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: Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

September 4, 2012 by 7 Comments

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: ALA 2012
Rating: ★★★½☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago. – Goodreads

Review:
Although I read plenty of paranormal books, mermaids are one creature that never quite caught my interest. Many mermaid books seem fun, but after having studied Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” a few years ago, I felt I needed a darker edge in my YA introduction to them. So, I waited and Elizabeth Fama’s Monstrous Beauty seemed to fit the description. The verdict? Way to set the bar, Elizabeth Fama!

Elizabeth Fama’s prose is beautiful and it was the main highlight of Monstrous Beauty for me. I am envious of her talent and the way she made her book atmospheric with her poetic use of words. She had seamless transitions between the alternating time periods and the right amount of an eerie undercurrent throughout. The two main characters, Syrenka and Hester, were very different from each other but their stories came together in a satisfying way. I must admit that I was partial to Syrenka’s chapters, as she was such a layered and mysterious character, and, HELLO, a mermaid, but Hester grew on me somewhat as the story progressed.

The only real issue I found with Monstrous Beauty was the mystery. Though Elizabeth Fama did a great job transitioning between the past and the present, it was too easy for me to piece together all of the details and I found it frustrating when Hester didn’t do the same. If it wasn’t for that predictability, I think this would have been rated higher for me.

All that said, Elizabeth Fama has a beautiful and haunting book in Monstrous Beauty and I appreciate the darkness she offered for my first YA mermaid read.

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Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

August 30, 2012 by 2 Comments

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Crown
Source: Borrowed
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? – Goodreads

Review:
OH HEY THERE, NON-YA BOOK. I’ve been in one of those awful reading funks and, while I usually gravitate to the adult genre in these situations, it’s always toward the fluffly contemporary/romance type reads. In recent months I had heard a lot about Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl so my curiosity was definitely piqued. I always enjoy a good mystery in my books, and I always get sucked into those missing persons and mysterious deaths Dateline specials, so this sounded like something that would keep my attention glued to the pages. So, altogether, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl was a different direction for me. Did I enjoy it? Somewhat. Will I read more of Gillian Flynn’s books? Yes!

To be honest, I figured out one of the main ~twists~ early on. Maybe I was supposed to, I don’t know, but thankfully Gillian Flynn created two layered and TWISTED characters in Amy and Nick that completely grabbed my attention. I can’t say I liked either of them, but these were two damaged individuals and I was gripped as details about their marriage, and Amy’s disappearance, came to light. It’s difficult to comment on certain aspects of their characters without giving anything away, so I will just say that Amy and Nick are complex, toxic and, at times, made my skin crawl.

While I may have seen a twist or two coming, there was still plenty that had me going “AHHHHH!!!” and saying, “WTF?!” That ending especially had me going, “No, no, NO!!” It is all so messed up and I was left with a feeling of complete unease. But it was the best type of feeling for this book.

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Book Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

July 16, 2012 by 7 Comments

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
– Goodreads

Review:
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman is one of those “in the middle” books that are so difficult to put into words how I feel about. Quality writing, rich world building, main character that evolved throughout the course of the novel? Check, check, and check! All present. If I wanted to go the shallow route, I would even mention how fantastic the cover is — so completely refreshing and original from the majority of what’s out there in the YA genre. And yet…there’s something that held me back from completely loving Seraphina and from making it the favorite I wanted it to be.

I started Seraphina a few weeks ago and it took me some time to really get into it. I actually ended up putting it aside a few times, but I always returned to it because I was sure I was just in one of those reading moods that make it difficult to get into anything. Was that the case this time around? Both yes and no. There were moments when I thought, “Yes, I’m finally fully into this!” and hated that I had to step away from the book for real life things. However, those moments were also followed by others where I was removed from the story due to feeling bogged down by details. It’s great that Rachel Hartman created such an intricate world in Seraphina, but at times I felt that it slowed down the pace for me. Thankfully, she never failed to recapture my attention.

As far as characters go, I loved Seraphina. She’s layered, vulnerable, strong, smart, and passionate. This was very much a journey of self-discovery for her and it was so easy to empathize with her character as she faced many realizations and truths about herself and her past. Kiggs, Gisselda, and Orma made the core side characters and their dynamic with Seraphina was a definite highlight. Love interest and friendships, Rachel Hartman fully developed these relationships and, though I definitely had my ups and downs with the book as a whole, these characters were what kept pulling me back in.

Although there were moments when I wasn’t completely engaged with Seraphina, I do think Rachel Hartman has a lot to offer in her debut with her complex world building, layered characters, and rich storytelling. It’s a lot like the music Seraphina plays in the book: it gradually builds and builds into something truly magnificent and I’ll look forward to seeing how it continues in the next book in the series.

 

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Book Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

June 12, 2012 by 7 Comments

The List by Siobhan Vivian The List by Siobhan Vivian
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Push
Pages: 332
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

An intense look at the rules of high school attraction — and the price that’s paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn’t matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, “pretty” and “ugly.” And it’s also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two. – Goodreads

Review:
Much like with Not That Kind of Girl, Siobhan Vivian had me hooked to the pages of The List. Not only is there drama galore — two girls from each grade are selected as “the prettiest” or “the ugliest” — but Siobhan Vivian offers a very refreshing voice in the YA contemporary genre. She’s fearless when it comes to exploring themes of sexuality, self-esteem, family, and friendship, and she does it with honesty and minimal sugarcoating.

Although The List was definitely a gripping read, I must say that there were moments where the book lost me. I’m always one to make a “Yikes!” face when there are multiple POVs and that was definitely the case here. Eight! Eight narrators that I couldn’t seem to tell apart. Sure, they all had their own backgrounds and situations, but the constant switch between them had me referring to the initial list in the beginning to try to make sense of who they were. As I said before, Siobhan Vivian isn’t one to shy away from difficult themes, but I thought the individual character’s stories weren’t explored enough because of the limited pages they all had. Had they been further developed, I think The List could have been a stronger read.

The conclusion of the book also had me scratching my head. I kept thinking that things would come together as the last pages were turned, but that wasn’t the case in my opinion. I felt that The List ended rather abruptly and with no real resolution. I’m all for an open ending, but I wish there had been more closure for the girls. Was there a reason for this? Will there be a sequel? I would definitely read it, if that was the case, but I wish The List had read as a complete book all on its own.

Overall, I found The List by Siobhan Vivian to be an enjoyable read that I wish had more depth to it. The potential was there, and I loved the ideas that Vivian tried to present, so I will definitely look forward to what she writes next!


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