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Book Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret. (From Goodreads)

I'm a huge paranormal YA fan. I think that's fairly obvious, based on the majority of books that I read/review on this blog. Still, lately I've had to take breaks from the genre because nothing has felt unique (that may be why I gravitated back toward regular fiction for a while). After reading some rave reviews, however, I decided I needed to buy a copy. I was pleasantly surprised with how fresh the book seemed. They are the descendants of dragons...it doesn't get much cooler than that.

I thought that the pacing of this book was perfect. I've had some issues with that in the last couple of books that I've read, and this one kept me captivated. I was so invested in these characters that I almost had an anxiety attack when Jacinda walked into the wrong room in Will's house. Without giving too much away, I'll say that a draki might not want to wander in there. I thought that the draki hunters were interesting, and I can't wait to learn more about them in book 2. I think that the fluidity of the writing was the reason why I couldn't set this one down. Considering all the work I have with school, reading it in two days was a feat in itself.

One of the few issues that I had was actually with Jacinda. I empathized with her sister, Tamra, and that's where my Jacinda issues arose. I really wanted Jacinda to imagine what it had been like for her sister to be stuck in the pride, and to understand her sister's motives for wanting to stay in their new home. After all, Tamra was the outsider when the family was still living with the pride, and Jacinda becomes the outsider after they move. I'm not saying that I agreed with their mom them to a place that would slowly kill Jacinda's draki, but I wanted Jacinda to mature and understand why her mom had made that decision.

Overall, I really enjoyed Firelight. I can't wait to read more about the draki hunters, and I'm hoping that we'll get to see more of the pride in the sequel. I'm particularly interested to know exactly what happened to Will when he was sick. Now, I just have to wait until the sequel is released.

Firelight
By Sophie Jordan
Published by HarperTeen
323 Pages
Rating: B

Waiting on Wednesday (October 27)

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

Demonglass (Hex Hall 2) by Rachel Hawkins

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

Published by Hyperion
Release Date: March 1, 2011 (too far away!)

In My Mailbox (October 24)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. All of the synopses you see below were found on Goodreads. Here are the books I got this week:

Christmas came early this week. I won two contests, and all the books had been on my wishlist for quite some time!

From Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century

Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over "breathers". Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.
But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.
As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad — and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance...

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.

A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world?


Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?


Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.

She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.

It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...

But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben


From Princess Bookie's Contest Craze -

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too mo ...moreSixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too moral for his own good, so when he finds out Damien exists, he actually wants him to come live with him and his goody-goody superhero family. Damien gets shipped off to stay with them in their suburban hellhole, and he has only six weeks to prove he's not a hero in any way, or else he's stuck living with them for the rest of his life, or until he turns eighteen, whichever comes first.

Book Review: Contagion by Joanne Dahme

This review contains some minor spoilers*

In her fourth novel Joanne Dahme creates another page-turning tale in which a young woman named Rose strives to rid Philadelphia’s water of the deadly typhoid bacteria. Set in the late 19th century, Rose Dugan is a young wife who is actively involved in her community. But when her best friend is killed while working at Philadelphia’s Water Works' gardens, the mystery around her death pulls Rose in. Will she save the city from a deadly typhoid outbreak that is threatening the city’s water system? Will Rose unravel the mystery behind her best friend’s murder—a fate that was actually meant for her? (From Goodreads)

I enjoyed reading about the environmental aspect to the story. In a way, it mirrors what's happening right now with climate change becoming a major issue for many people. Some of the characters in the story wanted to put in a filtration system, when other characters, like Luke, believe that the community needs to follow legislation that would curb pollution to begin with. Having this as part of the plot made this more than the typical teen romance, which added to my enjoyment. Plus, I always enjoy a book that I can connect to current events. I also thought that Dahme did a great job of making her characters believable. It was clear that Luke was passionate about stopping the pollution of Philedelphia's water, and his choices and behavior made sense to me. Rose was also believable, and while there were times when I was frustrated with her (her husband mistreating her, denial of his possible affair), her behavior was realistic.

