Ichabod, Ichabod Crane (Bing Crosby Singing Voice Not Included)

Published:  May 26th, 2014

Crane (The Legends Saga #1)

By: Stacey Rourke

Anchor Group Publishing

ISBN-13:  9781310506642

The Horseman is unending,

his presence shan't lessen.

If you break the curse, 

you become the legend.

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane's disappearance.  Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster had spawned the legend living within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her.  Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.

But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?

Review

       This book has a few really obvious grammar and spelling mistakes in it, that pulled me out of the story at very annoying junctures.  It was by no means an absolutely perfect narrative (Ireland's reactions to the revelations surrounding certain murderous events could have been deeper/more horrified/saddened).  And yet, this is probably one of the most compelling stories that I've read all year, and probably one of the best written and plotted re-tellings I've ever read!  It's a dual narrative, set in different time periods, with narrators of different genders and dispositions.  Their circumstances are different and yet their reasoning and base character are infinitely connected.  They are however two distinctively separate characters.  They are: Ichabod Crane, a reserved schoolteacher with deep loyalty to his friends, burning & passionate love for a woman he can't have and a damaged past; and Ireland Crane: a thoroughly modern young woman, who has been hurt by love in the past, has a snarky & biting sense of humor, and a deep-seated need to start over and be someone else - someone completely normal and accepted.  Both of them are drawn into the same curse, centuries apart.  It's extremely compelling, the parallels between the two of them.  Also, the rhyming from the creepy, prescient old lady (Eleanora) to Ichabod about the Horseman is awesome.  Her riddles tell you everything you need to know.  Figuring them out is the problem for the bewildered young man and his friends.  All of them are Revolutionary War vets and comrades too, which adds another depth to the three men and their bond of brotherhood, and limitless loyalty.  They are family.  I love it!

       As a re-imagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, I was unsure what exactly to expect.  The synopsis intrigued me with it's mention of Rip Van Winkle and Washington Irving.  What connections would there be between the three men?  How would Rourke explain the curse of the Horseman to my curious reader's heart, never truly quenched by the original story, which is more of a light sketch.  I honestly can't say much without spoiling anything, except that I was enthralled!  It is a mirror image.  Ichabod and Katrina's romance, along with his quest to stop the Horseman and find out what's controlling him (and why), with Irv and Rip.  Than there's Ireland's quest to do the same thing, with only the help of Rip, who's been under a sleeping curse and is unfamiliar with everything in this new century.  Oh, and he has stress narcolepsy as a side effect!!!  This leads to some truly hilarious situations (including a policeman bringing him back to Ireland's house, after he passed out right in the middle of the main street - yikes)!  Ireland is also resisting her attraction to her hot neighbor, Noah Van Tassel, who always seems to be there when she needs him.  She's on the rebound from a breakup with the world's biggest douche bag (with a name like Brantley is it any wonder?).

       I thought there really wasn't any way to make this into a series, but I was proved wrong (thankfully, it means more books).  While Ireland and Rip DO find out a lot about her connection to the Horseman, they still don't know everything, such as who arranged for her to get a tattoo of the Hessian's symbol.  Who wants to control Ireland and by proxy, the Hessian?  And for what nefarious purposes?  With the big revelations at the end, Rip and Ireland skip town to try and find some answers to their questions.  At the end there is a scene set in Ichabod's time and we find out why Irv and Rip covered everything up - and just who forced them to and arranged Rip's sleeping curse!  We're teased with more literary figures (legends and authors alike) and we get a glimpse at the idea that there are some puppeteers behind the scenes, moving things to their advantage.  I cannot WAIT to find out what happens next!  I'm dying to read Raven and I highly recommend this to fans of supernatural things, Sleepy Hollow, and new twists on old legends.  I am definitely planning on checking out Stacey Rourke's other series and I'm in love with her sense of humor.  It has jump started me from my reading slump and is probably one of my favorite reads of the year.

VERDICT:  4.75/5 Stars

*I  received this book from Anchor Group Publishing, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  The expected publication date is May 26th, 2014.*

Some Favorite Quotes

-  "Dinner, as friends. Where I don't expect you to pay or hold doors and you don't expect make-up or sex."

