Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts

Friday, March 1, 2013

Review: Reached

by Ally Condie
Series: Matched #3
Hardcover, 512 pages
Published November 13th 2012 by Penguin
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

This review will include spoilers for Matched and Crossed.

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

Reached was a slow read, but it was worth the time it took to get through. Although I was not initially impressed, it grew on me, especially during my reflection after finishing it.

The chapters were divided between Cassia, Ky, and Xander, who each had a separate role to play in dealing with the revolution and the plague. In Crossed, I preferred Cassia's voice to Ky's, but in Reached, I looked forward to Xander's chapters most. Additionally, in Reached, the three voices seemed much more distinct and individual. I could usually tell who was speaking without relying on the context.

I loved that Reached stayed true to the series, and did not veer off into the average dystopian plot. From the beginning, the characters' journey is centered not around violence but about discovering beauty despite captivity. Thankfully, Reached does not become violent either. Amazingly, Reached is not about destruction but about healing. This distinction is amazing to me, and is what sets this series apart.

I was satisfied with the resolution to the love triangle, but found that the triangle was not what kept me going through the story. In fact, I would not have minded no matter who Cassia ended up with. Mostly, Condie kept the characters true and focused on each character's development rather than the drama of the love triangle.

Overall Thoughts: Reached was definitely a slow read, but if you're a character person, it may just be the story for you. It certainly gets better upon reflection, so I'd be happy to chat with you about it and see what you think.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Review: Article 5

by Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5, #1
Hardcover, 362 pages
Published January 31st 2012 by Tor Teen
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Looking over the summary now that I've finished Article 5, I wonder what initially drew me to it. Although I don't really understand my reasoning now, for some reason, it stood out among the many, many dystopians published in the last year or so. Whatever the reason,  I had high hopes for Article 5. While it was not a great read, it managed to avoid completely falling flat.

In the beginning, I had some hope for an interesting and engaging dystopian, but what I got was a medium-boring romance that I felt like I'd read before. The book was pretty evenly split between the two main characters trying to find their way to a safe house (pretty much the entire plot) and Ember trying to figure out exactly how she felt toward Chase. That said, in terms of keeping me interested, it was fine, but it wasn't amazing.

The main drawback for me was that I never felt really invested in the characters. Had Article 5 ended with Ember's capture and Chase's death (spoiler: it doesn't), I wouldn't have minded much. Perhaps if there had been more complex characters (and complex supporting characters as well, something Article 5 was noticeably lacking), I would have cared more, but I never connected with Ember or Chase enough to care about their fates.

Another thing Article 5 seemed to be lacking was a reason for the dystopian setting. There was very little explanation either for how the world worked or even why the characters were living in a dystopian society to begin with. How did this highly regulated and militarized society come to be? Without these answers, the dystopia seemed like little more than a backdrop. You could stick the characters into any setting or time period and the story would work with very minor adjustments.

Overall Thoughts: Article 5 wasn't a terrible read, but it wasn't great either. I would recommend it to dystopian fans who have high tolerances for wishy-washy characters.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars

by Diana Peterfreund
Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars #1
Hardcover, 402 pages
Published June 12th 2012 by Balzer + Bray
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

I was initially unsure about this retelling, but in time it won me over completely. In the beginning, there were a lot of names thrown out and things mentioned that weren't explained until later, so I felt a little lost going into the story. Everything was soon cleared up, however, and I was able to enjoy it very much.

The combination of retelling and new material seemed very well balanced to me. I loved connecting events and characters to their Persuasion counterparts, but the story seemed very fresh and new. I especially liked the moral dilemmas and the conflict lent by the post-apocalyptic setting that was incorporated into the story.

I found the whole Reduction / technology struggle fascinating, and it seemed to fit perfectly into the class struggle between the Reduced and the Luddites and into the Persuasion story.

I really enjoyed the added element of the letters between Elliot and Kai from their childhood, as I felt it gave insight into Kai's character whereas without the letters he would have been nearly unreachable. In the main narrative, Kai reveals very little, so I enjoyed seeing what he was like by the letters he wrote years earlier. I didn't find Kai's final letter to be quite as powerful as Wentworth's original, but in large part because of the letters, I grew quite fond of Kai.

The other characters as well were quite likable, although I wouldn't have minded more development for most of them. Ro was the kind of character you couldn't help but like, and her relationship with Elliot definitely became one of the reasons I grew to like Elliot. The Innovations and the other Posts were great characters as well and I loved reading about them. My favorite secondary character was probably Tatiana, though, because she was so incredibly oblivious and so much fun to roll my eyes at (I enjoyed her character equivalent in Persuasion as well).

Overall Thoughts: An excellent retelling of Persuasion with just enough new elements to create an original and thought-provoking story. I recommend reading Persuasion first, though. Although prior knowledge of the story is not at all essential, it seems that a reader would get more out of For Darkness Shows the Stars if they were familiar with Persuasion.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Review: Yearbook

by Ally Condie
Series: Yearbook #1
Paperback, 231 pages
Published September 15th 2006 by Shadow Mountain
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
It was the first day of school at Lakeview High, and everyone was afraid of something. Michaela Choi was afraid that Ethan Back was never going to ask her out on a date. Andrea Beck was afraid that someone would find her weak spot, the chink in her armor. She was afraid of knowing what it was herself. Principal Downing was afraid she was going to die. Julie Reid was afraid that no one would notice her. She was also afraid that someone would. And there was a deeper, unnamed fear inside her that she couldn't escape - a fear that she was nothing and no one . . . Yearbook is a captivating story about relationships and heartaches and fears and ideas and doubts and testimonies and everything that a teenage mind and a backpack can contain. But most important, Yearbook is a novel about how everyone has something to offer and something to learn.

