Review: THE STRANGE MAID by Tessa Gratton

4.21 avg rating — 19 ratings

~ADULT WORTHY!

I was born under a frenzied star, so our poets would say. Which meant only that I was wild and loud as a child, always running off crying or laughing at nothing my parents could see.

But when I was seven years old, I went truly mad.

It was winter, a week after my birthday and my parents had been dead for a month. Shot down far away from me, with nothing to protect them but prayers and hymnals, neither of which could stop bullets. A bruise ached on my chest over my heart where I pressed my fists every morning, every night, and all through the funeral service staring at the empty pyre, for we had no bodies to burn. I had to hold in the wail of grief beating through my blood because the god my family served did not scream.

It's pain and grief that defines THE STRANGE MAID's story. Driven by sorrow, Signy climbs the New World Tree where she begins to rip leaves from the branches with the rage that seethes to the surface. And it's there that Odin appears to her. The Alfather tells her that he has waited for one like her, and he claims her as his own. And Signy becomes Signy Valborn. A valkyrie.

Only it's not so simple thing to be a valkyrie. There is schooling and there are challenges. And to Signy's disgust the valkyries have become tame. They are no longer fierce but have become political helpers to important members of government. And it is not within Signy to do this. And perhaps that is why on the eve of her 'rising' some one of the gods has put given her a riddle to solve.  It's a riddle that drives her from the home she has had with the Valkyries. It's something that makes her look deep inside herself to define who and what she will become.  

The riddle brings her to Ned the Spiritless who will become her teacher. It will lead them in turn to mountain trolls, beserkers, Soren Bearskin, and ultimately to the end of a bitter-sweet journey. 

I loved THE STRANGE MAID. It's surprising dark. Surprising fierce.  Beautifully written.

If you loved Tessa Gratton's first book, LOST SUN, you should know that this book is very different.  LOST SUN is a much more upbeat adventure. It's basically a road trip where the world of the United States of Asgard to laid out for us to enjoy.  THE STRANGE MAID in contrast has the dark elements I hinted at.  There is death and animal sacrifice, drinking and even sex.  Signy is a true Valkyrie. She doesn't shy away from killing. So that this book might not be for everyone.

I thought it was a well written epic adventure.  Can't wait for book #3.

Pam~


THE STRANGE MAID
(United States of Asgard #2)
by Tessa Gratton

Reading Information:
Page Count: 304
no reading information currently available
--sample pages and reviews available

Review: HALF A KING by Joe Abercrombie

The deceived will become the deceiver.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

JOE ABERCROMBIE is a very popular author. His THE BLADE ITSELF (The First Law, #1) has earned a 4.1 Star rating from 44,566 GoodReaders. And HALF A KING is his first foray into the Young Adult Market, and it's definitely full of betrayal, murder and mayhem!

BACKSTORY

HALF A KING has a fantasy medieval setting. There are grand castles, small magics, and long gone elves, along with all too real brutal warlords and overlords.  

Young prince Yavri is the 'spare heir' of the kingdom so as this tale begins he is being readied for the kingdom's equivalent of the priesthood. Which really means he is destined to be a Minister. Someone who stands beside the King and advises them.

And Yarvi is about to take 'The Test' for said position when his father and only brother are brutally murdered. Events froth and roar out of control from there, and far from getting to sit on the throne, the Yarvi finds himself a slave rowing on the ship of pirate queen.

Yarvi as a prince and slave and person in general is defined by his handicap, which happens to be that he was born with a hand that is missing some fingers.  As you would expect in a medieval society this makes him the butt of jokes, but there is nothing wrong with his mind.  Unfortunately he has half a spirit as well, which is something he'll have to overcome if he wants to revenge his father's and brother's deaths and regain the throne.

LET ME GIVE YOU THE GOOD AND BAD

There are going to be adults and young-adults and middle-graders who love this book. It's filled with betrayal and sword work. It has unrelenting action, and a young man who slowly accrues a team of castoffs.  

BUT... HALF A KING is the equivalent of a B-movie.  It's fun but it's not top notch stuff. For one, prince Yarvi is a Maury Sue.  Oh my goodness, all the advantages of being a royal and he lets one little handicap define his life.  So he's got half a hand. Big deal. Get over it. You were born into power, learn to use it.  (I blame his parents. They did a poor job of raising him. He was such a whiner.)

The other problem some readers might have is the writing and plotting.  I haven't read Mr. Abercrombie's other books --though I plan to rectify that this summer-- but this YA novel is thinly done. No one is really well described and there is nothing here that you wouldn't find in most middle-grade adventures.

Which means... traditional plotting is going to entertain those in the mood for this quick, fluffy (or should that be blood-thirsty!) read.  The ending has a nice twist. Guy-friendly read.

Pam~
 

HALF A KING
(Shattered Sea #1)
by Joe Abercrombie

Reading Information:
Page Count:  352
no reading information currently available 
--yummy sample chapters

Review: BLACK DOG by Rachel Neumeier

~ ADULT WORTHY

 Book Blurb
Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge - the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases - like for Natividad's father and older brother - Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad's mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister's Pure magic. Natividad's twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

BLACK DOG  was one of my favorite YA reads of 2013.  (I thank Strange Chemistry for providing an ARC *kiss-kiss*)

WHAT WORKED for me was the world building. The werewolves, vampires and pure were incorporated seamlessly with contemporary times. And the struggles within the packs of werewolves, and between packs was well done and interesting.

I also loved the tender affection between the siblings.  Too often in YA books all the affection is directed to parents --usually deceased.  But in this book the teens are looking out after each other.

The secondary characters, with the exception of the villains, were exceedingly well done. Loved them.  Loved their politics.  There's hardly a one I didn't/don't want to know more about.

On the DOWNside, what didn't work for me was the main villain.  A little too flat.  Plus, Natividad was given the role of the 'girl who makes stupid decisions' in order to move the plot along.  And I really hope we don't see more of this in the second book.

But all together, these issues were far outweighed by the shear fun of the story. And I'll probably re-read this book in 2014 --something I just don't do on a regular basis.

~

If you'd like a fun urban-fantasy and you enjoyed Written in Red, think about reading BLACK DOG.  It's a good solid read.

It's a smart, interesting book with good world-building and an interesting premise.  It's not perfect, but I thought the writing and storyline more than make up for any flaws.

One of the best YA books I've read in 2013.  I can't wait for #2.

Pam~


BLACK DOG
by Rachel Neumeier

Reading Information:
no reading information currently available
--Read Chapter One

Review: OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY by Karen Foxlee

**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

**Starred Review** ALA BookList

OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY is a modern fairy tale and a very good book at the middle grade level.  It's the story of two children from two different times who join forces to defeat a cruel Snow Queen.

Backstory
The Marvelous Boy has been chosen by wizards to defend the world against the coming of frosty evil.  To protect him they have taken away his name.

Ophelia is a sad little girl.  Her mother has recently died and her family is dysfunctional as a consequence. She is struggling with her issues when she discovers the Marvelous Boy who has been locked away by the Queen for centuries.

The rest of the story is Ophelia's being drawn into the Marvelous Boy's quest of finding THE sword and THE 'one that has been foretold' so that the queen can be defeated.

Book blub...

Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.

As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY is told from the perspective of both Ophelia and the MB. She narrates the present, while MB tells the story of how he arrived in custody of the Winter Queen in the museum.  Two sample pages follow.

WHAT WORKS for me in this story are the characters.  They are well drawn for middle grade fiction, and the magical Marvelous Boy is the perfect foil for the science and logic loving Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard.

OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY is not a perfect book however for the MG market.  There are longish lists of items in the principle setting of the Museum, and this slows the plot down in places.  Similarly I thought there was more wandering around and exploring than was truly necessary for the story to move forward.

However, if a reader preservers, they'll probably really like this book.  The word-smithing is good and the characters are delightful.

Pam~


OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY
by Karen Foxlee

3.95 STARS from 331 GoodReaders

Reading Information:
Word Count: 50,231
Page Count: 240
Accelerated Reader: 4.9 / points: 7.0
AR quiz: 164216
--sample pages and reviews available

Review: TANDEM by Anna Jarzab

3.83 STARS from 472 GoodReaders
ADULT O'METER  .............. approach with caution 

In one world a princess is faced with difficult decisions.  And ultimately she decides that it would be best for everyone if she just runs away.

Unfortunately not everyone thinks this is a great decision as her absence will lead to terrible war.  And so, to prevent that war, they look to a parallel world for the princess' stunt double.

Enter Sasha.  She's 16 year's old and living her life, going to school, thinking about homework and boys, and suddenly she's snatched up and hurled into a world where she is one of the most important pawns in a complicated game.  And she must play her role impeccably, or else she'll never be able to return home.

If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

There are strengths to TANDEM. The world building was very good, and the explanation for the parallel worlds was interesting. As well, the descriptions of persons/actions/places was also good.

What didn't work for me was the fact that this was VERY girlie fiction. Nothing wrong with that in a general sense, but there was a lot of focus on how everybody felt, and on hurt feelings with the usual romantic misunderstandings.  Too squee! for me.

Other readers were repulsed by the fact that Sasha fell in love with her kidnapper.  Too Stockholm Syndrome for them.

Ultimately what made this a skimmer-read for me was:  #1, to dang long.  This book needed an plot diet. And #2, I just didn't connect with the any of the characters.

A perfectly decent read for young adults of the princess persuasion. Not a book I'd recommend to any guys, or readers like myself that prefer their Lit a little less frou-frou.

Pam~


TANDEM
(Many-Worlds Trilogy #1) 
by Anna Jarzab

Reading Information:
Word Count: 114,742
Page Count:  448
Accelerated Reader: 5.6 / points: 18.0
AR quiz: 165245
Lexile: HL770L

Review: FOSSIL by Bill Thomson

 

FOSSIL by Bill Thomson is a marvel.  A wordless book that features his imaginative and amazing photo-realistic style.

The wordless story is about a boy who is out walking with his dog. When the boy trips he unexpectedly breaks a rock and finds a wonderful fossil inside.  Even more miraculously, he finds three more fossils.  And as he and his dog watch, they come to life!

The fern and the dragonfly aren't much of a problem... BUT the pterodactyl... yikes!

Light hearted, fun and wordless, FOSSILS would be a great book to share with a wide range of dinosaur lovers. 

Pam~

FOSSIL

by Bill Thomson
4.00 STARS from 80 GoodReaders

Reading Information:
Wordless!
Page Count: 32
--sample pages and reviews available

Review: SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

4.11 Stars from 28,228 GoodReaders
NYTimes Best Seller
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal

SHADOW AND BONE is book one of The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo.  It's a book that has gained fans amongst YA readers, and there's talk of a movie deal as well.

Setting

The setting is wonderful. It's moody and the over all feeling of the book is Russian-esque.

Backstory

The story takes place in a magical land called Kavka.  Kavka is ruled by the King and his second in command, The Darkling.

Alina and Mal are orphans who are bound together by trust... and possibly a love interest.  They take on minor roles within the King's army, and aren't considered very important.  That is until they get convoy duty.

Kavka has for centuries been divided into east and west by the Shadow Fold, a place of darkness and danger.  Within the Shadow Fold there is no natural light, so if you want to see anything you must use torches. Unfortunately no one wants to use torches because those attract wickedly bad monsters.

People still have to cross the Fold because they need access to the ports, and this is "the why" behind Alina and Mal finding themselves inside of the Fold doing convoy duty. Alina and Mal are part of the soldier force that accompanies the goods; and they and everyone else is counting on the Grisha, who are sorcerers, to protect them should the monsters attack.

Well, of course, they attack, and in order to keep Mal from being killed, Alina discovers a previously unknown power.  It's a power that will elevate her status, and also make her hunted.

Most Young Adult readers will like this story, but I can't strongly recommend it to Adults.  The writing and world building is good, but the plotting is frequently slow, and inevitably inane.

In fact, the plot becomes entirely predictable.  Which is okay if you've fallen in love with the characters, but disappointing if you find them a little too shallow and vacuous.

Pam~


SHADOW AND BONE
by Leigh Bardugo

Reading Information:
Word Count: 81,215
Page Count: 368
Accelerated Reader:  5.3 / points: 12.0
AR Quiz: 151863
 Lexile: 800L
--sample pages and other reviews available
--audio version available
--sample e-chapters available

If this book piques your interest, you might want to check out:

• SERAPHINA
• GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS (most excellent)
• GRACELING

Review: CHASING SHADOWS by Swati Avasthi

Junior Library Guild Selection

**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal

CHASING SHADOWS is Swati Avasthi's second novel and a definite departure from SPLIT, her wonderful first book.

One of the twists she's employed to make this book different is to include graphic-novel pages like the one that follows. These pages don't just reduplicate visually what readers are told; they stand in place of text.

Artwork by Craig Phillips

Backstory

In CHASING SHADOWS the principle characters are Holly, her twin brother Corey, and their best friend and girl friend, Savitri (Sav).

The three of them are high schoolers in their senior year, and while deeply bound to one another, they realize that the coming year will most likely see their group fall apart as Savitri, the most academic of the group, awaits responses from Princeton and other first tier schools.

It's not that Corey and Holly aren't interested college, but they aren't inspired to leave the home town they love.

Related books...

SPLIT by Swati Avasthi - Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

All of this turmoil about schools and the future is brutally stripped away and made moot when Corey is shot and dies. His sister doesn't recall much of the nightmare event, but Sav bears the scars of a survivor who wishes she could have saved him.

(Corey, Holly, and Sav are seriously into freerunning)

As a read, I found this story gut wrenching. Swati's portrayal of Corey's family's and friend's grief made me have to put the book down twice. But I always came back. Basically because there's a mystery to be solved. And because I needed to know what the girls would do. Were they crazy enough to try to find Corey's assassin. And could Sav find the strength to leave and find her future.

Another element that worked to keep my attention was the question of the strange alternative world that was portrayed. While she was in a coma, Holly 'entered' this world where Corey was being dragged off by Death.  (a simplification) The story was written so that I was never certain whether this was a product of the drugs Holly was given, a sign of madness, or whether it was simply a view into a real other world.

CHASING SHADOWS won't be a read for everyone.  It's very much into the drama, and it's not a topic that everyone is going to take to heart. One of Avasthi's strength though is her characters.  They live.  They breathe.  They are dimensional and so realistic that it's hard not to be drawn into the stories where she places them.  Suitable for Adults and Young Adults.

Pam~

------------------------------------------------------------------
Review: INFINITE SKY
Review: REALITY BOY
Review: FANGIRL  (light-hearted drama)
------------------------------------------------------------------

CHASING SHADOWS

by Swati Avasthi

Craig Phillips (Illustrator)

3.92 Stars from 60 GoodReaders

Reading Information:

Word Count: 61,004

Page Count: 320

Accelerated Reader:  4.2 / points: 9.0

AR quiz: 160989

Review: CRACKED by Eliza Crewe

CRACKED!   

4.06 STARS from 492 GoodReaders

-- I've always known I'm a monster.  My skin is as tough as sheet metal, my bones are almost impossible to break.

-- But somehow it's different, knowing I'm not just any monster, but the walking embodiment of evil. Though again, I still shouldn't be shocked.  Not with the things I've done.  My conscience is such a pathetic silent thing I had to share off Mom's like a parasite, sucking the goodness out of her because I have none of my own.

Oh YES!  Yes, Yes, Yes. I have a deep and abiding love of smart-mouthed heroines, and for my taste there aren't nearly enough of them in Young Adult books.

Fiesty, okay.  Spunky, yeah.  But smart-mouthed... not enough.  Fortunately, Eliza Crewe has come to the rescue. Her soul-sucking heroine --really, the definition of heroine is tested here-- is funny and smart and more than a little sassy. (She's constantly talking down other characters and making fun of them.)

Background #1:
The world setting is modern urban.  It's pretty much what we know, with the addition of demons (hiding in plain site as bureaucrats and accountants), and Knights Templar.  [You know, Knights Templar... like from the Crusades.  Only they ride motorcycles.]

Background #2:
More particularly -- Meda Melange is a feisty/fierce teenager who happens to be a half-breed.  Being half demon and half human makes her pretty special.  She can pass as human, and yet rip the head off your body and suck down your soul before you can say bob's your uncle.

Ghosts want Meda to exact revenge for them, which works pretty well with Meda's need to feed on souls.  And it's while doing a favor for a ghost that she ends up being attacked by her fellow demons, and being mistaken for a special sort of human, called a Beacon, by some Templars.  Craving knowledge about who/what she is, Meda follows the Templars back to their 'lair' (mobile home park) hoping that they don't find out who/what she is before she gets some answers.


I ADORE  Meda's voice.  She hilarious and snarky, and she made me laugh out-loud more than once with her gallows humor. 

As a character she is very likeable, and I found her identity conflict to be completely understandable.  She hasn't yet figured out who (or what) she is.  And what she really wants to know is how she got to be what she is, and where she fits in.

HIGHLY recommend if you in the moody for snarky, good fun.  

Pam~

Language:  Yikes, yes!
Violence: well yes, just a delicious bit


CRACKED
(Soul Eater, #1)
by Eliza Crewe

Reading Information:
Page Count: 336
no reading information currently available
-- sample pages and price

Review: SORROW'S KNOT by Erin Bow

SORROW'S KNOT is one of my top reads for 2013.   I hadn't gone 3 pages before I was drawn in and held spellbound by Erin's dark tale of love, friendship and madness.

Backdrop

Westmost is a small isolated village at the western edge of known civilization.  We aren't told how the eastern places are ruled but Westmost is governed by women.  In fact, the only males there are children.  (The boys, when they are old enough, leave and go down the river with the men who come to trade with the settlement.)

Westmost exist there because of the binders. These are women who have the strength and knowledge to weave the knots that bind the evils outside. And the danger isn't wild animals, as you'd think; but the dead. Shadowed creatures that take two forms.

The first type of dead are small and have always been.  They hide in the forest and in the earth and grasses and they inflict pain and hurt, but are easily killed and defended against.  Newer though are the White Hands. These are terrible human-dead that are capable of engulfing souls and turning people's minds to madness so that they too become evil shadow creatures.


Background
Otter (girl & main character), Kestrel (girl), and Cricket (dude) are best friends. They have grown up together and now they are coming of age.  Kestrel wishes to take training as a ranger, like Otter's grandmother.  These are women who roam the forest hunting and gathering.  They are also the ones that kill the dead.

It is expected that Cricket will leave.  That come spring he will follow the men who come to trade when they turn back home. Then he will seek out someone strong in the magic of storytelling to apprentice to.

