Book Review: Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: January 2015
Pages: 336
Source: Library
For: Fun!

Summary (from goodreads):

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Things I Liked:
Holly Black has serious skills in writing. I got sucked into this gorgeous tale right from the start.  I enjoyed seeing Ben and Hazel.  The story was very complicated and I felt at times I lost my grasp on what was happening.  I did really love the presence of the fey throughout the story and I loved Hazel's story.  The romance was kind of meh for me, like it took second stage to the action and the fairy world.

Things I Didn't Like:
As I mentioned the romance was not so great for me.  Also, some of the action near the end was a bit too confusing to understand.  It almost felt like the whole story (before the end) took its sweet time, but then the end rushed past.

Read-alikes:
The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
some, a few f-bombs

mrg-factor: X
a few scenes that made me uncomfortable

v-factor: ->->
rather a lot

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Mini Reviews 18

Hey, not only is this the last of the mini reviews (for a while), but it's the last of my 2014 book reviews! I'm only five months behind - yeah?


Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Summary:
When Elizabeth Darcy's sister Lydia shows up unannounced at Pemberley, the Darcy's quiet world is shattered.  Wickham and their friend Denny got into an argument and Denny is found dead.  Wickham is the chief suspect and that brings even more shame to the Darcy family name, as Mr. Darcy's brother-in-law.  Can Elizabeth and Darcy hold their position and their family together under such pressure?

My Thoughts:
This one suffered in comparison to the mini series.  I watched it first and then read the book and not only was the fun taken out of the mystery, since I knew who had done it, but I found it a lot less exciting and intense than the show.  I admit the mini series took some liberties that I laughed at, particularly with regard to Lizzy's role in the whole thing.  Still, it made the book seem a lot slower and more boring.  Plus, mystery still isn't my favorite genre of choice.  Meh.
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The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Summary:
Carthya is on the brink of war and Jaron is fighting to keep his throne.  But when an unexpected threat arises, he is about to risk all in order to keep what is his.  He is ready to make a desperate move to save the kingdom, the throne, and those he cares about. Will it be enough?

My Thoughts:
I really liked the start of the series, and I am satisfied by the ending and how everything turned out. I remember enjoying the action and the excitement of watching Jeron do crazy things for his throne and his love.  I love how Nielsen is able to plot twists that are fantastic and that I don't usually see coming, though a few of them I do.  But, to be honest, it's been a few months and I can't remember much of what happened.  So, I guess there's that against it.
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Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Summary:
Sophronia continues her training as a spy and this time is caught up in a conspiracy brooding in London.  As their floating school makes its way straight into the heart of the trouble, she and her friends must discover who is behind this plot before it's too late for them all.

My Thoughts:
Well, this series is fun to read when you just want a lark.  There are plenty of politics (of the supernatural variety) and intrigue going on to keep you reading.  Also, I really like Sophronia, despite her doing some really annoying things in the romance department.  I think I do read them for the characters and the silliness.  Definitely a nice break from serious stuff (not that I was reading serious stuff anyway.)
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In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story by David McCullough

Summary from goodreads:

Christmas Eve, 1941. Mere days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met at the White House. As war raged throughout the world, the two leaders delivered a powerful message of hope that still resonates today.

My Thoughts:
This is basically a transcript from a program McCullough did with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for a Christmas program (I did read this around Christmas - I was super proud of myself for doing some thematic reading, since I don't usually - too bad I didn't get a review posted until May).  But it was too short and I really wanted more details about the historical period.  There was an interesting address by PM Churchill that made me want to read a bio of him (now to figure out which of the 3 billion to read).
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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Summary:
An autobiography of the author written in verse, describes her childhood and youth and all that led her to writing stories and becoming the person she is today.

My Thoughts:
Love, love love it!  This was fantastic.  I know why this won the National Book Award (and other delightful shiny stickers). It is written so, so well (and I sometimes have a hard time with verse novels).  The story is amazing and I adored hearing more about the time period and the things Jacqueline dealt with.  Her family were awesome (well, most of them)!
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Chime by Franny Billingsley

Summary:
Briony is living with so many secrets and so much guilt, she can hardly breathe some days.  Determined never to let anyone know just what she's done, she leads a painful life of deception.  Until she begins to see that things might not have been as she thought.

My Thoughts:
This book was super weird and interesting and confusing.  I can't believe how long it took me to get to it (I got an ARC way back when).  I was sucked in from the first page!  The story was convoluted and I had no idea what was going on a lot of the time, but I have to admit I was wowed.  I loved how the end came about and how things just sort of clicked.  Intriguing, strange, and very gorgeously written!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication date: April 2005
Pages: 352
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Artemis Fowl, Book 4

Summary from goodreads:

The evil pixie Opal Koboi has spent the last year in a self-induced coma, plotting her revenge on all those who foiled her attempt to destroy the LEPrecon fairy police. And Artemis Fowl is at the top of her list.