I bought Yearbook at an Ally Condie signing last year with no idea what it was about. I am glad that in this case I dove in blind, because I definitely enjoyed this book that I normally would stay far away from. I didn't know that the book had an LDS element, and as someone with very little exposure to those beliefs, it was a totally new experience for me to read about a belief system new to me and different from my own.

Mostly, I enjoyed the beautiful writing - one of the quotes still sticks in my head even though I read the book more than a year ago:
"The doors to the school swung open once, twice, a thousand times, and all the students came in, bumping into each other and walking down the hall together and passing one another. They brought backpacks and watches and notebooks and ideas and heartbreaks and earphones and aspirin and makeup and mirrors and memories and testimonies and doubts and questions. Stories were everywhere. The bell rang, and the school year begun."
The story switches perspectives between a number of different characters (7, I believe) who all attend the same school and follows the ebb and flow of each of their journeys. In any other book, 7 POVs would be too much (looking at you, Rick Riordan), but in Yearbook, it seemed perfectly balanced. Every character (amazingly) had a distinct voice and no one seemed lost in the jumble.

I really enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone with this books and reading something very different than the usual. I appreciated that while Yearbooks had a religious element, it was not the ultimate solution to all problems. One character especially found solace in religion, but I was able to read (and enjoy) the story without feeling like the characters' values were being preached or shoved at me. For this gentle touch, I thank you, Ally Condie. (A side note: I personally did not find this element be too much for me, but I bear in mind that everyone has their own comfort level.)

Overall Thoughts:
Even as a person who doesn't read contemporary as a rule, I have to say, Yearbook was a beautifully written story that engaged me with its lovely prose and complex characters. Recommended for anyone willing to take a chance on something new.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Mini-Review: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

by Jonathan Auxier
Series: none
Hardcover, 381 pages
Published August 1st 2011 by Amulet Books
Age Recommendation: Middle Grade

Summary (from Goodreads):
“Now, for those of you who know anything about blind children, you are aware that they make the very best thieves. As you can well imagine, blind children have incredible senses of smell, and they can tell what lies behind a locked door—be it fine cloth, gold, or peanut brittle—at fifty paces. Moreover, their fingers are so small and nimble that they can slip right through keyholes, and their ears so keen that they can hear the faint clicks and clacks of every moving part inside even the most complicated lock. Of course, the age of great thievery has long since passed; today there are few child-thieves left, blind or otherwise.

At one time, however, the world was simply thick with them. This is the story of the greatest thief who ever lived. His name, as you’ve probably guessed, is Peter Nimble.”

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes was very whimsical; it was the type of book you need a certain mindset to read, but if you can channel your inner child, is so much fun and so rewarding. Peter Nimble felt like a "classic" children's tale. It seemed almost Alice-esque, but with hints of other of my favorite MG and kid's books, like Cornelia Funke's stories, The Phantom Tollbooth, and even a bit of The False Prince. Some parts of the story seemed obviously written for a younger audience (like the prophecy, which would have been a big reveal if I hadn't guessed it the first time I read it) but I enjoyed it very much all the same.

Overall, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes was an unusual and original story with will delight early middle graders. I can easily see it as a great read-aloud book as it is perfect for all those young at heart.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Mini-Review: Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

by Barry Deutsch
Series: Hereville #1
Hardcover, 144 pages
Published November 1st 2010 by Amulet Books
Age Recommendation: Middle Grade

Summary (from Goodreads):
Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn’t interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There’s only one thing she does want: to fight dragons!

Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn’t stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart’s desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find—and outwit—the giant troll who’s got it!

A delightful mix of fantasy, adventure, cultural traditions, and preteen commotion, Hereville will captivate middle-school readers with its exciting visuals and entertaining new heroine.

As creative and unusual middle grade graphic novels go, Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword is an excellent standout. Mirka's story is engaging and different, and readers will be delighted to see her come into her own. The plot is well-written and the illustrations are fantastic. I was especially glad to see that the story was self-contained in a single volume (I have read far too many graphic novels where none of the loose ends are wrapped up for several volumes), and even within the somewhat restrictive graphic novel format, Deutsch was able to show Mirka's growth as a character and connect her journey to itself in a larger way.

The story is very different from everything else I have read in the genre, mostly set apart by Mirka's unique community and family. Everyone in Hereville is orthodox Jewish (as referenced by the awesome subtitle "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl"), and the graphic novel format is excellent at showing the reader around this fictionalized community that still adheres to very real traditions.

Overall Thoughts: The story was very clever, with great characters, an interesting plot, and engaging illustrations. I would happily hand this to a middle schooler (girl or boy) looking for a good graphic novel. I'd never heard of it outside of the one author interview I found, and it definitely deserves a larger audience. I recommend giving Mirka a try.

I found this trailer on the author's website, and I liked that it gave an example of the illustrations. Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Review: A Tale Dark and Grimm & In A Glass Grimmly

by Adam Gidwitz
Series: A Tale Dark and Grimm #1 and #2
Hardcover, 252 pages
Published October 28th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile
Age Recommendation: Middle Grade

Summary (from Goodreads):
In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.

