Book Review: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Hello again, blogging world! Sorry for the radio silence - life gets in a way a lot lately. Plus, I pretty much single handedly planned girls camp (a youth camp for my church for girls aged 12-18). It was crazy times. And blogging is really falling by the wayside. But here! Have a random book review!

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: March 2015
Pages: 368
Source: e-book from library
For: I heard good things and those shiny award stickers didn't hurt

Summary (from goodreads):

Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame?

Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go.

My thoughts:
I got really sucked into this story - right from the start. It's amazingly written, with gorgeous lyrical writing and there's some serious suspense going on. It also has a lot of surprising elements, though I did go in knowing there was an element of magical realism/fantasy. I liked figuring things out one little bit at a time and wondering if I'd been imagining it wrong all along. And I liked it. Worth the read, I think, despite some rather disturbing and adult-ish things.

Read-alikes:
Uh, drawing a blank here

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
there is some in there (no f-bombs, that I recall)

mrg-factor: X
some stuff

v-factor: ->->
it's been a while, but I think some intense stuff happens :)

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication date: December 2013
Pages: 374
Source: e-book from the library
For: At Suey's suggestion
Series: Starbound, Book 1

Summary (from goodreads):

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth. 

I enjoyed this a LOT more than I expected to. Generally, I've found a lot of YA space books to be kind of lacking in good solid science. Not that this is super good with science (there's a lot of stuff that you kind of have to roll with), but I found that those things didn't bother me. I was intrigued enough by the plot and the characters that I kind of forgot to be bothered. I found the ending to be surprising and I'm wanting to read the next books. Glad I listened to Suey and got my hands on this. I needed a good YA space book that entertained me enough to ignore the bad science :)

Read-alikes:
Reminded me a bit of Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking series

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

mrg-factor: X
some implied stuff

v-factor: ->->
a bit of fighting gore

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: August 2007
Pages: 796
Source: Purchased
For: Fun
Series: Mistborn, Book 2

Summary (from goodreads): *Spoilers for Mistborn are inevitable*

The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler – the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years – has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protégé, Vin, the former street urchin who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves.

As Kelsier’s protégé and slayer of the Lord Ruler she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely since the Lord Ruler died, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her.

Stopping assassins may keep Vin’s Mistborn skills sharp, but it’s the least of her problems. Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn’t run itself, and Vin and the other members of Kelsier’s crew, who lead the revolution, must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won’t get easier with three armies – one of them composed of ferocious giants – now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler’s hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal.

As the siege of Luthadel tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.

Things I Liked:
Brandon Sanderson - he has a gift for creating these intriguing worlds and people in them.  I really like his stuff and I always feel very engrossed when I'm reading his books.  The worlds come to life for me and there is so much depth and history.  I also really don't have a clue where the plot is going, even when I think I do.  Give me more of this story (I mean, it's already out there, but I just need to pick up the book). I kept being surprised by what happened and what motivated people.

Things I Didn't Like:
They are very, very long.  I keep thinking there has to be stuff to cut, and I'm sure there is, but all of it kind of seems relevant.  Still: long.

Read-alikes:
Start with Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Reminds me a bit of Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few

mrg-factor: none
that I recall

v-factor: ->->
there's always some fighting

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pamela Smith Hill

Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pamela Smith Hill (editor)
Publisher: South Dakota State Historical Society
Publication date: November 2014
Pages: 400
Source: Library
For: Fun

Summary (from goodreads):

Pioneer Girl follows the Ingalls family's journey through Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, back to Minnesota, and on to Dakota Territory sixteen years of travels, unforgettable experiences, and the everyday people who became immortal through Wilder's fiction. Using additional manuscripts, letters, photographs, newspapers, and other sources, award-winning Wilder biographer Pamela Smith Hill adds valuable context and leads readers through Wilder's growth as a writer. Do you think you know Laura? Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography will re-introduce you to the woman who defined the pioneer experience for millions.

Things I Liked:
This took me AGES to read.  Mostly because I could only check it out two weeks at a time and everyone kept putting it on hold, so I couldn't renew it.  It is also a very big book and a bit daunting at times.  Still, I am so glad I persisted.  I don't even remember if I've read the Little House books all the way through, or just listened while my mom read them to my siblings.  It didn't really matter, because this story is the true one.  I loved how very detailed and full of notes it was.  I can't read something with that many footnotes often, but when I do, I usually love it.  It was fun to see the author differentiate between what was real and what they changed for the kids novels.  If you are a huge fan of the Little House books, pick this one up.  It will more than satisfy every question about her life you may have.

