Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood

Published:  October 14th, 2014
Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood
By: William J. Mann
Harper Collins
ISBN-13:  9780062242167

By the 1920s, the movies had suddenly become America's new favorite pastime, and one of the nation's largest industries.  Never before had a medium posessed such power to influence.  Yet Hollywood's glittering ascendency was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies -- including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Director's Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.

In a fiendishly involving narrative, bestselling Hollywood chronicler William J. Mann draws on a rich host of sources, including recently released FBI files, to unpack the story of the enigmatic Taylor and the diverse cast that surrounded him -- including three beautiful, ambitious actresses; a grasping stage mother; a devoted valet; and a gang of two-bit thugs, any of whom might have fired the fatal bullet.  And overseeing this entire landscape of intrigue was Adolph Zukor, the brilliant and ruthless founder of Paramount, locked in a struggle for control of the industry and desperate to conceal the truth about the crime.  Along the way, Mann brings to life Los Angeles in the Roaring Twenties: a sparkling yet schizophrenic town filled with party girls, drug dealers, religious zealots, newly-minted legends and starlets already past their prime -- a dangerous place where the powerful could run afoul of the desperate.

A true story recreated with the suspense of a novel, Tinseltown is the work of a storyteller at the peak of his powers -- and the solution to a crime that has stumped detectives and historians for nearly a century.

Review

       As someone who loves film history, and has more than a passing interest in the Silent Film Era, some of the names in this book weren't unfamiliar to me (Adolph Zukor, Mabel Normand, Marcus Loew, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Will Hays) - others I had never heard of until this book (William Desmond Taylor, Mary Miles Minter, Margaret "Gibby" Gibson).  Considering I had never even heard of this murder/scandal except in passing when watching Kevin Brownlow's excellent documentary, "Hollywood: Pioneers," it sounded fascinating to me personally.  It reads just like I want my non-fiction to: like a novel instead of a textbook.  The scene is well set, with Mann traveling sixteen months back in time, to the events preceding the murder in the lives of those involved, and the other major players in Hollywood either affected by scandal (movie stars) or trying to avoid it (moguls).  There is some especially interesting stuff about the pursuits of Adolph Zukor, the co-head of Famous Players-Lasky who eventually founded Paramount Pictures, to monopolize the profits of the industry.  The view into the "boy's club" of the moguls, who were in competition often and didn't even like each other really, and the way they banded together against the censorship of the women's church groups and temperance unions was especially interesting to read about.  The power plays to avoid the collapse of the movies based on censorship (and their considerable fortunes) eventually led to the moguls hiring government official Will Hays to be the voice of morality in the movies (really their way of circumventing the govt. actually)! 

     The chain of events leading to the murder leaves us with a few scenarios.  Did teenaged actress Mary Miles Minter, practically delusional in her affections, kill Taylor?  Or was it her raging stage mother, Charlotte Shelby, who had threatened Taylor on a few occasions, and who was known to become violently angry?  Also in the pool of suspects, a former valet who had played fast and loose with Taylor's property and knew some of his secrets (including a secret family and possible male lover), another actress Mabel Normand (although not so much her as her former cocaine dealers), and Margaret "Gibby" Gibson, a former colleague of Taylor's who had fallen on hard times after an arrest in a brothel ruined her career, and in with a group of low-life, petty "bunco" thieves.  We are given plenty of background on everyone, their interactions with Taylor, the evidence the police were going on, and all of them had reasons to committ the murder.  But the investigation was doomed from the start.  Before the house was even declared a crime scene, the body had been moved around, studio people had stolen all of Taylor's personal papers from upstairs and the D.A., a possible lover of Shelby's, protected her & Mary from questioning, tampered with the evidence in lockup (lots of it disappearing).  Shelby's mother disposed of her gun, possibly a murder weapon, before the police could get ahold of it.  None of the people in this book led happy lives, most of them being semi-tragic to completely tragic figures of film history.

       I will not spoil the conclusion that Mann comes to, suffice it to say that I think it is kind of a convenient leap, but at the same time it makes sense.  Also, the deathbed "confession" would make no sense as a false one.  The person had absolutely NOTHING to gain from it at that point in time!  All the connections are there, whereas the evidence for the popular favorite suspect doesn't quite add up the way it should, if it were the correct answer to the question (at least the way the evidence is presented).  I will agree with other readers that the over-stressing of Zukor's short stature, megalomania, and absolute base lack of any human emotion (according to Mann anyway, from what I can tell) did get overused and annoying.  It did diminish my enjoyment of the narrative at several points.  It became redundant.  Althought the juxtaposition of Zukor with his rival Loew, and even Will Hays when it came to dealing with the scandals, Arbuckle's ongoing trials especially, was an intriguing piece of psychology.  I also think that Desmond Taylor could have been more fleshed out, even if that meant sacrificing some of the side-narrative.  I didn't feel like I really knew him, even by the time the end of the book rolled around.  All in all, a highly enjoyable read that will not necessarily leave you with the answers promised in the blurb.  But I had such a darn interesting time I didn't really care.  Besides with all the tampering and how many years have passed, it's probably unsolvable at this point, at least with true evidentiary certainty of any kind.  On a side note, now I want to read more from Mann and at least one biography on Mabel Normand and one on Fatty Arbuckle!  I also need to get ahold of a non-review copy of this to look at the pictures!  Recommended for fellow lovers of true crime and the REAL Old Hollywood (before the talkies).  :D

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I  received this book from Harper Collins, on Edelweiss.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on October 14th, 2014.*

You Would Cry Too If It Happened To You

Expected Publication:  September 30th, 2014

Party Games (Fear Street)

By: R.L. Stine

St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN-13:  9781250051615

Her friends warn her not to go to Brendan Fear's birthday party at his family's estate on mysterious Fear Island.  But Rachel Martin has a crush on Brendan and is excited to be invited.  Brendan has a lot of party games planned.  But one game no one planned intrudes on his party -- the game of murder.  As the guests start dying one by one, Rachel realizes to her horror that she and the other teenagers are trapped on the tiny island with someone who may want to kill them all.  How to escape this deadly game?  Rachel doesn't know whom she can trust.  She should have realized nothing is as it seems...on Fear Island.  