These books were fantastic and fun middle grade reads. I picked up A Tale Dark and Grimm during the Fairy Tale Readathon, and it was the perfect book to get me excited about reading during an extended readathon. When I finished A Tale Dark and Grimm, I immediately ran out for In A Glass Grimmly, because I wanted to continue with such a fun book.

In each chapter, Gidwitz modifies an original Grimm tale (or sometimes another fairy tale) to create a flowing narrative which, in A Tale Dark and Grimm, follows Hansel and Gretel, and which, in In a Glass Grimmly, follows Jack and Jill. He uses both well-known and lesser-known tales, ranging from Faithful Johannes to Hansel and Gretel.

As much as I liked the fairy tales (and I did like them very much), the best part of these stories is the constant narrator commentary. The narrator inserts his (or her, but I'll assume his as the author is a man) thoughts every few pages, speaking directly to and even playing tricks on the reader. It reminded my a little bit of the Bartimaeus books, but without the footnotes. This narrator doesn't both with footnotes. He sticks his thoughts right into the middle of the text. And it totally worked - it was hilarious.

In A Tale Dark and Grimm, I loved Hansel and Gretel, the main characters. They were excellent middle grade protagonists: clever, interesting, and proactive. In In a Glass Grimmly, Jack and Jill were not quite as fun. Although I enjoyed the narratorial comments just as much if not more in In a Glass Grimmly, I found the characters not quite as easy to connect to or sympathize with.

Overall Thoughts: I would happily recommend this to any middle grader who came my way, especially a middle grade boy who was in a reading slump. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I am proud to add these volumes to my collection of fairy tale retellings.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Review: The False Prince

By Jennifer A. Nielsen
Series: The Ascendance Trilogy #1
Hardcover, 342 pages
Published April 1st 2012 by Scholastic
Age Recommendation: Young Adult and older Middle Grade readers

Summary (from Goodreads):
THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

I loved The False Prince. It had all the elements of my favorite books: fully fleshed out and fantastic characters, intricate plans, and just a hint of fantasy. Sage was practically a reincarnation of one of my favorite characters of all time, Gen from The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. He had the same irreverent attitude and quick wit along with a healthy disrespect of authority and sharp temper. Also like Gen, he always had a plan up his sleeve and a secret that even the reader doesn’t know about. I loved him. It was like reading my favorite story in a whole new way.

There is no way I can possibly praise the book enough. It begins excitingly, and only gets better from there. Nielsen gives just enough information to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and it is so much fun to unravel the many mysteries entwined and surrounding each other. Of course no one is as they seem (I wouldn't enjoy it nearly so much if they were).

The plot does not move quickly, but it never seems to drag. It is the perfect pace, and keeps the reader turning pages as quickly as if it were an action-packed thriller.

All of the characters were fantastic, especially as the reader is able to see many sides of each. It is not possible to call even the supporting characters flat. Readers will be eager to uncover the secrets of each character.

Overall Thoughts:
A superb read. Sage alone makes The False Prince fantastic, but all of the other elements - the exciting plot, amazing characters, and the secrets hiding everyone's true intentions - raise it to the next level. Highly recommended.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Review: Kat, Incorrigible

By Stephanie Burgis
Series: The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson #1
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published April 5th 2011 by Atheneum
Age Recommendation: Middle Grade

Summary (from Goodreads):
Katherine Ann Stephenson has just discovered that she's inherited her mother's magical talents, and despite Stepmama's stern objections, she's determined to learn how to use them. But with her eldest sister Elissa's intended fiancé, the sinister Sir Neville, showing a dangerous interest in Kat's magical potential; her other sister, Angeline, wreaking romantic havoc with her own witchcraft; and a highwayman lurking in the forest, even Kat's reckless heroism will be tested to the upmost. If she can learn to control her new powers, will Kat be able to rescue her family and win her sisters their true love?

Kat, Incorrigible was a delightful middle grade adventure that both follows the tropes of and slyly pokes fun at your average Regency-era historical fantasy. The plot was light and fun, but what really made Kat, Incorrigible special was Kat herself. She is the most fun and spunkiest of heroines, and a joy to read about.

From the very first page, I knew that I would like Kat. Little did I know how much I would like all of the other characters too. When I started reading, I got Angeline and Elissa a little confused, but it was soon sorted out because of their distinct and enjoyable characters. Both were wonderful, but the other characters were almost as fun. From poor besotted Fredrick Carlyle to the formidable Lady Fotherington.

The pace is even, quick enough to keep a middle-grade reader's attention easily, but not rushed and certainly not lacking in character depth or plot details. Every scene brought up some fresh situation for Kat to wriggle into (however unintentionally).

The magical elements were not fully explained, but they fit into the world unobtrusively. I hope that the magical aspect of Kat's world is expanded in the second book, but I was perfectly happy with what I got in this volume.

Overall Thoughts: Kat, Incorrigible was lots of fun. I found myself reaching for the book even when I should have been thinking about other things. I would definitely recommend this to any middle grade girl looking for a spunky heroine and a good time.




Wednesday, October 10, 2012

DNF Review: The Kill Order

by James Dashner
Series: The Maze Runner 0.5
Hardcover, 327 pages
Published August 14th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

I went into The Kill Order expecting to love it. I let my brother pick it up first (I was in the middle of a few other books at the time) and he really enjoyed it. I dove into the first couple of chapters, and, although I liked what I was reading, I had to put it down. And then I didn't feel like picking it back up. At first, I thought it was too much despair and dystopia to read The Kill Order and Insurgent at the same time (which I was), but once I finished Insurgent, I still hesitated to pick it up every night. I found myself turning to audiobooks or choosing to read only a chapter or two in a sitting. I eventually came to realize that even by itself, there was just too much doom and death and not nearly enough hope to keep me reading. I kept at it for about two weeks nevertheless, but even after that extraordinary amount of time for a book only 327 pages long, I only managed to make it a little past halfway.