After his last run-in with the fairies, Artemis had his mind wiped of his memories of the world belowground. But they have not forgotten about him. Once again, he must stop the human and fairy worlds from colliding—only this time, Artemis faces an enemy who may have finally outsmarted him.

Things I Liked:
I really like the world Colfer has created.  The hilarious tongue-in-cheek and yet taking-themselves-seriously characters and just the whole idea of an underground world of fairies is so fantastic! And Mulch Diggums!  This is fabulous, witty, fun fantasy at its best.  I love the wicked plotter Opal and I love how Artemis is still an evil mastermind, but might be growing a conscience.

Things I Didn't Like:
Hm, not sure.  I just enjoyed the ride.

Read-alikes:
It's a bit of a young, silly Harry Potter read to me

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Micro Reviews: Finishing Up 2013, Part 1

This is annoyingly painful and rather insane, but I'm just posting the rest of my 2013 books so I can forget worrying about reviewing them (um, 20+ of them, so this is only part 1). Feel free to skip it or laugh at my attempts to recall what it is I read about...


The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Intense, fast-paced, alien invasion story.  Couldn't put it down, but maybe a bit too gory for me to adore it.


Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Seriously geeked-out virtual reality world, complete with quest (of course).  Could have done without all the cussing, but enjoyed lots of the 80s references.


A Soldier's Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero by Marissa Moss
A real-life woman-disguised-as-a-man during the Civil War.  Seemed rather like a bunch of episodes cobbled together like vignettes, but was still intriguing enough to keep me reading.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
So much creepier than the retelling I read, The Turning.  And the ending totally leaves it up in the air as to what really happened.


The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
Love the humor in this book, but found the story a bit dull in places.  Also, Egyptian mythology, like most ancient mythologies, is suuuuuuper weird.


Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin
Crazy convoluted and strange plot.  I had a hard time following (and thus buying) what happened.  Also, I seem to recall spotting some big plot holes, but since it's been so long, I don't remember a single one :)


Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill
Interesting futuristic tale, but lacking in details to really flesh out that world.  I had a hard time jumping into the story because of all the crazy lingo too.


Ironskin by Tina Connolly
Definitely one of the oddest Jane Eyre retellings I've read, but with an interesting fairy aspect that made it unique.  Nowhere near as moving as the original, though.


Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
It's absolutely painful, the every-day brutal reality so many people experienced in concentration camps.  Moving and heart-rending.


The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy
A lot of light-hearted Prince Charming humor, as entertaining and funny as the first one.


Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
A fun and thoughtful retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel.  Not as wonderful as For Darkness Shows the Stars, but still entertaining.


Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier
Complete with Marillier's gorgeous writing and complex world-building, this fairy story kept me entertained, despite a rather too-good-to-be-true heroine. Second in the Shadowfell series.


Fox Forever by Mary Pearson
More of Pearson's thoughtful medical ethics complete with full-scale rebellion.  I love how believable this future seems!  Last of the Jenna Fox Chronicles (I think).

Bravo to you if you read this!  Anything on here you loved/hated?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Dust Girl Sarah Zettel

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: June 2012
Pages: 304
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: American Fairy Trilogy, Book 1

Callie and her mom are living right in the middle of the Dust Bowl, trying to make a living off nothing. Callie tries not to think about her daddy that left and promised to return, but never has. But, when her mother is lost during a dust storm, she must set off to find her and confront her unusual heritage. With several different fairies all at war with one another and all hoping to use her, she is beset on all sides by threats she knows nothing about. Will she find her mother or fall prey to unusual fairy influences?

Things I Liked:
I think my favorite part about this book was just how unique it was.  Not only was the setting vivid (Dust Bowl, 1930s), but the fantasy elements were unusual.  The fairy lore that Zettel created was different from the typical fare - I especially loved how Jazz and Blues music played such a big part.  The book has a perfect marriage of historical and fantasy details.  The story itself was pretty interesting too, though I have to admit I was hoping for more resolution at the end than I got.  Still, this story swept me up, threw me back in time, and took me to a fairy world unlike any I've read.  Unique, fresh, well-written, and interesting, I think this book is worth a read.

Things I Didn't Like:
As I mentioned, I wanted more of a resolution at the end, but since I enjoyed the world so much, I am more than willing to read more set in this historical fantasy past.  There were a few times I wondered about how the magic actually worked and thought it wasn't really well defined.  But, I easily looked past those things because I was caught up in the unique and well-researched historical setting.