Review

     When I was a kid I used to devour R.L. Stine's books, like they were my favorite candy or something!  I read most of the Goosebumps books, plenty of the off-shoot series, and the choose your own fate books.  But my absolute favorites, were the Fear Street books.  Something about that creepy Fier/Fear family and their curse (along with their tendencies towards evil) really drew me in to their world.  Most of the stories take place on Fear Street itself, which seems to have absorbed its namesake's evil.  Some are about the history of Fear Street and some are about the present.  My favorites were always the ones that combined the two (i.e. the Fear Park trilogy, the Fear Street Saga series, & the Fear Street Sagas [completely different and not to be confused]).  This wasn't one of them, but that's okay!  I was still extremely excited to read it.  There's still a very childlike part of me that loves a good scare.

     This book centers around a girl named Rachel Martin, who is the definition of average.  She's nothing special lookswise, her sister got all the brains, she has a hard time socializing, and her family isn't wealthy.  In fact, Rachel's father lost his job recently and now works at the Wal*Mart a town away at significantly less pay.  Her Mom has been sick with Lyme disease and unable to work.  So Rachel has taken a job waitressing at Lefty's, the local teen hangout, to help with the bills.  Imagine her surprise when wealthy, interesting (if somewhat geeky) Brendan Fear invites her to his birthday party out on Fear Island.  She's always had a crush on Brendan, so she ignores the warnings of her best friend Amy and slightly creepy, possessive ex-boyfriend Mac.  She's going to the birthday party and she has a good time doing it - until people start turning up dead.  Is Rachel going to be the next victim?  Is the island really haunted?  Can she get out of there alive, or will the Fear family's curse of evil claim another victim?

     There have been better books in this series.  But there have been worse too and people need to remember, it's a less than 200-page, pulpy teen horror book.  It's not meant to have deep character development or even be that well-written.  It's sole purpose is to provide the aforementioned horror and bring some scariness into your life!  It was fun reading for me, even if it wasn't the next YA classic novel.  It had some especially creepy scenes, including the deaths (or were they?) of the other kids and a pit on the island that Rachel gets trapped in.  Probably the only thing I really though was overkill, was the taxidermist ghost.  It wasn't creepy, just kind of bizarre.  Also, Brendan Fear is a gamer geek and doesn't really have that spark of sadistic evil in him quite like the other men and women of his lineage.  It was a little disappointing.  The whole thing with the murders was something I had figured out almost immediately.  But then a secondary plotline I wasn't at ALL expecting hopped on the train!  Overall, I enjoyed reading it.  This book definitely took me back to a less complicated time and made me feel creeped out in the most delicious way.  I think it's a great step back into the pond for R.L. Stine and a good introduction to the series for new readers.  A solid effort, for the pulpy novel it is.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*I  received this book from St. Martin's Griffin, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  The expected publication date is September 30th, 2014.*

Creeping Up Behind You

Published:  April 15th, 2014
Don't Look Back
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Disney Hyperion
ISBN-13:  9781423187738

Samantha is a stranger in her own life.  Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her before that night.  As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of.  The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies.  Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery.  She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her - even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts of what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory - someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet.  All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on.  But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review

     Sam is found wandering barefoot and bruised, far from home and with no memory of anything in her life before that moment.  She's been missing for days, and while everyone is relieved to see her, there is just one important question left: where is Cassie?  Sam's best friend disappeared at the same time as she did and hasn't returned, or been heard from since.  With the help of her parents and her twin brother Scott, as strange to her as they may be, Sam feels like she might be able to get a handle on herself soon.  But then she goes back to school and finds out that she is basically head bitch, and her boyfriend Del is far from the perfect guy everyone thinks.  The only one she seems to be able to trust is Carson Ortiz, the son of her family's groundskeeper.  They used to be friends, and he looked out for her even after Sam started treating him like a dirtbag.  Mysterious notes begin showing up in impossible places and the hidden secrets and lies of everyone in Sam's life make everyone a suspect.  Where is Cassie and what really happened to her?  Most frightening of all, is Sam going to be next?
     I have been a fan of Jennifer Armentrout's since I first read Obsidian, the first book in her Lux series (one of my first review books, actually).  So now, more than a few books later, I was intrigued to see her take a hand at mysteries in a style that reminded me a bit of the Lois Duncan books I was obsessed with in the late 90s to early 2000s.  The writing itself is extremely solid and gives just enough description to draw you in, just like with all her other books.  I kept reading, because I desperately wanted to know what happened next!  I quite liked Sam, though she did seem to take the amnesia thing rather too well.  And the attitude of acceptance towards the possessive and borderline brutish behavior of her so-called boyfriend Del, was a little bit off-putting.  It's mostly a matter of how you would react in a situation where you have no memories of anything or anyone, to tell you who to trust or how to act/react to things that are happening.  Especially when you're in a situation where someone potentially murdered your best friend/frenemie and could murder you if you recover from your amnesia.
     The build-up and resolution the the mystery of Cassie's disappearance/death was not all that surprising.  I was pretty sure by the time I was about halfway through who had done it.  Jennifer managed to drop a couple really emphasized remarks that served as some big, honkin' clues to who the murderer was and what exact motive they might have had.  It was very neatly tied up and I enjoyed the character transformation that Sam undergoes throughout the book and I liked that by the time the end came, she did get her memory back.  Change isn't true change until you can make a choice based on all the facts and experiences involved.  The brother/sister relationship rebuild between Sam and Scott was wonderful and yes, they didn't get along all the time.  But that's what made it that much more realistic.  And he stood by her, even when they had previously been enemies and he could've been an asshole instead.  True family bonds, people, are a thing of beauty.  The romance between Carson and Sam was pretty swoony and I enjoyed it, but I was also glad it wasn't the focus of the entire book.  All in all, I enjoyed this one but it was a little more two-dimensional than Armentrout's normal work and the mystery could've used something extra.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Deadly Inside, Somewhere REALLY Deep Down...