Now that I'm looking back, I kind of don't get why I didn't like it. I loved the Maze Runner trilogy, even the crazy world-is-falling-apart Death Cure ("so mindblowing that I couldn't get my thoughts together enough to write a coherent review"). I just couldn't connect to the characters and get myself to care. Even at halfway it seemed pretty obvious that everyone was going to die and the world was going fall apart even more than it already had. And if that was all, why was I bothering to struggle thorough it? The story seemed so hopeless. There was no redeeming glimmer of light for me to cling onto and cheer the characters toward.

BUT if you think you would like The Kill Order, do not let this review dissuade you from reading it! As I said, my brother (who, it should be noted, was far less excited than I) loved it, and I am sure that in a different frame of mind, I would have liked it just as much. For now, however, I will reluctantly put The Kill Order aside.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Mini-Review: Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales

 by Nathan Hale
Series: Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales
Hardcover, 128 pages
Published August 1st 2012 by Harry N. Abrams
Age Recommendation: Late Elementary, Middle Grade

Summary (from Goodreads):
Nathan Hale, the author’s historical namesake, was America’s first spy, a Revolutionary War hero who famously said “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” before being hanged by the British. In the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, author Nathan Hale channels his namesake to present history’s roughest, toughest, and craziest stories in the graphic novel format.

One Dead Spy tackles the story of Hale himself, who was an officer and spy for the American rebels during the Revolutionary War. Author Hale highlights the unusual, gruesome, and just plain unbelievable truth of historical Nathan Hale—from his early unlucky days at Yale to his later unlucky days as an officer—and America during the Revolutionary War.

Since the release of Rapunzel's Revenge back in 2008, I have been a steadfast follower of illustrator Nathan Hale's blog, Space Station Nathan. When I heard he was writing a new historical graphic novel series inspired by his webcomic about Lewis and Clark (and the Bottle of Thunder!), I put it on my auto-buy list. When they came out, my brother and I got both books and spent the evening with them in our hands, swapping books when we had both finished the ones we were reading. Although we were both significantly out of the intended age range, we loved them.

Reading these books are a delightful way to spend an afternoon, whether you are learning about the events for the first time or have already taken more history classes than you care to count.

They present the historical material in a very digestible and entertaining way, and include a surprising amount of detail. There are also fantastic illustrations in the cartoon-y style shown on the two covers. The dialogue is informal with plenty of asides and jokes to break up the history. (Swedish swearing! Anacondas!)

Overall Thoughts: These books will easily keep kids interested, and I will happily pass along copies to my younger friends and cousins, as well as keeping copies for myself (to reread and reread and reread). Overall, a huge success from Nathan Hale. I can't wait for the next installments.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Mini-Review: Foundling

by D.M. Cornish
Series: Monster Blood Tattoo #1
Hardcover, 434 pages
Published May 18th 2006 by Putnam Publishing Group
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
Set in the world of the Half-Continent—a land of tri-corner hats and flintlock pistols—the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy is a world of predatory monsters, chemical potions and surgically altered people. Foundling begins the journey of Rossamund, a boy with a girl’s name, who is just about to begin a dangerous life in the service of the Emperor. What starts as a simple journey is threatened by encounters with monsters—and people, who may be worse. Learning who to trust and who to fear is neither easy nor without its perils, and Rossamund must choose his path carefully.

I really enjoyed nearly everything about Foundling, except for one complaint that tainted every other aspect: just as the reader was beginning to get familiar with the characters, something would happen that moved the plot on and away from those characters. Most of the time, they didn’t return before the end of the book (although I’m told some of the characters left behind in Foundling reappear in later books). This prevented me from ever feeling like I knew the characters, and left me a little unsettled for much of the story. Rossamund, the main character, was forever adjusting to new people and new situations, which meant that the reader had to adjust two.

That said, I did like all of the characters, if only I’d been able to spend more time with them. A few pages after each character is introduced, there is an illustration of that character (done by the author) which did help a bit with the large cast of characters coming and going. I looked forward to the illustrations every time I picked it up, and I admit that I skipped to all of the illustrations far before the story got to them. I would have liked to see more and/or other illustrations, but I was quite happy with the ones included.

The most special part of Foundling was the world Cornish created, called the Half-Continent. It was clear from the very beginning that he knew every corner of the world, all the intricacies of the society and the people living there. Cornish was not discovering the world as he wrote. He had been writing stories and creating illustrations from this world for years before he wrote Foundling, and it definitely showed in the writing. It was obvious to me that for every detail that made it onto the pages, there were tons of pages of diagrams and sketches and notes that weren't included.