Things I Didn't Like:
It was a bit dry at times.  I guess life can be that way :). You have to be a real fan to take this one on, I think.

Read-alikes:
The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder :)

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

Book Review: Code Talker by Chester Nez

Code Talker by Chester Nez
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: September 2011
Pages: 320
Source: Library
For: Interesting!

Summary (from goodreads):

Although more than 400 Navajos served in the military during World War II as top-secret code talkers, even those fighting shoulder to shoulder with them were not told of their covert function. And, after the war, the Navajos were forbidden to speak of their service until 1968, when the code was finally declassified. Of the original twenty- nine Navajo code talkers, only two are still alive. Chester Nez is one of them.

In this memoir, the eighty-nine-year-old Nez chronicles both his war years and his life growing up on the Checkerboard Area of the Navajo Reservation-the hard life that gave him the strength, both physical and mental, to become a Marine. His story puts a living face on the legendary men who developed what is still the only unbroken code in modern warfare.

Things I Liked:
This book really intrigued me.  I loved reading about those Native Americans who played such a unique and vital role in WWII.  His particular experiences made me realize just how little I know about the treatment of Native Americans in our history. I mean, I know it's always been bad, but this wasn't even always deliberately bad, just neglect and ignoring the kinds of things they experienced.  It was eye-opening and just plain sad.  I liked hearing it from his perspective and he never sounded bitter or angry about it.  His experiences during the war seemed so different from what the "usual" soldiers might have felt, but was still very painful and hard.  An inspiring and interesting read.

Things I Didn't Like:
I did like how it was really his words written down, but that also made for some grammar issues that I would notice and be annoyed about before remembering it was his direct narrative.

Read-alikes:
Can't think of any

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->->
he went to war!

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: As You Wish by Cary Elwes

As You Wish by Cary Elwes
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date: October 2014
Length: 7 hrs, 1 min
Source: Audiobook from library
For: Fun!

Summary (from goodreads):

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets, backstage stories, and answers to lingering questions about off-screen romances that have plagued fans for years!

Things I Liked:
I listened to this on audio, read mostly by Cary Elwes, as suggested by a number of people.  I do recall my mind drifting during quite a bit of the beginning where Elwes tells his story about joining the cast and meeting everyone and all that preproduction stuff.  When it finally got to the stories from the movie, I really enjoyed it.  I loved all the funny, quirky, and hilarious antics they all seemed to get up to.  It sounds almost like an extended family reunion.  It was a lot of fun to hear it in their own voices (some of them) too.

Things I Didn't Like:
Yeah, the beginning was hard for me.  Otherwise, it was super fun to hear about one of my favorite movies.  I watched it again not that long ago and took great pleasure in pointing out things about the scenes that I learned from the book to my husband.

Read-alikes:
Can't think of anything...

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

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: 2012
Pages: 669
Source: Library
For: More Kate Morton stuff

Summary (from goodreads):

During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother.

Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress living in London. The family is gathering at Greenacres farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this may be her last chance, Laurel searches for answers to the questions that still haunt her from that long-ago day, answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.

Dorothy’s story takes the reader from pre–WWII England through the blitz, to the ’60s and beyond. It is the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined. The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams and the unexpected consequences they sometimes bring. It is an unforgettable story of lovers and friends, deception and passion that is told—in Morton’s signature style—against a backdrop of events that changed the world.

Things I Liked:
This book has a complicated plot filled with all kinds of secrets and mysteries and written in the perfect way to keep you guessing all the way to the ending.  This was signature Kate Morton (though, I'm pretty sure I've only read two of her other books).  It was also quite long.  It was engaging and I couldn't stop reading to find out just what in the world happened all those years ago. I was completely thrown for a loop when some of the stuff was revealed, though I did have an inkling about other things.

Things I Didn't Like:
Yeah, it is dark and creepy and at times kinda depressing.  Also, long.  But, I am really impressed at Morton's skills at weaving a complex web of uncertainties all the way to the end.  And I really have no idea how Laurel could even pretend to feel normal after what she saw.

