random villain and gave her motivations that are still reprehensible but understandable.

The pacing is swift, oh how swift it is. It moves at a breakneck pace and things happen whether you are ready for them or not. Scarlet’s Wolf is both interesting and not. His twist was unexpected and I thought his real colours show a brilliant sleight of hand by Meyer. I didn’t think too much of their romance as it happened too fast and there was never enough time for Scarlet and Wolf to develop the feelings that would have been necessary for them to achieve that level of emotional intimacy. I would have been satisfied with ambiguity where their feelings were concerned with the hint that they may have something more to them than could be shown. Then in the third book there could have been a continuation of their love-fest.

What I really wanted, I did not get. I wanted a sisterhood of sorts to spring up between Scarlet and Cinder. I hope it happens in book three though I am not sure there will be enough page time for it to happen. Cinder is faced with some existentialist questions in this installment – like who is she, what is she, can she accept who she was born to be – stuff like that and I think it is about time she sat down and had a good think about what it means to be her. I wasn’t too surprised by the ending and I had gathered Kai would make the decision he did from the desperation that seemed to rule him after Cinder disappeared. I’m certain it won’t go through but it does give the narrative a lot of tension which makes for wonderful reading.

All in all, I liked Cinder a bit more than I liked Scarlet simply because Cinder gave me a lot more time to get to know the characters in and out and empathize with them. However, Scarlet is a very strong installment to the series, developing the primary narrative in very strong ways while bringing another fairytale heroine into the melee. I can’t wait to see what happens in Cress because I know lots of things will. If you haven’t read Cinder yet, what are you waiting for? Seriously!

Gifts of the Blood (Gifted Blood #1) – Vicki Keire

Published January 1st 2011 by Vicki Keire

Synopsis:

Caspia Chastain, art student and barista, is gifted (or plagued, if you ask her) with the ability to draw the future, usually at the worst possible times. Her parents are four years dead; everyday she watches her brother Logan fight his cancer diagnosis. Things get worse for Caspia the day she draws an angry stranger framed by planes of light and violent, bloody images. That exact same stranger walks up to her out of nowhere mere hours later knowing things he shouldn’t, like her name, her brother’s illness, and her strange ability. That’s when Caspia discovers her hometown is a refuge for supernatural beings both Light and Dark, and she and her brother find themselves caught up in a war between the two that predates their very birth. In order to protect herself and her brother, she turns to the one who seems to have started it all: the man who walked out of her sketchbook calling himself Ethan.

But Ethan has his own agenda, Logan’s getting sicker fast, and Caspia finds that drawing the future isn’t the only strange thing she can do. Meanwhile, someone really wants all of them dead. In a town where Dark doesn’t equal Evil and Light isn’t always Good, Caspia and Ethan find themselves making strange alliances and even stranger sacrifices in order to protect those they love.

Review:

Dear World, let me tell you about this book. It has a heroine who is an amazing artist and a hero who is angel. *beams* Does this sound familiar to you or should I cough*Daughter of Smoke and Bone*cough to you? No? I didn’t think so either. I read this right after I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone and my mind, it was blown by how similar these two novels were in terms of characters. Of course, media hype for this book was way less than DoS&B so understandably, this one might have slipped under the radar for many YA lovers. That is a pity because I did like it. I really did. I know that you don’t think I did because of the three stars I gave it but I honestly might have liked this better than Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Gassssp. Yes, I said it. Better. Than. Stop glaring at me!

The reason, I have a reason, okay? The reason I liked it better is that the relationship between Angel Ethan and Caspia is far more realistic (I can hear you snorting, you know. I’ll have you know that a relationship between a human and an angel can be plenty realistic). Their relationship had a foundation of genuine er…likeness. Sorry, brain freeze. I mean, there wasn’t that whole “omg, angel, I LOVE you!” which is also known (in my circles) as insta-love. They have great conversations, these two. And Caspia also doesn’t become putty, mushy putty, with him. She doesn’t oscillate between two extreme emotions (extreme love and extreme hate) with Ethan and I don’t know, you’ll have to read it to figure out what I’m saying because clearly, writing papers has made me as articulate as a piece of boring white chalk.

The relationship between Caspia and her brother is plenty touching. The brother’s very ill so there’s the constant threat that she’s going to lose him and he’s the last of her family so there is a lot of emotional drama but it’s good emotional drama and not melodrama that makes me want to scream a lot. Also, the writing is compelling and the characters are characterized in a way that feels real and not superficial.

