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4 Stars: School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

May 10, 2013 by Anya 10 Comments

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins may be a spin-off of her Hex Hall series, but it stands on its own as a fun start to an exciting new series. I haven’t actually read the Hex Hall series and still greatly enjoyed School Spirits. I’m now excited to go track down copies of Hawkins other series just to stave off the withdrawal, haha. I think a lot of us have a soft spot for younger urban fantasy set in high school. School Spirits does this well by approaching from the outsider’s perspective. Hawkins really nailed what it would be like for a home-schooled monster-hunter to try to figure out high school for the first time. I’m very much looking forward to Izzy’s next adventure!

Note: I recieved School Spirits for review through Netgalley. Thank you to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley!
Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: School Spirits
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Length: 304 pages
Genre-ish: YA Urban Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- well done characters and fun plot

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy’s mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who’s always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? – Goodreads

Strengths:

As I said above, one of my favorite aspects of School Spirits was Izzy trying to understand this crazy high school thing. She turned to amusingly overdramatic TV shows and those hilarious teen advice magazines. Understandably, there were some laugh out loud moments as she discovered that all she had seen on “Ivy Springs” was not what high school was really like ;-).
Many YA novels have a strange lack of parents, but School Spirits didn’t fall prey to this theme. Izzy’s mother was a great character: just as confused as Izzy about this high school thing, trying to deal with Izzy’s sister’s disappearance, and trying to let Izzy grow into a successful monster-hunter.
There were some glimpses of the broader UF world that School Spirits’ inhabits at the beginning, which makes me really excited for further book to explore the world more. I assume though that Hex Hall is set in the same world, so I could get my world-building on that way, hehe. School Spirits understandably focused on the ghost aspect as well as a little magic.
I looooved the friends that Izzy made at school. Nerds and outcasts are the best in my opinion and what better place for Izzy to make friends than a paranormal hunting club, ha.
While you might be nervous at first, there is none of the love triangle angst, scout’s honor!

Weaknesses:

The ending of School Spirits had an easy wrap-up with a good info dump thrown in to explain everything. Not a happy Anya :(.
Izzy’s life-story can be very easily compared to early Buffy episodes, not that I don’t like Buffy, I just don’t like obvious comparisons.
As I said above, the world of supernatural beings was glimpsed early on in School Spirits, but then all we got was a little ghost-hunting throughout the rest of the book. I want to know more about this Council and all the interesting supernatural powers!

Summary:

School Spirits is a perfect book for those who are addicted to school settings with a supernatural twist. I was loving it all the way to the end when there was a bit of a hiccup in the awesomeness factor. However I’m very hopeful for the sequel to explore more of the mystery around Izzy’s sister and the hints of a pretty epic series plot-line. I also neeeed to go checkout Hex Hall now :D.

- A

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: four stars, ghosts, heroine, school spirits, urban fantasy, ya

4 Stars: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Audiobook

April 30, 2013 by Anya 15 Comments

I’m thrilled to say that I’ve finally caught up and finished Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins! I was able to find a copy of the audiobook on my library Overdrive, woot! It was also excellent timing since it let me start Mockingjay right after finishing Catching Fire, definitely necessary ;-). Mockingjay is a spectacular conclusion to this already spectacular trilogy and a book I’m tempted to listen to again if I find myself low on audiobooks >.>. The narration is amazing for Mockingjay and Catching Fire (probably Hunger Games, too, but I only listened to the last two!). If you haven’t finished this trilogy yet, or want to reread it, I definitely recommend the audiobook! There will also be spoilers for the first two books!

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Length: 9 discs
Genre-ish: Dystopia YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- awesome plot, weird ending

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. – Goodreads

Strengths:

I loved that Mockingjay departed from the “games” plot line that has been in the last two books. Obviously there aren’t any Hunger Games to participate in now >.>.
We finally get to see much more of the real Panem and the Capitol in Mockingjay, beyond what we peeked at in Catching Fire.
The character developments in Mockingjay were heart-wrenching and compelling. We got to know Gale much better since he’s finally able to be around some, and there is just a lot to find out about all the characters that didn’t play major roles in the first two books.
The plot twists! The last third of the book confused me greatly at times for other reasons, but the plot twists made it all better :D.