Overall Thoughts: The characters in Foundling were difficult to connect to, which definitely made it tougher for me, but the incredible world-bulding made up for a lot of that. I've been told that the series only gets better as it goes on, so I might come back to it someday, but for now I am happy with what I got.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Series Review: Stravaganza

by Mary Hoffman
Series: Stravaganza #1
Paperback, 352 pages
Published September 9th 2004 by Bloomsbury (first published 2002)
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
In modern-day London, Lucien Mulholland undergoes chemotherapy treatments, but when he falls asleep clutching a mysterious book his father has given him, he is transported - or "stravagated" - to an enchanting 16th-century Venice-like city called Bellezza, in the country Talia. Lucien can return only if he can get hold of the book again. In this colorful other world, rich with court intrigues and magic, he feels vibrantly alive, as opposed to his pain-ridden days back in England; his hair has grown back and he eats with relish. Bellezza is also where, as "Luciano," he meets lovely 15-year-old Arianna and Rodolfo, who created the book that acts as Lucien's "stravagation" talisman. Rodolfo explains that a stravagante is "a wanderer between worlds," and also the history of this magical travel. Now the secret brotherhood dedicated to keeping the two worlds separate is being challenged by a faction with evil intent. Soon "Luciano" is caught up in their power struggle and learns there is a cost when one cannot stravagate properly.

Although the Stravaganza books may not have exceptional writing or amazingly memorable characters, I was perfectly happy reading all six books back to back and certainly plan to continue with the next books when they are published. There are three things that kept me interested in this series: the alternate sixteenth-century Italy, the intricate politics, and the dual narratives.

Much of the story takes place in Talia, an alternate version of Italy in the 1500s. I really liked this aspect of the story because there were enough references to actual Italian history and cities to either learn about the cities if one is unfamiliar or to create a fun game if one is familiar. For example, City of Masks takes place in Bellezza, the equivalent of Venice. Even though I don't know Venice, I could easily envision the places shown in the novel. The third book, however, takes place in Giglia, the alternate Florence, which I am very familiar with. In that case, it was tons of fun to figure out exactly which landmarks were being talked about (e.g. Palazzo di Chimici = Palazzo Medici Riccardi).

In each of the books in the series, the main character is a teen from Barnsbury, a town in present-day England. Each finds a talisman that transports them while they sleep to Talia, returning them to their bodies in England when they wake. This travel is called Stravigation, and those who make the journey are Stravagantes (which gives the series its name).

In the first book, City of Masks, Lucien, the main character and an especially pivotal character for the rest of the series, finds a notebook that transports him to Bellezza. From that point on, each book focuses on another character and another town. The second book, City of Stars, focuses on Georgia, whose talisman, a statue of a winged horse, takes her to Remora (= Siena), home of the Stellata ( = Palio), an annual horse race between different sections of the city. The third volume, City of Flowers, takes place, as I mentioned, in Giglia ( = Florence) and centers around Sky, who travels by way of a glass bottle. The series continues in this way through Padvia ( = Padua), Classe ( = Classe / Ravenna), and Fortezza ( = Lucca).

Usually I would be put off by all these different main characters and locations, but the thing about this series is that despite these differences between books, the story for the most part continues with a single narrative, uninterrupted between books.

Sure, after a few books it gets a little hard to suspend disbelief that the entire giant cast of characters (or most of the main players in any case) happen to travel from city to city and conveniently coincide with the Stravagante's appearance, but that is one of the things you just have to go with as a reader.

In City of Masks, the politics are pretty straightforward. There are a lot of people trying to maneuver and manipulate the situation to get what they want, but there are very clear "good guys" and "bad guys." One of the things I so enjoyed about this series, though, was that with each book, the "bad guys" gained more and more depth, until, in the most recent book, City of Swords, there are only two or three characters whom I would really label "bad." (Sure, greedy, insensitive, misinformed, etc., but not "bad.")

There's also a giant cast of characters that grows with every book. I was fine without the index of characters in the back for the first five books, but by the time I got to the sixth book, I was checking the lists and family tree constantly for the first 50 pages.

One of the few things that really bothered me about the series was the way that Mary Hoffman broke some of her own rules. In the first and second books, she established that a talisman could only take a person to and from one place. By the fourth book, this became a bit of a problem, so she spent much of the fourth book trying to find a way around this rule, and by the fifth book disregarded it entirely and had Dethridge (the authority on Stravigation) come up with a new discovery of how to travel to various cities with the same talisman, allowing Isabel to travel to nearly every city in Talia. This particular circumstance was my main complaint with the series, since Hoffman ought to stick to the rules she herself created. Once you've established how the world works, you can't just go changing it five books in because it's rather inconvenient.

Overall Thoughts: Other than my one complaint of inconsistency, I quite liked the Stravaganza books. They were nothing amazing but fun and interesting, and exactly what I needed at the time that I read them. If you're in the mood to visit Italy and would enjoy some politics in the mix, try picking these up.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Review: Bewitching

by Alex Flinn
Series: The Kendra Chronicles #2
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published February 14th 2012 by HarperTeen
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching.

For the most part, I loved Bewitching, but there were some aspects that felt out of place. For example, the structure of the story is very odd. The book starts with a prologue, Kendra's story, which is more or less a retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Then it moves to the main story, Lisette and Emma, in which Kendra is a secondary charcter. At the end of every part, though, Kendra interjects her own thoughts and speaks directly to the reader about the situation, which inevitable leads her to mention some other story. Then Lisette and Emma's story pauses so that the reader can spend two chapters looking in on some other tale, such as the Princess and the Pea or The Little Mermaid, in which Kendra is also a secondary character. Then, the reader is hauled back to Lisette and Emma. Overall, this format is a little awkward and, although I like these side-stories, I wish they weren't included.

Lisette and Emma's story, the main narrative, is based on Cinderella, but told from the point of view of Cinderella's stepsister, who takes a while to see the truth about her horrible and manipulative stepsister.

Emma was a girl after my own heart. I loved her and totally connected with her, and even though she a bit of a weak character at the beginning, I was rooting for her the whole time. Flinn certainly knew her audience, or else is very similar to her audience, because, as a reader, I am immediately drawn to characters who want nothing more than to curl up with a book.

I was a little frustrated that it took Emma so long to realize the truth about Lisette. It was so very heavily hinted at so many times that it began to get ridiculous that she couldn't come to the right conclusion. She was so overly trusting and forgiving. These are generally traits I like in a character, but not in Emma. It was just too much. And then, to top it all off, she was kind of a wimp about it. I know she's not confrontational, but she has no backbone whatsoever - she won't even stand up to her mom, who is trying to help her.

And Warner, the boy who has a crush on Emma? So. Perfect. Reading the chapters about Emma and Warner was like seeing all my fantasies splayed out on the page. He's not everyone's perfect love interest - he's shy, and a little geeky - but he was perfect for Emma, and reading about it was wonderful for me.

(The above paragraph I actually wrote before I finished the book, so... even though there's a big twist at the end, I wanted to keep it in. I still like Warner, even though Emma doesn't.)

The other stories were nice, but they didn't stand out to me, and while I was reading them, I was impatient to get back to Emma. I liked them both, but they would have worked better in a book of short stories than as side stories in this book.

Kendra's story at the beginning I barely got through. I was not interested in the story, in Kendra, in any of it. I couldn't get invested in the characters or the situation. I understand it was necessary to give the backstory of where Kendra came from, but it was not interesting to me. Luckily, it was pretty short, and as soon as I got to the main story, I was able to fully dive in.

Louis's story was a little better, but still was not my favorite. I liked the clever adaptation of the Princess and the Pea story, but overall I cared more about getting back to Lisette and Emma than about the story itself. For one thing, the voice of the story seemed no different from Emma's, except that there weren't constant references to TV shows, clothing brands, and types of cars. I liked how it ultimately turned out, though.

Doria's story was by far my favorite side-story of the three. A retelling of The Little Mermaid in the setting of the Titanic, it was not only clever but was quite well executed. It was just the right length, it was interesting, and it ended in just the right way.

Overall Thoughts:
Looking back on it, my review seems pretty mixed. For the most part, my final impressions were positive, mostly because of the great main characters and the clever twisting of the fairy tales, one of Flinn's strength throughout her many works. The side-stories were less interesting to me, but I'd love to read a book of Kendra's adventures if the short stories were more even, rather than having a few short stories in the middle of a longer one.

P.S. I can't stand the cover at the beginning of this review, which is the cover on my copy. The girl looks so bored, and everything about her pose, her hair, her makeup is not quite right. It also looks like a stock paranormal romance. My strong dislike of the cover was one of the things that kept me from reading Bewitching for such a long time.  I like this cover that I found much better, although it seems there was some snafu and HarperCollins decided against the image.


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Mini-Review: All These Things I've Done

by Gabrielle Zevin
Series: Birthright #1
Hardcover, 354 pages
Published September 6th 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Age Recommendation: Young Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

All These Things I've Done seemed really promising for the first 100 pages, but it didn't live up to its potential. In the beginning, all of these really interesting problems were set up; the world was fascinating; the characters were compelling; but the story seemed to turn off somewhere onto a side street and meander off into the far less interesting story of Anya falling for Win. Once she fell in love, everything else went down the drain.

What made this all the more disappointing was that I know Gabrielle Zevin can write a fantastic YA without falling into the regular old formula that she uses in All These Things I've Done. And to make it a trilogy with that kind of ending? That's just frustrating.

So, will I be picking up the sequel? Yeah, probably. But I will not be going in with as high expectations as I had for All These Things I've Done. It's such a shame that so much potential was wasted on such a standard YA Dystopian Romance.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Review: The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern
Series: none
Hardcover, 387 pages
Published September 13th 2011 by Doubleday
Age Recommendation: YA, Adult

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

The first time I read The Night Circus I was swept away by the dazzling descriptions and immersed in the world of the circus. The second time was not less magical but I could appreciate even more the care taken with each of the story's many facets. This is certainly not an "action book" but it is wonderfully crafted in its own way.

Writing a review for this book is very difficult because every part of the book, like the clock that plays a large role in it, is connected to and entwined with so many other parts that it's impossible to explain what is going on without explaining everything else first.

The writing is amazing. I was completely immersed in Morgenstern's world, experiencing the circus myself together with the other characters. Every few chapters there is a short section describing your - the reader's - experience in the circus: the sights, the sounds, the various tents you enter. And there is also description upon description for every place, every person, every event. I never tired of it. I wanted more.

I really cannot talk about what happens plotwise, but I will say that although the story itself progresses slowly, there is so much going on, so many overlapping layers of plot, that I could not put the book down. The story jumps around both in POV and time, and there are several stories going on at the same time. The first time I read The Night Circus it was a little bit difficult to sort out what was happening when, since I rarely pay attention to dates, but it is not jarring at all to switch from one point of view to another.

There is quite a large cast of characters, and although I felt I didn't know many of the characters well (even some of the main characters remain quite mysterious) I fell in love with all of them. Every character has a special part to play, and they are all memorable and unique.

