The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication date: August 2011
ISBN: 9781423137870
Source: e-book provided by NetGalley
Things I Liked:
I loved the atmosphere of this fairy-tale story. From the first page, I was sucked into the gorgeous writing that creates each scene. Schwab has a real talent when it comes to setting. I loved the creepy village of Near, its placement right by the windy, mysterious moor playing such a big part in their heritage. Not only was the setting amazingly done, but the story was intense as well. I didn't have everything figured out right away, so I was interested in knowing who was behind it all and what would happen next. A really good debut from an author I'm dying to read more from. Favorite passages:
A girl a year older than Wren named Cecilia, all edges and elbows in a skirt the color of heather, takes my sister's hand. Cecilia has a scatter of freckles like muddy flecks across her face, vanishing along her cheekbones and into auburn curls. p 15 of ARC
Long, long ago, the Near Witch lived in a small house on the farthest edge of the village. She was very old and very young, depending on which way she turned her head, for no one knows the age of witches. The moor streams were her blood and the moor grass was her skin, and her smile was kind and sharp at once like the moon on the moors in the black, black night. p 90 of ARC
I know my father's story. I know it as well as the ones he told me, but I cannot tell it in the same practiced way. It's written in my blood and bones and memory instead of on pieces of paper. I wish I could tell it as a tale and not his life and my loss. But I don't know how yet. A small broken piece of me hopes I never know how, because my father wasn't just a bedtime story. p 195 of ARC
Things I Didn't Like:
I had a hard time mostly with the romance and the ending. She and Cole fell in love very quickly, much too fast for me to believe it was real. The ending was pretty good, but what I didn't like was after all the build-up and the excellent story telling, it just kind of fell flat for me. Things happened too quickly and then it was over. Maybe I was expecting too much of it, but I felt just a tiny bit disappointed.
Read-alikes:
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few mild ones
mrg-factor: X
some kissing
v-factor: ->->
mostly the creepy stuff, but a bit of violence
Overall rating: ****
I kept trying to think of another moor village story and couldn't (you know, aside from Wuthering Heights). Any ideas?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Making Toast: A Family Story by Roger Rosenblatt
Publisher: Ecco
Publication date: February 2010
ISBN: 9780061825958
Source: ARC provided by publisher
When Roger's daughter unexpectedly dies leaving her husband and three young children behind, he and his wife move in with them to help. Adjusting to life without Amy seems impossible and too painful to imagine. Roger must also relearn what it is like to live with children. This memoir describes what that first year without her was like.
Things I Liked:
It was an emotional read for certain. How can it be anything else? I loved the little glimpses of humor and happiness that happened anyway. Especially with the children. I think those kids made the whole book easier to read. Without them, it would have been entirely too depressing. They were sweet and I loved the relationship he was able to develop with those grandkids. An interesting and also heartbreaking story.
Things I Didn't Like:
Honestly, I really struggled with the book. I've read books about death and loss before, but I disliked how Rosenblatt dealt with it. He seemed full of anger and frustration and hatred toward anything and everything (especially God) and I was hoping some of that would change. Nope. He never seems to come to terms with Amy's death and recognize anything good in his changed situation. Possibly this might arise from my own personal beliefs, but I just thought how sad it was that he was so stuck on being resentful about her death that he never seemed able to move on. It made the book more sad than hopeful and really hard to want to read.
Read-alikes:
Gosh, I don't read enough memoirs about grief to even think of any!