I think that the major issue with this book is that it's probably only going to be enjoyed by a set group of readers. In my opinion, that group will be older teens/adults, historical fiction fans, and people who are willing to read a book for characters rather than action. Luckily, I fit in to that category, and have read Dahme's work previously. So, I knew what to expect in terms of her writing style. This one was a bit slow to start, though. Still, if you stick through the slow scenes, the tension begins to build. The final thing I had a hard time with was reading about Rose's marriage. Although, now that I think about it, it's supposed to be hard to read about. Nevertheless, it became abusive, and I wasn't really sure how Rose was going to be able to escape her increasingly horrible situation. She was a victim of the cycle of abuse, and didn't pursue any suspicions that she had about Patrick. He didn't beat her, but there was definitely some verbal abuse, and a scene where it was implied that they slept together and she wasn't fully consenting.

Contagion
by Joanne Dahme
Published by Running Press Teens
399 Pages
Rating: B-/C+

Waiting on Wednesday (October 20)

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

*This synopsis contains some spoilers for Forgive My Fins

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up. Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her dreams? (From Goodreads)

Published by Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: June 28, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (October 19)

What is Teaser Tuesday?

It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"An impotent anger simmered in my gut. I felt that the shadow of City Hall had suddenly flung its damp, putrid shape across the roof of the tavern."

-Contagion, Page 85, by Joanne Dahme

In My Mailbox (October 17)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. All of the synopses you see below were found on Goodreads. Here are the books I got this week:

For Review:

Contagion by Joanna Dahme

In her fourth novel Joanne Dahme creates another page-turning tale in which a youngwoman named Rose strives to rid Philadelphia’s water of the deadly typhoid bacteria. Set in the late 19th century, Rose Dugan is a young wife who is actively involved in her community. But when her best friend is killed while working at Philadelphia’s Water Works' gardens, the mystery around her death pulls Rose in. Will she save the city from a deadly typhoid outbreak that is threatening the city’s water system? Will Rose unravel the mystery behind her best friend’s murder—a fate that was actually meant for her?


Library:

Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton

Sugar Maple looks like any Vermont town, but it's inhabited with warlocks, sprites, vampires, witches and an ancient secret. And Chloe Hobbs, owner of Sticks & String, a popular knitting shop, has a big secret too. She's a sorcerer's daughter in search of Mr. Right, and she's found him in Luke MacKenzie, a cop investigating Sugar Maple's very first murder. Bad news is he's 100% human, which could spell disaster for a normal future with a paranormal woman like her.



Purchased:


Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiance and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything…




Truly, Madly by Heather Webber


Meet Lucy Valentine; sassy, fabulously original…and psychic.

Lucy hails from a long line of matchmakers known as Valentine INC. According to family legend, the Valentines have been blessed by Cupid with the ability to help couples find true love. Trouble is Lucy’s powers were zapped away by an electrical surge and now all she can find are lost objects.

But what good is that in the matchmaking world?

Lucy is about to find out when she tries to solve a murder and winds up falling into a romance of her own.

Book Review: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned. (From Goodreads)

I've come to expect, and love, certain things from books written by Tera Lynn Childs. I expect fun, a great story, and a dreamy male character. I also know that I'm going to have a great time reading it. While I prefer her Oh. My. Gods. series, Forgive My Fins didn't disappoint me.

My knowledge of mermaid mythology only went as far as The Little Mermaid until recently. In my defense, at least it was the Hans Christian Andersen version of the story. So, I was happy to see a new mermaid plot. I knew at the start of the book that my favorite character was going to be Quince. He teased Lily, and while it was obvious to the reader that he liked her, Lily was oblivious to his crush. She complains about his behavior numerous times in the book, but never considers that he might be tormenting her as a way of showing affection. I was rooting for him, especially once I realized that Lily's crush Brody was like a Disney "prince charming" (all looks, no personality). I also thought that Childs did a good job setting up the story for the sequel. The book felt complete, but there's still so much more I want to know.

