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

Midwinterblood

Midwinterblood 
by Marcus Sedgwick

Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? (Description from Amazon.com) 

I've never read anything of Sedgwick's before, but I'd heard nothing but good things, and now, I'm not surprised.  His writing is...sophisticated? I'm not sure if that's exactly what I mean, but this book was definitely intricate and beautifully dark.  In fact, while I was reading, I kept thinking that this book is what I usually define as a "YA/A crossover" book...one that is meant for the oldest, most sophisticated teen readers and for adult readers. 

I really enjoyed this book, but it read "adult" to me themewise.  I loved the intertwining stories of the reincarnated characters.  I thought that the theme of sacrifice was really well done and things were revealed at just the right points in the stories.  I would definitely recommend this book, though, not to the audience I had originally expected. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan 

Dark Star

Dark Star 
by Bethany Frenette

Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey notto feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves. (description from Amazon.com) 

I liked this book. It had an interesting premise, a good main character, and a well built world...but it just didn't grip me the way I'd hoped it would.  While I wanted to know what happened, this was a book that when I put it down I did not have that intense, immediate desire to pick it back up. I'm not quite sure why.  

Things I liked: 

*Audrey knew her own limitations, yet felt compelled to do the right thing and to help people even against great odds. 

*Audrey and her mom's relationship.  It just read really "real" to me.  

*The romance. 

*The demon mythology and the idea of the Beneath, the Guardians, the Kin, etc. 

*The surprise of discovering what really made Audrey so special. 

So, why wasn't this book amazing? I have no idea.  I think maybe I wasn't in the right mood...or it just too a little too long for the suspense to really build? I'm really not sure.  I would recommend it to other readers, but perhaps not a reluctant reader as my feelings are so mixed...

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley, phsyical book borrowed from my library

The End of Infinity

The End of Infinity

by Matt Myklusch

Jack Blank Adventures, book three

 

Ever since Jack Blank learned that he came from the amazing country of the Imagine Nation, he’s known that his fate could go down two very different paths—he could either be the greatest hero the world has ever known, or its greatest villain.   Now the final battle is here, and it’s time for Jack to discover the direction of his destiny. (description from Amazon.com)

*This is the final book in the Jack Blank trilogy, so beware of spoilers!*

I have really enjoyed this series and I am actually sad that it has come to a close.  I'm sort of hoping that Matt Myklusch will dive into this world again to tell the stories of some of its other characters... we'll have to wait and see. 

What made this series so great?  It is a fabulous blend of realistic fiction and comic-book style heroes and villans.  There are elements of science fiction, full-on fantasy, and there is no end to the action-packed adventures! Jack is a great character because he has a destiny that he must decide whether to embrace as inevitable, or to try to shape along the way... though he has no idea who he truly is, he has a fantastic moral compass that leads him... he has a strong sense of loyalty and friendship that he will not let fall the way side.  He is a hero that I can truly get behind... oh, and did I mention that he can mentally manipulate machines?  Awesome. 

Not only does Jack fight his way into embracing and then changing his destiny, but he learns the truth about himself (finally!!) and decides exactly what type of hero he wants to be for the rest of his life.  I loved how Jack's friends stood by him, even when they had their niggling doubts, and how Jack refused to lose any of them in the biggest, most important battle he'd ever seen.  Reading this book was like watching an epic superhero movie, in the best possible way.  As I said before, I look forward to hearing more from this author and hopefully in this same world!!

Full disclosure: Signed copy received from author for honest review

Innocent Darkness

Innocent Darkness
by Suzanne Lazear
The Aether Chronicles, book one

Noli Braddock and her best friend V’s incident with a flying auto have landed them in a heap of trouble. And when Noli is sent to a spirit-squelching reform school in San Francisco, she’s sure that her rebellious adventures are over.

Meanwhile, Kevighn Silver has been ordered by the Faerie Queen to bring a mortal girl back to the Otherworld. The magic requires a blood sacrifice every seven years, and only a mortal girl who shines with the Spark—a girl like Noli—will keep the Otherworld from complete destruction.

When an ill-timed wish sends Noli tumbling into the Otherworld, she’s more homesick than ever . . . until V arrives to save her from an untimely demise. But who exactly is V? And if he helps Noli escape, who will save the realm of Faerie from utter annihilation?  (description from Amazon.com)

I LOVED this book.  Seriously.  I love steampunk. I love faeries.  To find an author that had the vision to combine the two?? I'm in serious fan-girl mode, people! SERIOUSLY.

Okay, let me try to talk myself down a little bit here...become a little more coherent. LOL.  Let's see.  Why did I LOVE this book? Well it starts out with a girl who refuses to become the perfect little society Lady taking a flying car for an illegal joyride...awesome.   Then she gets sent to a reform school (read punishments and pretty much prison with tea time, here) and  finds a faery garden in the backyard. 

When the High Queen's faerie Huntsman, (who is the perfect version of a Huntsman, BTW, relying on charm  and good looks to lure the ultimate prey, humans) finds Noli there, he ends up sweeping her off to the Otherworld to turn her into the sacrifice that can save all Fae. Unbeknownst to Noli,  her best friend and next-door  neighbor, Steven...aka V, has a few secrets of his own and when Noli disappears, he sets  out  to find her.