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
not so much in numbers, but there are a few f-bombs
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->->
not violence really, but it's a mature and rather depressing story/situation
Overall rating: ***
Anybody have suggestions for a more hopeful memoir about grief?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Populazzi by Elise Allen
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: August 2011
ISBN: 9780547481531
Source: ARC provided by publicist
Things I Liked:
I really enjoyed the way Cara changed over the book. While she made some stupid mistakes, I was glad they were glaringly obvious to her (well, sometimes). I think they were the kinds of things people who are generally good do when they don't stop to think about consequences. The characters felt and acted like real teens. And the story, while a bit predictable, was interesting and totally made me remember (somewhat reluctantly) my own insecure high school feelings. Definitely a book that will make you think about relationships and what's most important. And I have to admit, I really loved Archer. I liked this little hint of interaction between Claudia and Cara:
I wished I'd been middrink, so I could give her comment the spit-take it deserved. "No way," I said. "Can't do it. If I do, he'll think I want him again, and he'll get that sad look on his face because he'll feel like he has to let me down gently and I swear, Claudia, I would rather drink hot glue." p 96 of ARC
Things I Didn't Like:
While I did enjoy the story and can follow the reasons behind Cara's actions, I got rather annoyed at her stupid choices. It made me so frustrated, I wanted to scream at some adult in her life to take notice and try to help! And don't get me started on her parents. The ending seemed a bit neat, with Cara's decisions almost coming out of the blue. I'm thinking I'm a bit torn on this one, enjoying it but also annoyed by it. Definitely I'll be thinking about the characters and their choices for a while.
Read-alikes:
It Started With a Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech
She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
fairly regularly throughout, but nothing too strong
mrg-factor: XX
they talk, joke about, and do nearly everything but not in descriptive detail
v-factor: none
Overall rating: *** or ****
AND, I've got an extra ARC of Populazzi to giveaway! Rules:
Must be 13 or older to enter.
US only, I'm still poor.
Enter by August 23.
Fill out the form below (including the question):
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication date: August 2011
ISBN: 9781423118251
Source: e-book provided by NetGalley
*Spoilers for the first two Seven Realms books are very possible*
Raisa is on her way back home to her mother and sister, but things are not going as planned. After escaping the grasping Gerard Montaigne, she is chased by rogue members of her guard. When Han finds her nearly dead from a poison arrow, he makes a choice to do everything in his power to heal her. He doesn't expect it to take so much out of him, though. Their two paths will twists and intersect again and again, especially when Raisa decides she must rely on Han to help her make it onto the Gray Wolf Throne. Can she live long enough against the assassins and ill-will of the Bayars?
Things I Liked:
Chima has a real talent for creating extremely realistic, fully developed, fantastic worlds. The Seven Realms seem as real to me as our world! She has such an ability to bring fantasy to life. I love the characters and their stories and the intricate plots she's woven together, everything leading to one particular path that seems inevitable, but is still surprising. I really love reading a complex court intrigue and this is one of the best I've come across. Trust, betrayal, deception, and so many other emotions wind together to make a complicated and fascinating pattern that I won't fully grasp until I get that next book! Just what a high fantasy should be.
Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, it has the usual drawbacks of high fantasy - a huge cast of characters, a vast number of pages, and a super complicated plot that can occasionally become confusing. Still, that's one of the challenges I love about it. I thought this was the last book in the series and was confused when it didn't end satisfactorily. But, I found out there's another book (thank goodness) and I simply can't wait for more.
Read-alikes:
Read The Demon King and The Exiled Queen first
The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe
Crown and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a little
mrg-factor: X
some heavy kissing
v-factor: ->->
there is fighting and death
Overall rating: *****
Any predictions for what will happen in that next book?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: September 2010
ISBN: 9780061985843
Source: Purchased
Things I Liked:
Um, Evie of course. She's so awesome - so kick-butt and sarcastic and just plain fun. I wanted more from her. Much more. The story was pretty fun, but honestly it was the characters that had me coming back for more. Lend was interesting and Reth was full of surprises and I liked Lish a lot too. The paranormal angle was so refreshingly fun and not-nauseating and so spoofy fun that I think I fell in love with paranormal romance all over again. Thank you Kiersten White! Fun quote:
I sighed. I hate the vamp jobs. They think they're so suave. It's not enough for them to slaughter and eat you like a zombie would. No, they want it to be all sexy, too. And, trust me: vampires? Not. Sexy. I mean, sure, their glamours can be pretty hot, but the dry-as-bone corpse bodies shimmering underneath? Nothing attractive there. Not that anyone else can see them, though. p 2
Things I Didn't Like:
I think I got a bit hung up on what was actually happening in the story. I'm not sure if I was just confused or if I was just as in the dark as Evie about IPCA and other paranormals. Either way, I'll be devouring Supernaturally as fast as possible.