Read-alikes:
Other Morton books will satisfy your "like this book" craving

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !#$
a fair few

mrg-factor: X
some

v-factor: ->->
rather more than I enjoy

Overall rating: ****

Book Review: Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff

Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date: April 2015
Pages: 304
Source: e-book ARC from Netgalley
For: Review
Series: Companion to Rump

Summary (from goodreads):

Jack has always been told that giants are not real. But if that’s the case, how do you explain the huge, foot shaped pond in the yard, or the occurrence of strange and sudden storms in which the earth quakes and dirt rains from the sky? When his father is carried away in such a storm, Jack gives chase in the only logical way: by trading the family cow for some magic beans that will give him access to a land beyond the clouds. He arrives to find that the giants themselves have giant-sized troubles. With the help of an overachieving little sister, a magic goose and a chatty cook (who is not interested in grinding human bones into bread, thank you very much!) Jack sets out to save his dad and save the day.

Things I Liked:
I've really enjoyed these twisted fairy tale retellings of Shurtliff's.  I'm not a big fan of the Jack and the Beanstalk story, but this made it more interesting and more understandable.  I liked how it showed reasons for the giants raiding and how a giant world was just normal for them and the little people were more like "elves" that we would think of in our world.  I thought it was clever, though the ending seemed a bit convenient.

Things I Didn't Like:
This one dragged just a bit in places for me, but I still was interested enough to keep going.

Read-alikes:
A bit like the League of Princes by Christopher Healy

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

Book Review: Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication date: March 2009
Pages: 320
Source: I think I won it in a contest several years ago...
For: Fun

Summary (from goodreads):

Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm.

He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Things I Liked:
I really fell in love with this one from the start.  I find books told from the perspectives of those with Aspergers or similar (Marcelo doesn't identify with that entirely) are very fascinating.  I think this one was exceptional.  It was interesting to see Marcelo do things he didn't want to and to grow in ways he didn't expect.  I loved the dilemmas he faced and often the fact that he would hear something someone said, recogize he didn't quite understand, but get the gist of it anyway.  Kind of like visiting a foreign country where you sort of speak the language.  I loved Marcelo and Jasmine!

Things I Didn't Like:
I got really tired of Wendell and pretty much every other male that had to throw in something about sex every other word.  There was a lot of swearing too, which turned me off, especially when we met Jasmine's dad.  I could definitely have done without that. 

Read-alikes:
Reminded me of Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (but with waaaaay more swearing)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#
plenty, a number of f-bombs

mrg-factor: XXX
nothing on page, just a LOT of crude talk

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

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

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication date: May 2014
Pages: 240
Source: e-book from library
For: Fun

Summary (from goodreads):

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Things I Liked:
It is very readable, I pretty much pounded through this fast.  I was sucked into the story and completely compelled to read and find out just what happened to make Cady so changed.  I loved hearing about the summers with her cousins - it reminds me of my own family.  But I also loved seeing the depths and watching them start to grow up and see the world a little more realistically (if obviously not completely).  An interesting and intriguing look at a privileged family.

Things I Didn't Like:
I was annoyed that the Liars title never really seemed to make any sense. Also, I found that I was not too surprised at the ending, despite having been told and expecting some serious gasping and stuff at the end. I don't know. I guess I just found it sad. So much wasted in these youth!

Read-alikes:
Hm, can't think of anything

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#$
not tons in number, but like 10 f-bombs

mrg-factor: none
some kissing

v-factor: ->
a bit of intense action

Overall rating: ****

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

Book Review: The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: November 2010
Pages: 576
Source: Library
For: Book Group

Summary (from goodreads):

A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

Things I Liked:
Yes! I loved this deep and twisty and complicated story about family and secrets and what really happened and all that history stuff.  This was very well plotted and written and I couldn't put it down.  I first thought I had things figured out and then I changed my mind (three or four times).  Really, it kept me guessing right down to the final chapters.  I really enjoyed it.

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, the ending, despite being quite surprising was a little bit too much.  Stretched a bit too far?  It felt very different from the rest of the book, in that it was a bit unbelievable, if quite a good fit for the story.  Still, I enjoyed it very much and need to get myself more Kate Morton right away!

Read-alikes:
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
a few

mrg-factor: none
on page, anyway

v-factor: ->
some kind of implied

Overall rating: ****

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

Book Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Publisher: originally George M. Hill company
Publication date: originally 1900
Pages: 78
Source: free e-book
For: a classic double pair
Series: Oz Series, Book 1

Summary (from goodreads):

Follow the yellow brick road!
Dorothy thinks she's lost forever when a tornado whirls her and her dog, Toto, into a magical world. To get home, she must find the wonderful wizard in the Emerald City of Oz. On the way she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion. But the Wicked Witch of the West has her own plans for the new arrival - will Dorothy ever see Kansas again?

