Book Review: The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

November 5, 2012 by 3 Comments

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be. – Goodreads

Review:
Oh man, after all of the glowing reviews for Cassandra Rose Clarke’s The Assassin’s Curse I was really excited to read it because it sounded like my type of read. Feisty girl pirate, an assassin, a curse, and a reluctant alliance between them? I was sure there would be hearts in my eyes for this book. It looks like I set my expectations a bit too high, though, because The Assassin’s Curse only turned out to be an okay read for me.

First, there was so much going on and yet I never felt truly invested in Ananna and Naji’s journey. There was a lack of urgency, and despite their ups and downs along the way, and the attacks they encountered, I didn’t feel the danger. I also didn’t feel any romantic chemistry between Ananna and Naji. Friendship? Sure, but I expected more unresolved sexual tension. Instead I only encountered Ananna’s growing feelings — which didn’t make too much sense to me — while Naji was just…there. Speaking of, I wish I had gotten a better grasp on his character. I’m all for the mysterious type, but he lacked development to truly make me care for him. Maybe next time.

I did, however, like Ananna, the main character. I loved her vibrancy, her intelligence, and her determination. She refused to let her future be controlled and I admired her independence. The inclusion of magic and pirates was also great. I was totally into discovering more about the mythology of Ananna’s world and I’m glad Cassandra Rose Clarke spent a good amount of time with those elements.

While I didn’t quite love The Assassin’s Curse, I think the last few pages are setting up for an excellent sequel and I definitely plan on returning to read it. There’s so much potential and I’m curious to see where Cassandra Rose Clarke takes Ananna’s story next.

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Book Review: Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

October 2, 2012 by 9 Comments

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Aladdin
Source: BEA 2012
Rating: ★★★★★ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.

Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.

Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.” There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.

In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first. – Goodreads

Review:
I wish I had read more books like Shannon Messenger’s Keeper of the Lost Cities when I was younger, but I’m so glad to be able to read this now. This book is a winning combination of excellent characters and an exciting adventure, all while also being very heartfelt and touching.

To start off with, Sophie is the best type of main character. She was so interesting (she’s twelve, but in high school…WHAT) and I really enjoyed her journey of self-discovery in Keeper of the Lost Cities. Yeah, she does find out about this amazing world where things are so far from the norm, and she deals with it all so well, but ultimately she’s just a girl who cares about her family and friends above all else.

The rest of the characters were so great, too, and I was especially taken by surprise by how much I grew to love Grady and Edaline. Shannon Messenger had a strong focus on family and MY HEART GREW ABOUT TEN TIMES because of them. I love how she developed these relationships and how she explored the ups and downs of their situation. The three main boys in this book also had me grinning from ear to ear because they are all so adorable. I do have my favorite, but I’m eager to get to know them all further in the upcoming books.

Shannon Messenger’s world in Keeper of the Lost Cities had me going, HELLO WHEN CAN I VISIT? It’s so richly detailed, full of quirks and interesting things, and it was so much fun discovering every new aspect. Really, even if you hated the rest of the book (IMPOSSIBLE), Shannon Messenger’s worldbuilding is good stuff.

Keeper of the Lost Cities was such a delightful read and I’m eager for more adventures with Sophie. I hope you all pick this up and love it as much as I do!

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Book Review: What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang

September 18, 2012 by 4 Comments

Title by Author What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: BEA 2012
Rating: ★★★½☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything. – Goodreads

Review:
Immediately after reading the summary for Kat Zhang’s What’s Left of Me I knew I wanted the book in my hands. Though the two souls in one body aspect reminded me of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host (in a good way — I actually really love The Host) I thought What’s Left of Me sounded like it would offer a darker twist within its pages because it was told from the POV of Eva, the soul with no control over her body. Yikes, right? It was easy to feel her frustration and confinement right away and I was eager to find out more about her world: one where every body has two souls until one ultimately fades away.

Though it’s in a dystopian setting, with the government monitoring that there is only one soul per body, I enjoyed that Kat Zhang focused on Eva and Addie’s personal struggles. I do wish that there had been more worldbuilding (see below), but I felt that it was necessary to really understand Addie and Eva as individuals and Kat Zhang did an excellent job with their distinctive personalities. They each had their own conflicts and fears and it was impossible to sympathize more with one over the other.

I also really enjoyed the subtlety of the romance storyline. It didn’t take over the story in any way, but Kat Zhang had the right amount of sweetness between the characters and I enjoyed the dynamic that was formed despite the limitations they have.

As I said above, I do wish there had been more background to the world Addie and Eva live in. Where’s the explanation for two souls inhabiting one body? Why should hybrids be viewed as dangerous? I did enjoy getting to know Addie and Eva, and experience all the highs and lows that come with their situation, but there’s still a lot to explore on a larger scale and I do hope Kat Zhang explores that in the sequels.

Overall, What’s Left of Me is a promising start to a new series and I’m looking forward to getting answers to all of my unanswered questions.

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Book Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

August 2, 2012 by 13 Comments

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Release Date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Dial
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself – Goodreads

Review:
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick was an excellent summer read that was both engaging and layered.

Things I Loved:
• The Garretts! I think they are the ultimate high point because !!!!!!! how wonderful were they?! It was the easiest thing to love them. They are such a large and vibrant family and I was so completely charmed by their energy and interactions. Above all the fun, though, they are so supportive of each other and so full of love. I found it refreshing to find such a strong family dynamic present throughout the book and yes…nothing but love for the Garretts! I’m glad Huntley Fitzpatrick could create such a heartwarming and delightful family.
• The relationship between Sam and Jase was wonderful throughout. There was a lot of sweetness, but Huntley Fitzpatrick also tackled some heavier situations with them and I really loved the honesty between them. Yay for a healthy relationship!
• Jase, that incredible boy! I won’t even bother describing him beyond that because he’s just amazing all around. Why, oh, why didn’t I ever have a next door neighbor like him?
• Tim! He was probably the biggest surprise for me as I didn’t expect to form as strong of an attachment as I did. I really liked the growth of his character.
• I would be lying if I said that I loved Sam throughout, because there were definitely moments when she frustrated me, but it was easy to understand her fears and uncertainty. She really struggles between right and wrong and I think she came out a stronger, more mature person from everything thrown her way.

Things I Didn’t Like:
• Grace Reed, Sam’s mother. She made my blood boil, she was so horrible! Still, though I did not like her one bit, I liked how Huntley Fitzpatrick had a strong focus on her character and the relationship she had with her family.
• The only major issue I found with My Life Next Door was the missing resolution to a few lingering questions I had. Perhaps there will be a sequel or companion where I’ll get my answers, I don’t know, but I wish these loose ends had been tied up.

Overall, My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick had so many great elements that made it one of my recent contemporary favorites. There is so much that I enjoyed and I am definitely looking forward to reading whatever Huntley Fitzpatrick writes next.

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Book Review: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

July 24, 2012 by 6 Comments

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: SDCC 2012
Rating: ★★★★★ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance. – Goodreads

Review:
Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly pulled me in with its idea of zombies in a Victorian setting, but it kept me hooked due to its consistent fast pace, the intriguing mystery that carried throughout the course of the novel, and its energetic leading lady, Eleanor Fitt.

As soon as I began the story, Susan Dennard enveloped me in the atmosphere of her world. How could it not, with the Dead making an appearance at the train depot where Eleanor is waiting for her brother, Elijah? They were a different type of zombie than the ones I have grown used to — with a necromancer raising and controlling them in this case — but this only added to the layers of the mystery. Who is the necromancer? For what purpose are they raising the dead? And, most importantly, how are Eleanor and her brother connected to it all? Susan Dennard effortlessly kept the momentum going throughout the entire book; I never felt that the story stalled because everything that happened tied directly into the main mystery and I eagerly wanted to uncover all the details.

My favorite part of the book? ELEANOR!! Okay, I loved the entire cast, especially the Spirit-Hunters, I loved the curveballs Susan Dennard threw in regarding a few other characters, and, of course, I loved the development between Eleanor and her love interest, but Eleanor was the highlight for me. She’s determined, feisty, clever and self-reliant and it’s always great to have such a strong lead to root for. After a certain event that happened towards the end of the book, I’ll be cheering her on even MORE in the upcoming installments because she tackles difficult situations head on, without letting them overwhelm or define her. Eleanor Fitt is definitely a character to admire.

If you’re looking for an exciting adventure and an amazing heroine, Something Strange and Deadly is definitely a book to pick up. There are so many possibilities for what’s ahead in A Darkness Strange and Lovely and I can’t wait to find out what Susan Dennard has up her sleeve.

 

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