Otter desires nothing more than to begin training with her mother to be a binder.  It's the most important role in the community, because it is the binders who weave the spells that keep the dead out.  And it has been clear for some time that Otter has the skills to do this.


Story
Life in the little community begins to spin out of control when Otter's mother is touched by a White Hand, for the community has no ready defense against the corruption of it's own Binder.


SORROW'S KNOT is beautiful.  A dark fantasy that combines horror with beauty and wonder.  The narrative has a fairytale feel, but the subject matter deals with love and death and the difficulty of letting go of our grief.  

What I love about this book –besides the excellent writing and characters – is that it manages to be both epic in nature, and yet very personal.  It was utterly important to find out how White Hands were created.  But painful to see the task fall to these three friends.

I HIGHLY recommend SORROW'S KNOT to readers who are in the mood for stylized narrative that will transport them to somewhere else. 

HIGHLY Recommend.

Pam~


SORROW'S KNOT
by Erin Bow

Reading Information:
Word Count: 80,337
Page Count: 368
Accelerated Reader: 4.9 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 162051
Lexile: HL620L

--sample pages and reviews available

Sneak Peek: Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow (Excerpt)

Review: THE BURNING SKY by Sherry Thomas

4.06 Stars from 597 GoodReaders

**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly

Sherry Thomas is known for her romance novels, and with THE BURNING SKY she is trying her hand at writing for a younger audience.

Background

• The world is divided. In some areas, like Atlantis, magic is allowed; and in others areas, like England, magic is forbidden.

• Prince Titus of Elberon is a figurehead ruler of a small magical kingdom, although he attends Eton as an anonymous student. He want's nothing nothing more than to free his country from the domination of the fearful Empire of Atlantis, which is ruled by the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant....

• Iolanthe Seabourne is a power to contend with, although her drug-addled mentor has kept them in obscurity and refused her information about why they live so poorly. She doesn't understand why her mentor has done this until she does such brilliant magic that the dangerous and evil Inquisitor arrives at her door. Her mentor saves her, but she finds herself far away from home, alone, and dependent upon the Prince.

• Knowing what The Bane wants Iolanthe in his power is reason enough for Titus to hide Iolanthe in plain view, and thus she takes up her disguise as a boy at Eton.

THE BURNING SKY is listed as a Young Adult book, but unless there is something 'adultish' coming up in the next volumes, I would say this book is more appropriate for a middle-graders.

There's very little in the way of violence --some fisticuffs, cut fingers and skinned knees-- and there's only mild tension, and only a scant bit of anything approaching profanity. 

There's also not much in the way of anything novel in the plotting or tropes so I wouldn't particularly recommend this book for Adults.  (Although we all realize that different people have different tastes.)

THE BURNING SKY is a girlie book with a romance at the center of it.  The world building is excellent, but it takes a while before things get rolling, so readers should to be prepared to be patient.

Pam~

--Very mild language.
--Not overwrought with tension
--Mild and non-graphic violence
--Well done world building


THE BURNING SKY
(The Elemental Trilogy #1)
by Sherry Thomas

Reading Information:
Word Count: 101,300
Page Count: 480
Accelerated Reader: 6.1 / points: 16.0
AR quiz: 165277
--sample pages and reviews available
--available as an audio book

Review: MALICE by Chris Wooding

4.06 Stars from 1,504 GoodReaders

MALICE is part novel, part graphic-novel... and so much fun. 

If your children liked the GOOSEBUMPS series and are ready for a longer tale that's a bit scarier, then they might want to take a look at Chris Wooding's MALICE series.

The premise of the story is that there is a mysterious comic book series titled "Malice", and that if you have it in your possession, and then say the right words and burn the right set of ingredients, that you can be 'transported' into the comic book-world ruled by the villainous guy that you see here on the cover, Tall Jake. The catch is that the world is just awful -- filled with monstrous creatures and machines that will hunt you down and kill you.

Now you might be wondering who on earth would want to take part in such an experiment, but the truth is that it's mostly done because the children don't really believe that it can happen. They are just fooling around and challenging each other. Too bad it works.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Review:  THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST (YA)
Review: THE WITCH'S KITCHEN (MG/YA)
Reading List: RL STINE'S HORRORLAND series (MG)
------------------------------------------------------------------

The writing in MALICE was very good and the story was well plotted; and it wouldn't surprise me at all if kids stay up late trying to finish it.

As far as appearance, I have to say that the cover is really eye-catching. It features Tall Jake, and he and the MALICE lettering are raised and touchable and just the sort of thing that ought to have this book whizzing off the shelves.

Inside the print is well sized and easy to read. AND there are plenty of grayscale drawings by Dan Chernett. These illustrations are divided into panels just like you would find in a graphic novel.

There is violence in this series, although so far most of it is portrayed in the drawing and not the text.

Overall, this book isn't going to be for everyone. It's scary and fast paced though, and since there's both male and female characters I think MALICE is going to appeal equally to Middle-graders of both genders. At least those who like a scary adventure story.

Beginning of a series.

Pam~


MALICE
(Malice #1)
Scholastic
by Chris Wooding
illustrated by Dan Chernett

Reading Information:
Word Count: 67,634
Page Count:  384
Accelerated Reading level: 4.5 / points: 10.0
AR quiz: 133618
Lexile: 650L
--get sample pages, reviews, and prices
--get the series information here

Review: THE HALLOWED ONES series by Laura Bickle

THE HALLOWED ONES is a creepy and
wonderful YA series.  

The background for these is books is modern... sort of. I say that jokingly because the first book begins in an Amish community where Kate, our heroine, lives with her parents and little sister.  Kate has friends and is generally happy, but also terribly curious about sampling the modern world by going on the Rumspringa.

These plans get dropped though when the end of world erupts. When suddenly a strange 'disease' breaks out that forces the elders to 'close' their community so that none may go out and none may come in.

This declaration sets into motion a series of events which threaten Kate and her family.  For one, Kate's best friend, Elijah, decides that he will take his vows, and everyone in the community, including Kate's parents, want her to join him so that they also be married.  Kate however isn't eager to give up on her Rumspringa dream.  No one knows after all whether this unknown threat will blow over.   

It also creates a crisis of faith and obedience for Kate when an injured young man collapses at the fence at the periphery of their community.  She wants to do the 'right things', but the elders have made their choice and turned away from helping the boy.  As expected, she can't be so hard-hearted, and by helping the college-aged boy, both of them (and an adult friend) end up being exiled from the community.

Amish. Vampire apocalypse.  There's so much that fresh and new about these books. 

I really enjoyed all the interesting information about daily Amish life. And Ms. Bickle wields it in a way that makes Kate's world very, very real. So when we jump off in the creepy vampire aspects of this story, it's from a concrete-solid world.

I also loved that it's not clear where these vampires come from.  Are they truly, biblically Evil?  Or is it an infection?  Or somehow both.

In any case, some good reading.  Enjoy.

Pam~

**all ratings from GoodReads
***mild swearing; some violence; some sexual situations

THE HALLOWED ONES
**Starred Review** Kirkus
4.02 avg rating — 1,176 ratings

Reading Information:
Word Count: 79,375
Page Count: 320
Accelerated Reader: 4.8 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 156924
--get sample pages and other reviews available


THE OUTSIDE
**Starred Review** Kirkus
3.80 avg rating — 175 ratings

Word Count:  78,335
Page Count: 320
Accelerated Reading level: 4.8 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 161169
--get sample pages and other reviews available

Review: SKULK

 

3.93 STARS from 67 GoodReaders

SKULK is a fun read, but to be honest it took me over 50 pages to be drawn into the story.  After that I sank into the adventure and enjoyed not only Meg, but her comrades.

Backstory:

Meg is bright girl that lives in London with her dysfunctional parents. Her father, an architect, basically ignores her; as if Meg was his wife's project. 

Her mother, on the other hand, won't leave her alone.  Instead of giving her room to breath and grow, Meg's mom harasses her and controls her to the extent that she monitors every calorie that goes into her mouth. 

 

As you'd expect Meg seeks a way to keep her sanity and express her individuality.  Graffiti becomes her secret hobby. Meg's involved with the community on the internet, and she's involved as an artist.

Creating her street art is how she becomes a shapeshifter.  She's got a spray can in her hands when an injured man stumbles upon her.  And it's when he dies that Meg inherits his ability to shift. Which is part Very Cool, and part Curse.

Other Info

• The plotting revolves around coveted jewels that the shifters are tasked to protect. 
• The shifters fall into four groups: a skulk of foxes, a conspiracy of crows, a rabble of butterflies, and a horde of rats. 

My View

SKULK was a fun adventure and Ms. Best worked hard to make Meg's London come to life.  Class distinctions and the differences between educated people and less educated folk were very realistic, but not over-played and in your face.

One of the things I especially liked was the romance between Meg and Mo, the street artist whose work she admires.  It totally worked for me. And even better, the romance stayed in the background where it belongs. Meg's and Mo's affection wasn't insta-love, nor sappy, nor did it dominate the story.

Now a plot about mystical jewels that need to be protected, and which are being stolen, is nothing new.  But the author's setting and characters are good and make the book worth reading.

You'll need some Suspension of Disbelief. And there's mild, non-graphic violence and some mild swearing.  SKULK would be suitable for Middle-graders, and even Tweens if they are ready for a scene where a 'date' tries to feel Meg up.

RECOMMEND TO those in the mood for a fantasy that doesn't stretch your credibility. Accept shape-shifters in our modern times and you are pretty much good to go. I found it a bit slow to start, but ultimately SKULK was worth the time.

Pam~


SKULK
by Rosie Best

Reading Information:
Page Count: 400
no reading information currently available
-- sample pages and price

In Brief

Principal character:: Meg, she's a rather realistic character for this genre.  She has great strength, but also is vulnerable because of the way her parents treated her.
Voice(s)::  first person
Time Frame:: modern
Cursing::  some
Sexual content::  mild
Humor:: definitely
Creepy:: not really
Fantasy:: yes
Pacing:: it took me a while to be drawn into the story
Disbelief O'meter:: on the low side once you accept premise

Writing (poor/good/amazing):: good
Satisfying:: yes
Worst Part (beginning/middle/end):: beginning
Best Part (beginning/middle/end):: middle
Best Parts::  evil pigeons and the bad characters in general are well done

SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman

**Starred Review** PublishersWeekly
**Starred Review** BookList
**Starred Review** SchoolLibraryJournal
**Starred Review** HornBook

**Starred Review** Kirkus

Dragons!

Okay, there are lots of dragon books out there. But even Tamora Pierce and Christopher Paolini sat up and took notice of this one; going so far as to submit their own reviews. And Seraphina received a bouquet of STARRED reviews from the best journals. The reason being, in my opinion, Rachel Hartman's wonderful prose and excellent world-building.

BACKGROUND

• First there was terrible war, but now a tentative peace exists between humans and dragons. You would think that 40 years of peace would have won over stronger advocates for it's continuance, but prejudices run deep and it wouldn't take much to set off either side, and for hostilities to break out.

• Seraphina lives at court in this world. The queen who first gained the truce still rules, but now she is a grandmother, and Serphina gives her spirited granddaughter music lessons. Seraphina knows dragons more intimately than others. She has a dragon for an instructor in science and math, and her father is the kingdom's legal council on all things dragon.

• Seraphina desires to live a quiet life, but that's not to be. As soon as the Prince is found dead, with his head missing, she is drawn into the mystery of who did it (human or dragon) and why.

OF SPECIAL INTEREST
What's interesting is that the dragons can transform into human form. It's not something they're perfect at. Young dragons are easily identifiable, but old dragons can nearly pass without notice. That they don't has something to do with their culture. Dragons are 'Vulcan-esque' in philosophy. And StarTrek's Spock, they find emotions unpleasant and to be avoidable. A problem, they find, since when they take human form, our gushing endocrine system affects them.

I liked Seraphina. The writing and world building is very good. In fact, Hartman's wordsmithing reminds me of Rae Carson's wonderful Girl of Fire and Thorns.Where I differ from the many professional reviewers is that I wouldn't give it 5-Stars. The first problem that vexed me was the lack of personal descriptions. Clothing and settings were aptly dealt with, however the appearances of the human and dragon characters never jelled for me. I realize that this can be a technique --allowing the reader to fill in the gaps -- but for some reason the lack of description in this book kept me from connecting to the characters as much as I might have wanted. The second problem I had was that the ending did not live up to the overall promise of the book. And at the 'grand moment' of resolution, I found myself oddly disinterested.

Over all, a solid debut novel. Seraphina is a book that fantasy lovers should definitely check out.

Pam T
Somewhere in the X-burbs


SERAPHINA
by Rachel Hartman

Word Count: 112929
Page Count: 480
Accelerated Reading level: 6.0 / points: 18.0
AR quiz: 152448
--sample pages available

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

SHADOW AND BONE has a lot going for it and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to young adults in the mood for a story with an romantic setting, magic, and an intelligent female lead.
Alina is the principle character, although you could also say that this book is also about Mal, her childhood friend. The prologue introduces them as orphans whose families were killed when the war overran their villages, and establishes a Russian-esque country where gold domes dazzle, where tea is served from samovars, and where the peasants are poor and ignorant.

We are introduced to the pair as children, but the story soon hustles us along and we find them on the boarder of the dark zone, preparing to attempt a crossing to the coastline. At this point Alina nor Mal are unimportant figures. Mal is just a tracker and Alina is just a cartographer's assistant... until they enter the dark zone––the desolate light-barren realm where horrible flesh eating creatures thrive.

The troops had prayed to go through the zone unnoticed, but something goes horribly wrong and the feeding frenzy begins. The magic welders fight but they are just overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters; and everyone would have perished except for Alina. For despite the childhood testing, it turns out that she does have magic. A very particular and rare form. And it's upon this, and the endless political desires of others, that the plot turns.

LIKES
-- Leigh Bardugo's use of language is admirable.
--I liked the tension between the characters.
--I really like magic classes and how the magic was generally handled.
--I really liked the secondary characters. Even those that I 'didn't like', if you know what I mean.

NOT CRaZy ABOUTS

--I was all ready to praise this book up one-side and down another until the last big plot twist. It was so hackneyed that a wave of disappointed flowed over me. After that I knew exactly what would happen. Who they would meet up with, and who they wouldn't. And honestly, it made me loose most of my interest in this series.

WHO SHOULD READ IT?

I'd recommend Shadow and Bone to Young Adults and Teens looking for a new book in the magic genre.

Adults...My advice to you is to put your name on the long list at the library and be patient. Shadow and Bone is an enjoyable read, but not a particularly memorable one.

No language.
No real violence.
No 'adult content' except for one kissing scene which almost gets out of hand.

Books to consider first:

• The Girl of Fire and Thorns
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Not for younger readers because of language and sexual content)

Pam T
Somewhere in the X-burbs


SHADOW AND BONE
by Leigh Bardugo

Reading Information:
Word Count: 81,215
Page Count: 368 pages
Accelerated Reading level: 5.3 / points: 12.0
AR quiz: 151863
--sample pages available
-- 1st 5 chapters available in Kindle format

Review: THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann

3.86 Stars from 4,220 GoodReaders

The Unwanteds is one of those books that comes very close to being most excellent. It has features of interest like the stern Quill society and magical creatures and characters-with-flaws, but unfortunately these aren't enough to propel the story above the shoreline of mediocrity.

WASN'T CRaZy ABOUTS

--Even for an MG book, there's not enough background to set the story space. There's no explanation, for example, for how Quill evolved to be the way it is. In fact, there's no concrete description of the world at-large. Is Quill all the only country there is in 'real space'? Are there other countries? Either way, why is Quill so geographically small?

--There's a sort of problem with the magic. In every successful magic-touched book I've read, conjuring comes at a cost. Characters sweat, faint, and/or suffer to perform their art. There's none of that in this book. The magic is everywhere, easy to accomplish, and fairly easy to acquire. Which results in a magic that's actually a bit boring to read about.

--The biggest drawback though is the pacing. The story just moves along too slowly and without enough action for me. Yes, it's cool to talk to chalkboards, but not time and again when the only purpose is to make sure we all know that they can be cranky entities -- not unlike the pictures on the wall in Harry Potter.

LIKES
--I liked the unpleasant nature of Quillian society.
--I liked the tension that came from the idea that the children were going to be eliminated.
--I liked the main mage.
--Lisa McMann is a wonderful wordsmith and the actual language of this book is delightful. So much so that I plan to track down and read some of her WAKE trilogy.
--Tweens and Middle-graders will find food for thought in how people differ in their strengths and interests.


WHO SHOULD READ THIS

I would not recommend this book for adults unless they are going to read it aloud to younger children. (There's no language or adult situation problems therein.) Tweens and Middle-graders might want to check it out at the library. Taste vary wildly, so you never know.

The Unwanteds though is a book that could have used an editor with a whip to tighten up the plot.

Pam~
Somewhere in the X-burbs


The Unwanteds
by Lisa McMann

Reading Information:
Word Count: 68,014
Word Count: 400
Accelerated Reading level: 5.7 / points: 11.0
AR quiz: 146290
Lexile: 880L
--sample pages available

compiled by Pam
updated October 2013


See reading information for THE UNWANTEDS series here...

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched is fun, quick read, a fairy-tale-like romance for young adults. Wendy, our heroine, is a girl that never seemed to fit in. Unfortunately not even in her own family. And while her brother and aunt love her fiercely, her mother and father were frightened and angry about what they fear she is. Evil.

All the confusion begins to make more sense when Finn the Tracker shows up to take Wendy to where she supposed 'really' belongs. And that's all the info you'll get about the story from us.


Switched is part of the Trylle Trilogy. It has been on the New York Times Paperback Best Seller list for 7 weeks, as of today's post, and it's listed as Amazon.com's #3,530 bestseller in books. I picked it up because my middle-school niece raved about the series, asking me if I had downloaded Torn to my Kindle, and if so, whether she borrow it. She got her copy of book #2 long ago, but I've only just started reading Switched yesterday.

As far as content there are some passionate kisses and pseudo-adult situations -- by which I mean that adults might have had affairs in the past, but everything with the young people is kept safe and pristine. They may sleep in the same room, and we all know what-could-have-happened, but nothing does. And it's for that saccharine tone, lack of grit, and lack of kick-butt action that I would say that this book won't be for all of the adults (like moi) who enjoy YAlit.

A light, enjoyable read. Good stuff.


Switched
Torn
Ascend
all by Amanda Hocking

Switched
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (2012)
ISBN-10: 1250006317


Pam T
Somewhere in the X-burbs