3.5 stars A baby is set adrift in the Elizabeth Islands in the 1920s. Why? The answer is revealed slowly, and Crow isn't sure what her adoptive father3.5 stars A baby is set adrift in the Elizabeth Islands in the 1920s. Why? The answer is revealed slowly, and Crow isn't sure what her adoptive father knows about it. (view spoiler)[She thinks she might've been born on a leper colony. (hide spoiler)]
Luminous prose, quietly endearing characters, and sobering history. I loved so much of this beautiful middle grade book, and yet I'm mixed about one major subplot, much as I was with FOX HOLLOW. I think the story is engrossing enough--and frankly, more powerful without it. But it says something about the beguiling nature of the author's writing that I only needed to see her name to know that I wanted to read this. Jorjeana Marie's narration is just perfect for this story, too.
4.5 stars Bursting with vivid characters, infectious humor, adorable romance, and bittersweet truth--as well as one of the best depictions of depressi4.5 stars Bursting with vivid characters, infectious humor, adorable romance, and bittersweet truth--as well as one of the best depictions of depression/mental illness I've ever read.
Lovely, lovely book. It's Dessen but deeper and brighter, and painterly with words like Jandy Nelson, but sharper and more true.
4.5 stars I've read some Peter Pan retellings I've enjoyed, and read/sampled a whole lot more I did not. What's been missing from all these other lite4.5 stars I've read some Peter Pan retellings I've enjoyed, and read/sampled a whole lot more I did not. What's been missing from all these other literary adaptations is what I found in UNHOOKED: a real sense of being snatched away from your bed and looking wide-eyed at Neverland. You feel the air on your face as you fly through a brilliant night sky; you gape in wonder at this new world throbbing beneath your palms, even as you aren't certain who you can trust; and most importantly, you understand the devastating poignancy of losing your memories, and therefore your sense of self. This book takes you there in a way I hadn't ever experienced before, and it does so with urgency, with passion, and with really beautiful, sensory-rich writing.
This isn't a perfect book--the opening chapters left me a bit disoriented (though 32 pages in, the tone is quickly set right with Gwendolyn's kidnapping), I have questions about various identities, and two key characters could have been developed a great deal more. But I loved the use of dark magic, and how Gwendolyn truly comes of age in this story, in ways that are both unexpected and satisfying. And I very much appreciated how the book touched upon issues of consent and loss, as well as the ideals of responsibility and sacrifice, between friends and compatriots as well as between mother and child.
Also, Tinkerbell is a bitch and Hook is unbelievably sexy, so I'm pretty in love with the book for those reasons alone. (view spoiler)[Seriously, I was originally just going to put SEXY. CAPTAIN. HOOK. on this prereview and leave it at that. (hide spoiler)]
A bit more of a review to come. This one deserved a more beautiful treatment for its cover than the stock photo it got, but the important thing is, the content transports you to a place that's not only beautiful and dangerous, but one that feels both familiar and new....more
4.5 stars Months ago, I had to put Love Letters to the Dead down because it was making me so desperately sad. Almost a full year later, I read the las4.5 stars Months ago, I had to put Love Letters to the Dead down because it was making me so desperately sad. Almost a full year later, I read the last half of it with a lump in my throat and tears dripping down my face. This is a profoundly moving meditation on grief, written with rare sensitivity and the kind of prose that nearly stops your heart with moments of quiet, anguished beauty.
Creepy, complex, genuinely frightening, thrilling, sad, and unbelievably tender and hushed and beautiful all at once. This is a dark, violent fairy taCreepy, complex, genuinely frightening, thrilling, sad, and unbelievably tender and hushed and beautiful all at once. This is a dark, violent fairy tale, it's a mystery, it's a fantasy, it's horror, it's historical, it's gothic, and it's also the story of a girl trying to find a place for herself among a grieving family torn apart by war. The family dynamics and sister relationship are so well done, as are the way the book handles loss and longing. And on top of that? Feminism and jazz and tea shops and plates and plates of cake! (view spoiler)[Not to mention shrieking dolls, shudder-inducing but poignant consumption of various things, and a fantastic play on the fears of parents re: changelings. (hide spoiler)]
I haven't read a middle grade book with this much nuance and wild imagination and feeling since The Golden Compass--and I'm betting those who liked Coraline or the original Grimm's fairy tales will like this. I was thrilled by the intense creepiness and dread of the mystery behind Triss' illness, I was outraged by what she has to endure, and I teared up over what was to become of her. Best read knowing as little about the plot as possible--just enjoy the wonderfully descriptive writing, the perfectly paced plot, and the experience of not knowing where the story will go next.
Love love love love love. And now I have to read everything else Frances Hardinge has ever written.
Gorgeous, riveting, and heartbreaking all at once. Parts of this book made me desperately sad, even though I knew they were coming--and that is nothinGorgeous, riveting, and heartbreaking all at once. Parts of this book made me desperately sad, even though I knew they were coming--and that is nothing short of spectacular writing.