Read-alikes:
I don't know, maybe a bit like The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
bleep :)
mrg-factor: none
well, some kissing
v-factor: ->
just a little bit of action violence
Overall rating: ****
Honestly can't think of anything quite like this, can you?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 1993
ISBN: 9780385732550
Source: Library audiobook
When Jonas is chosen for a job that he never expected, Receiver of memory, he is about to learn all kinds of things about his community and his family. Every day he receives memories from the Giver and he learns a little bit more about how his settlement works and just what they might have given up. Will he have the courage to make hard decisions that might affect everyone he knows?
Things I Liked:
This is a perfect classic dystopian story and it never gets old. I love how slowly and carefully Lowry reveals things about the society and what is really going on. I love how we discover, along with Jonas, all the things that the Giver knows and remembers. It is such a unique and interesting world that you can't help but feel and hurt right along with the characters. I listened to this one on audio and I really enjoyed it just as much as reading it. What I noticed this time around was just how strange the idea of a memory-keeper would be and how impossible, yet plausible, the future society Lowry has created seems. One of the best dystopian books ever.
Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit I was slightly bothered by the voice our narrator used for Jonas. Yes, he's only 11 or 12 during the story, but he sounded like a very whiny seven-year-old. It made it harder to believe the things he dealt with and learned. I would have liked a slightly more mature voice. Still, it was not too distracting, since I still enjoyed the story. There is still stuff I don't think I'll ever figure out about Lowry's future vision.
Read-alikes:
Matched by Ally Condie
Maybe a little like Delirium by Lauren Oliver - for the world-building
Gathering Blue and Messenger by Lois Lowry (which are kind of sequels)
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
well, maybe a very few, but honestly I can't remember
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->
more like mature stuff, not really violence
Overall rating: *****
Anybody not read this? Anybody read and not liked this? I'd love to hear opposing opinions :)
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication date: November 2010
ISBN: 9781423123729
Source: Library audiobook
Things I Liked:
Oh how I love Bartimeaus. He makes these books completely enjoyable. The snark, the sarcasm, the hilarity, all belong to him. I'm so glad Stroud decided to write this book as a companion to the previous three books, because he deserves a book all to himself. I reveled in everything he said and did. The story was fairly interesting too, but I honestly kept listenening for Bartimaeus' humor. And I was not disappointed. I laughed so hard on multiple occasions that I honestly had to stop what I was doing (good thing I wasn't driving). This is pure entertainment and so well-written, too. If I'd read the book instead of listening, I'd probably have about 100 quotes from it. Instead, I'll recommend either listening or reading, because the narrator, Simon Jones, does a fantastic job of reading this, with just the right combination of sarcasm and boredom that Bartimaeus would use. I was worried I'd have a hard time distinguishing footnotes from the story, but he managed those perfectly as well. Now if only they'd make a movie...
Things I Didn't Like:
I think I wish I had read it too, because I spent long periods of time away from the book and would then come back to it and not remember what had happened previously. Still, I completely enjoyed listening, even if I did miss some of the finer points of plot.
Read-alikes:
Read the first three books in the Bartimaeus series by Stroud
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few mild ones here and there
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->
some violence, but mostly not described
Overall rating: *****
Have you read any of these? If not, why not?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication date: May 2011
ISBN: 9780805092523
Source: Review copy provided by publicist
Gwyneth has always been the forgotten girl in her household. Her cousin Charlotte has been prepared since birth to be a time traveler. But when she is the one to travel back, everything is turned upside down. She will discover secrets about her birth that her mother has been hiding. She will also have to travel with Gideon, another time traveler, to a London of the 18th century and deal with past travelers whose motivations remain hidden. Can she unravel all the secrets of the past and the present before it is too late?
Things I Liked:
I really do love a good time travel story. Sometimes I go a while without reading one, then when I do I remember how awesome they are! This is a really good one too, complete with time paradoxes and secret societies. I loved the mysterious atmosphere and the period clothing descriptions and just how much fun it was to fall into the story with Gwyneth. Action, mystery, secrets, betrayals, all wrapped in a time travel cloak. An awesome beginning to a series that I'm planning to devour.
Things I Didn't Like:
There were remarkably few wording issues that arose from the translation. Pretty well done, I'd say, but not entirely absent. I was a little struck at how juvenile Gwyneth seemed at the beginning. I had a hard time seeing her as sixteen. But as the book progressed, so did she and I was able to accept that. I'm definitely hooked on this one.
Read-alikes:
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller a little bit
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few mild words every so often
mrg-factor: X
some implied stuff, nothing on page
v-factor: ->
a little bit of action, but not gory at all
Overall rating: ****
Can you wrap your head around time travel stories?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Thanks to everyone who played the Name That Book game for a chance to win a book. It's definitely not the most popular feature out there, but I have a lot of fun coming up with the puzzles and hopefully some of you enjoy guessing them. Before I announce the two winners, here are the answers for those who are dying to know:
Book 1: The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
Book 2: Divergent by Veronica Roth (I got a good kick out of this puzzle)
Book 3: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Book 4: Supernaturally by Kiersten White (another fun one, I thought)
The first person who got all the answers right was:
And the random choice winner from those who got them all correct was:
I've contacted both of you and your book choices will be wending their way to you shortly!
Now on to some details of my review-a-thon participation! Thus far, my plan is to post two reviews a day this week. One will go up in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening. There are also some mini-challenges and other fun stuff that the Review-a-Thon hosts (The Book Monsters) are planning (see below for the first one). Thanks again for stopping by my blog!
Mini-challenge #1:
1. Are you happy with your review format currently?
I'd say for the most part, yes. I do get a bit tired of the same old same old. I'm planning to do a post with several short reviews sans the usual items like ratings and like/dislike, like the cute twitter-style reviews other blogs do. We'll see if that ever happens.
2. Scrutinize it a little more, maybe compare it to other blogs you like, anything you think you might change?
I think if I were to change things, it would be adding more info about the books and authors (# of pages or links to author websites or stuff like that). I like having ISBN, though I wonder if anyone else cares - especially since its only for one specific printing. I also still really struggle with the summary. I have such a hard time coming up with non-dreadful summaries and I wish could write short, witty one or two liners. I tried for a while, but ended up becoming long-winded again. Thoughts?
3. Implement some basic changes and tell us what you think. Or, you can tell us one or two aspects of your reviews that you like.
I'm rather fond of my like/dislike dichotomy. I think just knowing I write reviews like that helps me notice things about books that I both like and dislike. Though, sometimes I think it makes me seek out stuff I don't like about a book and I'm not sure I like that. I'm also happy with the read-alikes. Not sure I'll make any changes at this point, unless they're very minor.
Anyone have suggestions to improve my review format?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie of Angieville and "focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc."
