The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
by Holly Black

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. (Description from Goodreads.com)

This one's been sitting on my shelves for more than a year and a half now...and I'd been stoked to read it when I got it at BEA! I love Holly Black's writing and I knew if I was going to read any more vampire fiction (I've been sort of anti-vampire in the last couple of years...) that she would be the author to trust for quality and a twist on the traditional genre. 

In fact, I started this book by listening to the audio and from the moment that Tana woke up in a bathtub at a Daylight Party gone wrong, I was hooked.  The characters are fascinating.  Each one either trying to hide or embrace the darkest parts of themselves and still not really knowing exactly how dark life (or in this case, the afterlife) can get.  Black manages to keep readers on the edge of their seat, constantly drawing Tana to a place that could mean safety, only to pull the rug out from under her again and again.  

I was awed at how strong a character she was...often I wonder how I would react in the scenes I read. I know that if the events that occurred in Tana's life were to happen to me, I would have instantly been vampire food, but she manages through wit and grim determination to triumph again and again.  She truly is the "Coldest Girl in Coldtown."  I would LOVE to read a follow up to this book to see exactly where the next part of her adventure takes her... to see how she manages to defy what seems to be the only options before her, time and again.  

Is there a book two? Does anyone know?  

Full disclosure: Book from my Personal Library (ARC received at BEA 2013)/Audiobook borrowed from the Library

Atlantia

Atlantia 
by Ally Condie

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths. (Description from Goodreads.com)

It's been a long time since I've read a YA fantasy stand-alone. I think the last one was Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races and like that book, I was pleasantly delighted when I finished the book to feel glad that it was complete in and of itself.  Not to say in either case that I would not read a companion book or something set in the same world, on the contrary, I'd love to revisit both settings very much! I just mean that with so many trilogies and series out there today, sometimes it's exhausting to keep up. I loved that Atlantia wrapped up in a satisfying way.  

I also very much enjoyed the worldbuilding of this novel.  Atlantis has always fascinated me, but this was a new and exciting spin on it.  Condie did a great job of letting me see Atlantia in my head and I was drawn easily deeper and deeper into Rio's world, wanting to know exactly how things had developed into what they now were.  I loved the description of their city under the ocean and the few ways in and out of it.  I loved that it truly felt like a city that could exist, slums, blackmarkets, and all. 

I enjoyed the characters, too. Though they all occupied very specific roles in Condie's story, they were nuanced, as well.  Each character had a persona that was then balanced by the secret parts of their characters that only came to light as Rio became embroiled in the struggle to free herself and then save her city.  

As I said, though I'm glad there is not a direct sequel to this book, I most definitely would read another by Condie set in this same world!  

Full Disclosure: Chapter sampler received at 2014 BEA/Book borrowed from my Library

Gold Star Review: These Broken Stars

These Broken Stars
by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Starbound, book one

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. (Description from Amazon.com)

This book is beautifully written.

I found myself savoring the actual words and phrases used to describe characters' emotions and motivations. I would find myself repeating the final sentence in a chapter, or rolling a story that either character revealed to the other around in my brain, just enjoying the way that the words evoked certain emotions.  Each chapter brought new insight into the characters and their world. 

Lilac and Tarver were both multifaceted, intriguing characters that behaved in remarkable and yet realistically imagined ways. Reading their interactions, the way that each struggled to be independent, and yet, eventually they had no choice but to rely upon one another helped to enhance the sense tension within the story.  I felt like I was on the knife's edge from almost the first page! 

I also truly loved the science fiction aspect of this book.  Though the original premise reads as Titanic in space, each scene reveals new info about the science and technology of this world.  The space exploration reads as a wholly possible near future for our culture and each bit about the tech they used seemed viable and well researched.  I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing where the next book in this series goes.  I'd love to explore some of the other terraformed planets in their universe!

I loved this book enough that I decided to give it a GOLD STAR review.

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley 

The Fifth Wave

The Fifth Wave
by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. (Description from Amazon.com)

An excellent read. This book feels real. Cassie has to deal with being alone, trying to decide if anyone can be trusted. When she realizes thatanyone could be one of them... how can she trust anyone ever again? Then Cassie meets someone that she desperately wants to trust...

Her devotion to finding and saving her brother is admirable and heartbreaking. Seeing in the alternating chapters what is happening inside the camp he's been taken to... I found myself wanting to yell through the book to the characters letting them know what was going on with each other. Though I could see where things were going most of the time, Yancey's writing still kept me on the edge of my seat.