Overall Thoughts: The Night Circus is truly a gem of a book. It is not for everyone, but for others, including myself, it is absolutely amazing. The writing, the characters, the atmosphere, the world: everything is intricately woven and so lovely. I can't get this magical story out of my mind.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Review: Grave Mercy

by Robin LaFevers
Series: His Fair Assassin, #1
Hardcover, 1st Edition, 549 pages
Published April 3rd 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Age Recommendation: Older YA, Adult

Summary (from Goodreads):
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Grave Mercy was absolutely fantastic. It's a bit different from what the summary would suggest, and I'm really glad I read Small Review's review before I began the book, since it gave me much more accurate expectations. Not to say that I had to lower my expectations, but the plot is far more centered around political intrigue and the various machinations of the different characters. Yet even though I didn't get a rollicking action plot, I adored the story I ended up with.

The story begins in a less-than-nice way. Ismae is leaving a brutal childhood for an arranged marriage that seems a no better situation. She manages to escape after some rather nasty incidents and is taken to the convent of St. Mortain, where she dedicates her life to fulfilling the wishes of the god of death. You can read the first chapter on Robin LaFevers' website here. (A note before you click over: as I said before, this chapter has some less-than-nice things in it. The rest of the book is not nearly this harsh.)

The scenes in the convent were pretty darn awesome. Ismae doesn't just say, "I learned how to use a dagger..." but actually describes her different lessons and totally immerses the reader in the world of the convent. Daughters of Mortain (Ismae is literally a daughter of Mortain) often have special abilities granted to them by the god, and Ismae's is immunity to poison. She, therefore, specializes in learning about different poisons. In Ismae's time at the convent, she and the reader are both introduced to Annith and Sybella, the main characters of the other two books in the trilogy (Yes, it is a trilogy, but don't worry! Grave Mercy works wonderfully as a standalone).

In fact, Robin LaFevers just released a scene from the convent that was ultimately cut from the novel. You can view it here at the blog Feeling Fictional. It takes place at the convent and is an excellent example of how LaFevers describes Ismae's training.

Ismae is a fantastic character. She is a strong person but has just enough weakness to steal your heart. For all her fantastic assassin skills, she is struggling to find her place. She is so eager to get out there and start killing people (as is the reader), but she is forced to keep up her pretense as Duval's mistress in order to root out the secrets of the palace.

There is not a lot of action and not a lot of assassinations. I think Ismae kills around four people, total, in all 550 pages. There are a few people whom she helps to die, but she doesn't actually assassinate them herself. But if you were expecting lots of action and Katsa-like awesomeness, prepare to change your expectations or be disappointed.

At this point, some of you may be thinking, "This doesn't sound like a very interesting book. No action? No killing?" Never fear. I could barely tear my eyes away from the pages. The story flew by. I didn't ever feel like I was reading a 500+ page book. I was too engrossed in the story. I finished the entire book in two days, largely because I practically refused to put it down. Even though Ismae is not killing everyone off or using her amazing convent training, there is so much going on.

The majority of the story takes place in the court of Anne of Brittany. Every single character has some plot to carry out or some scheme they are trying to keep secret. Ismae has her hands full figuring them all out, while at the same time, trying to fulfill her mission from the convent. All the complex politics were really fun to read about, and as Robin LaFevers writes in her author's note (some slight spoilers), they are all true. In reality, there was actually even more going on, but she trimmed some of the characters and plots because it was getting to be just too much, and the book ended up at nearly 550 pages regardless.

Part of what kept me so interested was the superb world building. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, much of what is in the book is completely true. LaFevers certainly did her historical research, and it shows in the execution. I totally felt like I was there: at the convent, in the court; anywhere Ismae went, I was instantly transported.

And then, finally, there is Duval. I'm spoiling it now: Ismae falls in love with Duval by the end of the book. But I loved the super-slow, hate-to-love romance. Duval is a wonderful character, love interest of not, and he was Ismae's perfect counterpart. I loved the scenes they were in together (which, I suppose, is nearly the whole book), because they worked together so well.

The other characters were great as well: no cardboard cutouts to be seen. I couldn't always get into the heads of the side characters, but I was fascinated with how they played this complex game.

Overall Thoughts:
Quite a spectacular book. There are so many layers upon layers, and lots of different political schemes. Although the action is limited, I was enthralled by the unfolding plots and Ismae's character development. Highly recommended.

Age Recommendation:
I almost never put an age warning at the end of my reviews, but I think this book needs it. This is definitely not a book for younger teens. There is nothing too explicit, but there are many adult themes and references, and the book is written for a mature audience. I would recommend for 16+.




Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Review: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

by Christopher Healy
Illustrations by Todd Harris
Series: none
Hardcover, 419 pages
Published May 1st 2012 by Walden Pond Press
Age Recommendation: Middle Grade

Summary (from Goodreads):
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.

Debut author Christopher Healy takes us on a journey with four imperfect princes and their four improbable princesses, all of whom are trying to become perfect heroes--a fast-paced, funny, and fresh introduction to a world where everything, even our classic fairy tales, is not at all what it seems.

Note: I listened to the audiobook version of this book, so the spelling of all names are my best guess, and not necessarily the same spelling as found in the text.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom was so much fun, and the narration on the audiobook made it even more so. I loved the narrator, and the voices he used were perfect. Even though I thought a few of them were a little silly at the beginning, now I can't imagine them any other way. During the day, when I wasn't listening to the book, I often found myself randomly thinking in Gustav's voice, or Duncan's.

The story seems silly and fun - which it totally is - but there are also so many parts that are so clever. So many of the minor happenings at the beginning come back in the middle and at the end as important parts. For instance, in chapter 2 (or maybe 3), Gustav fights a troll. This encounter is very funny on its own, but it gets even better when Gustav and Fredric run into the troll again later in the story.

The only thing I wish I could have added to the audiobook was the wonderful illustrations. I looked up many of the illustrations after I finished listening to the book, and they work perfectly with the story. I will likely borrow a copy of The Hero's Guide from the library so I can flip through for the pictures, but I may end up rereading the whole thing, since I liked it so much.

I love these characters. They are all so much fun. I will try to explain them, but its hard to get the full effect before you've heard Duncan shouting, "Woohoo! Wild card!"
Fredric

The story begins with Fredric. Fredric is Cinderella's prince, and he has spent his entire life learning to be a perfect prince. His manners are impeccable, and his dancing is flawless. But since his childhood, he has been afraid to do anything remotely dangerous. Ella, on the other hand, is wild and adventurous, and after spending so long under the thumb of her stepmother, is ready to see the world and go on daring adventures. Fredric, of course, is happy with the adventure of a garden picnic, and when he refuses to join Ella's proposed escapades, she runs away, and Fredric sums up the courage to go look for her. So begins the many misadventures of the League of Princes (as they later name themselves).

All four princes go through considerable character growth, but Fredric's is the most noticeable. The reader is rooting for him the whole time, and it's wonderful to see him discover his strength and courage. He eventually manages feats that he never would have dreamed of originally, when his favorite book series, "Sir Bertram the Dainty" was able to scare him. In the beginning of the story, I loved Fredric because he was so sweet and helpless, and in the end I loved him because he had transformed so completely.
Gustav

Next, we meet Gustav. Gustav is a great character. He is the youngest of 17 sons, and his sixteen brothers were born as two sets of octuplets. He's got a bit of an inferiority complex, and likes to rush in and attack, usually yelling "Sturmhagen!" as he does so. I love Gustav too - I love all the characters, really. They're all so great in their own way. Gustav is so rough and tough, and he's got such a prickly exterior, but throughout the story you can see his softer side too. To use a quote from one of my favorite movies, "You're all hard on the outside, but you're all soft and gooey on the inside." I love that his great heroic act was NOT waking up the dragon, and sitting down to watch it instead. So great. Of the four, Gustav also had the most memorable accent, even though all of them were fantastic and very different. When I think of the different character voices, Gustav's is usually the first to come to mind.

Liam

Liam is the heroic hero of the group. Liam has been a hero for years before the story begins, and he's also the person who comes up with the plans when everything else is falling apart. If I was ever trapped by Zaubeera, I would want Liam to rescue me. He wouldn't get distracted like Duncan or have trouble getting past my guards like Fredric. Liam is the guy who gets things done. But, of course, he also has his own growth to go through, and quite a few problems of his own as well. For one thing, Sleeping Beauty, the princess whom he rescued, turns out to be quite a brat. She's actually very nasty, and is furious when he refuses to marry her.  In retaliation, she goes about telling everyone in her kingdom what a horrible person Liam is. It's lots of fun hearing how the stories get more and more wild as their adventure continues.

Duncan

And now, the final prince: Duncan. Duncan is kind of ridiculous (but let's face it, all the princes are a bit ridiculous), but he is a great character. Duncan thinks he has this magical luck, which, as the narrator is quick to tell the reader, he does not. But because of this, he is quite fearless and gets into crazy situations. He also has a talent for saying exactly the wrong thing, which tends to get him into trouble. Whereas the other princes dependably stick to their main character traits, Duncan's most likely course of action is the opposite of what you would expect him to do.
Lila

All of the other characters were just as great. Lila, Liam's sister, was one of my favorite characters, and I identified most with her. Zaubeera was also lots of fun to read about (or listen about in my case). Every character was fun and unique, and each added something to the story. Even Troll, the troll, became important in the end. Some other character highlights were Deeb Robber, the bandit king; all four princesses; the giant; and the bounty hunter.

The book is chock full of wit and humor, and had me laughing out loud repeatedly (often in public, while wearing headphones. I got some odd stares). Every character gets his share of clever lines, and I was having so much fun listening, at some points I didn't even care much where the story was going, as long as I could listen to these characters some more.

Zaubeera
Another aspect I liked was how the narrator talked directly to the reader, voicing the thoughts that are actually going through your head. My favorite quote (as I remember it) is, "Liam opened the door and walked into The Stumpy Boarhound. But you knew that already, because you read the prologue." This was a particularly memorable moment for me, because right before this quote, I had been telling my friend about the story, and I had just said, "...and of course he's going to go in, because it said so in the prologue." Even when I was less than a minute into the audiobook, I was laughing at: "Charming isn't a name. It's an adjective."

Also, I especially looked forward the the beginnings of chapters. As I almost never even notice when I start a new chapter, this is very unusual, and quite an achievement for this book. Every chapter began with a clever title, and I loved all of them, such as "Prince Charming claims he is not afraid of old ladies" to "Prince Charming really needs to figure out what is going on."

Overall Thoughts
It's quite obvious at this point that I loved this book. I plan to listen to it all over again in August, if not sooner. [EDIT: Couldn't wait until August. I started it again yesterday.] The narration is wonderful, the story is fantastic, the characters are great - I have absolutely no complaints. A wonderful MG for both boys and girls, and certainly a book I recommend to readers of all ages.


A bonus picture - the full cover image, courtesy of A Backwards Story. Click to enlarge.

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