    "I'll be rude, and you'll be purposely homely. It'll be magical," Noah laughed.” (Ireland and Noah)

-  "Brom ground his teeth together, glaring down at Rip as if he were a bug that needed to be squashed under foot. "I would not ask a woman for her opinion any more than I would ask which of my steer would like to be this weekend's roast."

   "Clearly, his new age thinking is what drew Katrina to him," Rip muttered out of the corner of his mouth.”  (Brom Van Brunt & Rip Van Winkle)

-  "She is a sick woman," Mama Rosa argued, standing firm to deny him passage. "In addition to her Horseman ramblings, she also strokes her shoe like a cat, and calls it Madame Persephone. Do you think that will be of help as well?” (Mama Rosa, to Ichabod & Katrina)

-  “Just when I think you can’t get any creeper, you astounded me by reaching a whole new plateau. What did you do to yourself? You’re twitching like a meth head.” 

   “Went into the kitchen. Consumed any products that claimed to boost energy. Ate a bowl of those disgusting brown rinds.” 

   “Rinds? That’s coffee, dumb ass. You’re supposed to brew it.” Rip rambled on as if she hadn’t spoken, which—judging by his herky-jerky gestures—he might not have been aware she had. 

   “Then I drank your last three of those products involving some sort of red bovine, followed by half a dozen vials that claim to bestow energy for an allotted period of time. Every part of me tingles. Quite honestly, I think I could fly if the moment required it.” (Ireland & Rip)

-  "“You, sir,” Irv interrupted, his satchel thumping to the ground at his feet, “are just bothered you were not the first to find acceptable employ. Mostly because, as the women that keep company with you can attest, the only services you provide pay in salves and a burning sensation over the chamber pot.” 

    Rip’s brow rose in mock shock.  “How lewd a claim! Lewd … with the faintest hint of accuracy.” (Rip & Washington Irving)

The Canterville Ghost (1996) - Mini Movie Review

The Canterville Ghost

Release Date:  January 27th, 1996

Main Cast:  Neve Campbell, Sir Patrick Stewart, Joan Sims, Donald Sinden, Cherie Lunghi, Edward Wiley, Leslie Phillips

Rating:  PG, for some mildly scary moments

Synopsis (Provided by IMDB):

When a teenaged girl moves to England, with her brothers and parents into the ancient Canterville Hall, she's not at all happy. Especially as there's a ghost and a mysterious re-appearing bloodstain on the hearth. She campaigns to go back home, and her dad, believing the ghost's pranks are Ginny's, is ready to send her back. But then Ginny actually meets the elusive 16th-century Sir Simon de Canterville (not to mention the cute teenaged duke next door), and she sets her hand to the task of freeing Sir Simon from his curse.

Review

     For a made for TV movie (and especially one made in the 1990s) the production values on this are really good.  I assume that has something to do with Sir Patrick Stewart producing it (and I'm going to make a judgement leap, funding it) and starring in the title role, as Sir Simon de Canterville, the ghost of Canterville.  The movie starts out with Ginny, her Mom & her brothers, Washington and Adam, travelling to England to join her Dad who is preparing the house they'll be living in for their arrival.  It's supposedly haunted, but he is a rationally minded scientist and doesn't believe in ghosts.  So when the ghost starts trying to scare the Otis family out of the house, Dad thinks Ginny is behind it and wants to send her home.  At first she wanted to leave, but now she's started to like it there and is making friends (maybe more) with the young Duke next door.  Can she get the ghost to help her convince her Dad that he's real?  And what's all this about a prophecy?

     The acting was pretty good for a TV movie.  I think Neve Campbell made a pretty convincing disgruntled teenager, upset at moving to another country.  The little brothers were amusing and not overly obnoxious, as little brothers who enjoy pranks tend to be in movies sometimes.  The parents were probably the weakest characterizations, with the Mom seeming good-natured, but empty headed and the Dad just seeming like a complete asshole.  He treated Ginny like a stranger he barely tolerated, and didn't show the slightest bit of doubt she was the one behind the mischief.  The way he talked to her/treated her seemed overly harsh for a family film.  Really out of place and unsettling.  I did like the romance between the young Duke next door, Francis, and Ginny.  It was all very sweet, young love type stuff.  They share a couple kisses, but nothing inappropriate for younger viewers.  Sir Patrick Stewart as the ghost, Sir Simon, gave a really wonderful portrayal of a man who once made a grievous mistake that ended in tragedy and has spent hundreds of years as a lonely ghost.  His gradual shift from vengeful, angry ghost to sad & lonely man who can't move on was really believable and makes you, as a viewer, empathize with him.  I did feel like they drove the whole prophecy thing into the ground.  It's much more subtle in the original story by Oscar Wilde.  There was some humor in this, like the original satire it was based on.  But it did take itself a lot more seriously - sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad.

