by Kay | Jul 28, 2011 | Reviews |
The Glass Demon by Helen Grant
Published by Puffin on 2011-06-14
Pages: 305
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating: The first death: Seventeen-year-old Lin Fox finds a body in an orchard. As she backs away in horror, she steps on broken glass.
The second death: Then blood appears on her doorstep – blood, and broken glass.
The third death: Something terrible is found in the cemetery. Shards of broken glass lie by a grave.
Who will be next? As the attacks become more sinister, Lin doesn’t know who to trust. She’s getting closer to the truth behind these chilling discoveries, but with each move the danger deepens. Because someone wants Lin gone – and won’t give up until he’s got rid of her and her family. Forever.
Thoughts: Helen Grant is one of the few YA authors to have gotten her novels reviewed by the mainstream newspapers – The Guardian, The Times, etc. have given her glowing reviews you’ll find spotted across the back cover of her books. This unusual sight made me pick up The Glass Demon, and I am pleased to report that the blurbs were right. Helen Grant is pretty fantastic.
Grant took a risk when writing The Glass Demon – even though the novel is narrated by an English girl, it is set in Germany and the majority of the dialogue is in German. (That is, fake!German that we read as English.) Jumping between languages, and all the complications that arise because of it, is part of everyday life for Lin. As someone who grew up bilingual, I adored finally reading a novel in which the protagonist had two languages to choose from. It’s unusual in YA fiction – hell, it’s unusual in adult fiction too!
US Cover
Then there’s atmosphere – something The Glass Demon had in spades. It is set in a small, creepy town in the backwoods of Germany – complete with gothic ruins and forests that the Brothers Grimm grew up in. To that Grant added a series of terrifying deaths and a demonic legend, all written in a light, suspenseful style… the book is scary yet utterly captivating.
As for Lin? Well, she’s actually rather ruthless. I simultaneously loathed her and loved her as she made both brilliant and incredibly stupid decisions. In short, this girl was as realistic as they come – she didn’t fall head-over-heels for the “love interest”, she had wildly inappropriate thoughts about priests, and had a family that took the fun out of dysfunctional.
And then there’s the ending… which just made the book for me. It left room for interpretation while leaving no room for a sequel. In short? Fan-bloody-tastic.
Bottom line? The Glass Demon is a spooky, atmospheric, captivating read – if you are looking for an excellent standalone YA novel, look no further.
by Kay | Jul 21, 2011 | Reviews |
Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Series: Witch #1
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 292
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating: Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.
Thoughts: Is there a nice way to say mediocre? Because, if there is, that would be how I would describe Once a Witch. I had had such high hopes for this book. In fact, I was so convinced that I’d love it, I bought the US hardback. Now? Well, let’s just say I wish I’d waited for the paperback.
There were just too many problems with the plot – and try as I might, I couldn’t overlook them. Some of these are rather hard to get into (such as WTF was with Tam’s family treating her like she was useless when…), but others will be apparent after only a few chapters. For example, love interest Gabriel? He was one of the most obvious problems. Even though he’s only been back in Tam’s life for about a minute-and-a.half, they act as though they see each other constantly. I don’t mean in the kind of “our love knows no time limit” way, but in the “I know details about your life that you cannot possibly have told me” way.
See what I mean? Plot holes really do ruin a book – it’s like the author/editor is just not trying.
And then there’s the supposedly-central save-the-family plot. To call it disjointed is putting it mildly. Gabriel and Tam were jumping through time for reasons that were never really clear – they’re chasing down an artifact, then they’re after her aunt, suddenly they’re trying to rescue Tam’s sister – oh wait… nope. Turns out they’re just in the 1930s to play dress-up. I dislike people not having a plan; I seriously dislike people time-travelling without a plan.
Bottom line? Once a Witch is mediocre. While it’s not a complete waste of time, neither is it an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. I’m afraid I won’t be picking up the sequel.
by Kay | Jul 7, 2011 | Reviews |
Exile by Rebecca Lim
Series: Mercy #2
Published by HarperCollins
Pages: 304
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Also in this series: MercyMercy is an angel with a shattered memory, exiled from heaven for a crime she can’t remember committing. So when she ‘wakes’ inside the body and life of eighteen-year-old Lela Neill, Mercy has only limited recall of her past life. Her strongest memories are of Ryan, the mortal boy who’d begun to fall for her – and she for him.
Mercy soon discovers that circumstances have forced Lela into waitressing at the Green Lantern, a busy city café frequented by suits, cab drivers, strippers, backpackers and the homeless, while caring for her terminally ill mother.
Just as Mercy is adjusting to Lela’s life, her beloved, Luc, reappears in her dreams, and she begins to glimpse her true nature and true feelings for Ryan. What she does not know is that her attempts to contact Ryan may have explosive consequences for everyone around her. Meanwhile, ‘the Eight’ — the angelic beings responsible for her banishment — remain determined to keep Mercy and Luc apart, forever...
Thoughts: Wow, this book was just… lovely. Just as ethereal and otherworldly as the first book in the series, Mercy, albeit not quite on the same epic scale. But even still, it was fantastic. Beautiful and just… lovely.
OK, specifics. Our amnesiac heroine, Mercy, is as tough as ever. This is an angel who may not have any idea who she is, but that hasn’t made her weak. She’s fearless and strong – she can do anything, except, well, escape her body. She’s a protector, not the protectee. Mercy is one of my very favourite YA heroines and she deserves more fans!
While I can still call her an amnesiac, she actually grows a lot more aware of her powers, her history, and her relationships with Luc and Ryan. She becomes more “awake”, looking at her situation without the love-spectacles forced on her by Luc. Suddenly things she had never been capable of thinking about – the circumstances that led to her being trapped in mortal bodies, the reasons why Luc actually wants to find her, and her growing feelings for Ryan – become all she can think about.
And while we are only the subject… Ryan. I am so glad Rebecca Lim brought him back for Exile! I fell for him as slowly as Mercy did – it took me up until the last page of Mercy to really start to feel for him. But by the time Exile came around, he was the highlight. This is a guy that fell in love with a body-snatcher while she was wearing the body of an underdeveloped, acne-ridden teen. In other words, he’s a diamond in the friggin’ rough.
Bottom line? You have to read this series. If you’ve been let down by other Angel YA, this will restore your faith… literally.
by Kay | May 24, 2011 | Reviews |
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Series: Darkness Rising #1
Published by ATOM
Pages: 359
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Also in this series: The RisingSixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.
Until now.
Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.
Thoughts: I’ll admit it, I almost didn’t want to read this book. I was such a huge fan of the Darkest Powers series and was pretty terrified that this newest trilogy wouldn’t live up to my expectations. And while it is certainly not as fierce as The Awakening or The Reckoning, I’d say it is most certainly the first book in a fantastic new Kelley Armstrong series.
Let’s start off with our new heroine, Maya. For starters, she’s a lot more experienced than Chloe – she’s confident in all sorts of social situations, with guys, and holds no prisoners even when speaking to her parents. Even though Chloe could certainly stand up for herself, Maya let’s no one think she can’t handle herself. This is a girl who can – literally – scare off a cougar… she’s awesome. And just because she’s tough, it doesn’t make her mean. Yeah, she has quite a few defense mechanisms in place to stop from getting emotionally hurt, but she isn’t bitchy in the least.
I also adored Maya’s relationship with her adoptive parents. Armstrong avoids all the parental YA tropes! If you want to read a realistic, loving relationship between two parents and their daughter, then read The Gathering. In fact, Armstrong gets an A+ for all characters in this novel. Love interest Rafe was fabulous. Slightly twisted by circumstance, but fundamentally a good guy. Reminded me of Derek despite being nothing at all like Derek. In fact, this entire book reminded me of its predecessor trilogy despite being very, very different…
Then there’s the plot. Although the book left me going “what! that’s it! I need MORE!”, it is by no means lacking in substance. While those of us who have read the Darkest Powers trilogy might see a couple of clues that first-time Armstrong fans will not, by the end of the book, I’m certain you’ll be just as mystified as everyone else. After I finished The Gathering, I filled my Books Moleskine with over a dozen questions I wanted answered asap. I wasn’t sure what side I should be on, I didn’t know who the bad guys were, and I sure didn’t know whether or not Maya was making the right decision. All the same thoughts/feelings I had after reading The Summoning!
Guh.
Ok, so I tried and failed to review this book without mentioning the first trilogy… but read that as the compliment it is meant to be!
Bottom line? Kelley Armstrong can do no wrong. Read this. Now.
by Kay | May 13, 2011 | Reviews |
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Published by HarperTeen
Pages: 272
Genres: Fairytale Re-tellings, Young Adult
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating: Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.
When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"
Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.
Thoughts: Two things you should know before reading Beauty:
1 – Beauty was written in 1978, about 15 years before Disney’s Beauty and the Beast came out.
2 – This is Robin McKinley’s very first book.
Now, the first point is key, as there are a number of details with which the book seems to overlap with the Disney film. In fact, as I was reading McKinley’s book, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Disney epic had been based on her novel. Since I adored the film, I had absolutely no problem reading a similar (yet very, very different) version of the Disney tale. Still, it is important to remember that any Beauty/Disney overlaps are not at all the fault of McKinley.
In regards to the second point, I found it rather reassuring to know this was not the pinnacle of McKinley’s achievements. Although I enjoyed Beauty, it was not a breath-taking literary achievement. Having heard so many great things about McKinley’s writings, it was good to know that she’s had 30-odd years since the publication of Beauty to refine her style.
Now on to the good bits. Although I have no knowledge of the first Beauty and the Beast tale, McKinley’s style made me feel like I was reading the original version of the story. It was almost as though I were reading the un-filtered first version of the tale – without the weight of an author behind it, visibly guiding the story. Instead, this book just… was. You know what I mean, right? When you read Beauty, you can’t even begin to imagine someone actually writing it. The book, surely, just came into existence by itself.
And, because of that, I feel rather odd describing my issues with the plot – or rather the lack thereof. Even though, yes, this is Beauty and the Beast, everything still felt rather mundane. Beauty does this, then that, then the other, and then things work out to be such-and-such. It was more of a historical account than a dramatic novel, with none of the twists and curves you’d expect in “real” book.
But still, I really did enjoy Beauty. My unwavering love of the tale probably made me more forgiving of its dull moments… yet, I’ve no doubt that McKinley is a skilled author worth of praise.
Bottom line? Beauty is a must if you are a fan of the Beauty and the Beast tale. But if you’re not, I’d try something else from McKinley’s repertoire.