At times, I struggled with my feelings for Lily. She seemed a bit helpless at times, and I really wanted her to grow as a character. If she had developed more, I don't think I would have had a problem connecting with her. Another issue that I had involved Lily revealing that she's a mermaid. I won't say who she revealed herself to, but I will say that I wanted more tension. If someone told me that they were a mermaid, I think that I'd be a bit surprised.

I'm also going to take a minute to say how excited I am for her new series, Medusa Girls. The first book doesn't have a cover yet, but I'm already excited.

Forgive My Fins
By Tera Lynn Childs
Published by Katherine Tegen Books
293 Pages
Rating:C+

Cate of the Lost Colony Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win a copy of Cate of the Lost Colony. The winner, as chosen by Random.org is:

Jessy!

I've sent you an email, and you have 48 hours to reply so I can get your email to the publisher!

Waiting on Wednesday (October 13)

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

Contagion by Joanne Dahme

n her fourth novel Joanne Dahme creates another page-turning tale in which a youngwoman named Rose strives to rid Philadelphia’s water of the deadly typhoid bacteria. Set in the late 19th century, Rose Dugan is a young wife who is actively involved in her community. But when her best friend is killed while working at Philadelphia’s Water Works' gardens, the mystery around her death pulls Rose in. Will she save the city from a deadly typhoid outbreak that is threatening the city’s water system? Will Rose unravel the mystery behind her best friend’s murder—a fate that was actually meant for her? (From Goodreads)

Published by Running Press
Release Date: October 5, 2010

So, technically this has already been released, but I just got a copy and am super excited about it.

Teaser Tuesday (October 12)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"I look over my shoulder--at the truck with two guys in the back readying another net. Bikes bounce over the ground, their angry motors revving as they come at me."

-Firelight, Page 14, by Sophie Jordan

In My Mailbox (October 10)

Happy 10/10/10!

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week:

Bought:

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret. (From Goodreads)



Won:
Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

Now a fully trained unicorn hunter, Astrid Llewelyn is learning that she can’t solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend has left R...more Now a fully trained unicorn hunter, Astrid Llewelyn is learning that she can’t solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend has left Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend’s powers are mysteriously disintegrating, and her hope of becoming a scientist seems to be nothing but an impossible dream.

So when she’s given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and use her skills as part of a scientific quest to discover the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants—or can she? At Gordian headquarters deep in France, Astrid begins to question everything she had believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and—most of all—her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns or saving unicorns from the world? (From Goodreads)

Guest Post: Lisa Klein & Giveaway

As part of the blog tour for her newest release, Cate of the Lost Colony, Lisa Klein was kind enough to agree to write a bit about one of my favorite genres, historical fiction.

Author Bio: I am a lifelong reader and lover of words who said to myself one day, "Maybe I can write a novel." So in 2001 I sat down and began writing Ophelia, which was published in 2006. By that time I had completed a Ph.D., taught English literature as an assistant professor for nine years, married, had two sons, and finished two nonfiction books. Oh, and read more books than I can possibly recall. But one of my favorites growing up was Gone With the Wind, which I read seven times as a teenager. Thirty-odd years later, I wrote my own Civil War novel, Two Girls of Gettysburg. And the high-school parody of Macbeth that won our class first place in the homecoming skit competition eventually morphed into more sophisticated retellings of Shakespeare: Ophelia and Lady Macbeth's Daughter. I love doing research for my novels and retelling history and Shakespeare's plays from a fresh, female-centered perspective.
I live in Columbus, Ohio with my husband, two teenage sons, a dog and a cat. You can visit my website at www.authorlisaklein.com.