Things I Liked:
It felt so lovely and old fashioned! It definitely had a timeless quality to it, despite it feeling so different from modern-day tales. I thought it was weird how very indifferent sometimes the characters were to tragedy or difficult things happening to them or their friends. Oh, I shall cry for them. Oh well. Having based my entire knowledge of the book on the movie, I was quite surprised to find things very different - why did they make her shoes red? Plus, a huge part of the book comes after the witch is dead. They have lots of further adventures. And it is quite obvious along the way how each of Dorothy's companions get what they are asking Oz for, and rather humorous how he gives it to them. I'm glad to have read this one finally and hope to share it with my daughter when she's ready.

Things I Didn't Like:
Some of the same things above detracted from my enjoyment, most notably the way the characters would respond to certain situations. Well, nothing we can do for them, let's just leave them or cry about it and move on. Some of the things they said felt a little strange too, like Dorothy talking about how cowardly the lion is, on a regular basis. Sometimes she didn't feel like such a "sweet" little girl.

Read-alikes:
can't think of anything :)

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

Book Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication date: January 2015
Length: 6 hrs, 36 min
Source: Audiobook from publisher
For: Review
Series: Lunar Chronicles, Book 3.5?

 

Summary (from goodreads):

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Things I Liked:
I adore these retellings, though this one was a lot shorter and maybe not quite as complete a story as I would have liked.  I guess it's more like a novella.  It doesn't actually retell the whole Snow White story (as I assume Winter will be more along those lines), but the story behind the evil queen of that tale.  I felt very sorry for Levana throughout the book, and I found myself very sad at the choices she made. I listened to this on audio, and I thought the narrator, Rebecca Soler, was good but not great.  I also own a hard copy, cause I'm like that. I am excited to get to the next book (only a few weeks)!

Things I Didn't Like:
Too short :).  I found the narrator's voice was really great at young girls tones, but her male voices were...not good.  It sounded like a teenage girl's diary read aloud.  Which, I guess it kind of was.

Read-alikes:
Start with Cinder by Marissa Meyer

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: X
a bit

v-factor: ->

Overall rating: ****

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

Book Review: Longbourn by Jo Baker

Longbourn by Jo Baker
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date: October 2013
Pages: 352
Source: Library
For: Book Club

 

Summary (from goodreads):

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.
 
In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own. 

Things I Liked:
This was one of the most interesting and best spin-offs of a Jane Austen book I've read. Probably because it had nothing really to do with the story. Makes you think of the Bennet family much differently - maybe not love them as much. It definitely opened my eyes to the working classes at the time and the struggles they dealt with (ugh the description of diapers just about did me in - and I used cloth diapers! :).

Things I Didn't Like:
I really was annoyed with James and what he did near the end of the book - it seemed pretty stupid. Also, the ever switching of points of view got rather annoying sometimes. I didn't notice just how often it happened until someone pointed it out. It happened mid-paragraph sometimes!

Read-alikes:
Tons of Pride and Prejudice retellings and spin-offs out there :)

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
probably a few

mrg-factor: XX
some implied and not so implied stuff

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

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

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

Book Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication date: July 2014
Pages: 496
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: The Remnant Chronicles, Book 1

Summary (from goodreads):

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Things I Liked:
Well, I have to admit I was annoyed when Pearson didn't come out and say who was who (ie - we don't know which one is which when the story is told from Lia's perspective).  I kept thinking I knew and then second guessing it.  I think this is what sustained me through pretty much the whole book - I just wanted to figure it out.  In that sense, well played, Mary Pearson! And then the end happened and all the action was pretty much dumped into that last quarter of the book.  I'm intrigued and want to read the sequel, but not sure what to expect.

Things I Didn't Like:
I think I was annoyed by the length a number of times.  Nothing much seems to happen for a long time.  Also, Lia should have been a little smarter when thinking about the consequences of her running away.

Read-alikes:
Reminded me a bit of the Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima

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

mrg-factor: X
some suggestive moments

v-factor: ->->
a bit of fighting happens on page

Overall rating: ****

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

Book Review: The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: September 2011
Pages: 336
Source: Review copy from publisher
For: Review

Summary (from goodreads):

In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Sylvania, the prince offers a fabulous reward to anyone who cures the curse that forces the princesses to spend each night dancing to the point of exhaustion. Everyone who tries disappears or falls into an enchanted sleep.

Thirteen-year-old Reveka, a smart, courageous herbalist’s apprentice, decides to attempt to break the curse despite the danger. Unravelling the mystery behind the curse leads Reveka to the Underworld, and to save the princesses, Reveka will have to risk her soul.