Weaknesses:

Without going into too much detail, I really didn’t like parts of the ending. The commentary they made on all the preceding events (and deaths) was just horrible. I’ll discuss more at the end ;-).
Some of the character deaths seemed arbitrary and unnecessary. Yes, they pulled at my heartstrings, but was that the only point??
Love triangle drama… :(

Summary:

I had a couple of reservations about the ending of Mockingjay, however I am very glad that I finally finished The Hunger Games trilogy. It was an epic and wild ride. I am now even more excited for the movies to come out so that I can relieve the adventure all over again :D. Anyone who loves epic adventure, compelling writing, and a great dystopian world should definitely finish this trilogy. While you’re at it, try to find a copy of the audio version and let your ears smile, hehe!

SPOILERY DISCUSSION!!!

All right, I just had to briefly discuss that ending. It’s now been about a month unfortunately (I’m getting better at reviewing right away!), so forgive me and gently correct any messed up details. When Coin and the group start going on about having a Hunger Games with the Capitol children, my chin dropped. I seriously got so many icky feelings about what that conversation said about history repeating itself. Then the whole assassination was crazy, and probably for the best given the conversation previously, but also a bit confusing. Anyone have any insight they can lend to make me feel less confused/icky about the rebel leaders? Or do you think that was the whole point?

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- A

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: collins, discussion, dystopia, four stars, heroine, mockingjay, trilogy, ya

4 Stars: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare Audiobook

April 26, 2013 by Anya 12 Comments

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare is part of the prequel series Infernal Devices (prequel to The Mortal Instruments). I actually haven’t had a chance to read all of The Mortal Instruments yet, so this audiobook was a great introduction to the magic of the Shadowhunters :D. I also can report that you don’t need to have read The Mortal Instruments to mightily enjoy Clockwork Angel! Finally, thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Audio for giving me the chance to review Clockwork Angel.

I received Clockwork Angel from the publisher for an honest review.
Goodreads |Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Length: 13 discs
Genre-ish: Steampunk fantasy YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- awesome magic and narrator

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. – Goodreads

Strengths:

The Shadowhunters have sweet powers based on runes drawn on their body. They also can make their weapons glow (and I assume hurt demons better >.>) with the names of angels :D. I love me a cool magic system!
The narrator of Clockwork Angel was amazing. She did the American accents believably and the English accents equally awesomely. Each character had their own voice, and I could even tell the male character voices apart (impressive for a female narrator in my experience).
There were some great plot twists in Clockwork Angel that I didn’t see coming :D.
Charlotte is one of the Shadowhunters and the main character Tessa had an amusing reaction when she realized that Charlotte dressed as a man when she fought, how shocking!
A lot of the characters that Tessa comes to know are orphans, including Tessa herself. There were lots of wonderful sentiments about making your own family out of the people you love instead of just who is related by blood. It was quite heart-warming.

Weaknesses:

One of the love interests is a complete jerkbutt. I really don’t appreciate a male character being cruel and cold towards the female main character and the female main character continuing to swoon over him. Yes, I realize that you can’t control who you fall in love with, but when guys have been a-holes to me, I haven’t been much inclined to hang around them no matter how pretty.
As the description implies, there is a love triangle brewing which I don’t consider a strength. But past that, Team Jem!
Clockwork Angel ends with a lot of questions unanswered. I would have liked the book to reveal a bit more on its own, or at least give some hints about the magical questions :(. Guess I’ll just have to listen to the next one ;-).