     Overall, I really enjoyed this film.  It inspired me to read the short novella by Oscar Wilde, which I hadn't even known anything about before seeing this.  Didn't really scare me all that much, not necessarily a Halloween movie like what I was looking for.  This one was more of a sad, romantic tale and can definitely be viewed for a family movie night.  I'd recommend this one! :)

RECOMMENDATION:  Rent it from the library, borrow it, or stream from Netflix (if available)

Forget Me Not, My Dear

Expected Publication: March 12th, 2013

Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath # 2)

By: Anne Greenwood Brown

Random House/Delacorte

ISBN-13: 9780385742030

Once you dive into Deep Betrayal, the sequel to Lies Beneath,you won't come up for air!
It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . .

Review

     Lily Hancock has spent the last thirty days exiled from home, sent away to live with her best friend Lori in her old town.  All because her Dad wants her kept away from Calder, the boy she loves, and Lake Superior's depths - both of which hold dark secrets beyond his comprehension.  It has been thirty days since Lily saw Jack Petitt kill Tallulah, one of Calder's sisters and now his tainted family believes that revenge has been served - and Lily is dead, having taken her Dad's place as a sacrifice.  Then the body resurfaces and Lily returns to Superior, deciding to tell her Dad the truth - that he's half merman.  In the process the sisters discover Lily's presence and bodies begin to turn up again, with everything pointing to them being the killers. But is it really that simple?  It's up to Lily and Calder to investigate the murders and stop whoever is responsible, family or not.  With her burgeoning mermaid traits and the possibility of a mermaid creationist legend being true, things are about to get interesting.  Will they be able to fix the situation before a vengeful Jack exposes the existence of mermaids to the world?  I went into this one expecting it to be something I wouldn't get very into.  I was okay with the first one, which had a good premise but the follow-through less than impressed me.  So color me surprised when I sat down and got a third of the way through in my first sitting!  

     I liked the switch from Calder's narration, over to Lily's.  She was a lot easier to sympathize with and I enjoyed seeing her perspective.  It really fleshed her out as a character and gave me a motivation for her actions.  Not to say she was perfect.  Lily is a hothead, who does things on her own terms without always thinking about it rationally first.  But she's an individual which made her dumb decisions easier to read about.  The inclusion of a possible sea monster/creature of legend was interesting, but I felt like Brown waited until too late in the narrative for that plot twist to have a full effect on the readers.  The identity of the murderer was not at all surprising to me and I was bored by that mystery frankly.  I would have liked a more interesting resolution.  The family issues with Lily's parents and her Dad training to live with his Merman heritage was basically background noise.  The only thing Lily is fixated on in all intensity is Calder and being with him romantically.  Calder's sisters played practically no part in this one.  Including them as a threat hanging over everyone's heads was effective at first, but lost the thrill when they were shown to be starving and pretty much unable to care about revenge anymore.  The ending was okay, but not the best ever.  It did fit in with the rest of the novel though.  I hope the author leaves it at two books and doesn't feel the need to go further than that.  Overall, better than the first book in the series and worth the follow up to see what happens to the characters.

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 date is March 12th, 2013.*

Tempest Unleashed On An Unsuspecting World

Expected Publication: June 5th, 2012

Tempest Unleashed (Tempest # 2)

By: Tracy Deebs

Walker Children's

ISBN-13: 9780802728302

Tempest Maguire is happy with her decision to embrace her mermaid nature and live among her mother’s clan within the ocean’s depths. Even though training to one day ascend the throne for the aging mermaid queen is rigorous, she finds refuge in the arms of Kona, the selkie who first opened her up to her mermaid side. But when word comes that one of her brothers has been gravely injured on land, Tempest immediately rushes to his side—which also brings her back to her old flame, Mark. And in her absence, a deadly battle begins raging at the hands of Tempest’s old nemesis, the sea witch Tiamat. As the dangerous war erupts, Tempest’s two loves—Kona and Mark, sea and land—will collide for the first time, both to protect her and to force her to choose.