I had a feeling five pages into this book that it was going to make my Top 10 list for the year. I was right, because it's also my first 5 star book oI had a feeling five pages into this book that it was going to make my Top 10 list for the year. I was right, because it's also my first 5 star book of 2015! Freaking looooved this, it's unlike anything I've ever read before.
You will enjoy this if you liked elements of ALL THE TRUTH THAT'S IN ME, THE HALLOWED ONES, and ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE. You'll also love it if you appreciate the bizarrely perfect combination of hard prison violence and deadpan humor of the show ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK.
To write a contemporary psychological thriller that keeps you guessing is already an achievement, particularly with careful plotting (view spoiler)[there are only a couple of things I question, but they don't detract from the power of the story at all (hide spoiler)] and perfectly rendered characters. But to combine that with story inspired by the German fairy tale "The Girl with No Hands" is a stroke of genius. It's brutal, it's bloody, and it's unforgettable.
More of a review to come closer to release. I hope this author is working on something, because if this is what her debut looks like, I cannot even imagine what her future books will hold. ...more
4.5 stars The blurb for this book doesn't begin to do it justice--it makes Wild Awake sound like any number of pleasantly quirky but ultimately unrema4.5 stars The blurb for this book doesn't begin to do it justice--it makes Wild Awake sound like any number of pleasantly quirky but ultimately unremarkable books, whereas this is a truly well-crafted, unusual, and dizzyingly complex story.
I love that it took me awhile to understand exactly what was happening in Kiri's frenetic world, I love the unconventional love-bison whose story is just as compelling as Kiri's, I love the bright and beautiful relationship Kiri had with her sister Sukey (as well as the terrible poignancy of what happened to her), and I love the emotional truthfulness of the story. Great writing, with a plot that peels layer by layer until its startling core is laid bare for your stunned contemplation. If you're a fan of This Song Will Save Your Life or contemporary YA, definitely don't miss this fantastic debut....more
4.5 starsSiege and Storm is an exquisite jewel ofOur Conversation with Leigh Bardugo is up, along with an opportunity to win our Siege and Storm ARC!
4.5 starsSiege and Storm is an exquisite jewel of a book. The second installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy is full of adventure and magic--and in my view, it's even better than Shadow and Bone.
There are flying ships. A thrilling, poignant scene with a magnificent white ice dragon. A whirling, frenzied volcra attack in the night. A sobering ride through the city of Novokribirsk, where names are written in blood on church walls and a Ryeal'nye Alina, "genuine Alina" has terrifying meaning. And Genya--oh, my heart breaks for the beautiful Genya.
So much thought was put into this world, with evocative settings, original folk tales, gorgeous clothes, memorable battles, and incredibly imaginative touches. (I love the gift from Nikolai's father!) The food porn, both real and imagined, made me dizzy with pleasure: smoked sprats on black bread, little dwarf fruit trees, brandied cuckoo, cold soup served in jeweled pumpkin-shaped cups, croquembouche, and a suckling pig, to name but a few of the items that made my mouth water. And I definitely want to have a baby jello deer at my next party! Preferably with a miniature living forest centerpiece.
And while I still hold love for both Mal and The Darkling, there's now also Sturmhond, a dashing privateer with a careless grin and hidden agenda. I can't help it, friends, I have a serious weakness for men who have a gift for witty banter. (view spoiler)[He's been added to my fictional island, where swoonworthy YA boys like Will Herondale, Dimitri Belikov, Adrian Ivashkov, and Archer Cross roam about freely like ponies. You may come visit, they're always willing to play. (hide spoiler)] Alina's interactions with Sturmhond are so much fun to read, and even when he's out of the room, his presence continues to fill it.
"So you don't trust me to resist his charms?"
"I don't even trust myself. I've never seen anyone work a crowd the way he does. I'm pretty sure the rock and trees are getting ready to swear fealty to him."
Most of all, I love how Alina character has undergone interesting development. She begins asserting herself more and more, and the allure of power beckons seductively--but the price she must pay for it may be more than she can afford.
I looked up at the star-filled sky. The night was velvety black and strewn with jewels. The hunger struck me suddenly. I want them, I thought. All that light, all that power. I want it all.
Her relationship with Mal is now terribly complicated, both by her position as Sun Summoner and by the position she's put him in. So many YA books revert to tired old machinations to separate love interests, but the tension and difficulty between these two feel urgent and real.
I have to say, Shadow and Bone is the only book that all three of us read and loved last year on the blog, and all three of us love this sequel, too! I mean, K says it deserves a meteor shower of stars. What does this mean for book three? Will Leigh Bardugo blow our minds with Ruin and Rising? I have the feeling the answer is going to be a resounding YES.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
This isn't the sort of novel that I would normally be attracted to, so I am really glad that a copy landed on my doorstep. 17-year-old Cat is living aThis isn't the sort of novel that I would normally be attracted to, so I am really glad that a copy landed on my doorstep. 17-year-old Cat is living a teenager's dream in the 1980s--she has her own apartment in New York City, which is bankrolled by her neglectful father. By day, she is a fragile creature struggling with infrequent visits from her abusive mother. By night, she loses herself in the frenzied, glittering world of the club scene, where she fends off skeevy characters and succumbs to the allure of heroin.
