Waiting on Wednesday (June 12)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Marie Antionette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender


Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

Published by Scholastic
Release Date: September 24, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (May 1)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle 2) by Maggie Stiefvater

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after... 

Published by Scholastic
Release Date: September 17, 2013

Book Review: Underworld (Abandon Trilogy 2) by Meg Cabot

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape. (From Goodreads)

*Warning, this review contains some mild spoilers for Abandon.

Best Bits: I still get giddy at this interpretation of the Persephone myth. Honestly, if I ever run into her on the street I'll probably drop down to the ground and bow to her. She will obviously think I'm mentally unhinged and will hurry off. Sadface. In Underworld the reader gets to see how conflicted Pierce is about what's happening to her. On one hand, she's safe with John, but she begins to realize what that means for her family...the ones who aren't out to get her, anyway. The change of scenery also allowed for some interesting information to be discovered. The reader gets to see exactly what John is responsible for in the underworld, and Pierce learns more about his past. There are some interesting supporting characters, too. I'm looking forward to seeing how they come into play during the final book. 

Nit Picks: I often find that the second book in a trilogy just doesn't quite live up to the first book in the series. This is because the characters have been introduced, we grow to understand and anticipate their reactions to certain people and situations, and it often feels like a transition. Alas, that was the case with Underworld. That's not to say that I hated it, because there were portions that I enjoyed. I just didn't feel the urgency of what was happening until the very end of the book. 

Underworld (Abandon Trilogy 2)
By Meg Cabot
Published by Point
336 Pages
Purchased
Rating: C