Time Travel that Won’t Leave You Seriously Jet-Lagged, Ill, or Dead

I’ve always loved reading historical fiction, because it took me out of the boring here and now into a place of greater excitement—and often greater hardship. When I was growing up I devoured the Little House on the Prairie books, the Mary Poppins series, books by Maud Hart Lovelace, and later Gone With the Wind and Jane Austen’s novels. (The original ones; not the new zombie ones!) Also, big on my list were biographies of queens, like Elizabeth I, whose life was more amazing than any novel.

What I love about writing historical fiction is the chance to live in another place and time while I am researching and writing the book—and long after, as the memory of a great trip stays with you. Because it was the main character I identified with while reading historical fiction, I try to create strong and interesting heroines—your guides to the world of the past. It’s not always easy, because they need to be believable in their own time, yet relevant to modern readers. For example, Ophelia in her dire situation at the court of Elsinore had few realistic choices in the 16^th century, but today she would have many options. So it’s my job to be a bridge, not only so that you can visit the past, but so that the past can come alive in the present.

It’s funny, because I was not crazy about history when I was in school. It was always taught as dates, wars, political events, and the deeds of great men. But when you think of history as people who experienced the above, it comes alive in a new way. History includes women and children as well as men. And if young women can see themselves as part of history—not just as observers on the sidelines—then, then I think it empowers them to think and act in new ways. Somewhere along the line I developed a hunger to know how young women might have been affected by great events in history, such as the battle of Gettysburg or the founding of the Roanoke colony. Now I am a history junkie.

Finally—and this is the only real justification for historical fiction—the past is full of amazing people and occurrences. As an author, I can’t make up stuff that’s any better. As a reader, you learn a thing or two while being entertained. This keeps parents and teachers off your back. They won’t yell at you if you are reading historical fiction.

Reading about the past in fiction is safer than actually living there. You can fight the battle of Gettysburg without getting killed, visit the court of Elsinore without Hamlet stabbing you, and explore Roanoke Island without getting shot full of arrows. Plus, you gotta admit that reading a novel is way more fun than reading a history textbook. If you disagree, I dare you to raise your hand. Right behind me there’s some guy in a doublet carrying a dagger.

Enter to win a copy of Cate of the Lost Colony by filling out the form below. This will be shipped directly from the publisher, and requires a valid US address.

Book Review: Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein

The greatest unsolved mystery of American history--what happened to all the colonists who landed on Roanoke Island in 1587? This novel traces the fortunes and misfortunes of one Cate Archer, banished to Virginia by a jealous Queen Elizabeth because of her dalliance with Sir Walter Raleigh. What will be her fate in this dangerous New World? (From Goodreads)

There have been quite a few books about the Tudors over the last few years, and they've all told similar stories. Klein's book takes place during Elizabeth I's reign, but the story focuses on Cate, a lady-in-waiting who falls out of favor. She's sent to the new world, and struggles to survive.

I've definitely expressed my love for intelligent, strong female characters in YA fiction. By the end of the book, Cate won me over. She's faces her problems head on, and shows better leadership abilities than the men in the Roanoke colony. She isn't afraid to meet with the Croatoan Indians, and even learns their language so that she's able to communicate with them. She's also open with her opinions. It may have been unwise, but it takes a lot of courage to stand up to the queen. I also thought Klein did a good job switching back and forth between characters. While the story is told mostly through Cate, there are letters and poems from Sir Walter Raleigh, and the native Manteo. While I would have liked a bit more about Manteo from his chapters, I enjoyed the different perspectives.

While I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, I tend to have very high expectations in this category. Some stories focus solely on the facts, and don't provide any depth to the characters (real or fictional). Other books do a good job drawing me into the story, but don't always describe the standard of living, and social rules of the time period. Klein writes in a way that satisfied my need to describe life during Elizabeth's reign, and a compelling story. While she created her ending to the Roanoke colonists, her story did seem plausible. Cate was also the creation of Klein, but it was easy to imagine her as a real attendant to the queen.

Overall, it was a nice mix of historical fiction, adventure, and romance. I'm looking forward to more from Klein.