So, without giving *everything* away, here are things that kept me smiling all the way through the book:

*Romance
*Faeries 
*Amazing Gardens
*Silly garden games reminiscent of the croquet in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
*Danger
*Sacrifice
*Swordplay
*Mechanical Hair Accessories
*Fantastic and Impractical Clothing

...and much more! I cannot wait to see what Lazear gives us in book two. So far, she's hinted that there will be air pirates. AIR PIRATES, people!! *fans self*  Sorry, got  a little overexcited there, again. :D

Full disclosure: ARC received from NetGalley

Don't forget to stop back here on August 12th for my stop on the official INNOCENT DARKNESS BLOG TOUR!  I'm super excited to have a guest post from the author, Suzanne Lazear. :)

Mini Reviews: The Picturebook edition

Pinkalicious
by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann

Pink, pink, pink. More than anything, Pinkalicious loves pink, especially pink cupcakes. Her parents warn her not to eat too many of them, but when Pinkalicious does . . . she turns pink! What to do?

This sparkling picture book, filled with such favorites as pink bubble gum, pink peonies, pink cotton candy, and pink fairy princess dresses, celebrates all things pink while showing that being yourself is best of all. (description from Amazon.com)

To be totally honest, I read both this and Silverlicious and I did not really care for either one. I found Pinkalicious to be a bratty little girl that is not really forced to learn any lessons. I understand that the books are fun and cute, but I think they inadvertantly send some poor messages...

I Don't Want to Be a Pea!
by Ann Bonwill
illus. by Sam Rickerty

Hugo is in no doubt as to what he and Bella should go as to the Hippo-Bird Fancy Dress Party. They will go as the princess and the pea and he will be the princess (of course!) leaving poor Bella to be the pea. Indignant, Bella refuses. She has a better suggestion - they will go as a mermaid on a rock and she will be the mermaid (of course!) leaving a huffy Hugo to be the rock. Hugo is not happy. But neither is Bella. They just can't decide on a costume and things reach a crisis when they both flounce off saying they don't want to go to the party at all. After time to consider, both Hugo and Bella calm down and (privately) both choose to dress as a pea as a gesture of making it all up to each other. So when they both arrive at the party as peas, Hugo and Bella announce proudly that they are 'two peas in a pod, just as it should be' underlining the message of the book that friendship is all about give and take. (description from Amazon.com)

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With fabulous illustrations and a simple story about what it means to sacrifice for friendship, I thought this book was a real winner. It's simple enough (and somewhat silly!) for preschoolers to understand, but also helps them to grasp a great concept about friendship.

 

Cloudette

by Tom Lichtenheld

Sometimes being small can have its advantages. If you’re a little cloud like Cloudette, people call you cute nicknames, and you can always find a good spot to watch the fireworks. But what about when you want to do something big, like help a giant garden grow, or make a brook babble? (description from Amazon.com)

This was another gem of a book. It is a cute way for little children to understand that even though they are little, they can make a difference in the world, too! It had really cute illustrations. 

Press Here

by Herve Tullet

Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! (description from Amazon.com)



This was a really fun book to "read!"  Basically, you (or a small child) read the directions on each page, complete the action, turn the page...and voila, it appears you made something new happen!  It was a real hoot.  Cool concept...we get asked for this book a lot!!

 

The Replacement

The Replacement
by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle is a replacement - a fairy child left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago, to replace the baby when it was stolen away by the fey. So though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie's real home is the fey world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. Now, because his fey blood gives him fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably back home to the fey underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures, rescue the child, and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs. (description taken from Amazon.com)

Oooh. I was salivating over this book for months, and months, and months...ever since I first glimpsed this awesomely creepy cover. (Not a huge fan of the new paperback cover, btw...) I was only slightly disappointed when I finally finished it.

The premise of this book is not wholly original, but the execution is almost flawless. Mackie's hometown of Gentry is a deliciously dark place full of secrets and people more than willing to keep them...

I love dark, creepy faerie stories and this one is amazing. I love the idea that the main character is actually a changeling and the obstacles that Mackie has to face as he gets older and cannot survive in the human world gave this book a clever twist. My only (and I mean only) problem with this book was that I just couldn't really connect with Mackie.

I've read tons of reviews...and almost everyone loves Mackie. He is a very interesting character. His progression from sickly "freak" to reluctant hero is believable and fun to read...but he just didn't...reach out and grab me.

Whereas...many of the other characters practically leapt off the pages at me. For one, Mackie's love interest, Tate. She is one of my new favorite heroines. This is a girl that doesn't buy the local bull...this is a girl that faces down ridicule, stands up to the mean girl, fights (literally) for what she knows is true...she will do ANYTHING to save her sister. She is in a word, awesome!

I also really loved Mackie's best friend, Roswell. His loyalty knows no bounds. He and the twins were awesome comic relief and back up when needed. Not to mention Mackie's sister...

Lastly one cannot ignore the "Old Ones." The Morrigan was unlike I'd ever seen her before and I truly adored the way that Yovanoff wrote her... Her blue girls and Janice and the others from the House of Mayhem struck that perfect balance between dark and dangerous and good. The Lady and her Cutter were the ultimate nemeses and I was creeped out in ways I can't even describe.

Other than feeling a slight disconnect from Mackie, which I actually felt was an advantage...since he's supposed to be "other" and I wouldn't want to be able to wholly relate to him...the writing was amazing...the characters were deep, twisted, and compelling...the setting was phenomenal....

This is definitely going to the top of my personal list for the dark fae/horror genre!