Now that I have said that, let me tell you why I gave this three stars and not four like I gave DoS&B. First star was lost because I felt that sometimes the writing was circular. But I definitely was going to give it four stars until I reached the end without realizing it was the end. It ends way too abruptly. There is no wave motion going on at all. I wasn’t ready for it to end and it did and well, the trajectory of a story is usually is things are introduced, things tense, there’s a peak and then things climb down to an (open-ended) ending. In this book? You somehow go from beginning to end with a few semi-peaks thrown in but no real resolution – the potential remains, the anticipation is there but it just isn’t fulfilled. So, that took away another star.

But I am going to read the second one and, I’ll be honest, nowadays, even if the books are series, I only read the first one because that’s how long a story holds my attention. Excuse the mess that is this review. Would I recommend this book to you? Yeah, warts and all, read it. You can compare it to the Laini Taylor book and see whether you found the relationship more compelling in this one or not. And then we’ll talk and eat cookies and gossip about books.

Every Other Day – Jennifer Lynn Barnes (A Review)

Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: December 27th 2011 by EgmontUSA
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Every other day, Kali D’Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She’s human.

And then every day in between . . . She’s something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why
she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she’ll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends.

Review:

So, before I say anything else, let me say that I am a fan of Ms. Barnes. I love the way she tells a story and while I have not yet read the sequel to her werewolf novel, I am certainly looking forward to doing so. Since I am a fan of her writing, I expected quite awesome things going into Every Other Day and you’ll all be glad to know that I was not disappointed. I know not everyone will share my feelings but for me, this novel went a long way to restoring my view that there are still a few good stories remaining in the supernatural genre.

First. The characters were all marvelously created. Kali’s dilemma about her uncertain humanity is very well portrayed and while I couldn’t really relate, not being a supernatural creature, I could certainly empathize with her feelings as she tries to manage both adolescene and an “interesting” condition every other day.

I also, really, really, enjoyed the concept of sisterhood, of friendship between girls in this novel. This is not something that is often explored in as much detail or to my satisfaction in books in this genre so I was supremely happy when the romance took a backseat for once and the friendship was in the driver’s seat. The evolution of the characters, the growth of the relationships between the girls, they are a lot of fun to read. The plot, however, is the strongest point of the story. It is well thought out, well paced and the mythos is exactingly created. Kali’s going on an adventure and the reader gets to call shotgun. And, can I just say how interesting it is to have a part Indian protagonist? Kali, if you didn’t know, is the name of this very fierce Goddess who wears the ears of slain men (or something like that) on a belt round her waist. With that context in mind, you can bet I was prepared for a ferocious main character. I wasn’t disappointed.

Let’s see, we’ve done plot, pacing, characterization. Okay, love interest. Hm. Things get a bit hokey around here but since he and his issues weren’t the central point of the novel, I wasn’t too bothered by him. I do really hope this was the first one in a series because I feel as though Kali has a lot more to say and it would be a shame for us not to listen to her as she goes on more adventures.

Luminous – Dawn Metcalf (A Review)

Hardcover, 371 pages
Published July 7th 2011 by Dutton Childrens Books
Source: Library

Synopsis:

As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.

When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela’s way home.

Review:

Have you ever come across a book that you simply didn’t know how to sum up in a sentence? At least in terms of the feelings it evoked in you? Because that is what Luminous is to me.

It is very original. At least the premise and the mythos of the book – it is beyond bizarre but at the same time, I am not really sure whether the execution of such a novel idea was as it should have been. I feel as though this could easily have been high literature. There would have been more room for gradual development, more space for words because this book severely needed to stop and explain itself. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it because I did. I just had the recurring feeling that the characters, the situations and the world building could have been fleshed out just a little bit more. About a third way into the novel, I was thoroughly confused. And not in a “I need to read more so I know what’s happening” kind of way but more of a “what the hell is happening? what am I reading?” part.

The idea of having different skins and exchanging one for the other – the themes it engages and the subtext is amazing. I could spend three hours discussing this book in an academic setting. If you read it closely, there’s this eerie atmosphere to it where the multiple metamorphoses of the main character is juxtaposed by the stagnant setting of her “home base.” And the world she inhabits is also more as though the characters are promenading around in someone’s gnarled conscious (which I guess is what it is, linked conscious of several different people).

The romance bit was sudden, strange and while it was not unbelievable, its presence was not very necessary. I felt like the romance was forced because the audience, the readers, would be expecting something. But I wish they had let the main couple develop their friendship first.

The book is gorgeous, the idea is very original, I just didn’t feel that the execution of the book lived up to its premise. It was almost there and since it is a debut, and it also may be the first in a series, I’m not sure, there will be a chance to (probably) revisit the world with, hopefully, stronger writing, stronger clearer writing. I’d say give this a try if only for the experience of reading about a main character who loves walking around in her skeleton.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns – Rae Carson

Hardcover, 432 pages
Expected publication: September 20th 2011 by Greenwillow Books
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

Review

I know that there are a lot of people who are uncomfortable with the unsubtle presence of God and religion in a book that is primarily meant to entertain. And, to be quite honest, I was surprised by the religiosity in the novel but since I didn’t feel it was preaching or trying to convert me, I was fine. That said, let’s move on to the review as a whole.

I haven’t written one in some time so I feel a bit rusty. Bear with me. Elisa is very easy to like. In her sister’s shadow, too fond of pastries and entirely unsure of the direction in which her life is going, she is a character that the reader can empathize with and relate to. I think the book’s biggest strength is its main character. She is developed in stages and after evoking a wry amusement from you, she makes you feel respect for the obstacles she overcomes to become who she is, who we leave her as at the end of the novel. This is a high fantasy (and how I love high fantasy) and the world building is on the right track. There can be more details and a gradual cementing of the mythos and the culture of the people in whose world we find ourselves but as a beginning, the world building suffices to introduce the reader to Elisa’s world and the people living in it.

The character development is a hit and miss. Some of the characters are sharply delineated and others, not so much. For example, Elisa’s husband could have been developed better but his child, I felt, was very strongly created. The pacing is brisk (perhaps a bit too brisk) and the plot, intriguing. There were some instances that I felt would have benefited from slowing down the pace so the reader could immerse herself more fully into the story but then again, in a novel that encompasses so much, that might be easier said and done. I loved how the story progressed but I did feel that the author took some easy short cuts in the narrative. What this means, without giving anything away, is that the author is a bit too trigger happy (in my opinion) and I cannot agree with or understand why she would get rid some of the more interesting and more complex characters in the story. It didn’t have much of the intended effect on me. I just got a bit perplexed because the incident is so sudden and it’s over before you realize it has occurred. It seemed a bit gratuitous to me or perhaps not even that, it just seemed unnecessary.

That aside, The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a strong debut. It combines a likeable main character with a delicious plot and gives us a look at one girl’s journey to find herself. To learn who she is and what she can do. In terms of girl power, I’d give this one a ten. I’m looking forward to its sequel whenever it comes out. And yes, I do recommend it.

Shattered Dreams: A Midnight Dragonfly Novel – Ellie James

Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: December 6th 2011 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.

But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.

Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her.

Review:

There are little details that jump out at you when you are reading a book. At least, they do to me. And I knew I would have trouble with this book when the author specified that the Grandma was watching “Fox” news’ coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Think what you may, my intuition did not prove me wrong in this case. It niggled at my mind, that detail. She could have been watching any news station. There was no need to specify which one but she did and my mind kicked in high gear and off I went analyzing.

Anyway, that little preface aside, I believe the rating quite accurately reflects my reaction to the book. In the following paragraphs, I shall attempt to explain this reaction.

You know how you usually open a YA book with the protagonist or the love interest being the new kid at school? Well, we skip over that part and start up the story about two or three weeks after the fact. I don’t know whose idea it was to start it like that and it could have been an innovative way to tackle an old cliche but truth is, it didn’t work. Oh my God, it didn’t work so much, my left eye twitches every time I think about it. What a beginning does is anchor the reader and let the narrative take shape and hook the reader in. This sudden dunking of a reader into a narrative that is already passionately underway? It makes a reader (me) feel off kilter and this feeling lasts all throughout the book. As though there is a story but events have occurred prior to you reaching the party and now no one’s telling you anything about it because they’re too busy being melodramatic teenagers. It’s frustrating and – okay, if you are going to mention something like an argument and hint that it was a substantial one? Go back and talk about it. Okay? Otherwise there is a huge bowl of “huh” on the table and no one’s hungry for that.

Let’s talk about characters – actually, there is no characterization. None. Whatsoever. Trinity has no substance to her. No depth. Oh goodness, she drove me nuts. The melodrama, the excessive melodrama is off putting and there are only so many scenes I can take of the protagonist overemoting about things that really do not need that amount of pathos. “You lied to me!” “I hate you!” “How could you?!” Like, seriously? None of the characters are developed. Chase? The love interest may as well be cut out from cardboard and don’t make me mention the friends and the “mean girl.”

The mythology is not explored. In fact, I have no idea what’s going on. She’s psychic, yea? She has dreams/visions/etc. So? Why is that such a big deal? I mean, it’s not like she’s the first heroine in a novel to find out that she has powers and be tortured by them. So what makes her different? Oh apart from the fact that she seems to be continuously getting hurt and not feeling the pain if the scenes occurring after the getting-hurt parts are any indication.

This book has one of the most confused love stories ever. Chase, the lust object of the novel, is in a relationship with the resident mean girl when Trinity appears. And, of course, she’s going to fall for him and, of course, he’s going to reciprocate and wow, he’s sort of a douchebag, But Trinity is more of a douchebag so I guess the match is made in heaven. His ex-girlfriend goes missing and all he wants to do is smooch Trinity. Sensitive, huh? And I have to mention this, being called “Baby” as an endearment and wanting to die because he said “Baby?” Yeah, it’s not an indication of true love for me so forgive me if I’m not too impressed by it.

You know how overuse of ellipses make you want to grind your teeth? In this book, it’s the overuse of italics. Especially of Trinity’s name. For no reason at all. It’s Trinity all the time and that’s when the tick under my eye got worse.

The plot is scattered and Trinity’s blowing hot and cold on Chase is just exhausting. She loves him oh so much and then a little later she’s making out with the obligatory third person required to complete this flailing triangle. Even the ending does not clear up the narrative or tie up loose ends in the narrative. Oh and I love how this guy beat up Trinity and the cops were around and not one of them noticing a guy hitting a girl. Nothing happened to him.

Do yourselves a favour. Skip on this one.

A Beautiful Dark – Jocelyn Davis

Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: September 27th 2011 by HarperTeen
Source: Net Galley

Synopsis:

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

Review:

Disclaimer: This review is based off the Uncorrected Proof available on Net Galley.

This is a debut novel so I will attempt to curb my ire because I know how difficult it is to compose a story, especially if it is the first time you are doing so. There will be no vitriol, no vituperation. Simply a statement of my reaction (and perhaps a mini rant when it is unavoidable).

This book is about angels. Just so you know and are prepared. But before we get to the plot, let’s talk about the writing. It is extremely raw. Ambiguous. Cluttered. Grammatically creative (heh). I may read the finished copy to see if the writing issue has been corrected because I really don’t think it’s fair to judge a book by its uncorrected proof. However, since it was available for review in that form, I am forced to say that the writing would benefit from a lot more work than it has gotten. I usually am not picky about sentence structure etc but when the writing interferes with my understanding of the story, I have to speak out. I would give examples but again, I don’t want to quote from the proof.

Before I talk about the mythology and other aspects of the novel, let me address the one issue that made me want to scream into a pillow (so I wouldn’t scare my family).

The whole love… what would it be? There were five, no six people in this love hexagon. Let me take a deep breath. Okay. Let’s go.

Ian: The requisite nice guy who loves the protagonist silently (and not so silently) but is ultimately treated like yesterday’s lunch and gets lost somewhere in the narrative. He’s palatable actually. And kinda nice. Only thing is, he doesn’t sparkle or have wings and, therefore, does not have a hope against the sparklier beings.

Devin: He’s much more appealing of the two but only till you encounter the twist and then it goes all south. Predictably, he’s beautiful and has a beautiful “fated one” with whom he is supposed to spend eternity.
Ash: Wow. I hated this guy. I hated him to the point that bile rose in my throat every time I had to read a scene with him in it. He’s basically has no qualms using other girls to amuse himself while he waits for Skye to take notice of him (become jealous). His callousness towards girls does not win him any points. Plus when he says to that Skye wearing a tank top in front of him suggests that she WANTS his attention… well, that just made me want to hurl. And you know what it brought to mind? The whole debate of how women are asking to be raped because of the clothes they wear or their lascivious actions. Yeah, no. Just. No.

Ellie: She’s a cardboard character. Nothing else.

Skye: Yeah. The main character whom I did not like at all. In fact, her waffling between all the guys made me want to smack her silly on more than one occasion. And then she says something to the effect of Ellie latching on to guys she had an interest in. As though that was such a bad thing. And it’s not exactly as if Ash was protesting overmuch, you know? The only reason Skye makes that comment is because she doesn’t want Ash (not while she’s deciding between the other members of her fast growing harem) but she doesn’t want anyone else to have him either. Because it may be true love, you know?

The book does not bring anything new and fresh to the genre. It is simply the same old story of one heroine being fought over by two different factions wrapped up in a different package. The mythology is barely explained and while in the end, the thread of the narrative gains a spark, it is too late to save the novel.

Being angelic is so much more than having powers. Why do they have powers? Why is that question not answered?

It also angered me that the book reasserts the status quo where gender politics is concerned. The “real” bad guy is the girl to whom Devin is fated to be with. It is Vicky who is the negative character while the boys retain their prettiness and become tortured by the dueling nature of their mission and the feelings they have for Skye. The novel takes the “Mean Girl” trope to a whole new level and leaves me unimpressed.

So there you have it. My review. I really don’t like writing negative reviews, especially when it’s a debut novel but I think for an artist to hone their craft, they need to work at it. And this book needs a lot more work where character development and plot are concerned. The writer also needs to become aware of the subtext and what she may be saying without explicitly saying it.

The Folk Keeper – Franny Billingsley

176 pages
Published September 1st, 2001 by Aladdin
Source: Library

Synopsis:

She doesn’t really know who she is or what she wants…

Corinna is a Folk Keeper. Her job is to keep the mysterious Folk who live beneath the ground at bay. But Corinna has a secret that even she doesn’t fully comprehend, until she agrees to serve as Folk Keeper at Marblehaugh Park, a wealthy family’s seaside manor. There her hidden powers burst into full force, and Corinna’s life changes forever…

Review

Franny Billingsley has magic in her fingers. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she has magic in her mind. There are conventional ways to create characters and then there’s the Franny B. way. Her protagonists (I’ve read three of her books so I know what I’m talking about) have this certain quality of otherness. This, how do I say it, unearthliness to them that make all of them just so fascinating to read.

Corinna is no different. The story is told in the first person and from the very beginning, the reader has to take a breath to adapt to the curious manner in which Corinna thinks. You have to sift through her words, through her actions to find the daily-normal life explanations. Some people will find Corinna difficult to relate to. I know I did. Some will find her a bit too honest. But there’s something that everyone (albeit unwillingly) will agree to: Corinna is compelling. She is an intriguing character and because she is intriguing, you will read through the book, experiencing (in a slightly diluted manner) the events that lead to the book’s conclusion.

I also adore (and I don’t use the word often so you know I mean it) the romance in the book. It is mush-free and just sneaks up on you with a subtlety and a delicacy that is a testament to Billingsley’s skill. The book, though slim, offers a lot within its pages. The story it tells is, in no way, simple. The complexity is disguised by the enigma of Corinna and the reveal at the end will elicit understanding.

If it wasn’t clear before now, I enjoyed this novel. And if you like something different, something other than mush and the run of the mill tortured romance, you should read this.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway of Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith!

Falling Under – Gwen Hayes (Review)

Paperback, 324 pages
Published March 1st 2011 by New American Library
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she’s seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia’s not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Review

The writing was beautiful in the first three quarters of this novel. I am one who prefers poetic prose so it was right up my alley. It was somewhere in the last bit that both the prose and the plot went haywire. I am not sure what the author intended and whether the finished product was an accurate reflection of her intentions but as a reader, I found myself unbalanced.

Let’s begin again.

The characterizations were strong. The friendships were dynamic and a pleasure to watch unfold. The relationships… I think this is where things started to go a bit wrong. The protagonist and her love interest offer nothing different or interesting to the genre. She is a pure lily while he is a demon. She is all goodness and he wants her for himself only he doesn’t. Since he, too, was bitten by that bug that all YA love interests (males, in particular) are helpless against. You know, the one where they forget that the girl is perfectly capable of protecting herself and so it doesn’t require your sacrifice… well, actually, maybe in this case, the sacrifice would have been nice. It’s difficult for a girl (even a badass girl and Theia is nothing like a badass girl) to defend herself against Hell and its minions. And what was up with this Love Interest (his name I can’t remember for the life of me, sorry) using other girls to touch Theia. Confusing? Well, he touches other girls and Theia feels it. Kinky, huh? I thought so too. Anyway, so he’s littering the dance floor or whatever with girls he keeps on pawing since for some reason he can’t touch Theia. Only he does touch her and there are no lightning flashes or earthquakes (except perhaps in their heads, the hormones, you know?).

So this total Patch-ey guy turns into a pussycat somewhere north in the narrative and the pure lily also known as Theia turns into a Princess of Hell and things are reversed. Usually, I would have loved this reversal but the set up and the plot leading to it has debilitated the former pace and writing of the novel so much that I am left very unimpressed.

Obviously there’s going to be a second book in this series. Obviously. And I hope Ms. Hayes sorts out her plotting because as I said, some of the writing is totally gorgeous. But the sequel is not one that I am going to be checking out. Do I recommend it to you? I don’t know. I wasn’t too impressed but if you are into your potential boyfriend trying to kill you, you might like it.