Summary:

While I’m all grumpy about the YA romance element, I otherwise loved Clockwork Angel. The audiobook is fantastic and highly recommended. This is actually the first steampunk type novel that I’ve read/listened to and it was an excellent introduction to the genre; I want more :D. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the magic of the Shadowhunters and Tessa in the rest of the trilogy. I also am eyeing my copy of City of Bones excitedly, haha.

- A

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: clare, clockwork angel, fantasy, four stars, infernal devices, steampunk, trilogy, ya

4 Stars: The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

April 24, 2013 by Anya 5 Comments

We finished up our readalong for The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan a couple weeks ago, so it’s time for the review :D. There will be spoilers for those who haven’t read The Eye of the World, but not for the Great Hunt. I have to say that I didn’t find The Great Hunt as compelling as the first book for most of the book, however I loved the ending much more than the ending of The Eye of the World, so it worked out ;-). We’ll be continuing our reading of this epic fantasy series (epic in terms of length too D:), so keep your eye out for the first read along post :D.
Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: The Great Hunt
Author: Robert Jordan
Length: 705 pages
Genre-ish: High Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆- great ending, a bit slow

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. For centuries, gleemen have told of The Great Hunt of the Horn. Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages.

And it is stolen. – Goodreads

Strengths:

As I said above, the ending of the Great Hunt is so epic and much more clear than in The Eye of the World. There were also so many feelings, omg! Just the way I like it ;-).
There are a lot of story lines going on in the Great Hunt (and the series in general), but they are weaved together elegantly before once again splitting as characters go on their way for the moment ;-).
Awesome plot twists! I definitely didn’t see the big one coming and it was so moving and made a lot of sense in hindsight. I always appreciate being surprised :D (in books, not in life though >.>)
We are continuing to find out more and more about the world in The Great Hunt, including a lot about the Aes Sedai and the people of Artur Hawkwing that had been hinted at previously!

Weaknesses:

For me at least, the first 2/3 of The Great Hunt were rather slow. This is where a readalong comes in handy, since I pushed through and didn’t just put the book down, which did pay off in the end ;-).
There were a few information dumps barely disguised as long sequences of dialogue or characters teaching others. Those got a little boring after a while.
This was pointed out by Nrlymrtl, but the beginning of The Great Hunt remarkably familiar, ie just like the beginning of The Eye of the World…. Peace interrupted by a Trolloc attack leading to a great chase. The only difference was this time they were chasing the Trollocs >.>.

Summary:

While I had trouble getting into The Great Hunt, the ending more than made up for any slow parts. I literally got shivers multiple times while reading the ending (with white knuckles… poor book!). If you like high fantasy and all the complicated story lines, intricate world, and grand adventures that go with it, then you will probably enjoy continuing the Wheel of Time series. However, the Great Hunt also had the typical weaknesses of the genre, so you better be in the mood otherwise you might get bogged down in all those details.

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- A

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: four stars, high fantasy, magic system, robert jordan, series, the great hunt, wheel of time

4 Stars: Divergent by Veronica Roth Audiobook

April 15, 2013 by Anya 16 Comments

I’m a bit behind the times when it comes to reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. However, I’m finally starting to get caught up with all these awesome 2012 books! It’s funny that I finally got around to Divergent when I saw it on audio from the library. I hadn’t been able to find time to read the physical book I bought a year ago (one of my first book blogger inspired purchases :D), but I have been so short on audiobooks that it worked out perfectly in the form! In any case, I know that some of my opinions on this one are likely to be disagreeable with many fans, but that’s why they are opinions right, hehe.

