How Else Could It Be, Anyone Would Notice Me

Published: August 21st, 2012

The Sweetest Spell

By: Suzanne Selfors

Walker Children's Books

ISBN-13: 9780802723765

Emmeline Thistle, a dirt-scratcher's daughter, has escaped death twice-first, on the night she was born, and second, on the day her entire village was swept away by flood. Left with nothing and no one, Emmeline discovers her rare and mysterious ability-she can churn milk into chocolate, a delicacy more precious than gold.

Suddenly, the most unwanted girl in Anglund finds herself desired by all. But Emmeline only wants one-Owen Oak, a dairyman's son, whose slow smiles and lingering glances once tempted her to believe she might someday be loved for herself. But others will stop at nothing to use her gift for their own gains-no matter what the cost to Emmeline. 

Magic and romance entwine in this fantastical world where true love and chocolate conquer all.

Review

    Emmeline Thistle has a shameful heritage - she is descended from the Kells, invaders of the land of Anglund, who killed a beloved Queen in a bid to take over the land (or so all the Flatlander descendants have been led to believe) and as such were banished to the  most uninhabitable tracts of land found, that flooded easily and were a harsh place to grow crops.  Due to the fight for survival, Emmeline's people are known as dirt-scratchers and have a harsh, physically demanding life.  Which is why when she was born with a twisted foot, she was put next to the woods to be taken by predators.  But the cows of the village saved her and ever since she's had a special bond with them.  Emmeline is ostracized because of her deformity and called a witch because of the cows, so she thinks marriage is just a dream.  But at the yearly marriage market her Father and all the unmarried men are taken by the King to supposedly fight in a war (they are not allowed to leave the Flatlands unless summoned).  That night a rain starts and within a few days the village of Root is washed away in a flood, taking Emmeline down the river with it and into adventure.  When Emmeline discovers that she has a magical talent, it puts her very life in jeopardy.  Will she be able to find love and freedom when almost everyone only values her for her gifts?  And can she find freedom for the rest of the Dirt-Scratchers from the nefarious purposes they are being forced to serve?  I was wary about this, because I didn't see how churning butter into chocolate could be all that interesting - boy was I wrong!  I love that the book starts out with Emmeline explaining how she was cast out and the cows saved her.  I love that she is such a strong willed girl, even though the other villagers treat her horribly and speaking out just gets her more ridicule.  Never once does she just sit down in defeat.  Emmeline is always fighting to survive and more than that, to be free.  When she's saved by Owen Oak, son of a dairyman, from dying on the riverbank where she washes up it really shows the distinctions between the Flatlanders (a.k.a. dirtscratchers) and the rest of Anglund's people.  They're viewed to be barbarians and no better than animals.  Emmeline blooms when the oaks treat her as an equal, even after they discover her gift of making chocolate after it's been a myth for such a long time.  I liked the side characters of Prince Beau, Duke of Lime, Peddler, Griffin, Emmeline's Father and Owen's parents.  The King and Queen were deliciously evil and the shocking reality about Anglund's history was a truly fun plot twist.  The romance was very sweet and I was pleased with how it developed over the book, which shifted between Emmeline's POV and Owen's.  It was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.  Plus, for once in a YA novel the cover is actually highly representative of the story within and doesn't make me want to vomit from looking at it's insipidity.  It was enchanting, magical and beautifully descriptive.  I highly recommend it to fans of fantasy that showcases alternate histories, originality and a whimsical quality that is a breath of fresh air.  

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.*

The Curse of the Lost Colony...

Expected Publication: September 4th, 2012

Blackwood

By: Gwenda Bond

Strange Chemistry (Imprint of Angry Robot)

ISBN-13: 9781908844071

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island's most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can't dodge is each other.

Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America's oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.

Review

   Miranda Blackwood has been an outcast all her life.  With a screwed up family life, a Father who's the town drunk and a golden retriever named Sidekick as her only friend, she can't wait to get out of Roanoke and start a life somewhere else.  Phillips Rawling is a juvenile delinquent, the son of Roanoke's sheriff and can talk to ghosts.  His parents sent him out of town after getting in trouble one too many times.  Now he's been called back because 114 people have disappeared from town without a trace - just like the original Roanoke disappearances in 1584.  When Miranda's Dad turns up murdered and then mysteriously comes back to life changed for the worse, it will be up to Miranda and Phillips to solve the mystery of what happened to the missing people, why her Dad is acting so strange and how the family curse has passed along to Miranda.  Can they save the town before it's too late?  I have always been fascinated with the mystery of Roanoke Island.  I have curiosity about it still, but so little fact remains that we'll probably never know what really happened.  It felt like the book dragged quite a bit, moving slowly towards the action.  At certain parts this was a good thing but at others it bored me.  Phillips and Miranda's romance was cute without making me gag and I liked the randomness of their adventures together.  They both had a complicated family history with the original Roanoake disappearances playing a part.  I enjoyed it up until alchemy became involved.  Yes, it meshed well with the 1584 events, but I honestly am bored practically to tears by the actualities of supposed 'alchemy.'  All in all, it wasn't a major part of the book until close to the end.   I liked the book, thought it was very original and would highly recommend it to fans of unsolved history mysteries and YA paranormal fiction. 

VERDICT:  3.85/5  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 September 4th, 2012.*