There are incredibly evocative scenes that capture both the frantic energy of the dirty glam music scene as well as the dreamy stupor of (what I imagine) using drugs feels like. The writing is powerful and poetic, the emotions a pained jumble, and the story has a certain tragic sophistication not unlike a French novel.
For awhile, this was almost headed towards 5 stars for me, except that the ending felt a bit rushed, and certain aspects could have been addressed or developed better: the effects of withdrawal, as well as the relationships with everyone aside from her parents, for example. But it's still a stunning debut, and unlike any other YA novel I've ever read before. Recommended for mature teens and adults, and perhaps for fans of Steve Brezenoff's Brooklyn, Burning.
4.5 starsAnother Little Piece is a deliciously dark and savage debut. Please don't mistake this for a typical YA paranormal story: it does not featur4.5 starsAnother Little Piece is a deliciously dark and savage debut. Please don't mistake this for a typical YA paranormal story: it does not feature any screeching heroines, cliched scenarios, or last-minute romantic rescues. Instead, this is a strange, startlingly original horror novel that is beautifully written, thoughtfully considered, and yet somehow leaves you longing for more. Its fractured structure and ambiguous nature mean that it's not a story that will work for everyone--but holy hell, did it work for me.
The full text of this review appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher. ...more
This is the fantastical story of a boy tormented by nightmares that literally--literally!--become real. Set shortly after the events of The Raven BoysThis is the fantastical story of a boy tormented by nightmares that literally--literally!--become real. Set shortly after the events of The Raven Boys, the students of Aglionby Academy are still on the hunt for a legendary sleeping Welsh king. This time, while we continue to get perspectives from multiple POVs, the story primarily focuses on Ronan Lynch, a troubled and angry 17-year-old who pulls dark objects out of his dreams. But when ley lines running through their sleepy town are awakened, incredible power is unleashed, and none of the boys are prepared for the ordeal that awaits them.
I liked The Raven Boys so much that I was nervous going into this one--but I think this book actually surpasses its predecessor, in no small part because of its sharp-eyed character sketches. Adam still worries me. I feel tremendous love and pity for poor Noah. I'm eager to learn more about the entire Lynch clan. And I'm finally starting to feel something for Gansey, as well as to feel the lovely pulse of connection between him and Blue. Add to that a pair of compelling, nuanced antagonists in The Gray Man and one willfully destructive Joseph Kavinsky, and this world is filled with a host of unforgettable players. The author has the ability to create such fierce depth of feeling towards her characters with a single phrase such as "a teddy bear of a boy," in reference to Ronan's younger brother Matthew, whom you immediately want to cuddle and protect all at once.
I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it. I have so many crazy theories about where this quest will lead, and I desperately want to know what happens to everyone. Aside from thrilling, nightmarish scenes, gorgeous prose, wild revelations, shocking deaths, and clever humor, there are also delicious layers to this novel that you may not fully appreciate until after you're through, including distinct symbolism (both subtle and powerful), sly hidden jokes, and a deep complexity of thought and plot and emotion. It's such an interesting meditation on the power of dreams and how hidden desire can influence our actions, from Ronan's waking nightmares to his mother and father's unusual relationship to...more yearnings that I won't spoil for you.
I could also write an entire essay about how The Dream Thieves contains one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking kisses in the history of kisses. (Yes. The ENTIRE HISTORY of kisses.) It's a delicate moment that's suffused with the breathless wonder of discovery, and it's all the more poignant because it's entirely unexpected, and because you are well aware of its context for both parties. Tears are literally welling up in my eyes again as I write this, because that type of longing and sadness pulls so deeply at my heart.
There isn't any way for a single review to do justice to this book, but this line from The Dream Thieves sums up its own story rather nicely:
Magic was real, magic was real, magic was real.
And it runs deep and true through Maggie Stiefvater's veins.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
P.S There's a huge spoiler-tagged discussion going on down below with theories on what everything MEANS, if you'd care to speculate. But please use spoiler tags!
I also participated in a rather epic chat with several authors about this book, including Sarah Ockler and R.J. Anderson--and let me tell you, there are no better companions to discuss a story like this with than a bunch of smart, passionate authors who are just as excited about the book as you are. One of the mind-blowing takeaways from that discussion: consider the characters as tarot cards.
4.5 starsIf You Find Me is a stunning debut that explores the consequences of child neglect.
The heart of this book is beautiful. There is poetic soul4.5 starsIf You Find Me is a stunning debut that explores the consequences of child neglect.
The heart of this book is beautiful. There is poetic soul beneath the rough edges of backwoods dialect and unpolished story, and the honesty in the book's emotional journey shines through even when Carey is angry or scared. And while the ending may have felt a little too neat in some ways, there is redemptive and truthful quality to this girl's story that I respond to strongly. After all those years of living in awful circumstances, Carey's physical well-being is finally assured--but the truth is, none of us are whole until our hearts are mended.
The full text of this review appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
Read the incredibly touching story behind If You Find Me through the author's guest post for our blog. It made me cry. ...more
Wendy Darling
>
Books:
gorgeous-prose
(52)
Loading...