Review

   Tempest has decided that she owes it to her Mother's people to live with them and one day become Queen of the mermaids.  But she is having trouble letting go of the last vestiges of her human life.  Her romance with Kona, the one thing she was certain she could count on is also suffering.  All because Tempest can't let go of Mark, her human ex-boyfriend, completely either.  Then the sea-witch Tiamat strikes out at her human family, forcing Tempest to rush home once more.  All the while Tiamat is attacking Tempest's people under the ocean while she is distracted by the illness of her youngest brother, Moku.  When Tempest and Kona go back underwater, both of their villages have been severely harmed by Tiamat.  Tempest tries to find Kona upon learning some horrific news about his family and learns that he has been taken by Tiamat and a mer traitor who is helping her in the quest for power.  Now Tempest must swim into a trap and use all of her wits, strength and love to find a way to defeat Tiamat and rescue Kona.  Also, Kona isn't the only one who has been kidnapped.  Can Tempest save herself and both of her loved ones?  Or will one of them be left in the murderous grip of the sea witch?  This book was interesting like the first one, but it had some extremely weak points in my honest opinion.  Tempest began to truly annoy me with her chronic inability to make a choice romantically and let it STICK.  Now that she has chosen to be with Kona, she wants Mark back and dreams about being with him again.  Seriously, after the very selfish and completely absentminded way she treated him in the first book when Kona came onto the scene, NOW she freaking wants to be with him?????  And her complete disregard for her family until there's a major crisis is pretty grating.  I liked the mermaid mythology and prophecy of the first one.  However, the 'muhahaha' mentality and characterization of Tiamat got to be a little bit much for me to handle.  I had to laugh at the devolvement of Tempest and Kona's relationship though.  That is what should happen to all of these fake, YA insta-love relationships.  Insta-lust is a more accurate description.  I didn't care for the way that the plot developed which felt at times too slow and then at others way too fast.  I will not be reading the next book if there is one.  ESPECIALLY not after the horrible way this one ends.  If you want a good mermaid book, find another series to read.  If you love Twilight, this is the series for you.

VERDICT:  2.5/5  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 June 5th, 2012.*

Everything's Shiny...

Published: December 8th, 2011
Illuminated
By: Erica Orloff
Speak
ISBN-13: 9780142413760


Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story - and hers - takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary - and that of Heloise and Abelard's ancient romance - their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can't last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?

Review

   Callie lives with her Uncle Harry and his partner Gabe every summer and this one is no exception.  Except her Uncle has gotten a rare book to sell from a client and thinks it might be the discovery of a lifetime: a palimpset (a book where there are two layers of writing).  Enter August and his Father, who have a family business of rare books.  Since his Dad has agoraphobia, August and Callie are the ones invesitgating the book and trying to figure out who wrote it.  They are also immediately attracted to each other and begin to fall in love.  The book might belong to the son of tragic lovers Heloise and Abelard.  Will Callie and August's story end tragicly too?  This was an interesting book.  While romance was a big part of it, the book would have been better off without it.  Callie was presented initially as a smart, level-headed young girl.  Then her brain turns to mush in the presence of August.  It kind of disgusted me quite a bit.  The mystery was pretty interesting, since I kind of love history and legends that are slightly beyond historical fact.  I would not recommend this too highly though unless you're really into love at first sight.  Not for me, most definitely.

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Seizure of Your Destiny

Published: October 18th, 2011
Seizure
By: Kathy Reichs
Razorbill
ISBN-13: 9780099543886


Ever since Tory Brennan and her friends rescued Cooper, a kidnapped wolf pup with a rare strain of canine parvovirus, they've turned from regular kids into a crime-solving pack. But now the very place that brought them together - the Loggerhead Island Research Institute - is out of funding and will have to shut down. That is, unless the Virals can figure out a way to save it.

