Winner Takes It All

Published: March 4th, 2014

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1)

By: Marie Rutkoski

Farrar Straus Giroux

ISBN-13:  9780374384685

Winning what you want may cost you everything that you love.

As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married.  But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.  Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone.  Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him -- with unexpected consequences.  It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she has paid for a fellow human is much higher than she could have ever imagined.

Review

     This is probably one of my most anticipated books of the year.  Just because I felt like everyone else was talking about it, even though I really wasn't even sure what it was really about!  Let me tell you right now, this book basically defies any sort of classification.  It's set in a world with no connection to ours, but it's not science-fiction, fantasy, or an alternate history of some sort.  I'm thinking that it's only defining characteristic is its base structure around the political intrigues, wars and slavery struggles of the fictional society.  There really isn't a genre for that!  So, that's issue number one.  Issue number two, would be the slow and somewhat contrived pacing and plot of the first half of this book.  We get glimpses at the smart, strategic mind of Kestrel, a general's daughter, who is trapped in between two choices (neither of which she is okay with).  She has no real say in what happens to her future, other than who to marry or whether or not to join her father in the military.  We get to see Kestrel's inner struggle, her daily miniature rebellions and her connections with the others in her society, including her best friend Jess who definitely isn't bucking the system.  Not to mention, Jess' brother Ronan, who wants to marry Kestrel.  One day Kestrel buys a slave.  He acts nothing like a slave, orders her around, ignores her and they have a mental battle for each others' secrets.  They play games with each other, and are developing feelings.

     Things start to pick up in the second half, with the discovery of the slave, Arin's, secret activities and Kestrel's own plans to subvert society in regards to her future.  By the end, everything the reader thought they knew is in shredded ruins and the cliffhanger has left them reeling.  Especially when the slaves turn the tables of the war on their oppressors almost completely around.  There was superb world-building, and I could picture everything that was being described for me.  I could see the rich society houses, the slaves, the bustling marketplace and all of the individual characters.  I was stuck in this book.  But instead of feeling like I was lost completely in it, I felt like the author was consciously manipulating my emotions with calculated scenes, twists, etc.  That's not a fun feeling to have when reading a book.  

     This book was downright bizarre at times, especially with the whole plot revolving around slavery and war.  Not your average YA romance.  I liked that and the second half of the book was phenomenally written.  Yet there was something about these characters that left me cold.  I never really connected with Kestrel, who is withdrawn, scheming and kind of bland.  Arin was very stereotypical and you could see his "tragic" back story coming a mile away.  But the plot execution was a thing of brilliance and the character interactions were vicious in the best kind of way.  If you want a serious mind-fuck, I'd recommend this one.  Something off the wall, and completely new in a strange way (and yes, I'm being purposefully vague, because I don't want to spoil the surprise and weirdness of this one for you).  I will probably read the next one, just to see where she goes!

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 was published March 4th, 2014.*

Creepy Little Chalk Figures, All In A Row

 

Published:  May 14th, 2013

The Rithmatist (Rithmatist # 1)

By: Brandon Sanderson

Tor Teen

ISBN-13:  9780765320322

 

 

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever.

 

Review

 

     Having never read a Brandon Sanderson book before this, all I knew going in is that he is a purveyor of epic fantasy novels.  Definitely an accurate description, alongside the title A King of World-Building and Much Detail!  This was definitely a good thing the majority of the time, as it definitely immersed me into this alternate-history/fantasy novel about people called Rithmatists (who kind of reminded me of Yu-Gi-Oh! only with chalk figures instead of playing cards).  The main character, Joel, is a teenaged boy obsessed with the art of the Rithmatists and the magic behind their craft.  He has always wanted to be one, but missed his chance and is the poor chalkmaker's son on scholarship at a Rithmatist academy instead.  But when Joel becomes assistant to the newly challenged and defeated Rithmatic Strategy Professor, his obsession is put to good use helping to solve the recent, mysterious disappearances of academy students (all gifted Rithmatists).  With the help of Melody, a Rithmatist scholar who is reluctant at best and would much rather draw unicorns, the disgraced Professor and raw talent can Joel solve the mystery, while finding a way to be part of the Rithmatic world in his own right?  Also is the creepy new Professor really an evil mastermind?  And what is the mysterious Rithmatic line that no one knows the meaning of? 

     I love it when a book does the thinking for me and describes everything down to the last molecule of the dirt on the ground.  I alternately love it when I am left to imagine much of the detail and am only given characters, base settings and feelings.  This book DEFINITELY falls into the first category of writing style.  The wild chalklings out west in Nebrask, that attack & kill & are only contained by the Rithmatist's military outpost/tower, are technically the evil 'villains' in this book.  And the descriptions of acts carried out by the wild, 2-dimensional beasts were quite chillingly written.  Joel is obsessed with all things Rithmatic and as such, we the readers are bombarded with seemingly overzealous details about the lifestyle.  It did begin to get annoying after awhile and the drawings didn't do much for me, as someone who is the exact opposite of mathematically brained.  I just couldn't picture any of this in mind, even with the exacting descriptions.  All I could see in my head was the characters drawing lines.  Okay, sure I can go with that.   \

     The friendship between Joel and Melody was awesome, in that it wasn't instantaneous and they more or less despised each other for a good part of the book.  It took each of them quite some time to realize the true heart of the other and think beyond their own problems.  Their interactions are pretty hilarious as well.  The conclusion of the mystery wasn't all that shocking, nor was the good-evil status of the new Professor everyone was on the fence about.  I do like Sanderson's twist of how Joel could be included in Rithmatist battles.  It was well thought out and made the ending that much greater.  All in all, this was a really intriguing book with a lot of world building and set up for further books.  If you don't mind that you will definitely like this book!

 

VERDICT:  3.75/5  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.**

It's Kinda Frosty In Here

Published: August 1st, 2011
Touch Of Frost (Mythos Academy #1)
By: Jennifer Estep
Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN-13: 9780758266927


My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why —especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

Review

   Gwen Frost is descended from a long line of gypsy women, but she never believed in creatures and people of mythology being real.  When her Mom dies in a horrible accident, she is sent to Mythos Academy by her Grandma because she needs 'training.'  Gym class is really weapons training and her classmates are the descendants of Amazons, Valkyries, Spartans and other races that the world thinks have been long extinguished.  A long time ago there was a war among the Gods and Loki tried to take over the world.  The Bowl of Tears, an ancient artifact that he used has been stolen from the school library.  Then Gwen finds the body of mean girl Jasmine, murdered brutally and decides that she needs to find the killer if no one else will.  Especially since Gwen might be the person who dies next.  Can Gwen figure out who the enemy is in time?  And is her heritage more complicated than she was originally told?  Plus, how is a girl supposed to make any friends in a place where everyone can be lethal?  This book reminded me a lot of the premise of the Percy Jackson series and C.C. Hunter's Shadow Falls series.  Mythological kids sent to camp/boarding school to fight evil, learn about their powers and come to terms with a great destiny.  My only complaint about the follow-through of the mythology plot is that sometimes it feels like an afterthought in lieu of the average high school drama.  Gwen is an interesting heroine who has the requisite tortured past, but has a wonderfully snarky sense of humor to accompany it.    Her Grandma was priceless and truly and awesome old lady.  I loved Gwen's sense of intrepid adventure - it was like what might have happened if Veronica Mars was a psychic gypsy.  Daphne was a great example of character development, starting out as a complete, one-dimensional mean girl and becoming someone who would be a great friend to have.  Logan felt a little to cardboard to be an interesting romantic hero and that disappointed me.  I wasn't expecting the ending fully but it wasn't too shocking either.  This book was a good start to what seems like an interesting addition to YA mythologically inclined fiction.  I recommend it for fans of urban fantasy and mythology of all sorts.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

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



More Than Normal...

Expected Publication: June 19th, 2012

Something Like Normal

By: Trish Doller

Bloomsbury USA Children's 

ISBN-13: 9781599908441

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Review

   Travis comes home from Afghanistan on leave broken and completely messed up.  His new reality at home isn't so awesome either - his Mom and Dad are on the verge of divorce (because his Dad is cheating), his brother has stolen his car AND his girlfriend, plus he can no longer relate to the friends he left behind.  Oh, not to mention the fact that Travis is having hallucinations and nightmares about his best friend Charlie, who died in Afghanistan.  By chance Travis meets up with Harper, a girl whose reputation he ruined in the 9th grade.  At first she wants nothing to do with him, but he manages to find a place in her life in the end.  Harper ends up being exactly what Travis needed, especially now that Charlie's memorial is drawing closer and he'll have to face exactly how his friend died over there.  Travis also has to deal with fact of 3 more years on active duty.  Can he pull it together and begin to heal, or will he be lost in his pain?  This book isn't normally something that I would read.  I can't normally deal with guy narrators or the stories they tell - Travis was a major exception.  This book was so real that Travis, Charlie, and their friends could have been your brother, boyfriend or best friend.  It was scary to contemplate.  The romance was whirlwind but believable and not insta-love by any means at all.  Charlie became a person to me over the course of the novel and by the end his death had my heart breaking in pieces.  The portrayl of PTSD was very un-romaticized and the language Doller used to describe it had me uncomfortable - which is an indication of how good it was.  Also, Travis is a very real person who makes some pretty bad mistakes.  He isn't some perfect romantic, hometown hero.  All of the plot felt so real-world in that sense.  This was a wonderful book, gritty and realistic enough to get deep into my soul.  I will definitely be buying this one in hardcover when it is released and I highly recommend it.

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 June 19th, 2012.*

I Pledge Allegiance, Not To You

Published: November 15th, 2011
The Pledge
By: Kimberly Derting
Margaret K. McElderry
ISBN-13: 9781442422018


In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Review

   Charlie has grown up in a society that has been rebuilt from ruin, using a caste system that separates the people cruelly.  No one is allowed to speak any language than the one of their station and Englaise, the common tongue.  If they even look at another person while they speak their class' language, they will be executed.  Charlie has a secret: she can understand any language that is spoken, no matter whether she's heard it before or not.  One night while she's at a club with her friend Brooklyn, Charlie hears someone speak in a tongue she doesn't recognize.  Intrigued, she becomes involved in a power struggle she never imagined.  One that will put Charlie, her parents, and her little sister Angelina's lives at risk.  Max knows something about Charlie that will question everything she has ever believed to be true.  Can she save herself and everyone else in the kingdom from the tyranny of the monarchy?  Or will her very soul be a casualty of war?  This was a truly interesting novel.  I liked the concept of language and caste systems being the true barrier in a dystopian society.  Charlie is such a strong female heroine that I couldn't help but like her.  That said, the Queen (as the villain of the story) was way too one-dimensional.  It was like she was evil for no reason at all, other than power had driven her mad.  The plot could have benefited from far more backstory than it was given.  The romance between Max and Charlie was sweet, but not exactly probable.  At times it was slightly Twilight-y and that did nothing to improve upon it for me.  I loved little Angelina, who has a gift and strength of spirit all her own.  Brooklyn and Aron could've been so much more - alas they were merely plot devices as was Xander, Max's cousin and leader of the resistance.  Unfortunately, it was quite predictable and not thorough enough for my enjoyment.  I was expecting the harsh beauty of The Girl of Fire and Thorns - I got weak writing instead.  I thought the epilogue left way too much to be desired.

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

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

The Plagues of Humanity

Published: September 1st, 2011
The Eleventh Plague
By: Jeff Hirsch
Scholastic Books
ISBN-13: 978-0545290142


The wars that followed The Collapse nearly destroyed civilization. Now, twenty years later, the world is faced with a choice—rebuild what was or make something new.

Stephen Quinn, a quiet and dutiful fifteen-year-old scavenger, travels Post-Collapse America with his Dad and stern ex-Marine Grandfather. They travel light. They keep to themselves. Nothing ever changes. But when his Grandfather passes suddenly and Stephen and his Dad decide to risk it all to save the lives of two strangers, Stephen's life is turned upside down. With his father terribly injured, Stephen is left alone to make his own choices for the first time.

Stephen’s choices lead him to Settler's Landing, a lost slice of the Pre-Collapse world where he encounters a seemingly benign world of barbecues, baseball games and days spent in a one-room schoolhouse. Distrustful of such tranquility, Stephen quickly falls in with Jenny Tan, the beautiful town outcast. As his relationship with Jenny grows it brings him into violent conflict with the leaders of Settler's Landing who are determined to remake the world they grew up in, no matter what the cost.

Review

   The USA has collapsed from an inevitable war with China, who released a plague that decimated its population.  Slavers roam the country, selling the people to the wealthy in other countries and salvagers/nomads are the average US citizen, fighting for survival.  Stephen has grown up fighting and being abused by his Grandfather, a harsh ex-miltary man, while his Father stood by and watched.  His mother has been dead for about five years and his world is survival with no fun or happiness.  Then Grandfather dies, leaving Stephen and his Father to fend for themselves.  Of course his Father tries to help a woman and child escape from the slavers, which ends up with him in a coma and Stephen alone.  Stephen is captured by people from Settler's Landing who believe he's a spy and they take him and his Father back to their town.  This is when things get really interesting.  I enjoyed this book on many levels.  Hirsch manages to paint a picture of a world ravaged by disease and war, that still resembles our own in a chilling way.  Jenny Tan is an interesting foil to Stephen because she has had a relaxed, relatively safe upbringing but longs for something she perceives to be more real.  He just wants to be able to quit worrying for awhile and live.  I also enjoyed the starkness of the language, that managed to give more than enough description for my brain to fold in upon itself.  This book was terrifying in a way The Hunger Games, because it gave a view into a very plausible outcome of our contries political dealings and world relations in general.  The ending was well written and fit the rest of the book very well.  I would recommend this to anyone who like dystopia, adventure and complex human interaction.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

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