Published:  December 18th, 2012

Deadly Little Lessons (Touch #5)

By: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Hyperion Book CH

ISBN-13:  9781423131625

Camelia Hammond's trying junior year of high school is finally over...but her troubles aren't.  After she discovers a painful truth about her family, she escapes to a summer arts program in Rhode Island.  Determined to put family - and boyfriend - drama behind her, she throws herself into her artwork.

At art school, she gets caught up in the case of Sasha Beckerman, a local girl who is missing.  Even though all signs suggest that the teen ran away, Camelia senses otherwise.  Eager to help the girl, she launches her own investigation.  She finds a blog by someone named Neal Moche, a psychometric who might have clues to Sasha's whereabouts.  There is something familiar about Neal, and Camelia realizes how much she misses Ben, despite being committed to Adam.

But time is running out for Sasha, and Camelia will have to trust her powers if she's to save her.  Will the lessons Camelia has learned in the past give her the strength to do so?

Review

     The last book in a series.  One that I started reading in 2011, a few months before book four was released.  So I didn't have to wait from book to book, like many other readers (I know the agony from other series though).  However these were just a fun, no pressure series (my version of book junk food) to read in between heavy hitters.  That said, I had been enjoying the series but felt like book four was too much  rehash and way too much romantic angst.  I was hoping that this one would get back to the roots of the series, which started out fairly interesting and decently well-written.  Yeah, access denied on that particular dream world/alternate reality.

     So, the synopsis is a big fat liar.  In the first paragraph, it says that Camelia goes to Rhode Island for a summer art program, to get away from her problems.  In reality she goes to Rhode Island to find out what really happened to missing teen Sasha Beckerman, because she has gotten obsessed with the case in the wake of some major family problems.  Her parents have been keeping a pretty big secret from Camelia and she finds out entirely by accident, when her Grandma calls the house looking for her Aunt Alexia.  It was understandable that Camelia was freaked out, upset and angry about the secret and what it meant for her personally.  My first WTF moment was when she went out of her way to hide it from Adam (her "boyfriend" - more on that later) and Kimmie & Wes (her two "best" friends who really are just there to play a part in all her drama).  Yeah, so she bottles it all in and is a dick to everyone.  Plus, she keeps taking Wes' car without his permission when he follows her to the art program and investigating the kidnapping on her own, with no help.  She has no self-preservation instincts and doesn't like to think ahead, just so you know.

     Probably my biggest issue with this book is the love triangle between Camelia, Adam and Ben - more specifically the resolution that Stolarz comes to after five books of angst and uncertainty.  The issues has always been that Ben and Adam are both seriously good guys, with no real asshole tendencies that allow Camelia to make an easy romantic decision.  Somehow in this book Adam becomes an insensitive asshole, who just wants Camelia to just get over her problems.  After all, she should be focusing on their relationship and never giving anything difficult in second life.  What the actual fuck???!!!  And then later in the book, while she's still stringing along Adam knowing it won't ever go anywhere, Camelia reunites with Ben and they get together.  This is less than an hour after finally deciding to cut Adam loose.  After all, he was only her back-up plan.  Also, the way she blew off her classes and assignments for the art program was really spastic.  She acted like a complete moron to her teachers, skipped most of her classes and overall just didn't give a flying fuck about actually doing, y'know, art.  Hence why the synopsis is so laughable!  

      Overall, the ending was predictable and all the plot twists were really uninspired.  The romance and reunion of Camelia and Ben was so sickly sweet and goopy it makes me gag just thinking back on it.  Camelia spent most of the book treating everyone like dirt, making stupid decisions and acting like a brat in general.  Not the worst book I'ver ever read, but if you're new to the series I'd say don't even bother reading it.  The "ending" (which gives more questions than real answers) will just piss you off.  The payoff wasn't really worth the effort.

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Review of "Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer" and GIVEAWAY!!! :)

Expected Publication:  September 29th, 2013

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

By: Katie Alender

Scholastic Press

ISBN-13:  9780545468091

Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

Review

     Colette Iselin is determined to make it on her class trip to Paris.  She'll do anything to retain her popularity and image, even in the face of an ugly divorce between her parents, with reduced financial circumstances to top it off.  Finally having become friends with the too most rich and popular girls in school, Colette is determined to hold her social standing - hiding the reality of her lack of money and her new scholarship student status.  Once in France, Colette finds herself torn between being true to who she really is and what makes her happy & pleasing the mean girl who is her "best friend."  Also, high profile families once belonging to a secret society in service to Marie Antoinette are being killed in particularly gruesome ways - losing their heads just like the long-dead royal.  It's up to Colette to find a way to stop the killer or she might be next, because it turns out that Colette's family might have committed the worst betrayal of them all.  Can she save herself and her friends, learning in the meantime what's important in life?

     I wasn't sure what exactly I was going to think of this book, as I had seen some pretty negative reviews for it beforehand.  But once I got started I really enjoyed my time spent reading this one!  Colette goes through some serious character growth in this book, starting as a less vocally mean version of Gretchen from Mean Girls, and becoming her own person who makes friends based on who they are - instead of their popularity or bank accounts.  She is rude to her Mom and brother in the beginning, treating them like they are beneath her and all she wants is to stay with her Dad in New York so she'll have money again.  After everything she goes through in France and witnessing the easy and downright happy relationship her tour guide/love interest Jules shares with his family, Colette's attitude adjusts more favorably.  The dynamic between Colette and her mean girl friends Pilar & ringleader Hannah, versus the dynamic between her and tour guide Jules & laid-back, semi-outcast Audrey.  The relationships between all he girls are definitely true to real life high school girls and the mean girl traps they can fall into regarding each other.  But never are any of the girls portrayed as evil, only unthinkingly cruel and snobbish at the very worst.  

     I agree with other reviewers that this book is more of a teen drama/coming of age story, in the guise of a gory thriller/murder mystery.  It was a pretty well-conceived mystery though, with the murders not following any obvious pattern until Colette begins uncovering the connection between the victims.  The mysterious key/necklace she finds in her Grandmother's belongings at home before coming to France also make up part of the puzzle for Colette.  The only part that really rang falsely for me were the confrontations between the murderous ghost of Marie Antoinette and Colette.  I just never felt like the threat was real or I should take it all that seriously.  Overall, the writing  and plot in this book were pretty solid, but the character development in Colette and the descriptions of France itself were what made the book for me.  The secret society aspect definitely didn't hurt things either!  I would recommend it for a fun, somewhat light (if still thought-inducing) read.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is September 29th, 2013.*

***Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway below, to win some awesome Marie Antoinette themed prizes, including a copy of this book! :)  Good Luck and the rules are on the 'Copter.  May the best (wo)man win! 

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Catch Me If You Can

Expected Publication:  September 24th, 2013

Find Me

By: Romily Bernard

HarperTeen

ISBN-13:  9780062229038

“Find Me.”

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.

Because it just got personal.

Review

     Wick has been in foster care now for long enough to know that the only person who can really help her, is herself.  So she is farming out her hacking skills to make extra cash for when she and her sister Lily are inevitably (in her opinion) kicked out of their current placement.  She's just trying to keep her head down and stay unnoticed at school and at home.  So when her former friend Tessa Waye appears to have committed suicide, Wick is shocked to find her diary laying on the doorstep.  Someone wants Wick to find out what really happened to Tessa - who killed her and why.  It will take all of Wick's hacking skills, the help of Griff, the one boy she just might be able to let in (with secrets of his own) and her inner detective to find the truth,  But when Wick's explosive Dad is released from prison and her sister Lily becomes the killer's next target, just what will Wick have to sacrifice to save Lily - and give her a life worth having?

     This was definitely different from my normal reads.  Normally I don't go for thriller/suspense books, but honestly most of the time this really didn't feel like it was committed to those as its primary genres.  For the the vast majority of this book, I felt like the plot was fixated on the criminal, family drama of Wick and Lily's Dad, their Mom's suicide and the foster system they're being bounced around in.  To me, this book was a lot more about a girl who has been bashed around by life learning to trust someone and change her life with the help of others.  Not to mention the crazed, pedophiliac killer.  Can't forget that of course!  The relationship between Wick and her sister was one of my main problems with this book which I otherwise enjoyed.  I just did not believe they were as close as they both said they were.  Wick did everything for Lily, who treated her like dirt and basically turned on Wick when they got taken in by a couple that treats them like their real daughters.  I wasn't feeling the sort of togetherness that Wick waxed on about so much.  

     Wick and Griff's relationship was also kind of a bit much for me.  They didn't even ever really talk to each other and all of the sudden when he's drawn into a hacking job with Wick's Dad's "friend" they start a flirtation, which leads to Wick trusting him implicitly in regards to her entire life.  This includes her half-cocked plans to draw out the killer using Facebook and tracking I.P. addresses from his online activity.  I am glad, in a way, that the book was more character focused than story focused.  Because if the story had been the point, this would have been just like reading some cheap paperback thriller, only even more predictable if that's at all possible.  I knew pretty early in who the killer was and the "motivations" behind it.  Really the mystery was non-existent and the only real suspense was how it was all going to go down when Wick faced off with the killer.  I liked this book quite a bit, but it was definitely NOT the best YA thriller/mystery I've ever read - not even close to it.  I would recommend this for some light fluff, maybe a good pick for reluctant readers as it did go by awfully quick.  If you're in search of complexity, pass this one by cause it'll only disappoint you.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is September 24th, 2013.*

