I Do Have A Name and I Am Someone

Published:  April 4th, 2013
Nameless (A Tale of Beauty and Madness # 1)
By: Lili St. Crow
Razorbill
ISBN-13:  9781595143570

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.

Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.

Review

 

     Camille Vultusino isn't really one of the New Haven royalty, a daughter of the most powerful of the seven Families that rule the city.  She is just a little girl, found by Enrico Vultusino, head of the family, wandering in the snow broken by abuse and unable to speak.  Now she is on the verge of turning sixteen years old and Cami is starting to ask questions about who she really is, and where she appeared from as a child.  With Papa Vultusino making the change into full-fledged vampire and her adopted 'brother' (with not so brotherly feelings) is busy taking the reigns of the family and his place among the Seven, Cami is feeling lost and alone.  When Tor shows up with sacrs like hers and a mysterious past, she starts taking dangerous risks to get some answers.  But the truth may be far more horrifying than she ever could have imagined.  With a secret that might consume them all can Cami, Nico, along with her friends Ruby and Ella, avoid total destruction in the face of pure evil?  Or will it take them over completely?
     I have seen so many negative and lukewarm reviews of this book that I really was unsure what to expect.  But when I began to read it, I was immediately sucked into the story and found myself attached to the characters.  Cami might be taken by some readers to be whiny, manipulative and annoyingly weak.  I found her to be just another human being, struggling to heal from hurts in her past and become a better person.  Yes, she plays the victim and the martyr in this book which got on my nerves.  But I thought the author also managed to give her quite a good sense of humor in the internal musings and narrative that belong to Cami for the most part.  I think pretty much everyone can identify with feeling like you don't fit in and wanting to find somewhere that you do.  But Cami does do some pretty stupidly-impulsive things while trying to accomplish this very common goal. 
     The dystopian/steampunk type world that the author creates did get slightly confusing at times, as the world build wasn't slowly and carefully done - as a reader, you get tossed into the deep end immediately.  The supernatural aspect and alternate history (focus on Tesla versus Edison being one point, of many) was fascinating.  The world in the novel retained an almost Victorian aspect due to the Revolution of the supernaturals shortly after the first World War.  There is a mixture of magic and technology that for the most part is hinted at, but never really focused.  The only history the author really ever focuses on is Camille's.  Romance when it is well done can really add to a novel, especially in a fairy tale retelling and that floats my boat when it happens.  But this was not one of those times.  Honestly with a confused and volatile 'hero' like Nico and his competition being Tor who turns out to being something COMPLETEY DIFFERENT from how he is initially represented, I felt like it was just a convenience romance build on the part of the author.  Just because Camille and Nico have known each other forever doesn't mean they have to end up together and that Cami has to make the choice she does in the end of the book.  It made sense for her character, but still felt like the easy way out.  The truth of  Cami's birth and early childhood is truly horrific and the stuff of nightmares.  It was some of the best horror writing that I've encountered in the YA world since I finished reading The Devouring series by Simon Holt which terrified the Hell out of me, incidentally! 
     But my favorite characters in this novel with the most promise were Cami's friends Ruby and Ellie.  They were most obviously the incarnations of Red Riding Hood and Cinderella.  I am super excited to read their individual novels, because the author managed wonderfully rich characterizations in this book for them, which rarely happens with secondary characters in YA fairy tale retellings.  It made me happy!  Ruby made me laugh and smile with her rebellious, smart ass but loyal as a tiger ways.  Ellie made my heart bleed with the abuse she was suffering and the haunted life she was living.  Overall, this was an inventive retelling of a classic fairy tale (even with some flaws).  Rarely is a book 'perfect', or even close so I can honestly say that there was nothing overwhelmingly annoying to me as a reader in any of the flaws listed above.  It's a fairy tale and the characters in the originals weren't exactly 3-D and living color either.  I would highly recommend this for hardcore fairy tale fans and people who want something fresh and new.

VERDICT:  4.25/5  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.**

If You Find Me, Save Me

Published:  March 26th, 2013
If You Find Me
By: Emily Murdoch
St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN-13:  9781250021526

There are some things you can’t leave behind…
A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Review

 

     Carey and her sister Jenessa have been living with their Mother for as long as they can remember, in a camper deep in the woods of a National Park.  They have been neglected and abused, with Carey taking care of Jenessa mostly by herself.  Than one day after their Mother has been gone for longer than ever before, a social worker and Carey's long lost Father come to get them.  Carey and Jenessa are taken home with Carey's Dad and brought back into a confusing, new world full of things they don't understand.  Both girls are forced to adjust to public school and normal life with their new Dad, Stepmom Melissa and jealous, angry stepsister Delany.  But they are holding onto a secret that is causing them both pain and suffering, and has made Jenessa completely silent with it's harshness.  Can they trust someone enough to let go of their old life and tell their heartbreaking secret? 