Things I Liked:
This was definitely not the same kind of twelve dancing princesses retelling I've read before. I loved Reveka and how her story played out. It was well written and interesting and I liked how unique it felt despite being a retelling. At times, it felt a little mature for the cover and recommended ages, but rather more like the way an original fairy tale would go. Also, it almost felt like two stories, what with the second part being quite different from the first.  I believe it was two stories being retold and there was a definite separation point (sort of a Persephone retelling, though the description says it's Beauty and the Beast). But overall, different and good!

Things I Didn't Like:
I had a hard time getting into the story at first, and I was also a bit put out at first after the first half of the story sort of ended and the second half began.  Those two halves seemed a little mismatched, but I still enjoyed them both.

Read-alikes:
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall

mrg-factor: X
just a little bit of talk

v-factor: ->
a few more frightening moments

Overall rating: ****

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

Book Review: The Swap by Megan Shull

A Karissa Review

 The Swap by Megan Shull
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: August 2014
Pages: 400

Summary from GoodReads:

YOU BE ME...AND I'LL BE YOU.”

Ellie spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. Jack spent it training in “The Cage” with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they’re both ready for a change. And just as Jack’s thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie’s wishing she could be anyone but herself.

Then, BAM! They swap lives—and bodies!

Now Jack’s fending off mean girls at sleepover parties while Ellie’s reigning as the Prince of Thatcher Middle School. As their crazy weekend races on—and their feelings for each other grow—Ellie and Jack begin to realize that maybe the best way to learn how to be yourself is to spend a little time being someone else.

Things I Liked:

I picked this up just because it was new, but I didn’t expect much from it. I was pleasantly surprised – it’s a light read, but still goes deep in some parts. I really, really liked it. It deals with kinda the stereotypical mean girls and jr. high mumbo jumbo, but it does it well. Plus, adding the wrinkle of a boy being in the girl’s body is fun. (In fact, one of my favorite parts is, soon after they switch, Ellie has to go to the bathroom, but doesn’t exactly know how to do so as a boy – Jack’s coaching made me laugh out loud.)

I really liked the ending, as the characters were strong for each other in a way they couldn’t be for themselves.

Now, if Disney did this as a teen flick, they’d totally ruin it and do this Lindsey Lohan kinda thing to it, so this is one book I hope they don’t turn into a movie.

Things I Didn't Like:
I initially didn’t like the stereotypical stuff, but as I said, it goes further, so it turned out okay.

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none
sorta – there is a small kissing scene, and a “teen boy” part – but both not dwelt on

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ***.5

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

Book Review: Clariel by Garth Nix

Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: October 2014
Pages: 400
Source: e-book from Edelweiss
For: Review
Series: Old Kingdom, Prequel

Summary from goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. And in Belisaere she is forced to follow the plans, plots and demands of everyone, from her parents to her maid, to the sinister Guildmaster Kilp. Clariel can see her freedom slipping away. It seems too that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.

With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source. But the help comes at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her - and it is herself she must question most of all.

Things I Liked:
Finally!  And I've forgotten pretty much everything about Sabriel and crew.  This book made me want to go reread all of those.  But I still fell into the whole world all over again.  I loved seeing the history of the abhorsens.  I loved the characters, though they had kind of an inevitable choices feel to them.  Like they would end up one way and there was no way it could be different.  Fated? I don't know.  It was a sad story.  I adore the magic and the way things are set up, even if I did pretty much forget everything I'd learned about the charter from before.  Such a great series.

Things I Didn't Like:
It was rather long and had a lot of extraneous detail, sometimes.  Also, very slow building.  Still, very well-written and hard to not enjoy :)

Read-alikes:
Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth nix

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
that I recall :)

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->
some

Overall rating: ****

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

Book Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: September 2014
Pages: 288
Source: e-book from Edelweiss
For: Review

Summary from goodreads:

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Things I Liked:
This book was really entertaining.  I LOVED our heroine, Jessamin.  I loved how she was different in her world, from somewhere outside, but White kept her from being stereotypically an outsider.  She reminded me of Nimira from Magic Under Glass, except Jessamin was smarter, stronger, and so different from what you expect.  I really liked the magic in the story and I loved that it's a stand alone.  The love story was good too, if a bit hard to believe. Mostly, I found the magic system and story to be quite fascinating and the characters exhibited my favorite Kiersten White banter.  Enjoyed it all around!

Things I Didn't Like:
Hm, not sure I can remember.  I just quite liked it.

Read-alikes:
Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some

mrg-factor: none
just some kissing

v-factor: ->
a little bit

Overall rating: ****

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