Speak Nothing But The Truth

 

Expected Publication: September 26th, 2013

All The Truth That's In Me

By: Julie Berry

Viking Juvenile

9780670786152

 

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

 

Review

 

     Judith is as outcast in Roswell Station, with most of its inhabitants thinking she's dumb and covered by sin due to tragic events from two years ago.  She can speak, learn and feel just as she did before - the only difference now is that the boy she loves is ignoring her and she is missing half of her tongue, which her captor cut out of her mouth.  No one calls her by name anymore and her brother only addresses her as 'Worm.'  But when the town comes under attack, Judith must make a decision that will change things forever: retrieve her captor (who everyone in town believes to be dead) and possibly save everyone, or stay silent and watch everyone she cares about die.  But the fallout of playing the hero may be greater than Judith ever could have imagined.  With both good and bad consequences rearing their heads, she may be forced to finally tell the truth of what happened in the two years she was gone.  Can Judith speak out against  Lottie's murderer and clear her own name of evil?  Or will Judith be convicted of things she's innocent of?  Also, can she ever have another chance with Lucas, the boy she still loves with all her heart?

     From the cover and synopsis, I expected this book to be a contemporary fiction book along the lines of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.  What I got instead was a historical fiction novel, set in the heart of America during the time of the Puritans and their unyielding beliefs/morals.  Judith is a sixteen year old girls who was kidnapped and sent back with half of her tongue cut out.  Unable to tell everyone what happened (and not eagerly willing to either, for reasons that become evident when the truth finally comes out at the end), they all assume that her virtue is gone and shun her, much like Old Order Amish used to shun their people who broke the rules and refused repentance.  Judith is denied even her basic humanity and the book is told in her letters to Lucas, the boy she has loved since childhood who no longer notices her.  This book was heart-wrenching, told with such emotion and hesitance on Judith's part.  Yet there was a deeper observation gained from the loss of her speech that lent something truly unique to the narration. 

     The journey of Judith from the start of this book to the finish is of a girl who has lost her very identity, struggling to regain some sense of self and independence along with it.  I loved the connection that grew between Judith and her brother, Darrell, was so wonderful in its reality.  They don't all of the sudden love and respect each other.  He still calls her names and they still fight.  But when Darrell gets wounded in the battle things slowly begin to change.  I especially love when Judith starts going to school with Darrell (even if she does have to deal with the creepy schoolmaster making advances on her cause he thinks she can't tell anyone).  Her friendship with Maria and their speech therapy were well done, helping Judith to understand that it wasn't wrong or evil for her to speak up for herself again.  Maria helps her realize her own strength.  The relationship with Lucas seemed really one-sided a lot of the time, probably mostly as an after-effect of the style of the narrative.  We see, hear, feel and overall experience things as Judith does.  We don't really get any outside points of view or experience perspectives in this one.  Judith's revelations at the end of the novel regarding her virtue and the identity of Lottie's killer weren't necessarily truly shocking to me as a reader, but her decision to tell the whole truth struck me as really brave, especially when they all want to punish her for crimes they're unsure of and for just being too different.  The transformation of Judith through the novel is something to behold and even with pacing that is awkward sometimes, this book is one of the best that I've read this year.  It will destroy you in ways that only a truly good book can.  I highly recommend this to readers who like historical fiction and aren't averse to intense subject matter.  Not for the faint of heart! :)

 

VERDICT:  4.75/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is September 26th, 2013.*

Eat Your Heart Out

Published: June 11th, 2013

Another Little Piece

By: Kate Kayrus Quinn

HarperTeen

ISBN-13:  9780062135957

The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

Review

     Annaliese Rose Gordon has suddenly reappeared after being gone for a year, with everyone thinking she was dead.  The last time anyone saw her was at a party, screaming and covered in blood.  Now that she's back, Anna can't remember anything about her past or where she's been for the last year.  She begins to uncover the past with only a straight razor carved with the names of other girls, half-memories and a creepy boy following her around talking of someone called 'the Physician.'  But when she begins to truly investigate with the help of her outcast neighbor Dex, she discovers that some things are better left buried.  Anna just may have made a bargain with the devil and with a desperate, unholy hunger about to consume her she must decided whether to continue on the path to Hell or finally make the right decision.

      The book starts off with Anna in a mental ward, being assessed by Doctors after she has been missing for a year.  With a chunk of her brain missing and her memory gone with it, Anna is almost completely dissociated from reality.  She calls her parents "the Mom" and "the Dad" not really claiming them as her own.  It turns out this attitude is for good reason, as Anna is an interloper who got the real Annaliese to make a devil's bargain and give her body over for Anna's use.  Using the wishes of other girls and their desperation, Anna has been body jumping since her own life was abruptly shattered.  The whole concept of the 'deal' was completely and utterly creepy.  As someone who doesn't generally read horror, the especially graphic passage of text describing Annaliese cutting out Anna's heart and eating it could have been enough to make me stop reading - if I wasn't too damned curious for my own good!  One thing that almost did make me stop reading was the stalkerish behavior of Annaliese's previous 'boyfriend' Logan, but with the what could be called a curse working on his sensibilities, I had to cut him some slack.  But he was pretty disturbing.  

     The characters in this one are pretty abstract, although we get to know both Annaliese and the creature/lost girl Anna through flashbacks/memories as she starts to regain knowledge of her many lives and deaths.  Honestly the whole subplot with Frankie and the Physician just made things all that much more creepy.  Especially since Frankie's sick obsession is what propels his continued interest in Anna, even after she is in the bodies of other girls.  Quinn definitely captures the feeling of being an outcast in a world where you decidedly don't belong.  I thought the revelation of Dex's secret and why he's so obsessed with terrible things to be interesting, if a bit cliched.  The ending of this one was okay, but I think I would have been happier and it would have made a lot more sense if no second chances were afforded.  It just didn't sit right with me.  The connection between Anna, Gwen (Annaliese's best friend) and Annaliese was interesting and well drawn.  It was a believable way for Anna to ingratiate herself into the life of her next victim.  I give the author major props for keeping me so invested, even when my stomach was in turmoil! :)  I definitely see the parallels between this and the type of grotesque horror that Stephen King specializes in.  Even with paranormal undertones, the graphically horrific situations were enough to turn my stomach.  This may not have been the right book for me personally, but it was a really interesting debut and I'd definitely recommend it to fans of horror, who have strong stomachs for gore.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on June 11th, 2013.*

Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair

 

Published:  May 10th, 2011 (Originally published in 2009)

Ruby Red (Ruby Red Trilogy # 1)

By: Kerstin Gier

Henry Holt

ISBN-13:  9780805092523

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Review

     Gwyneth Shepherd has a very unusual family - into each generation one of it's members is born with the time travel gene!  There was a prophecy by from Sir Isaac Newton about this generation's member, and all the family believes that Gwen's cousin Charlotte is the one it speaks of.  She has been trained since birth to travel through time and they are expecting that it will happen any day now.  What no one counted on was a lie told by Gwen's Mom, trying to avoid the prophecy.  So when Gwen time travels during class she is absolutely shocked by it.  After she tells the family Gwen is thrown headlong into a whirl of secret societies, mysterious history and good versus evil.  Paired with another teenage time traveler, Gideon, it is soon apparent that Gwen is in way over her head.  Going up against Gideon's Uncle and her Aunt, who disappeared years before after stealing one of two machines owned by the Society that is dangerous in the wrong hands, the two must find a way to recover it before its too late.  And will their growing feelings for each other get in the way of their mission and put everyone at risk?

     Gwen was an interesting main character for sure.  She spends her whole life thinking that she's ordinary and her pretentious cousin Charlotte is the special one.  Only to learn that she herself is about to have adventures she never even dreamed of.  I thought that Gier managed an interesting and original time-travel mythology all her own.  I liked the explanations of the society that Gwen got, the mystery surrounding her Aunt Lucy and Gideon's Uncle running off together and the way the sudden addition of time travel into her life affects Gwen herself.  She has a great sense of humor, but is a little low on self-worth in regards to Gideon and Charlotte especially.  Gwen's best friend Lesley was hilarious and I was smiling every time her antics were happening on the page.  Gwen has told her everything about her crazy, time travel gene carrying family and Lesley not only believes her but is super excited to be included in the whole thing.  The friendship has no real reasoning behind it that we're given, but the loyalty and true strength of it is definitely shown whenever the girls are together.

     Gwen's Mom seemed like a nice lady, but I thought that her reasons for trying to hide the prophecy were weak and selfish.  She had to have known the truth would come out - there was no way around it.  Charlotte was portrayed as inherently obnoxious and a self-entitled, priggish, know it all.  But at times the reader would catch a glimpse of her as just a normal teenage girl, thrust into becoming someone not of her own making.  It's understandable she's be lost without what had become her identity.  As for Gideon, I agree with a lot of other readers who say that he acts like a douchebag to Gwen for the majority of the novel, all because he refuses to get to know her.  Gideon falsely stereotypes her just because she hasn't been training since birth (does everything to let her know he thinks she's stupid, except for just coming right out and saying it).  The romance between them was bare bones at best, insta-love at worst.  The mystery, world-building and time travel aspects are just interesting enough to almost cancel this particular fault out though.  The ending of the book finally gives us a window into the mysterious, 'evil' relatives and from the cliffhanger/surprise revelation, I am super interested in reading the rest of the series just to know how it plays out.  Overall, it fed my time travel addiction quite well but it reads a little young for my usual taste.  Unless you're okay with middle grade fiction (the level this reads at in my opinion) don't touch it;  or you'll spend the whole book frustrated and no one deserves that when reading a book.  If you like adventure and mystery, with a touch of fantasy though give it a whirl.

*On a side note, which cover do you guys like the best?  The original German, the American cover or the Polish one?  These are just a few as the series has been translated into quite a number of languages.  I like the German one best personally! :)

VERDICT:  3.5/5 Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Heaven Knows, Anything Goes

Published:  November 8th, 2012
Sirens (Faithful # 3)
By: Janet Fox
Speak
ISBN-13:  9780142424308

When Jo Winter’s parents send her off to live with her rich cousin on the glittering island of Manhattan, it’s to find a husband and forget about her brother Teddy’s death. But all that glitters is not gold.. 

Caught up in the swirl of her cousin’s bobbed-hair set—and the men that court them— Jo soon realizes that the talk of marriage never stops, and behind the seemingly boundless gains are illicit business endeavors, gangsters, and their molls. Jo would much rather spend time the handsome but quiet Charles, a waiter at the Algonquin Hotel, than drape herself over a bootlegger. But when she befriends a moll to one of the most powerful men in town, Jo begins to uncover secrets—secrets that threaten an empire and could secure Jo’s freedom from her family. 

Can her newfound power buy her love? Or will it ruin Jo, and everyone around her?

Review

     Jo Winter is still getting over her brother Teddy's sudden death, when her parents decide to ship her off to New York to live with her rich relatives.  All she wants is to finish high school, go to college and become a working woman - do something exciting with her life.  Jo definitely isn't ready for a husband, which is supposedly the reason her parents send her to her cousin Melody (a notorious flapper).  In reality it's to remove her from danger, because the famous gangster Danny Connor has been causing trouble for her bootlegger Father.  And it's all got something to do with Teddy...  Befriending Louise 'Lou' O'Keefe, Danny's Irish girlfriend, is either the smartest or dumbest move Jo could make.  A jealous gangster's moll is nothing to take lightly.  When she discovers Teddy's journal, the mystery behind his 'death' really begins to unfold, as she solves clues to find missing pages.  Danny Connor would do anything to get his hands on that journal as it holds some of his most closely guarded secrets.  Even committing deadly acts that Jo might never get the chance to escape from.  Can she make it out of a harsh new life of crime, booze and partying alive, or will becoming a flapper be the end of Jo?

     I expected this to be something like the Bright Young Things series by Anna Godberson - of which I am not a fan.  I was hoping for something like the Flapper series by Jillian Larkin.  What I got was neither of those things - it was book entirely it's own, shiny new take on the 1920's Prohibition, organized crime and partying phenomenon.   This was a book about a girl who actually doesn't care about being a flapper, as much as she'd like to be an independent career girl.  Also the one flapper we really get to know, her cousin Melody, has a tragic backstory of her own.  She is really only going through the motions and has something that matters more to her than partying ever could - even if she is disillusioned by life.  I liked that it went back and forth between Jo's point of view and Lou's.  They were two completely different women and it was definitely interesting to see the obvious discrepancies in the way they view the world.  Being Irish and poor in America in the early 1900's forced Lou to fend for herself or find someone to take care of her - she chose the latter, and went with Danny Connor.  Jo, from a very different background, is also learning that same lesson throughout the novel, but she chooses to fend for herself.

     Along with the romance and partying in this book, came a murder mystery.  The death of Jo's brother Teddy also was linked with a real-life political bombing that Fox used to very good affect.  Probably the major issue that I had with this book it the absolutely stupid way that Jo's parents chose to try and 'protect' her.  She gets sent to New York, and everyone is told where she's going!  Yeah, that's gonna make it hard to find her for reals Mr. and Mrs. Winter!  Also, her brother was perfect in her imaginings and remembrances.  I would have preferred to have REAL moments between them.  Especially from after Teddy returned from WWI.  He was most likely suffering from some form of shell-shock (PTSD) like many soldiers were and that kind of thing utterly fucks you up.  And if a guy goes to work for a known mobster and also gets involved what is basically a terrorist political group, he's far from some perfect knight in shining armor!  The way the actions builds toward the ending was fast-paced, but extremely cliched and I was rolling my eyes throughout.  I would have liked to have seen more about Melody.  Frankly, it might have been a better book that made tons more sense if it had been about her instead of Jo.  That said, I did enjoy it even if it's not a favorite or the best book ever.  I especially enjoyed the detailed descriptions of NY in the 1920's.  Fox has a serious gift with words.  I am going to be going back and reading the first two for sure.  Overall a good read, and if you like mysteries and 1920's settings, you should try it out.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

No Chains To Oppress Me

Published:  May 14th, 2013

The Caged Graves

By: Dianne K. Salerni

Clarion Books

ISBN-13:  9780547868530

17-year-old Verity Boone expects a warm homecoming when she returns to Catawissa, Pennsylvania, in 1867, pledged to marry a man she has never met. Instead, she finds a father she barely knows and a future husband with whom she apparently has nothing in common. One truly horrifying surprise awaits her: the graves of her mother and aunt are enclosed in iron cages outside the local cemetery. Nobody in town will explain why, but Verity hears rumors of buried treasure and witchcraft. Perhaps the cages were built to keep grave robbers out . . . or to keep the women in. Determined to understand, Verity finds  herself in a life-and-death struggle with people she trusted.

Inspired by a pair of real caged graves in present-day Catawissa, this historical YA novel weaves mystery, romance, and action into a suspenseful drama with human greed and passion at its core.

Review

     Verity Boone has spent the majority of her life living with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins and now that she is 17 years old her Father finally wants to bring her home.  After corresponding with Nathaniel, a young man she has never met but who her Father approves of, Verity becomes engaged and travels back to Catawissa, Pennsylvania, the place where she was born.  Her Father is always out in the fields and she never sees him.  Plus Nate, her fiance, seems like a completely different person than the man she got to know through his letters.  Feeling alone and unwanted, Verity latches onto a mystery surrounding her Mother and Aunt - and why their graves are caged in and outside of the cemetery's consecrated ground.  Discovering her Mother's diaries only gives Verity more questions, even when it looks like no one is going to answer her.  With whispers of witchcraft and legends of buried treasure, things quickly escalate into a deadly situation in which Verity may not make it out alive.  Can she solve the mystery, get her Mother and Aunt moved into the cemetery where they belong and figure out where her heart truly lies before it's too late?