For older readers looking for a thrilling, can't put it down type of science fiction read.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

This is Not a Test

This is Not a Test
by Courtney Summers

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to? (description from Amazon.com)

Gritty and real, this zombie apocalypse survival story gripped me from start to finish. Definitely for older readers, there's a lot of very real mature things happening as these teens try to survive. As a reader that prefers realism to a perfect happy ending, I very much enjoyed the fact that Sloane's story does not shy away from the horrors of a zombie "infestation." It would not have felt as authentic to me if Sloane suddenly became a perky rah-rah kind of girl and everyone survived.

Happy ending hunters may not like what they find here...but, readers looking for a more true-to-(fictional)life experience will appreciate this compelling tale.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Across a Star-Swept Sea

Across a Star-Swept Sea 
by Diana Peterfreund
Companion to For Darkness Shows the Stars

Publication Date: October 15, 2013

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the island of Galatea, an uprising against the aristocracy has turned deadly. The revolutionaries' weapon is a drug that damages their enemies' brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On neighboring Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous teenage aristocrat Persis Blake. Her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo . . . is her most dangerous mission ever.

Justen is hiding things, too—his disenchantment with his country's revolution, his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he's pretending to love. Persis is also falling for Justen, but when she discovers his greatest secret—one that could plunge New Pacifica into another dark age—she realizes she's not just risking her heart, she's risking the world she's sworn to protect. (Description from Amazon.com)

I *LOVE* Diana Peterfreund. There, I said it.  I love all of her books, I think she's a great person and having met her more than once now, I have officially fallen into "crazy fan-girl" status... For example, I saw DP at BEA this year from across an aisle as I was standing in line to get a signed ARC from Holly Black.  Thankfully, I was standing in line with Evie from Bookish, who very sweetly held my place in line as I ran across the aisle to harass gush at DP.  I was so gushy, in fact, that the super-sweet DP pulled out her *last* ARC of Across and signed it for me on the spot. I almost died! 

Anyway...This book is just another reason why I love DP.  Like For Darkness Shows the Stars (see my gold star review here), this book is based on a classic.  This companion book is actually inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, which I've never read, but having read the description I can very much see how the Scarlet Pimpernel inspired Persis' Wild Poppy.  

I found Persis herself to be a fascinating character.  Uber-intelligent, Persis realizes that in order to do the best thing for her country, while it's on the brink of war, she must actually play dumb.  Persis becomes the epitome of a superficial socialite in order to defray any suspicion...in order to let the Wild Poppy remain undiscovered.  She is SO good at her scheme that even her parents have no idea what she's really up to... Experiencing the dichotomy of Persis' two worlds, the whirlwind of the posh Lady-in-Waiting and the dangerous rescue missions as the Poppy... it was so exciting, I felt like I could drop right into her world.  

I loved watching the relationship develop between Persis and Justen.  I like that DP does not do "insta-love."  These relationships have major ups and downs, and often the characters really have to work at it for things to work out. That makes them feel SO much more real to me. I like the added depth and the gratification I feel when they finally head in the direction I'm dying for them to go, LOL.  [And, yes, for those who are wondering, we do get a connection back to FDStS in this book...]

Can I but hope for a third book in this world???

Full disclosure: Signed ARC received (from DP herself!!) at BEA 2013. 

The Dark Between

The Dark Between
by Sonia Gensler

Publication Date: August 27, 2013.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves. (Description from Amazon.com)

I loved the atmosphere of this book. Set in the early 1900's in England, spiritualism is all the rage.  Combined with the development of early sciences, the three teens find themselves caught in a mystery that finds at its heart the question...are there really ghosts or is everything just an illusion of the otherworld?  The pseudo-sciences explored were fascinating and the way that Gensler ties everything together totally sucked me in to the story.  

While I had my suspicions about who was really involved with what and why, I found myself absolutely captivated watching the characters figure it all out.  A great supernatural mystery for historical fans. 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from SLJ

Splendors and Glooms

Splendors and Glooms
by Laura Amy Schlitz

The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants. 

Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. 

As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late. (Description from Amazon.com) 

This book is very gothically atmospheric.  The characters are intriguing.  The sorcery that gets blended into the story is done very well and I found myself drawn in by both the storylines and the horrific things that the children and even the adult characters were facing.  And yet... I found this story read very slowly.  Don't get me wrong. It was beautifully written, I enjoyed the story and I was satisfied when it was done, but it also took me about five days to read and for me, that is a *really* long time.  I'm not sure exactly why it was so slow, but I have a feeling readers who are only halfheartedly interested may not make it through this one... 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library 

Between the Lives

Between the Lives
by Jessica Shirvington

The perfect life or the perfect love. You choose. For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her ‘other’ life – a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she’s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she’s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in the other. With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she’s always wanted. But just what – and who – is she really risking? (Description from Amazon.com) 

Though this book had moments that felt predictable, the characters and plot drew me in so deeply that I found myself not caring. Sabine's lives are both fascinating in their own ways and the fact that she lives two, well it makes for some deep thinking... at first, I found myself thinking how great it would be, but as Sabine explains to the person she tries to convince, it's actually an awful prospect as you get older.  Is it right to be married to one person, someone that you truly love, in one life and to have someone else in another? Could you spend every day of your life lying to everyone around you?

What seemed a dream opportunity slowly begins to feel like an oppressive nightmare.  

Until the day that Sabine realizes she might have the opportunity to choose just *one* of her lives... And then the day that she meets who might be the true love of her life... after that everything changes.  

This book was emotionally captivating, and even as I found the ending to be just a little too pat logically, my romance-loving, eternally optimistic heart kept telling me to ignore that and when I did, I found myself exceptionally pleased with how things ended... 

Romance lovers, check this one out! Unfortunately, the actual print book is not out here in the US, yet, but if you are an audio book fan, you can check this one out now. (Another note - if you listen to the audio book that's out now, it's an Australian production with an Australian narrator...reading a Bostonian character. That can be a little disconcerting. If you can get past that, though, the story is great!) Otherwise, I'll try to remember to let you all know when the book finally comes out here. 

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile Magazine

Eve

Eve
by Anna Carey

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life. (description from Amazon.com)

I finally took the time on my vacation to just read books I had in my Nook, but had never gotten to...and let me tell you, this particular book turned out to be an EXCELLENT plane read.  It was just the right length, not too long, not too short. It had just the right balance of action and emotion and I could not turn the pages fast enough. I sped through this one and immediately wished I had invested in the second and third books before takeoff.  

I want to learn more! More about everything.  Who is the mysterious King that wants Eve for his own.  How on earth did we Americans let ourselves really get to the horrible point that Eve's generation now finds themselves in, with women and men terrified to interact and women being bred like cattle (*shudders*)..

As much as I always have that niggling feeling that characters fall in love too fast in these circumstances and there is something a little formulaic about how Eve and Caleb are drawn in to each other, (girl meets boy is terrified, he saves her, she intrigues him, he saves her again...etc) overall, I just liked their two characters together too much for it to matter.  I *wanted* them to succeed and be able to just be together... 

That was really what I loved about this book. It wasn't the best I've ever read by any means, but I was thoroughly invested in it. Carey MADE me care.  Kudos for that. 


Full disclosure: eARC originally from Netgalley, book purchased on my Nook

Path of Beasts

Path of Beasts

by Lian Tanner

The Keepers, book three

 

The city of Jewel is in peril once again, as it is held captive by the frightful Fugleman, his band of Blessed Guardians, and an army of merciless mercenaries. There's no doubt that Goldie and Toadspit want to get their city back, but how can a small group of children fight against such overwhelming forces of evil? And how, as Goldie is determined, can they avoid bloodshed in a war that will set thieves against soldiers, and trickery and deception against a mighty cannon that shoots cannonballs bent on destruction? As Toadspit fights the Fugleman in a duel to the death, Goldie must face her hardest task yet. If she is to save the city, she must walk the mysterious Beast Road, deep inside the Museum of Thieves. No one knows where it goes and no one has ever returned from it. (description from Amazon.com)

 



An amazing end to the trilogy.  While I felt that things were not quite as strong in book two as they were in the first (which I absolutely loved!), I am sooo pleased to say that book three did not disappoint in the least.  Goldie, Toadspit, Bonnie, Mouse, and even Pounce team up to save their city, defeat the evils they could face directly, and even indirectly, and each finds the place they belong forever.

Strong characters, an intriguing and danger-filled plot, and a Museum that once again left me longing for a chance to explore it... this book packed quite the punch.  I cannot wait to read more from this author, even though this particular story may be finished.

Full disclosure: eARC received through NetGalley

The Humming Room

The Humming Room

by Ellen Potter

 

Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.

As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.

Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room--a garden with a tragic secret.

Inspired by The Secret Garden, this tale full of unusual characters and mysterious secrets is a story that only Ellen Potter could write. (Description from Amazon.com)

It's been a long time since I've read The Secret Garden, but as I was reading this book based on it I found things coming back to me.  I liked Roo as a character, finding her brusque, but understandably so. I thought that the new setting on an island at an old children's tuberculosis hospital was creepy and interesting.  It gave a really remote feeling that would have been hard to come by otherwise in a modern retelling and allowed for a very distinctive secretiveness surrounding Roo's new friend, "the river spirit."

The backstory and description of the garden held me captivated and I found myself wanting to see it.  When the family reunites over the garden's restoration, I felt touched.  Things wrapped up very quickly at the end, though, and I was left wanting just a little more. 

The book did leave me wanting to reread The Secret Garden. Since I probably won't have time (and because a co-worker keeps telling me that the movie is one of her favorites of ALL TIME), I checked out the movie version instead. This will allow me to revisit the original story and see if there was a little more at the end and what things may have been left out in this newer version. 

A quick and intriguing retelling of one of my favorite classic childhood tales.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

Liar and Spy

Liar and Spy

by Rebecca Stead

 

Seventh grader Georges moves into a Brooklyn apartment building and meets Safer, a twelve-year-old self-appointed spy. Georges becomes Safer's first spy recruit. His assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: what is a lie, and what is a game? How far is too far to go for your only friend? (description from Amazon.com)

 

I love Rebecca Stead's books.  Though this one is very different from When You Reach Me, it still has the same ability to slowly unfold a much deeper story than expected. Stead draws readers into a world where a boy is trying to adjust to a new home...but as you read, you realize a LOT more is going on than first showed on the surface. 

 

The layers that slowly peeled away to reveal the underlying issues were masterfully done.  It wasn't until just before Georges would address or discover an issue that I would suspect the very thing about to happen.  Scenes, word choices, character motivations were all carefully written so that none of these things were evident straight on.  Amazing.

 

I also have to mention how wonderful each of the characters in this book are... not just the kids, but also the parents.  They each have little quirks that bring them to life and the way that they interact with one another was wonderful. This is also a great book for modeling families that truly work and support one another.  So nice to see in today's world. 

 

A short, sweet, and satisfying read.

 

Full disclosure: eARC received to review through NetGalley 

Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts

by Martha Brooks

 

On the prairies of Canada during World War II, a girl and her two young siblings begin a war of their own. Stricken with tuberculosis, they are admitted to a nearby sanatorium. Teenager Marie Claire is headstrong, angry, and full of stubborn pride. In a new strange land of TB exiles she must “chase the cure,” seek privacy where there is none, and witness the slow wasting decline of others. But in this moving novel about fighting a way back to normal life, it is the thing that sets back Marie Claire the most—the demise of her little brother—that also connects her with the person who will be instrumental in helping her recover.  (description from Amazon.com)

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What a surprising little gem of a book. I should have known! I read Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks and found it to be a really well done historical fiction. I just couldn't imagine that I was going to enjoy a book about a girl who gets tuberculosis.  And yet... I really did! 

Marie Claire was a great character. She is headstrong and stubborn and sometimes just plain rude... yet she is also intuitive and caring and feels responsible for not only her own illness, but that of her brother and sister, as well. She is the only reason I could imagine reading a book about a poor girl living in a TB sanatorium...

While the author absolutely gives accurate historical detail, unflinchingly making readers aware of medical procedures that were done that now would be considered horribly barbaric, the focus is so strongly on Marie Claire's emotional journey into adulthood during her illness, that it does not become overwhelming.  This is the brilliant blend of fact and fiction that great historical writers can create. 

Short, but powerful. I would definitely recommend this to any historical fiction fans.

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan

Graveyard Shift

Graveyard Shift

by Chris Westwood

 

When Ben Harvester meets the mysterious Mr. October in London's Highgate Cemetery, he has no idea what a strange and dramatic turn his life is about to take. But Ben soon discovers that Mr. October works for the Ministry of Pandemonium, a secret organization responsible for tracking down lost souls and guiding them to the afterlife. And Mr. October wants him to be his new recruit.

As Ben's apprenticeship begins, his eyes are opened to a new world of wonder -- a world where magic is real and ghosts haunt every crime scene, accident site, and hospital corridor.

But with the wonder comes horror. Because the Ministry is not the only organization hunting spirits of the dead. The ghoulish Lords of Sundown want those spirits for their own sinister reasons. And as far as they're concerned, Ben's just chosen the wrong side in a very dangerous war. (description from Amazon.com) 

This was a cool ghost story perfect for a middle school audience.  Ben is a great character trying to balance his new position as an assistant at the Ministry of Pandemonium, helping the dead to find their afterlives, and being the best son he can possibly be to his mom, newly diagnosed with cancer.  He revels in the satisfaction that his work brings him and he feels that it is an important and necessary job, but it takes him away when his mom might need him the most. 

It's not until his mom's name appears on one of the lists for "pickup" that Ben realizes he may have to break ALL the rules...and lose not only his job, but the war against the Lords of Sundown, in order to save her.  Ben's relationship with his mother is one of the best parts of this book. It's inspiring and touching.  There were several heartfelt moments that had me threatening to tear up...

Though the first in a series, this book could also be read as a standalone.

Full disclosure: ARC received to review for SLJ

Masque of the Red Death

Masque of the Red Death

by Bethany Griffin

 

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them. So what does Araby Worth have to live for? Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all. But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does. And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her.  (description from Amazon.com)

Holy atmospheric Batman!  Okay. Aside from a *GORGEOUS* cover that I couldn't stop petting staring at, Griffin really has a way with words.  This book oozed creepy, gothic decadence.  There was never any doubt in my mind what this world looked like at all.  I felt as if I was stepping into the Debauchery Club right alongside Araby.  *shivers*

This world sucked me right in and the moment I put the book down, I started hunting online for information about book two (and yes, there is one! It's title is Dance of the Red Death, and it will be coming out in April 2013...). I cannot wait to dive back into this world.  To see the ramifications of Araby's choices.  To see how her friends' actions have affected her relationships with them.  To see if the whole world just implodes...

In a sea of dystopias and paranormal romances, this is a stand-out. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan



This Dark Endeavor

This Dark Endeavor
by Kenneth Oppel
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, book one

Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.

They stumble upon the Dark Library and discover secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies. Father forbids them from ever entering the room again, but when Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is drawn back to the Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. Victor, along with his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and friend Henry, immediately set out to find a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help them create the formula.

Determined to save Konrad, the three friends scale the highest trees in Strumwald, dive into the deepest lakes, and even make an unthinkable sacrifice in their quest for the elixir’s ingredients. And as if their task was not complicated enough, a new realm of danger—that of illicit love—threatens to end the ordeal in tragedy. (description from Amazon.com)

I enjoyed this book. I've been wanting to read something by Kenneth Oppel for awhile and I'd heard great things about this book. The concept of Dr. Frankenstein before he becomes infamous, his journey to becoming "The Dr. Frankenstein"... genius.  This was fast paced and intriguing and I'm very much looking forward to book two. 

Alchemy, romance, dark secrets, and death.  This book has it all.  Oppel has a great, accessible writing style, too. You almost forget that you are reading historical fiction. There is no issue with archaic words or a feeling of things being "too foreign" for our culture.  I will definitely be trying some of his other books soon, too!

Full disclosure: Purchased book for my Nook

Wings of the Wicked

Wings of the Wicked

by Courtney Allison Moulton

Angelfire, book two

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.

Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven's warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell's strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She's been warned.

Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian's new plan to destroy Ellie's soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian's schemes, the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She'll be betrayed.

Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be Hell to pay. (description from Amazon.com)

It's been a long time since I read Angelfire. I vaguely remembered the plot, but when I started Wings of the Wicked, it took me a little while to remember who some of the secondary characters were and what the situation was like for Ellie at home, etc. However, once I got past the first quarter or so of the book, I got sucked right back in to Ellie's lives - the one she has during the day, and the one she has hunting reapers at night.

I loved reading about the way that Ellie had to try to balance her daily school life with her duties as the Preliator. I can't imagine having to essentially save the world!  I used to feel the same way when I watched Buffy: the Vampire Slayer on TV. I can't imagine having that type of duty and facing that type of danger every day.  Incredible....and I'm sure, super tiring.  I get tired just reading about it, LOL!

I got totally caught up in the action and drama of this book. The romance, the revelations, the reapers... and let me tell you, the ending of this book. WHOA. I tweeted the author the moment I put it down asking when book three comes out. I need it ASAP! There is a cliffhanger... a desperate cliffhanger...a don't hold your breath cuz you might actually die kind of cliffhanger...