These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy Turner
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publication date: 1998
ISBN: 9780061458033
Source: Library (for book group)
Things I Liked:
I really fell in love with this book. I'm so glad I finally got to pick it up for book group! Sarah Prine was just such a rich, strong, and lively character that I felt like she was a real person (even if much of the story, though loosely based on a real woman, is fictional). It made me want to know more about my own ancestors who struggled to survive in untamed territory and dealt with death and sorrow and fear every day. I have to admit that I was swept away in the love story as well. Captain Elliot was a sweet and in some ways very prickly person (which made him more real). Several members of our book club were struck by how unrealistic it felt, and that is probably pretty true, but I think there are many good times and sweet memories of relationships that can make this one ring true. Perhaps it wasn't entirely realistic, but it is in diary form and can be considered biased in that method of storytelling (thank you book club discussion). We had a great discussion with multiple opposing opinions that helped me get a broader grasp of the story. I still really enjoyed the story and the adventures and the feel of this book. Some favorite parts:
That is the prettiest kind of tree there is to me. A cottonwood makes a little sound with the leaves like they are talking to each other, a gentle and soft sound. In the fall they turn yellow and copper and the ground under a cottonwood looks like it is covered with pennies. Under our cottonwood back home I used to collect the pennies and pretend I was rich. p 6
It is an awful thing to look on such sad circumstance and not be able to shed a tear. It is not because I do not feel for these folks, but maybe I feel too much. Part of me is glad, in a low down, mean way, that it is not Albert's or Mama's graves we are digging. Glad that it is some soldiers I don't know and neighbors or friends but not family. Lord, I must be the cussedest woman there is to think that. Finally, I felt so guilty for thinking those things that I cried. Then I began to feel the heartaches of our friends and neightbors and I cried for them, too, as we said prayers over each and every grave. p 162
Things I Didn't Like:
At times, the story was just a little too unbelievable. So many bad things happening one after another. It seemed like it was unrealistic for them to experience all the things that could possibly happen to settlers - train robbery, Indian attacks, bandits, snakes, floods - you name it, it happened. When I suspended that disbelief, I was ok with it.
Read-alikes:
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry I assume is a bit like it (correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't read it)
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some here and there
mrg-factor: X
nothing too descriptive
v-factor: ->->->
all those attacks and the suffering isn't lightly passed over
Overall rating: *****
What did you think of this book?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Just wanted to mention a few events that are or will be taking place soon! I have to admit, I love the blogging events that go on - I think they are one of the reasons I keep blogging even when I'm burned out. Maybe one of these will help you get out of your slump:
First, Book Bloggers Appreciation Week (BBAW) is celebrating its fourth year in September! Registration is now open and nominations for blogs and books that you love are open as well. Be sure to visit and nominate your favorites. I got the chance to help out (a very little) in the organization details this time and I'm so glad we were able to get things worked out so we can celebrate book bloggers again this year.
Second, I'm joining in with The Book Monsters' Review-a-Thon happening next week, August 7-13. I am ridiculously behind on posting reviews (book reviews from March that haven't been posted yet), so this will be a great chance for me to get lots of them up.
Last of all, I just wanted to shout out to those who haven't seen it yet, Presenting Lenore is doing her semi-annual dystopian celebration. Dystopian August is going to be fabulous with reviews and giveaways and previews for upcoming dystopian titles. Those of you who can't get enough of this genre, be sure to check her out. I'll hopefully be posting a few dystopian reviews this month to join in the fun :)
Oh, and just another shout out for my Name That Book giveaway going on right now. Very few people have entered, so your odds are really good. You could win your choice of a YA or MG book including Possession by Elana Johnson or Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. It's open until Sunday, so be sure to enter.
Anything fun you're looking forward to this month in the blogging world?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
Publisher: Puffin
Publication date: September 1998
ISBN: 9780142401101
Source: Audiobook from the library
When Joey and his sister Mary Alice are sent every summer to visit Grandma Dowdel, they little expect to enjoy it so much. Grandma manages to keep them on their toes and to defy the town with everything she does. From a shotgun funeral to a plane ride in the sky, the kids' summers are anything but dull.
Things I Liked:
The book is told in a series of short stories and each story is just so hilarious! Grandma Dowdel feels like a real character, she's so full of life. She literally carries the stories on her shoulders, like the fiesty woman she is. This one would make a fantastic read-aloud in a class. The narration (we listened to it on a trip) was well done and had just the right amount of clever intonation to make the stories even funnier. This is a personal favorite of mine and one to sell to reluctant readers.
Things I Didn't Like:
The episodic feel might turn some people off, since it doesn't technically have a progressive plot. But, after one story of Grandma Dowdel, I think they will want more.
Read-alikes:
A Year Down Yonder and A Season of Gifts have more Grandma Dowdel and a bit more plot too
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: *****
What's your go-to reluctant reader pick?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Pegasus by Robin McKinley
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication date: November 2010
ISBN: 9780399246777
Source: Library
When Princess Sylvi is bound to her pegasus Ebon, she is shocked to discover they can communicate with each other with their thoughts. Through all the years of the alliance between Sylvi's people and the pegasi, there has never been record of such a bond before. And such a close bond makes the wizards, not to mention the general population, nervous. Will their new friendship be able to withstand the difficulties that arise or are they destined to destroy the peace of the alliance?
Things I Liked:
This has much of what I love about a Robin McKinley fantasy. There is so much depth and history associated with the story she's created that you can almost become overwhelmed thinking about it! McKinley spends most of the book developing the characters and relationship between Ebon and Sylvi. Undoubtedly, that is one of the strengths of the book - that complex and deep relationship. The other obvious one being the developed mythos of their world. Reading it, you get the impression there are so many stories populating the past that there is no way we'll ever be able to hear them all. Some favorite parts:
None of them were as beautiful - or as exciting - or as shocking - as this dark-blurred, wing-nicked scene, with the wind streaking past, tangling her hair and chilling her back and her bare feet; but her hands were buried snugly in his mane, and Ebon himself was as warm as a hearth. p 86
Although Ebon was the only black, the pegasi were variously coloured, from white to cream to gold to copper-red to dark, fresh-ploughed-loam brown and deep shadow or silver gray, and the three groups that made the three circles, six or eight spokes around each central boss, seemed to be creating some pattern with some meaning beyond the simple fact of preparation for the flight to come. p 201
Things I Didn't Like:
With all that being said in its favor, I have to agree with many that the book lacks action. The whole thing (and it isn't a short thing) is spent on those two characters and how they're friends. They don't do much of anything until the very end and it can be very slow reading up to then. Also, the ending is very abrupt and leaves you really hanging - not knowing what happens next. I certainly was entertained and kept reading, but I can see why many would be frustrated and stop. I'm very interested in what happens next.
Read-alikes:
The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I can remember
mrg-factor: X
maybe some passing references, nothing descriptive at all
v-factor: ->->
a bit here and there with some fighting scenes
Overall rating: ****
What's your favorite McKinley book?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date: April 2011
ISBN: 9780375868702
Source: ARC provided by publisher
Things I Liked:
This was a fun and unique fantasy story that kind of stole into my heart. I really liked the world that Stephens created, though I had a hard time getting into it. The atlas and the history of it was the most intriguing part of the world, though we didn't get much about it early in the book. I fell in love with the three kids, though not right away. I was especially fond of Emma, who is such a spitfire that it's fun to read about her. A fantastic new fantasy series for those aching for a new world and new adventures.
Things I Didn't Like:
As I mentioned, it was hard to get into it. I think maybe it was too slow in the beginning. It didn't really pick up in action until about halfway through for me. I wanted more details about the magical aspects of the world than we got and I look forward to more from the next books. True fantasy tween fans will likely devour this series.
Read-alikes:
I agree it's kind of like a MG Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
The Shadows by Jacqueline West
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
though I could have missed a few
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->->
some, though not described in detail
Overall rating: ****
What fantasy series did you love as a tween?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Name that Book is a biweekly game where you get to guess a book title from the photo clues.
In celebration of having posted 400 book reviews (Friday's review of Secondhand Charm was #402), I decided I needed to do a giveaway! And what better way than making you guess for my Name That Book game? I tried to be as creative and fun as possible for this episode (though you guys are so good at this that they will probably be totally easy) and I included four titles instead of the usual two. Here's how the contest will work:
I'll choose two winners. The first person to get them all right will win their choice of a book from the pile pictured above. Then I'll randomly select another winner from the group of people who got them all correct and they will choose a book from the pile too. It's open only in the US, to those 13 and older, and you can enter until Sunday, August 6th, and I'll announce winners the next day. Good luck! (And remember not to leave any guesses in the comments :)
Book 1:
Book 2:
Book 3:
Book 4:
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
res - but not just any magical creatures, as that list would be enormous. No, I wanted to list those book that contain unique, unusual creatures. Here you'll not find your average vampires or werewolves, but unicorns and selkies and other strange beasties. 
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