Cate of the Lost Colony
By Lisa Klein
Published by Bloomsbury USA
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Rating: B

Check back tomorrow for a guest post from Lisa Klein, and a contest for a copy of her book!

Teaser Tuesday (October 5)

What is Teaser Tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"Covering my face with my hands, I wonder if I never should have left the sea in the first place. High school may be great for humans, but it's no place for a mermaid."
-Forgive My Fins, Page 13, Tera Lynn Childs

In My Mailbox (October 3)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Here are the books I got this week..

Borrowed:

Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Mini Book Reviews

Life has been a bit chaotic, so this week, so I'm posting some mini-reviews. Sadly, school got in the way of blogging. On the bright side, I'm now on fall break, so I can schedule things in advance (hurrah).

Next week I'll have a review up for Cate of the Lost Colony, and a guest post from the author, Lisa Klein. Plus, there will be a contest up for a copy of the book!

The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I really enjoyed it. I was surprised by the political portion of the plot, and enjoyed this aspect the most. When I started reading this one, I had just heard about the deportations of the Roma in France. So, I was excited that this one had themes that were along the same topic. Of course, this story took place in Austria, not France. Nevertheless, it was interesting to read about the stereotypes the characters had about the Roma in this book, and compare them to the modern stereotypes.

Overall, I did enjoy this one, but there was something missing that kept me from loving the story. I think that I felt this way because of the pacing of the scenes. Some flowed well together, and some scenes dragged for me.

Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and Quardruped Delights by David Elliott

In Jeremy's society, there's a disease that changes regular people into cloons. What's the difference between a clown and a cloon, you ask? Well, to quote my friend Sam, "A clown is a person underneath, and a cloon is a cloon underneath." Due to the Baron Ignatius von Strompie, cloons are ostracized in Jeremy's community. In fact, there are some who want to run them out altogether.

This is quite honestly the most unique book that I've ever read. I'm not even really sure how to review it, because quite a bit happens from start to finish. I will say that there is something for everyone in this story. For example, crazy characters, a savant pig, discovering the meaning of family, and some social commentary thrown in for good measure.

I really didn't do this one justice, so if you're in the mood for something totally unique, give this one a try.


Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

I picked this one up after a couple of friends raved about it. It may have been because I had high expectations, or that I've read so many great fairytale retellings lately, but I was slightly disappointed with this one. This retells the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and puts a new twist on it. While I enjoyed the new fantasy element of the story, I wish that there had been more description of King Under Stone's world, where the princesses are forced to dance each night. This lack of description was the one thing that kept me from connecting to the story. To George's credit, I really liked the characters, and thought that Galen was very well developed.

Overall, not my favorite retelling of a fairytale, but I'll still pick up the sequel.


Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

For those who haven't heard of this one, sisters Scarlett and Rosie March hunt Fenris, or werewolves. The werewolves are predators in more way than one. Yes, they kill, but their prey tends to be young, pretty girls. So, Scarlett makes it her mission to save those girls. Rosie, on the other hand, has never really had a choice in hunting. She goes where Scarlett goes, even if it means she is unable to have a stable life.

I really enjoyed this new take on werewolves. Finally, a story where they're vicious, and no one falls in love with one. While I would have liked a bit more history about the March family, the story didn't disappoint me. There was action, suspense, and just the right amount of romance. I'm excited to see where the sequel takes our characters.


Virals by Kathy Reichs

I love the show Bones, but I've never read any of the original series by Kathy Reichs. When I heard that she was writing a teen series, I jumped at the chance to read it. This book features Tory Brennan, the niece of Temperance Brennan. For those people who only watch the tv show (myself included), the news that she has a niece will surprise you. In fact, I think that I would have enjoyed this book more had I read the original series.

I enjoyed the story, but this one was hard for me to get through. I think it was because I couldn't connect to Tory. I enjoyed reading about her, but I didn't relate very well. There were also portions of the book that I had to reread, because I caught myself skipping lines. I'm interested in reading her books featuring Temperance, but this one just didn't hold my attention.