So when Tory learns of an old Charleston legend about a famous she-pirate, Anne Bonney, whose fortune was never found, she can't believe her luck - buried treasure is exactly what she needs to save the Institute on Loggerhead! Trouble is, she and her friends aren't the only ones looking for it. And this time, the Virals' special powers may not be enough to dig them out of trouble . . .

Review

  Tory Brennan and her friends are a pack now that they've all been transformed by the strain of parvovirus they caught from wolfdog Cooper.  But even with their adventures seemingly over, the gang still has trouble on the horizon.  The Loggerhead Research Institute that brought them together (where all their parents happen to be employed) is in danger of shutting down, due to inadequate funding at the higher up levels.  Each one of the pack will be forced to move and separated from one another, unless they are able to find a way to save the island from being sold off piece by piece, developed and all the animals extinguished.  It just so happens that there could be a way, but it involves finding the lost treasure of pirate Anne Bonny, from the early 1700s.   But finding it involves mutliple breakings of the law and some dangerous explorations into unstable sea caves and crocodile infested islands.  Oh, not to mention the fact that someone else is after the treasure and they won't stop until they have it.  Even if it means Tory and her friends have to die for them to get it.  So, I truly enjoyed this book!  It was a great follow up to the first book in the series and Kathy Reichs can definitely turn pages.  This book was full of adventure and science, with a lot of humor on the friendship side of things.  Plus there was an interesting side-plot about everyone figuring out the extent of their powers, how to control them and how Tory is able to get into everyone else's minds.  I liked how Hi had to bait Ben for his powers to flare.  Some of the stuff he said was horrible, but Ben's reactions were priceless.  Shelton was just as much of a scaredy cat as ever and the Tripod were the same old, mean-girl debutantes as before.  I thought this was a well conceived, smartly executed, fun story that was definitely worth the read.  I can't wait to see where Tory and the gang go next! 

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

The Four Stages of Posession

Published: September 13th, 2011
After Obsession
By: Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
Bloomsbury USA Children's
ISBN-13: 9781599906812


Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.


Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love-and introducing an exciting new YA voice, Steven Wedel-this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession.

Review

   Aimee Avery just wants things to get back to normal, the way they were before her best friend Courtney's Father was lost at sea.  Alan Parsons feels the same, having been forced by his Mother to move from Oklahoma to Maine, so that his cousin Courtney and her Mom can have help keeping their house.  Aimee has noticed that things aren't right in the small town she's lived in her whole life.  People are acting angry and just plain mean spirited and Courtney is acting secretive.  Her boyfriend Blake has become jealous, cruel and overly posessive upon the arrival of Alan - almost bordering on racist regarding Alan's status as half Navajo.  It turns out that the problems in town are being caused by an entity who has plagued the area for hundreds of years intermittently, the River Man.  He is demonic presence who is tied to the river near Aimee's home where her Mom drowned when she was little.  It was always thought that her Mom's death was a suicide brought on by bi-polar disorder, but it turns out to have roots far deeper than that.  She was trying to protect the town and her family from the River Man.  Aimee is also attempting to deal with her ability to heal people and the fact that things she sees in dreams come true.  Alan is also having dark dreams, connected to his cougar spirit guide Onawa, who says he has a great destiny as a spirit warrior.  It turns out that Courtney summoned the demon in an attempt to reach her Dad and now it is posessing her.  With time running out, Aimee and Alan have to find a way to defeat the River Man and save Courtney from her own destructiveness - while dealing with their attraction to each other.  I really enjoyed this book!  I honestly liked this a lot better than Carrie's Need series which I felt stumbled after the first book's promising start.  I enjoyed the alternating points of view, which blended together so well I didn't overtly notice I was reading two different authors.  I liked the interactions and how real the characters felt.  I also wish to thank Carrie and Steven for the presence of REAL parents/parental figures and family situations.  Oftentimes in YA paranormal books the parents are non-existence.  Gramps and Aimee's brother are hilarious.  I love that they sell a cheeto looking like Marilyn Monroe on eBay.  I couldn't put this book down once I started although it was more because the plot sucked me in than the characters themselves.  That ended up being okay though, and the ending was wonderful.  Also, I liked the use of Native American legends, practices and culture to help move along the main storyling.  Very well done and a highly commendable job not being cliched or overdone.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes YA paranormal with a fresh twist and is very sick of the same old crap.  This was something welcoming and new.

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*