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Length: 11 hours 11 minutes
Genre-ish: Dystopia YA
Rating: ★★★★☆- invigorating plot, quite sad

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. – Goodreads

Strengths:

I am a huge fan of slow burn romances, those relationships that you start getting an inkling about in the beginning, but the characters certainly don’t realize it. Divergent did this wonderfully from Tris’ perspective since she starts annoyed and put off, but slowly gets to know Four and finds she likes who he is when he freaking relaxes!
The premise of five factions that focus on only one trait is quite interesting. I found myself thinking quickly about which faction I would end up in (Erudite) though it also seems likely I would have been born into it ;-). What faction do you think you’d choose? Do you think you would have been born into it based on your parents’ personalities?
The plot twists of Divergent are delicious :D. I saw this book going in a very different direction, so it was pretty awesome to see how things developed.
I thought the questions that Divergent brings up in terms of who should make up the government were really fun to think about and actually a good thing to consider. In the beginning there seem to be very good arguments for Abnegation, but is it really fair/good to have only one faction control government?
The narrator did an excellent job. I highly recommend you check out the audiobook version if you are interested.

Weaknesses:

There is only so much sadness and innocent death that I can take, and Divergent pushed up against that limit. I really didn’t think all of the bad things should have happened to some of the side characters. I understand some of it was necessary to show how cruel select candidates were, but it just went too far for my emotional health ;-).
I’m not a fan of the “saving the world with love” conclusions and Divergent definitely felt like one.
Just a generally word of caution that Divergent has abuse and assault situations at several occasions that might be more than unpleasant for some people.

Summary:

Divergent definitely brought the grittiness of dystopias to the table in addition to a fascinating premise and strong characters. While I wish it hadn’t been nearly so dark at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the brewing romance and developing character of Tris. Now that all of that has gone down, I’m excited to see what Insurgent has in store! I’ve heard it’s just as depressing, so I’m holding off reading it until I’m filled up on happy fantasy books, but I won’t be able to resist the questions long ;-).

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- A

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: divergent, dystopia, four stars, heroine, roth, sci-fi, trilogy

4 Stars: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

April 1, 2013 by Anya 4 Comments

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson tells the story of a futuristic Brazil ruled by a matriarchy where a Summer King is ritualistically killed most years to choose the next queen. June hasn’t paid much attention to the Summer Kings until this year when her and her best friend fall in love with Enki, the Summer King from the lowest level of society. The Summer Prince had so much potential, but I had a hard time following the plot due to so many foreign words and the slow nature of the story-telling. I requested The Summer Prince through Netgalley because really, who could resist that cover??

Note: A copy was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Scholastic for providing me a copy.

Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing

Title: The Summer Prince
Author: Alaya Dawn Johnson
Length: 304 pages
Genre-ish: Artistic dystopia
Rating: ★★★★☆- awesome ending, confusing start

The lush city of Palmares Três shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of this vibrant metropolis, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than amber eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist.

Together, June and Enki will stage explosive, dramatic projects that Palmares Três will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die. – Goodreads

Strengths:

To start, I love this cover and I especially love that the shiny, pretty tattoos are actually fairly accurate to the story. Often covers don’t actually reflect any real scene, but June really does get light implants that look like a tree, which I appreciated.
You read that description right: Gil is June’s male best friend and he is in love with Enki the male Summer King. Yey for homosexuality being accepted and normal in this story!
The ending is action-packed and so satisfyingly emotional. I just wish the rest of The Summer Prince had been so engaging.
There are a lot of awesome plot twists towards the end. I definitely had not expected the story to go the way it did and it was pretty great ;-).

Weaknesses:

There were so many words that I didn’t know which were either Portugese or supposed to resemble Portugese. I realize that this was probably suppose to set the tone, but if the context doesn’t make it obvious what a word means, it makes it pretty difficult to get that mental movie going.
The plot of The Summer Prince felt very slow and undirected for most of the book. I really had no idea what the goals of the characters were and there was very little sense of overall tension to drive them. There were art projects and love stories, but that wasn’t enough to pull me in until the end.

Summary:

While The Summer Prince is technically a dystopia, it reads much more like a contemporary set in a futuristic society. The love story and artistic endeavors were the main focus, and therefore there was very little action until the very end. If you have some familiarity with Portugese, then perhaps you will be able to understand what is going on in the first half better than I could, but I found it very problematic while reading. The Summer Prince is definitely not a typical dystopia, packed with action, however it is a touching love story if you stick it out to the end.