Read-alikes:
Reminded me a bit of The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty
Also, for the historical element, Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->
a bit, though mostly not described

Overall rating: ****

What's the most recent unique read you've picked up?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication date: September 2012
Pages: 384
Source: ARC from ALA
For: Review
Series: The Peculiar, Book 1

Bartholemew Kettle is supposed to stay unnoticed - that's the only way to stay alive when you are a changeling child. But when changelings begin to disappear, including Bartholemew's friend across the street, he begins to worry. Especially when he gets noticed by the mysterious lady that took away his friend. Will he be able to figure out what's happening to changelings, with the help of an unusual ally, the reluctant Arthur Jelliby?

Things I Liked:
This was a quirky, fun, interesting and different read.  I loved the mix of fairies and steampunk and fantasy all wrapped up into one strange package.  This book was creepy and so imaginative, I could not predict what would happen next.  I was captivated by the mystery (which, ok, was a bit predictable) and especially the world that the author created.  So many strange and fantastical things going on, it was hard to keep track of them all.  A fun foray into steampunk world colliding with not-very-nice fairies.  It really is quite unique.

Things I Didn't Like:
I was actually about half way through the book before I realized that nothing seemed to have happened yet.  The two unlikely and reluctant heroes finally got started on their adventure and mostly all we'd seen was set up and setting and all kinds of crazy steampunk madness.  Which was fun, but not action-packed.  I had been interested enough in the set up, however, not to notice this for the most part.  The ending was a bit confusing and muddled, but rather surprising too.  I think kids will devour the books and enjoy all that set up and then the crazy ending.

Read-alikes:
It kind of reminded me of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Coraline or The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - it definitely had the creep factor

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
definitely doesn't shy away from the creepy and disturbing

Overall rating: ****

Ok, I didn't love this one as much as everyone else did, apparently.  What am I missing?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: February 2011
Pages: 336
Source: e-book from Library
For: Fun
Series: Wicked Lovely, Book 5

*Spoilers for the first four books in the Wicked Lovely series are inevitable*
With Keenan missing, Aislinn is struggling to run the summer court by herself, all while longing for Seth. Donia is working to strengthen her already strong winter court, against the coming war with Bananach. With the dark court in turmoil and no one quite sure what is coming next, will Bananach defeat all and turn the world to chaos?

Things I Liked:
I can't seem to get away from this series.  I usually have mixed feelings about them, but I can't seem to give them up.  I'm glad I got to the last in this series, because the ending was surprising and satisfying.  Marr has a skill with words and descriptions that can paint an entire world so vividly.  I loved how things progressed to the point that we wonder how she will extricate her characters, and then she does it in surprising ways.  It is a smart, beautiful, complicated series. 

Things I Didn't Like:
I don't care much for several of the main characters, notably Keenan and Aislinn.  I was more interested in what happened to some of the minor characters.  Still, I found it satisfying, if not mind-blowing and amazing.  A really good faery series that has an interesting and unique faery world.

Read-alikes:
The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
Lament and Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@# 
plenty, some f-words

mrg-factor: XX 
mostly sensuality and off-page action

v-factor: ->-> 
quite a bit of gory fighting

Overall rating: *** 

What books can't you stay away from?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: October 2011
Pages: 400
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Fun
Series: Iron Fey, Book 4

*Spoilers for the first three books are inevitable*
Ash, banished from his home in the Winter Court, unable to be with Meghan in the Iron Court, is determined to find a way to stay with her. With the help of Puck and a few other friends, he embarks on a dangerous journey, one that will lead to death or to a life with his true love.

Things I Liked:
Kagawa can write a killer good faery story.  I love the complex world she's created and especially the many unique characters that inhabit Faery.  There are so many aspects of the Nevernever that make this story interesting and add depth.  I also love a good story and this one definitely has a good story.  Action and adventure, sacrifice, love, understanding, and a touch of humor.  Something for everyone in this one.  Though I saw the ending coming a mile away (I mean, who didn't?) I still enjoyed the journey.  I'll be interested to see where Kagawa goes next.

Things I Didn't Like:
I actually had a really hard time getting into the book.  I've never been that much of a fan of Ash, to be honest, so that probably was part of it.  The story was pretty slow moving too, despite having some awesome action sequences.  I just really struggled through about the first half of the book.  After that, I got into it enough.  It was pretty predictable in the story arc, and a little bit sappy sweet, but I think Kagawa strikes a pretty good balance too.  But man, I really liked Puck more.

Read-alikes:
Read the first three books in the Iron Fey series first
Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
a few here and there

mrg-factor: X 
implied, off-page stuff

v-factor: ->->
they have to battle creatures and beasties quite often

Overall rating: ***

I think this series has been raved about by nearly everyone.  Am I just missing something?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage