Little Women, India Style

Published:  September 6th, 2012
Little Women In India
By: Jane Nardin
New Dawn Publishers, Ltd
ISBN-13: 9781908462077

In Jane Nardin’s debut novel, we have a lively and witty updating and reimagining of Alcott’s classic, interspersing the standard Victorian female preoccupations of housekeeping and husband-hunting with less usual activities such as escaping mutineers and learning how to make charcoal. Nardin’s Little Women are more than Alcott’s pilgrims in progress; they are recognizably modern. . . . Readers will find this an interesting, well-paced novel with likeable and energetic characters.

Susan Ang, author of The Master of the Rings: Inside the World of J.R.R. Tolkien and The Widening World of Children’s Literature

Nowadays, Abe Lincoln fights vampires and Mr. Darcy is the least of Elizabeth Bennet’s problems, what with zombies and all. Could Little Women in India compete with that? Absolutely! It's fun, insightful and crammed with illuminating information. These sisters live a frugal life, with romance and a growing social consciousness, in colonial India--19th century Little Women with 21st century values.

Review

 

     Imagine what the classic book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott would be like, if instead of being set in America, was set in India during Victorian times and British occupation?  Also what if the sisters' ages were switched around a little bit?  Throw in an uprising of the impoverished people of India, and you have Nardin's novel.  It was extremely interesting to me to read this, and compare it to the original novel.  Being British and having grown up in India DID alter the personalities of the once-familiar May (a.k.a March) girls quite a bit.  Catherine (Jo) is the oldest, then comes Jane (Meg), Elizabeth (Amy) and Fanny (Beth).  Once I had figured out who was who, I spent the majority of the novel watching them grow and change, into less selfish and more socially concious individuals.  They all began to think of more than husband hunting when the rebellion broke out and they were forced to flee to a poverty stricken village to hide from the rebels (who were skewering any English, including women and children).  I went into this book not knowing much about the politics of India in the late 1800s and I was given quite the education, in a very enjoyable way.  It did seem to take about a third of the book before the action picked up, but once it did it was constant and thrilling.  The one thing that confused me very much throughout the book, was the humor.  I felt like Nardin was poking fun at the original characters from Alcott's novel and as a result made hers into something of a caricature.  It gave me a struggle when I tried relating to them, or even liking them at all.  I did appreciate the self-righteousness of the original book when it was sneakily pointed out, but it did take something from her re-telling that to me was crucial.  But because of how absolutely well done the setting, history and descriptions were, I found myself ignoring the characters' more stupid moments.  All in all and enjoyable book and I would recommend to both fans and detractors of the original work! :)

 

VERDICT:  4/5  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 September 6th, 2012.*

Lions and Tigers and Vampires, Oh My!

Expected Publication:  January 8th, 2013

Blud and Magick

By: Preston Norton

Cedar Fort, Inc.

ISBN-13: 9781462110889

Born from the ashes of the most fierce and powerful entity in all of Trivaesia, Darla was sent to grow up in the outside world with no knowledge of where she came from. When she finds herself wielding new power, she must decide which part of her will rule her heart—the evil from which she was born or the good by which she was raised.

Review

     Darla Summers is just the name of the most evil warlord ever in Trivaesian history spelled backwards - but she doesn't know that yet.  She just thinks that something mysterious happened in her past and that's why she lives with her Uncle Edmund.  But really Darla was born from the ashes of the most evil warlord in the history of a magical land that she is about to be thrown into headfirst, when his followers come searching for her as a way to resurrect him!  Now with the help of her reluctant misfit friends, Ash and Cirrus (one's a wizard, the other's a half-vampire) and her Uncle Ed, Darla must prove to herself and the world at large that she is her own person.  She may have sprung from the ashes, but Darla is NOT the reincarnation of evil!  She's just a teenage girl who wants to be happy.  But when she is captured can she be saved from a fate worse than death?  This was an interesting novel, one of the more intelligent creations of an original mythology that I've read recently.  First of all, it has names that I can remember and pronounce out loud!  A lot of high fantasy authors make it their mission for you to keep a notebook for their characters and plots, just so you can keep it all straight.  Not Preston Norton, who has an intricate mythology, but still considers the reader's peace of mind.  I really enjoyed Darla, although she was verging on a little too self-pitying and weak for a tolerable heroine.  But she made the cut off point.  I loved the dynamic between Ash and Cirrus, the unrelated brothers, who are both misfits in their own ways but are always there for each other.  The whole situation with the Sages and the god Alpha was very intriguing and made for a good mystery.  All in all, with the way it ended I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out (at least I'm pretty sure there will be one!).  I'd recommend it to those who'd like a different take on the supernatural world than the usual tripe.

VERDICT:  4/5  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 January 8th, 2013.*

Sweet, But Dead

Expected Publication:  May 14th, 2013

The Sweet Dead Life 

By: Joy Preble

Soho Press

ISBN-13:   9781616951504

“I found out two things today. One, I think I’m dying. And two, my brother is a perv.”

So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her 16-year-old brother, Casey, tries to hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs— difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead.

Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her. Beatified. Literally. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that Casey didn’t survive the accident at all. He’s an “A-word.” (She can’t bring herself to utter the truth.) Soon they discover that Jenna isn’t just dying: she’s being poisoned. And Casey has been sent back to help solve the mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother’s mysterious depression and father’s disappearance.

Review

     Jenna Samuels has a pretty sucky life, watching out for herself ever since her Dad disappeared and her Mom lost her mind.  Her older brother Casey isn't much help either, with his pervy tendencies but he has a good heart and is trying his best to support them by working two jobs.  But lately Jenna has been deathly ill and when Casey is rushing her to the emergency room one night, they get into a car crash and Casey is transformer - into an angel!  Soon Casey and Jenna figure out that she was being poisoned, by someone who doesn't want a dark secret to be uncovered.  To help their Mom regain herself, the two need to figure out who wants her to stay crazy.  Also, their Dad is out there somewhere and it may be closer than they ever dreamed.  Will they succeed, or will Jenna's family stay broken?  This book was FUNNY.  I was so surprised that I was really into a book with a 13 year old protagonist.  Although her life really sucks and she might be dying, Jenna knows who she is and what she wants.  She refuses to compromise.  The description for the book makes you think that Casey is some deadbeat pervert.  But really he's just dealing with their Dad being gone in a very different way than Jenna is.  I enjoyed the brother-sister interactions.  But the whole angel thing was slightly confusing.  Also the identity of the villain, and why they were hurting Jenna and her Mom, was extremely predictable.  I saw it coming from within the first few chapters.  If there is a sequel I will most likely read it, but I wasn't in love with this book.  It was a well-written, fun read though and I would recommend it.

VERDICT:  3.75/5  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. It will be available for purchase on May 14th, 2013.**

You Are So Fashionable

Published:  October 1st, 2012
Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style
By: DK Publishing
DK Publishing
ISBN-13: 9780756698355

Tracing the evolution of fashion — from the early draped fabrics of ancient times to the catwalk couture of today — Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style is a stunningly illustrated guide to more than three thousand years of shifting trends and innovative developments in the world of clothing.

Containing everything you need to know about changing fashion and style — from ancient Egyptian dress to Space Age Fashion and Grunge — and information on icons like Marie Antoinette, Clara Bow, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Alexander McQueen, Fashion catalogs the history of what people wear, revealing how Western fashion has been influenced by design from around the world and celebrating costume and haute couture.

Fashion will captivate anyone interested in style — whether it's the fashion-mad teen in Tokyo, the wannabe designer in college, or the fashionista intrigued by the violent origins of the stiletto and the birth of bling.