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- A

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: alaya dawn johnson, dystopia, four stars, heroine, romance, sci-fi, summer prince

4 Stars: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

March 28, 2013 by Anya 8 Comments

I had been seeing mentions of Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers all over the place late last year, and so you can imagine my excitement when I found a Kindle copy available through my library’s Overdrive! I seriously love that service <3. I was a little nervous about Grave Mercy since it’s mostly historical fiction with a fair bit of mysticism thrown in, but not nearly as fantastical as I’m used to. However, I’ve been saying how I wanted to stretch my reading zone, so it was the perfect opportunity ;-). Also female assassins are pretty much an auto-read for me, haha!
Goodreads | Amazon

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers
Length: 549 pages
Genre-ish: Mystical Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★☆- awesome premise, got a little slow

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? – Goodreads

Strengths:

First of all, the ending of Grave Mercy is freaking transcendent. It increases the mysticism level and fixed some of the hang-ups I had been having previously. It is so worth sticking it out to the end of Grave Mercy, even if you find yourself having some trouble in the middle.
I had some feminist issues with the “handmaiden of Death” thing, but they were also resolved by the end. Rest assured, things are not as they appear >.>.
Ismae’s special powers have to do partially with poison, which is freaking awesome. I don’t know why, but I just love poison-related abilities these days :D.

Weaknesses:

The middle of Grave Mercy got quite slow for me. This is where my disinterest in typical historical fiction plots became a problem. There is a lot of court intrigue that just didn’t do it for me.
I had a big problem with Ismae leaving her “master” husband (because she wouldn’t have had any rights married to him) for another master in the form of the convent and their god. She was told outright that she would have to follow her orders no matter how she felt about them, and so she had no freewill in her new life either. This does get resolved somewhat at the end of Grave Mercy, but it was a big annoyance throughout.
I just never fell for the romance fully. I wasn’t all swoon-y, and in fact didn’t really want any romantic development to happen. Perhaps I’ll be more convinced in the next book ;-).

Summary:

On the whole, branching out of my comfort zone a little bit paid off wonderfully with Grave Mercy! I’ve learned that I’m not a big fan of court intrigue based plots, but that was a valuable lesson ;-). Given that I wanted more development of the supernatural powers throughout all of Grave Mercy, I probably should read a fantasy book now, haha. In any case, if you are someone who is more interested in historical fiction than I am, but also loves the idea of female assassins with supernatural powers, then you should definitely check out Grave Mercy. This is especially true, since the sequel Dark Triumph is coming out next week :D.

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- A

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: four stars, grave mercy, heroine, his fair assassin, historical fiction, lafevers, mysticism, trilogy

4 Stars: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

March 26, 2013 by Guest 7 Comments

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan is the second book of the second series and continues the story of young demigods who must forge friendships and figure out to use their unique gifts in a race to save the world …. again.

When I (Barbara) finished The Lost Hero, I knew I would be working my way through the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. I had minored in classical studies during college and appreciate Riordan’s modern extension of the Perseus archetype into a light but engaging series for young adults. This book was my personal copy, and there aren’t any spoilers for The Son of Neptune, but there are some for The Lost Hero. If you haven’t read the first book, check out Anya’s review of The Lost Hero instead.
Goodreads | Amazon
Title: The Son of Neptune
Author: Rick Riordan
Length: 513 pages
Genre-ish: YA Fantasy (set in our world)
Rating: ★★★★☆- light and easy read

Setting: In The Son of Neptune, not only are the Greek gods real, but so are the Roman ones. While they are technically the same gods, the Roman aspects of the 12 Olympian gods are more stern, serious, and disciplined — but they still fall in love with mortals and have demigod children. The young Roman demigods, like the Greeks we met in the first series and in the Lost Hero, inherit traits and powers from their godly parents, speak Latin like a senator in the forum, have a special, secret camp, and are the favorite snack of monsters. Mere mortals are kept unaware of this by the Mist, which obscures reality and keeps us unaware of the battles between the gods and various powers that want to destroy the world and its inhabitants.

Premise: This time, Percy Jackson is the one with amnesia and monsters hot on his tail. He ends up at Camp Jupiter where he is as out of place as a Greek among Romans. One Roman in particular remembers who he is … and that he is not exactly on her favorites list. Still, Percy makes friends and ends up on a trip to Alaska to save the world. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Juno/Hera is putting together a dream team from BOTH Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood to defeat Gaea — the personification of the earth — who will threaten Mount Olympus itself before the end of the series.

Strengths:

Riordan’s writing is wonderful to read. He is descriptive without being too wordy, immersing the reader in the scenes he weaves. We come to see the world through the points of view of each of the major characters, which are interleaved without confusion.
Riordan also uses humor to good effect in The Son of Neptune to keep the tone of the story light. If the heroes are joking in the face of adversity, how bad can it be, right?
I love the friendships that develop between the heroes. They feel right and develop at an appropriate pace out of shared principles, choices, and actions.
In The Son of Neptune, each character has his or her strengths and weaknesses. Often the heroes complement each other, which shows young readers the value of collaboration and valuing one’s own gifts. But the heroes also show that you don’t necessarily have to like doing what you are good at. The son of the god of war does not particularly like what he inherited from his father – but these abilities are used wisely save the day on a number of occasions.
Although the Son of Neptune occurs at about the same time as The Lost Hero, it was not repetitious. The two stories run parallel until the very end when the two sets of heroes meet, leaving the reader to wonder who will comprise the seven heroes of the prophecy.

Weaknesses:

The formula is beginning to be a bit too repetitious. The frantic journey of less than a week to get somewhere, find something, and save the world at the last minute is exciting but … tired. And having a hero with a guilty secret – again – seemed definitely like a lazy way to bring in dramatic tension.
The female characters are strong and gifted, but after a series and two books, I’m hoping that the third book will really let Annabeth shine as the daughter of Athena.

Summary:

If you have been enjoying the two series up to this point, you should enjoy The Son of Neptune as well. It has some interesting variations to throw at you but keeps the winning formula intact.

- Barbara

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: easy read, fantasy, four stars, riordan, series, the son of neptune, ya

4 Stars: The Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger

March 21, 2013 by Anya 2 Comments

The Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger is the fourth book in the Russel Middlebrook series, but don’t worry, it’s a stand alone! I’ve only read the first book, Geography Club, so this was partially a test of how it read as a stand alone ;-). While the first book of this series focuses on the hardships of gay teens in an unwelcoming high school, The Elephant of Surprise tackles a completely separate idea. This book focuses on the “freeganism” movement and the characters’ sexuality takes much more of a back seat. Yes, there is some relationship drama involving girls dating girls and boys liking boys, but not nearly as much as Geography Club. If you like light, contemporary reads with more diverse characters than normal, definitely check out The Elephant of Surprise.

I received The Elephant of Surprise through Netgalley and Brent Hartinger in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads | Amazon
Title: The Elephant of Surprise
Author: Brent Hartinger
Length: 239 pages
Genre-ish: YA LGBT contemporary
Rating: ★★★★☆- light and fun, a little repetitive

People aren’t always what they seem to be. Sometimes we even surprise ourselves.

In this latest book, Russel and his friends Min and Gunnar are laughing about something they call the Elephant of Surprise — the tendency for life to never turn out as expected. Sure enough, Russel soon happens upon a hot but mysterious homeless activist named Wade, even as he’s drawn back to an old flame named Kevin. Meanwhile, Min is learning surprising things about her girlfriend Leah, and Gunnar just wants to be left alone to pursue his latest technology obsession.

But the elephant is definitely on the move in all three of their lives. Just who is Wade and what are he and his friends planning? What is Leah hiding? And why is Gunnar taking naked pictures of Kevin in the shower? – Goodreads

Strengths:

As someone who has never learned much about freeganism before, The Elephant of Surprise was a surprisingly nice intro to a real life movement.
Something a lot of series novels run into is a repetitive plot arc, however The Elephant of Surprise took a completely different direction than I expected. It was nice that the focus wasn’t just on getting Russel a boyfriend ;-).
I’m always happy to see healthy relationships, and there is a great example of a healthy way to break up in this one!
As always, the writing of The Elephant of Surprise was light and fun. It was very easy to read just one more page while riding in the car or waiting for food at a restaurant, haha.
I got caught up on the characters’ lives quickly, no need to have read the previous books. It’s so nice when a stand alone is actually a stand alone, though I think you’ll connect deeper with everyone if you do read the earlier books.

The Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger

Me when Russel started committing crimes….

Weaknesses:

There were some phrases that got quite repetitive, including The Elephant of Surprise. I prefer subtler uses of titles personally.
While there were some good relationship decisions, there were also some very bad ones that included all sorts of illegal activity. Russel, there is a difference between helping your friends like a good person and committing crimes for your friends!
Russel get a bit overdramatic in The Elephant of Surprise. Yes, some dramatic things happen, but he also has some pretty dramatic inner dialogue that we are privy to.

Summary:

The Elephant of Surprise is light, fun, and just a wee bit silly. On top of that, however, I learned new things, crazy huh? Whether you’ve read the previous books or not, if you like high school adventures, you will likely enjoy The Elephant of Surprise. It actually made me want to go back and read the two I skipped to find out more about the summer camp adventures I’ve been hearing so much about, haha!

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- A

The Elephant of Surprise by Brent Hartinger

Filed Under: What A Story - Book Reviews Tagged With: contemporary, four stars, hartinger, lgbt, series, the elephant of surprise

4 Stars: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

March 18, 2013 by Anya 18 Comments

Cinder by Marissa Meyer was exceedingly popular last year, so it had to go on my Christmas wishlist ;-). I however had a massive number of books that I needed/wanted to read, so it wasn’t until the sequel Scarlet was set to come out that I finally got my butt in gear, haha. I’m a bit late to the game, but I agree with what many have said before: Cinder rocks! Who would have thought to combine cybords, moon people, a plague, and a Cinderella retelling all together?? Marissa Meyer, that’s who :D.

Goodreads | Amazon
Free Chapters 1-5
Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Length: 387 pages (hardcover)
Genre-ish: Sci-fi/Fairytale retelling YA (with cyborgs!)
Rating: ★★★★☆- so original, slowed in the middle

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. – Goodreads

Strengths:

Cinder has cyborgs and moon people who have separated from Earth’s population long enough to develop some interesting traits. How awesome of a future is that :D. Sure, maybe I don’t want to live there, but I sure want to read about it!
In addition to the awesome sci-fi elements, there is a plague; nothing says compelling like a plague.
Omg the crazy plot twists! I can’t actually count all the cool plot developments in Cinder right now. Nothing is as it seems >.> <.<.
I always worry with retellings that the story will be predictable because the book will follow the retelling too closely. This is not the case with Cinder!
The romance is so adorable *sighs*.

Weaknesses:

I am probably in the minority here, but I found that the pacing slowed in the middle of Cinder. I had to push a bit to get to the good stuff at the end.
There is only so much bad news that I can take at one time, and Cinder started pushing my limit. It’s not really a happy book at times….
Wow, such a cliffhanger. You’ve been warned.

Summary:

If you are craving a fresh and amazing sci-fi with a touch of Cinderella retelling and a hint of dystopia, get Cinder. I know that it might seem like a crazy combination of story elements, but there is a reason so many people have been raving about this one folks! I will admit that I’m not actually addicted to Cinderella or cyborgs, but even beyond the cool ideas thrown together, Cinder is a solid story about a girl kicking butt against adversity and making friends in the most unusual places.

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- A