     I was expecting some tame historical fiction novel, with an easily solved mystery thrown in.  What I got instead was a truly suspenseful tale of Revolutionary War treasure, murder and intrigue in a small town in Pennsylvania.  I liked Verity a decent amount and thought she was definitely a catalyst for interesting events.  But I got annoyed with her indecision in regards to Nate, who she literally drops everything for at the beginning of the novel and decides to marry sight-unseen.  She chooses to make some snap judgments about his real personality and starts flirting with the Doctor's apprentice Hadley (because he pays her more attention).  I liked Nate and thought that she was way too harsh on him for not being her exact ideal.  Their romance when she starts to realize how wrong she's been though is super cute.  I loved the mystery aspect of this novel.  It's centered around Verity's love for her Mother, and her inability to let the past go - but in a good way.  She's questioning things that everyone else has just accepted, all to honor her Mother's legacy.  The revelation of what really happened was believable, heartbreaking and freaked me out, all at once!  I won't say anymore cause I don't want to ruin the progression of the mystery as it unfolds, but it won't be at all what you're expecting.  

     The sideline story with the 'lost' treasure fit into the plot nicely and gave more action to the story that wouldn't have been there otherwise.   My favorite relationships in this book though weren't the romantic ones.  I loved the interactions between Beulah (the housekeeper) and Verity, they were so entertaining as they battled for kitchen control!  I also liked how easily and happily she interacted with Nate's older sisters, who welcomed her with open arms.  But the sweetest relationship for me was the awkward, but loving one between Verity and her Father, who has no idea how to really connect with his almost grown daughter.  Their connection and it's gentle awkwardness was sweet and convincing.  I liked that Salerni didn't make them get along and be super close automatically.  It's a very true-to-life relationship, which I appreciate as a reader.  I did like the fact that the author got the idea for the caged graves from real life, it made the mystery that much more interesting and her attention to historical detail and accuracy made me super happy.  Overall this was different from any book that I've read recently, especially my other historical fiction reads.  I truly enjoyed it, the book was well written and engaging with only some minor flaws that barely proved a distraction.  I'd highly recommend it.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published on May 14th, 2013.*

The Birds Aren't Really There...Are They?

Published:  April 2nd, 2013

In The Shadow of Blackbirds

By: Cat Winters

Amulet Books

ISBN-13:  9781419705304

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Review

     The year is 1918 and the entire world seems to have gone mad.  Between the chaos and utter destruction of World War I (The Great War) and a deadly outbreak of Spanish Influenza that is killing millions of people, everyone is desperate to believe in something more.   Mary Shelley Black is just like everyone else, feeling the hardships of life to their fullest extent, with her Dad being sent to jail and having to move in with her Aunt in another state.  Her only consolation is the letters she receives from her first love, Stephen, who is away at war.  But when she's at his family's photography studio and his ghost shows up beside her in a 'spirit' picture, Mary Shelley is devastated.  When things begin to not add up in regards to his death and the events before it, and Stephen himself begins haunting her, Mary will stop at nothing to find out the truth behind what happened to the boy she loved.  Even if it means being thrown into a deadly situation, where she may not walk out alive...

     So, I went into this expecting a straight-up paranormal romance book, at least from the synopsis.  What I got instead was historical fiction, with a major suspense plot and a tragic romance.  Mary Shelley Black is a stubborn, witty, intelligent teenager who doesn't believe in spirits really - until she experiences one at a seance she goes to with her Aunt Eva, after being struck by lightning!  And then when Stephen shows up in her picture she's devastated.  It definitely wasn't hard to sympathize with her, especially since she refuses to play the victim and does everything in her power to solve the mystery of his death.  The shining thing in this novel though, were all the historical details.  The photographs definitely added something to the story, but the author's rich descriptive language made it so that I could picture everything in my mind.  This could be kind of unnerving, what with the streets full of dead influenza victims and a horrific war going on.  Also, I felt like I was really walking the city streets with Mary when she finally gets out.  

     My favorite scene was the heartbreaking one at the hospital for wounded soldiers.  It broke my heart in half, but was entirely realistic in a way I didn't think possible.  The relationship of Mary with her Aunt Eva is antagonistic, tentative and truly volatile because of their warring personalities - that said, they are unfailingly loyal to each other.  When her Eva sees that the opium addicted guy she kind  is crushing on harassing Mary (bordering on hurting her), she boots his ass to the curb! :)  When Mary is struck by the lightning, the scene where she is outside of her body was so creepy it gave me the shivers.  The way it changes her and forces her to think unscientifically definitely provided for some interesting character development.  The rambling from Stephen about the 'bird' attacking him had me convinced this was going to transform into a paranormal romance at any second.  So when it was revealed what was really going on, it surprised me for sure (but in the best way).  Probably the most disturbing character in this book was Stephen's spirit photographer brother, Julius.  He's so focused on making money off the pain of others, plus his interactions with Stephen (beating him up, destroying his photographs) should make you hate him as a reader who gets to see the badness in him.  But he has a charm that kind of ensnares the reader alongside Aunt Eva, until he begins to go off the rails.  

     My only complaint would be the slow pace for the first half of the book.  And also, didn't they ever eat anything other than onions?  Yeah, they thought they'd drive off the flu.  But seriously, I got almost as much description of onions as anything else!  Enough to drive me kind of bonkers anyways.  The twists and turns of this book, along with the wonderfully drawn characters and the descriptive prose combined to make it one of the best books I've read so far this year.  I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction, romance, and suspense who want something fresh and set in an era often ignored in favor of others (i.e. Civil War, WWII, etc.).  

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**