     This book absolutely broke my heart to pieces.  Carey is only fifteen but has spent the last ten years living with her volatile, mentally unstable Mother and caring for her younger sister pretty much like her own child.  The girls are both malnourished, socially ignorant and Carey has viewed her years of abuse as something that's just a fact of life.  Watching Carey and Jenessa, who refuses to speak, try to understand and become part of the world around them is devastating.  They have to get used to normal food after a unrelenting diet of beans, a family after only having each other and Carey especially has to face up to how the abuse of her Mom and a stream of others has changed her in unavoidable ways.  My main complaint would be the ugly behavior of their new stepsister Delaney, who takes to Jenessa but immediately hates Carey and does everything she can to make her life difficult.  Another thing that bothered me was the switch from friendship with Ryan, to romance.  I felt like it didn't really fit with the story and was awkward for me as a reader (especially the scene where they interact at Carey's first-ever party).  Just felt out of place in a story where the main focus is abuse, neglect, and trying to get past it.  I loved Carey's friend Pixie, who has skipped a (couple) grades and feels out place.  She has such a gigantic personality and becomes a person for Carey to hang onto when things get confusing or a little rough. 

     Carey's dialect was well-represented in the writing and I loved the fact that she eventually picked up her violin again, not letting all the bad things take away something beautiful from her for good.  The constant way everyone is always telling Carey how 'beautiful' she is had me rolling my eyes and sighing.  Why was that in any way necessary?  Yeah, she's such a special person and has done some extraordinary things in the name of survival.  So why the focus on her looks?  That did irk me more than a little bit.  But the transitions that Carey and Jenessa went through while trying to adjust were very realistic and well written.  I didn't quite entirely guess what the big secret was but I had an idea and I wasn't really that far off.  It didn't make it any less horrifying, but it wasn't as shocking as it could have been.  I felt like the clues throughout the novel were definitely less than subtle.  I liked the ending and overall it was a beautiful and haunting book that I'd recommend without hesitation!

 

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 March 26th, 2013.*

The Girl Who Wouldn't Submit and Say 'Die'

 

Expected Publication:  June 11th, 2013 

The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die

By: April Henry

Henry Holt and Co.

ISBN-13:  9780805095418

 

“Take her out back and finish her off.”


She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her.

And that she must run.


In her riveting style, April Henry crafts a nail-biting thriller involving murder, identity theft, and biological warfare. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.

 

Review

 

     Cady wakes up in a place she doesn't recognize, not even knowing her own name.  But she's missing fingernails, has been beaten and hears two men arguing about killing her once and for all.  So she escapes to save her life, and it is very dangerous.  Once she's on the outside, Cady is taken under the wing of a mysterious teenage boy named Ty who gives her a place to stay and helps her hide from the people who come hunting her down.  But although Cady can run, she can't hide and time is running out for her and her family.  Can she protect herself, expose a secret conspiracy and save her family before it's too late?   I have read other books by April Henry before, my favorite of which was called Girl, Stolen and it starts out similar to this one.  I always wondered what would have happened if the main character, Cheyenne, in that book hadn't been blind.  The existence of Cady kind of answered that question for me as a reader!  She was a bad-ass, no question about that.  Even when she had no clue who she really was and thought she might have accidentally killed a man, Cady was determined to find answers and wouldn't let herself be caught.  The beginning and middle of the book are intense and kept me on the edge of my seat.  You discover everything as Cady does, so things come of as much as surprise to the reader as the characters.  I liked that Ty chose to risk himself to help the downtrodden girl in his line at McDonald's - and that he kept helping once he realized it was a life or death situation.  The action is very fast paced and the conclusion races toward you when reading it.  But I felt like the situation with "Aunt Lizzie" was glaringly obvious and definitely a step down from the subtler terrors of the book's beginning and middle.  Also, the introduction of the evil company working on *SPOILERS!!!* biological warfare was a bit much.  I mean, yeah, I could see an evil corporation torturing a teenager to get at her parent(s), but the CEO being involved reminded me of some campy cartoon villain.  "If it wasn't for those darn kids..."  I felt like things were wrapped up far too neatly at the end, with no true consequences (everyone lives and the bad guys are punished adequately, plus Cady gets the guy).  I did think that the reason Cady blocked everything out made complete sense though.  Overall, the plot was well drawn, the mystery was interesting and it was fairly decent in execution.  I just felt like there was some sloppiness near the end and that it became a little bit of a caricature of itself.

 

VERDICT:  3/5  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 date is June 11th, 2013.*

Epically Devoted to You

Expected Publication:  August 27th, 2013
The Bitter Kingdom (Girl of Fire and Thorns # 3)
By: Rae Carson
Greenwillow Books
ISBN-13:  9780062026545

The epic and deeply satisfying conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

"Carson joins the ranks of writers like Kristin Cashore, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tamora Pierce as one of YA's best writers of high fantasy."-Locus magazine

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most. Riveting, surprising, and achingly romantic, Rae Carson has spun a bold and powerful conclusion to her extraordinary trilogy.

Review

 

     Elisa is now an outcast from her own kingdom as she flees after a betrayal and somewhat successful  from one of her noble subjects, who is out to steal her crown.  But she is also on a journey to rescues Hector, the leader of the royal guard (and the man she loves) from death at the hands of the Invierne.  With the help of some old friends and some new ones, and some surprises along the way, Elisa will travel through hostile territory into a land that could devour her.  Will she be able to save Hector without sacrificing herself?  And when they escape Invierno will there be a kingdom left to return to?  So, this book was EPIC!  A summary can never quite do it justice and the one I've provided definitely reinforces that fact.  The journey from Elisa's kingdom into enemy land with Beren, Mara and Storm (former Invierne royalty) was the start of the book, but it's once they rescue Hector that shit really starts to go down.  Once they are in Invierno (having picked up a stray along the way) and have rescued Hector, the Invierne council tries to trick them and they end up escaping through mines with a supposed monster lurking in them.  I kid you not (and you will see this comparison a lot most likely) but the only thing running through my mind was the adventure in Lord of the Rings down in the mines of Moria!  Things are tied up quite nicely with Elisa's godstone as well, when she manages to complete her appointed task and it is no longer part of her life.  I have to say that a lot of my favorite parts of this book involved Elisa's friend Storm and the little slave girl they pick up, 'Mula', who later renames herself.  There are reappearances by Ximena, our favorite priest and of course, Cosme and Alodia who learn once and for all not to underestimate Elisa who shows them just what a bad-ass she is when they all come under attack!  I did like that Alodia and Elisa's relationship and their issues with one another are NOT just resolved with a neat bow and given an easy solution.  Yes, they love each other but they will always have a strained and uneasy relationship because of their interactions and dynamic growing up.  Thank you Rae Carson, for giving us some REAL siblings instead of the generic BFFs found oftentimes in YA. 
      There is some heavy political dealing going on in this book, with contracts being signed and empires being created.  But it never takes over the characters which are the main focus of the plot, and so manages to avoid straying into the realm of boring.  I did think that the sudden control of the godstone magic that both Elisa and Storm gain in the middle of the book was somewhat contrived and I felt like it was in there as a bit of a plot device.  But it didn't bother me, because the action was non-stop and distracted me from it's un-believability at times.  The majority of this book was gritty and realistic though, in the best way possible.  Not everyone is always happy with Elisa and sometimes doing the right thing means potentially hurting others and destroying property.  This is also represented in the portions of the novel narrated in Hector's P.O.V. where we get a look inside his mind and are able to see the events of his captivity and subsequent rescue/escape unfold.  He is definitely a kick-ass hero for sure.  Strong and silent, but we get to see his deeper feelings as well.  A well done P.O.V. switch, which can be a difficult thing to pull off.  Especially in the last novel of a series with an established pattern of narration. 
      The ending of the book was awesome and there were some truly great parts to this book, but the message of empowerment and self-confidence was definitely a gigantic part of this book.  It was a great ending to a consistently great series.  I won't say any more to avoid spoilers, but if you're a fan of the first two in the series, you will be satisfied with the conclusion for sure.

Most Memorable Quotes:

(Storm's reaction to Elisa's sister Alodia)

'She's wonderful.' said Storm.  He wears a loopy smile, as if someone put a little too much duerma leaf in last night's tea."

(Elisa's and Alodia talk about her 'beauty'.  Best quote in a YA book EVER!)

'I startle at the compliment. Then I smile. "I'm beautiful to the one person who matters."
[Alodia] nods. "Hector's mouth will drop open when he sees you."
"I hope so. But I meant me. I'm beautiful to me." 

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 date is August 27th, 2013.*

Happiness Is A Warm Gun...

Published:  April 2nd, 2013
This Is What Happy Looks Like
By: Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
ISBN-13:  9780316212823

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Review

 

     Graham Larkin is a famous movie star with a career on the rise.  Ellie O'Neill is a small-town girl who has a quiet life, with a few secrets of her own.  When Graham accidentally send her an e-mail about his pet pig Wilbur they start sending e-mails back and forth, opening up and telling each other things no one else knows.  So when Graham's newest movie needs to change location at the last minute he suggests Ellie's small hometown in Maine.  All he wants is to meet the girl he thinks he could fall in love with.  But a series of misunderstandings and outside influences threaten their attempts to get to know each other in real life.  Can Ellie and Graham work through their issues and allow themselves to be open to true love?  Or is it just another internet hook-up gone wrong?

     Out of Ellie and Graham, he was definitely my favorite character.  He obviously was bewildered by his sudden fame and had originally wanted to go to college, never even considering acting.  But now that he's in the Hollywood sphere, he only does it because he loves the job.  And Graham is far from a cocky douchebag like most teen mega-stars are portrayed as being.  Ellie herself is a bit more of an enigma, being the illegitimate daughter of a very famous politician her Mom had an affair with.  They changed their last name and moved far away from D.C. when the scandal broke.  Ellie's Mom is far from pleased when she finds out her daughter's potential boyfriend is famous and will put her in the limelight again.  My only thing is that the drama between Ellie and her best friend was overblown and annoying.  I felt like the best friend was a complete bitch about things and Ellie just allowed it and made excuses for her, practically being a puppy when she started talking to her again.  After ignoring Ellie for practically an ENTIRE MONTH!  WTFH???  This book was fluff and after Smith's last book, I went in expecting a short and sweet puffy cotton ball.  And that is exactly what I got from this book.  Although I will say that the revelation of the paparazzi exposing who Ellie's Dad is, and nobody caring sort of pissed me off.  Seriously, after making such a huge deal out of the situation/secret it's just a (and I quote from the book) 'footnote' and Graham is more important???!!!  Yeah, I don't think so.  But the romance was sweet, the underlying satire and witty exchanges made me smile and though the relationships were fairly 2-D they were realistic enough.  Overall a fun read, but don't go into it expecting Sarah Dessen-style character development, because you won't get it.

 

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.**

Nantucket Blue Giveaway Winners!

     Hello everyone!  I know that not many of you entered the giveaway, but all of you were excited about it (which I appreciate very much)! :)  Well the winners were chosen Saturday morning, at 12 am so here they are:

Grand Prize:  Marissa
First Runner Up:  Lisa
Second Runner Up:  Kristen

All of the winners have been contacted and everything has been shipped to them.  I hope they enjoy their prizes! :)  And don't worry I plan on doing another giveaway soon so there will be another chance for a fun prize or two coming up.  Just keep an eye out for more contests!

We Meet Only In the Shadows

Expected Publication:  August 6th, 2013
Dark Shadows / Vampirella Vol. 1
Written by: Marc Andreyko, Illustrations:  Patrick Berkenkotter & Jose Malaga
Dynamite Entertainment
ISBN-13:  9781606903957

Two legendary vampires meet for the first time in this epic crossover!  Investigating a series of disappearances and murders puts Barnabas Collins and Vampirella on a collision course with each other! Can these two very different vampire heroes set aside their mutual distrust and team up to bring down the notorious and brutal "Big Apple Butcher," or will their bloodthirsty natures destroy them before they can solve the crimes? And who - or what - is pulling the strings of the "Butcher"? The answer is an evil older than Barnabas and Vampi combined! All this, plus appearances by Quentin Collins and Pantha! Critically acclaimed writer Marc Andreyko (along with artists Patrick Berkenkotter and Jose Malaga) brings them all together in an adventure that can only be described as a bloody, and we mean very bloody, good time!

Review

 

     This was a crossover between the 'Dark Shadows' (1970s) T.V. soap opera fandom and that of famous comic hero Vampirella.  In this story, the heroes combine forces to investigate a rash of murders and disappearances that have a distinctly supernatural touch to them.  Barnabas Collins gets involved because a woman who is descended from one of his victims is killed.  He has sworn to atone by protecting his victim's families, so he must solve her murder.  Vampirella is involved because it's on her home turf.  They fight for dominance and her fun nature clashes with his serious, old-fashioned one.  They also have help from his cousin Quentin Collins and her fellow supernatural friend, Pantha.  The murderers are both historical figures, which was a nice touch in a comic series arc about vampires playing detective.  But the best thing about this series was it's sense of humor.  It was consistently amusing, fast paced and kept me interested from beginning to end with no boredom at all.  It was splashy, gory and colorful in the best way.  The artwork was right alongside the written story, every step of the way. It never detracted from it or felt wrong/misplaced in any way.  The perfect amount of camp was involved, especially when you consider that the main characters are a highly sexualized (practically nude) female vampire, and another vampire from a really cheesy, old soap opera.  Yes, it was fairly predictable and left the door open for further crossovers.  But in this instance, that was perfectly alright with me.  I highly enjoyed it and it's definitely a clever read for comic lovers who want a bit of wit in their speech bubbles! :)  But I will caution that there is copious amounts of blood, violence, nudity, and other adult content.  So be forewarned if you're thinking of reading this one and that bother you.  Overall, recommended to fans of good comics, whether they're familiar with the original fandoms that are rebooted, or not.

 

VERDICT:  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 date is August 6th, 2013.**