Review

 

     So, from my reviews on this blog (most of which center on YA fic and contemporary romance) most of you probably wouldn't guess that I have a freakishly obsessive passion for costuming and fashion design, especially the history of it's evolution over time.  I have a favorite book about Hollywood costume design that I repeatedly check out of the library to drool over - Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design.  This one will be joining it!  This book has such lush illustrations that I couldn't put it down.  I also was pleased by the fact that it went from ancient times (pre-history if you will) all the way up to the present.  For the ancient times, it was mostly pictures of sculptures, artwork and hieroglyphics.  But when it gets to the eastern styles, it shows clothes that were actually on real mummies of that period!  It also talked about the dying process, the changes in production of clothing, couture versus mass-production, etc.  Overall, it has some interesting factual tidbits (probably the Smithsonian influence, being a museum and all!) and lots of eye candy for lovers of fashion and history.  Highly recommended for those who enjoy coffee table books, especially ones about fashion.  My only real complaint is that there wasn't more actual text and information, but I suppose that defeats the purpose of what is essentially an adult picture book!

 

VERDICT:  4.5/5  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 October 1st, 2012.**

Crash Into Someone Else Please, You Creep Me Out!

Expected Publication:  January 8th, 2013
Crash (Visions # 1)
By: Lisa McMann
Simon Pulse
ISBN-13:  9781442403918


If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

Review

 

     Jules doesn't mind driving the food truck to school most of the time - even with the meatballs on top.  Sure, it doesn't increase her popularity but that's not what she cares about.  The only thing that really bothers her is being ignored by Sawyer Andretti, her ex-friend and son of her family's greatest rivals.  Sawyer's family stole her Grandpa's family recipe and caused him to kill himself.  Their success has only damaged her family even more, with her Dad stuck in a crippling depression (although there is more to that story than what Jules knows) and addiction to hoarding. When Jules begins to see visions of a fiery explosion at the Andretti family restaurant in all the reflective surfaces around her.  The truly scary part happens to be the nine body bags in the snow, one of which holds Sawyer.  Pretty sure she's going crazy, Jules enlists the help of her siblings anyway and begins to try and prevent the accident from happening.  But with the Andrettis unwilling to listen to her, even Sawyer, what can Jules do that will keep people from dying and maybe even cause the feud to simmer down a little bit?  Will she succeed, or will one of the body bags hold Jules herself?  So, my major problem with this book was the problem I've had with most of Lisa McMann's YA stuff so far - not much character development beyond the superficial.  The only book where I really connected and looked past this was Cryer's Cross.  Even before her visions, Jules is sort of annoying and selfish, only thinking of her own feelings when it comes to her obsession with Sawyer.  I can see why he was creeped out when he began to figure out she was following him.  And I never really bought their sudden romance near the end of the book.  I did like the revelations to do with why her Dad was so depressed and stuck inside of himself.  Her brother and sister were amusing, but with how alone Jules normally is, they were kind of superfluous to me without any real chance to shine.  By the time it ended (rather predictable and disappointingly, for me anyways) I still hadn't connected.  When the cliffhanged came, I just didn't care one way or the other.  So I probably won't be reading the next one.  Overall, a very mediocre read that I'd recommend skipping.  But then again, not everyone is as picky about character development as I am.

 

VERDICT:  2.75/5  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. It will be available for purchase on January 8th, 2013.**

Mansfield Park, Revisited: All The World's a Stage

Expected Publication:  February 26th, 2013
The Trouble With Flirting
By: Claire LaZebnik
HarperTeen
ISBN-13:  9780061921278

Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.

When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

Review

 

     Franny Pearson dreamed of being an actor when she was younger, but when she entered high school her parents pushed her to give it up and focus on sports.  But now with a messed up arm, baseball is no longer part of the equation.  Due to bad financial circumstances since her parents' divorce, Franny is forced to get a summer job to start saving for college.  So her Mom sends her to be her seamstress Aunt's apprentice for the summer, working on costumes for the Mansfield College summer theater program.  But sewing isn't the only thing taking up her time and occupying her mind.  Franny is soon torn between Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt who seems to be all superficial and Alex Braverman, who is always switching between hot and cold (plus he's in a relationship with Harry's friend Isabelle).  Will Franny end up with the boy of her dreams?  And will he be who she expects?  I loved this book quite a lot.  LaZebnik has a talent with Jane Austen re-tellings and this one, as her second, fared even better than the first one in my opinion.  I am a freak of nature among the majority of Austen fans whose favorite novel is usually Pride and Prejudice.  Mine is tied between Mansfield Park and Persuasion.  So when I saw this book on an ARC tour site, I was dying to see how she'd manage to make it at ALL swoonworthy, when the original just barely manages that in any capacity.  I liked that the author developed Franny and lent her a few obvious to the reader character flaws, lacking in the original novel.  Franny is rather shallow at the beginning (not that she realizes this), but she develops a lot by the end.  I also like Isabelle, her sometimes rival, more than in the original book.  She was portrayed more human and sympathetic in this one, at least for me personally.  Julia and Marie were just as horrid in this retelling as in Austen's novel, which was okay with me.  I was impressed with the romantic plot twist near the end.  Did not see it coming AT ALL (though I probably should have).  Overall, really loved this Austen retelling.  I think that even people who are not fans of the original Mansfield Park will enjoy this one.  The theater setting was a very nice idea and it lent something important to the novel overall.  I found it especially funny, as theater was not something that was considered an activity for those in polite society back in the time of the original novel.  They even attempt to stage a play and are scolded by Mr. Price (Edmund's Dad and Fanny's Uncle) when he comes home and finds the girls involved.  My main complaint is that the ARC cut off mid-sentence and seemed to be missing the last few pages.  As a reader, that sucked.   

 

VERDICT:  4.5/5  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. It will be available for purchase on February 26th, 2013.*



You Tessered to Me

Published:  October 2nd, 2012
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
By: Hope Larson
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ISBN-13:  9780374386153

The world already knows Meg and Charles Wallace Murry, Calvin O'Keefe, and the three Mrs--Who, Whatsit, and Which--the memorable and wonderful characters who fight off a dark force and save our universe in the Newbery award-winning classic A Wrinkle in Time. But in 50 years of publication, the book has never been illustrated. Now, Hope Larson takes the classic story to a new level with her vividly imagined interpretations of tessering and favorite characters like the Happy Medium and Aunt Beast. Perfect for old fans and winning over new ones, this graphic novel adaptation is a must-read.

Review

 

     The story of Meg and Charles Murray Wallace and their friend Calvin O'Keefe is one that many children have known for decades and loved dearly.  Hope Larson puts a spin on things by re-telling that story as a graphic novel.  I went into this one thinking that it wouldn't translate well AT ALL and being completely amazed by what Larson managed to do!  At the heart of things, this is really a book about two kids determined to find their lost Father and bring him home.  Which is probably why I was wrong and it translated so well, even with other planets, galaxies and creatures like 'Aunt Beast' to illustrate.  With the actual illustration to go with the explanation of a tesseract, as a reader I finally understood that concept, wheras before I was totally lost.  Some of my absolute favorite illustrations though, were of Aunt Beast and her kind, when Meg is being taken care of by them.  This was a far more professional effort than a lot of classic retellings via graphic novel, and I wouldn't be at all opposed to reading more of the series done as graphic novels by this artist/author.  I think she did a remarkable job (my only complaint being that Calvin didn't look at all as I pictured him - but that's a personal problem!) and I will be trying to find her other work to read while I'm waiting for her next book.  Overall, gorgeous artwork that keeps to the heart of the original book and I highly recommend it to newcomers and longtime fans of L'Engle's Wrinkle series.

 

VERDICT:  4.5/5 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.**

 

One of my favorite panels: