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Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Monday, November 10, 2014
by Maggie Stiefvater
Published by Scholastic Press
Release Date: Oct 21, 2014
Disclaimer: Received for review consideration from the publisher via NetGalley.
There is danger in dreaming. But
there is even more danger in waking up.
Blue Sargent has found things. For the
first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can
belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems
have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.
The trick with found
things though, is how easily they can be lost.
Friends can betray.
Mothers can
disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.
(I try to be vague, but as this is the third book in a series, mild spoilers may be present. My reviews of the first two novels in the Raven Cycle are here)
Review: There’s a certain mild
worry mixed with excitement I experience when reading a new installment in a
beloved series. The need to know what happens next is mixed with the feeling
that the novel can’t possibly live up to expectations. Thankfully Blue Lily, Lily Blue was such a good read
my fears were put to rest as I was happily transported once again to Henrietta with Blue and the Aglionby boys as they continue their search for
Glendower.
This
book returns to closely following Adam, Gansey, and Blue while Ronan is very
much involved in the plot the reader is not privy to his thoughts). Then there’s Noah, still ghosting around and
acting as a barometer for trouble. Blue, whom I’d missed hearing from in The Dream Thieves, is central to the
plot this time around. Dealing with personal loss, she begins to question what
she really wants from life, both in her relationships and her future, and
whether achieving those things will be possible. Adam, perhaps the character
who has evolved the most from his beginnings was in The Raven Boys, must deal with the consequences of his magical
bargain in addition to facing his abusive father once again. Ronan, despite being more in the background, has clearly been affected by the events in The Dream Thieves. As for Gansey, his
weaknesses are made more apparent, as are his motivations for starting the
search for Glendower. These characters grow from book to book and their
relationships with each other are fascinating and complex. It’s rare that such
a large cast of characters is as well rounded and portrayed so skillfully.
Another great thing? While this is one part
of an overarching mytharc, Blue Lily, Lily Blue tells a complete story. Goals
are achieved and closure is given, with enough threads dangling to make me
eager for the sequel but not cause the frustration that comes when a novel ends
in the middle of the action (all too common with series these days). Another positive? The setting: Henrietta is so grounded and so real feeling yet the magical
elements in the story feel organic, not jarring. It’s a refreshing blend of
realism and fantasy.
Finally,
what elevates this book from an entertaining fantasy story to a five star book
for me is how it does not shy away from issues of class. Gansey, generally a
good guy, is highly privileged and this can cause him to be condescending,
hurtful, or oblivious. Ronan is similarly privileged and this allows him to act
out with minimal consequences, while Adam must work several jobs while keeping
his grades up in order to ensure his future. Then there’s Blue, whose choices
are limited due to her family’s monetary situation. I find Blue’s frustration
over her college plans and her uncertainty over her relationship with Gansey just
as compelling as any magical cave jaunts or dream creatures. I must also
mention the villains, a comically over privileged super couple who obsess over
gourmet cheese and yoga classes while causally ordering someone’s murder.
All in all, this is a wonderful entry in this series and I can hardly wait for the next one.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
By Gail Carriger
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 11/4/14
Disclaimer: Copy received from the publisher via Netgalley. This does not affect the content of the review.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Class is back in session...
Sophronia continues her second year
at finishing school in style--with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of
her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy
when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming
Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her
werewolf pack in Scotland. No one suspected what--or who--they would find
aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens
to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie,
once and for all.
Gather your poison, steel tipped
quill, and the rest of your school supplies and join Mademoiselle Geraldine's
proper young killing machines in the third rousing installment in the New
York Times bestselling Finishing School Series by steampunk author, Gail
Carriger.
Review: This third installment in the
Finishing School series is as charming, funny, and action-packed as its
predecessors. I find these books to be
a lot of fun; a farcical comedy of manners blended with spy vs. spy thriller
and set in a steampunk world inhabited by supernatural creatures. The light,
humorous tone, the contrast between the strict social rules of the Victorian
age and the madcap adventures undertaken by the spies in training make for very
entertaining reading. That said, it’s the heroine, Sophronia, that really makes
this series.
Sophronia
is a competent, intelligent character who excels at being an “intelligencer”
yet can still make mistakes and is uncertain about what she wants. She’s a fully
fleshed out character who matures with every book. After being forced to face
the tragic consequences of her actions in Curtsies
& Conspiracies, Waistcoats & Weaponry has a more mature Sophronia
pondering her future as she must someday decide what side she is on when it
comes to the espionage game.
Complicating this decision are
Sophronia’s feelings towards her friend Soap, a worker in the engineering room
of the floating finishing school, and her flirtation with Lord Felix Mersey, a handsome nobleman with close ties to her enemies.
Yes, there is a love triangle, more central to this book than in any book
previously, but I feel it’s written well, gives the boys some added depth, and
rather than cause the narrative to stall Sophronia’s struggle with her feelings
allows for great character development (plus I was very happy with her ultimate choice).
The
other characters, particularly Sophronia’s friends Dimity and Sidheag (strong
female friendships, another thing I love about this series) are given time to
shine, though I would have liked more of Sidheag's story, even knowing what the future holds for her in The Parasol Protectorate series. The plot provides plenty of action in the form of a train heist, a game of chicken with a dirigible, assorted disguises, etc. and it wraps things up nicely yet leaves plenty of threads dangling for future installments.
Recommended for those who enjoy
historical romance, particularly the Victorian era, humorous adventures,
awesome heroines, and the idea of a mechanical dog named Bumbersnoot.
Monday, September 29, 2014
By Lauren Oliver
Published by Ecco
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Copy received from: Publisher at BEA
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium
trilogy makes her brilliant adult debut with this mesmerizing story in the
tradition of The Lovely Bones, Her Fearful Symmetry, and The
Ocean at the End of the Lane—a tale of family, ghosts, secrets, and
mystery, in which the lives of the living and the dead intersect in shocking,
surprising, and moving ways
Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country
house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged
family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving
daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.
But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical
Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its
claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe
the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though
their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house
itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a
light bulb.
The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will
soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins
to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic
results.
Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an
enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as
haunting as it is resonant.
Review: This melancholy gothic tale
features ghosts, and uncanny happenings, but the horrors are very much based in
reality. The ghosts are not what the Walker family is primarily haunted by, it’s
the horror and disappointments in their lives.. A sense of sadness permeates
the novel as characters, both living and dead, are forced to reveal their
secrets and deal with their grief, not only over death, but the loss of
innocence, love, potential, and hope. Loneliness is also prevalent, whether the
loneliness of death or the loneliness that comes from holding in a terrible secret.
One of my favorite aspects of this
story is the structure: the novel is divided into sections each featuring a
room of the house. Over the course of this section, the characters, whether the
remaining members of the Walker family or the two ghostly former residents, confront
the memories of events that have taken place in that room, things they have
kept hidden from their loved ones or refused to admit, even to themselves. Be
warned: suicide, domestic abuse, and child molestation are all included in the
house’s history.
As far as the characters inhabiting this
haunted house, I can’t say I found them likable but I did empathize with their
grief and understood their various ways of coping. They have all been hurt by
life and, when it comes to the Walker family, this damage has prevented them
from connecting with each other. Even the ghost characters felt very real, flawed
in a way that doesn’t leave much room for likability but is interesting and
honest.
I do have one or two nitpicks: one
being the teen girl character that appears out of nowhere so that Trenton has
someone outside of the house to interact with, the second being the suddenness with
which some later revelations are made: to the point where I was wondering if my
ARC was missing pages. But these are minor, and on the whole I found this story
engaging. There are no easy solutions to the Walker family’s problems, but they
do unburden themselves of the weight of what’s haunting them and there is a
sort of catharsis. A definite recommended read for those looking for a more
contemplative haunted house story.
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Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Monday, November 10, 2014
Review: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3)
by Maggie Stiefvater
Published by Scholastic Press
Release Date: Oct 21, 2014
Disclaimer: Received for review consideration from the publisher via NetGalley.
There is danger in dreaming. But
there is even more danger in waking up.
Blue Sargent has found things. For the
first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can
belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems
have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.
The trick with found
things though, is how easily they can be lost.
Friends can betray.
Mothers can
disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.
(I try to be vague, but as this is the third book in a series, mild spoilers may be present. My reviews of the first two novels in the Raven Cycle are here)
Review: There’s a certain mild
worry mixed with excitement I experience when reading a new installment in a
beloved series. The need to know what happens next is mixed with the feeling
that the novel can’t possibly live up to expectations. Thankfully Blue Lily, Lily Blue was such a good read
my fears were put to rest as I was happily transported once again to Henrietta with Blue and the Aglionby boys as they continue their search for
Glendower.
This
book returns to closely following Adam, Gansey, and Blue while Ronan is very
much involved in the plot the reader is not privy to his thoughts). Then there’s Noah, still ghosting around and
acting as a barometer for trouble. Blue, whom I’d missed hearing from in The Dream Thieves, is central to the
plot this time around. Dealing with personal loss, she begins to question what
she really wants from life, both in her relationships and her future, and
whether achieving those things will be possible. Adam, perhaps the character
who has evolved the most from his beginnings was in The Raven Boys, must deal with the consequences of his magical
bargain in addition to facing his abusive father once again. Ronan, despite being more in the background, has clearly been affected by the events in The Dream Thieves. As for Gansey, his
weaknesses are made more apparent, as are his motivations for starting the
search for Glendower. These characters grow from book to book and their
relationships with each other are fascinating and complex. It’s rare that such
a large cast of characters is as well rounded and portrayed so skillfully.
Another great thing? While this is one part
of an overarching mytharc, Blue Lily, Lily Blue tells a complete story. Goals
are achieved and closure is given, with enough threads dangling to make me
eager for the sequel but not cause the frustration that comes when a novel ends
in the middle of the action (all too common with series these days). Another positive? The setting: Henrietta is so grounded and so real feeling yet the magical
elements in the story feel organic, not jarring. It’s a refreshing blend of
realism and fantasy.
Finally,
what elevates this book from an entertaining fantasy story to a five star book
for me is how it does not shy away from issues of class. Gansey, generally a
good guy, is highly privileged and this can cause him to be condescending,
hurtful, or oblivious. Ronan is similarly privileged and this allows him to act
out with minimal consequences, while Adam must work several jobs while keeping
his grades up in order to ensure his future. Then there’s Blue, whose choices
are limited due to her family’s monetary situation. I find Blue’s frustration
over her college plans and her uncertainty over her relationship with Gansey just
as compelling as any magical cave jaunts or dream creatures. I must also
mention the villains, a comically over privileged super couple who obsess over
gourmet cheese and yoga classes while causally ordering someone’s murder.
All in all, this is a wonderful entry in this series and I can hardly wait for the next one.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Release Day Review: Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School #3)
By Gail Carriger
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 11/4/14
Disclaimer: Copy received from the publisher via Netgalley. This does not affect the content of the review.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Class is back in session...
Sophronia continues her second year
at finishing school in style--with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of
her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy
when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming
Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her
werewolf pack in Scotland. No one suspected what--or who--they would find
aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens
to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie,
once and for all.
Gather your poison, steel tipped
quill, and the rest of your school supplies and join Mademoiselle Geraldine's
proper young killing machines in the third rousing installment in the New
York Times bestselling Finishing School Series by steampunk author, Gail
Carriger.
Review: This third installment in the
Finishing School series is as charming, funny, and action-packed as its
predecessors. I find these books to be
a lot of fun; a farcical comedy of manners blended with spy vs. spy thriller
and set in a steampunk world inhabited by supernatural creatures. The light,
humorous tone, the contrast between the strict social rules of the Victorian
age and the madcap adventures undertaken by the spies in training make for very
entertaining reading. That said, it’s the heroine, Sophronia, that really makes
this series.
Sophronia
is a competent, intelligent character who excels at being an “intelligencer”
yet can still make mistakes and is uncertain about what she wants. She’s a fully
fleshed out character who matures with every book. After being forced to face
the tragic consequences of her actions in Curtsies
& Conspiracies, Waistcoats & Weaponry has a more mature Sophronia
pondering her future as she must someday decide what side she is on when it
comes to the espionage game.
Complicating this decision are
Sophronia’s feelings towards her friend Soap, a worker in the engineering room
of the floating finishing school, and her flirtation with Lord Felix Mersey, a handsome nobleman with close ties to her enemies.
Yes, there is a love triangle, more central to this book than in any book
previously, but I feel it’s written well, gives the boys some added depth, and
rather than cause the narrative to stall Sophronia’s struggle with her feelings
allows for great character development (plus I was very happy with her ultimate choice).
The
other characters, particularly Sophronia’s friends Dimity and Sidheag (strong
female friendships, another thing I love about this series) are given time to
shine, though I would have liked more of Sidheag's story, even knowing what the future holds for her in The Parasol Protectorate series. The plot provides plenty of action in the form of a train heist, a game of chicken with a dirigible, assorted disguises, etc. and it wraps things up nicely yet leaves plenty of threads dangling for future installments.
Recommended for those who enjoy
historical romance, particularly the Victorian era, humorous adventures,
awesome heroines, and the idea of a mechanical dog named Bumbersnoot.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Review: Rooms by Lauren Oliver
By Lauren Oliver
Published by Ecco
Publication Date: September 23, 2014
Copy received from: Publisher at BEA
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium
trilogy makes her brilliant adult debut with this mesmerizing story in the
tradition of The Lovely Bones, Her Fearful Symmetry, and The
Ocean at the End of the Lane—a tale of family, ghosts, secrets, and
mystery, in which the lives of the living and the dead intersect in shocking,
surprising, and moving ways
Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country
house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged
family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving
daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.
But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical
Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its
claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe
the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though
their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house
itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a
light bulb.
The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will
soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins
to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic
results.
Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an
enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as
haunting as it is resonant.
Review: This melancholy gothic tale
features ghosts, and uncanny happenings, but the horrors are very much based in
reality. The ghosts are not what the Walker family is primarily haunted by, it’s
the horror and disappointments in their lives.. A sense of sadness permeates
the novel as characters, both living and dead, are forced to reveal their
secrets and deal with their grief, not only over death, but the loss of
innocence, love, potential, and hope. Loneliness is also prevalent, whether the
loneliness of death or the loneliness that comes from holding in a terrible secret.
One of my favorite aspects of this
story is the structure: the novel is divided into sections each featuring a
room of the house. Over the course of this section, the characters, whether the
remaining members of the Walker family or the two ghostly former residents, confront
the memories of events that have taken place in that room, things they have
kept hidden from their loved ones or refused to admit, even to themselves. Be
warned: suicide, domestic abuse, and child molestation are all included in the
house’s history.
As far as the characters inhabiting this
haunted house, I can’t say I found them likable but I did empathize with their
grief and understood their various ways of coping. They have all been hurt by
life and, when it comes to the Walker family, this damage has prevented them
from connecting with each other. Even the ghost characters felt very real, flawed
in a way that doesn’t leave much room for likability but is interesting and
honest.
I do have one or two nitpicks: one
being the teen girl character that appears out of nowhere so that Trenton has
someone outside of the house to interact with, the second being the suddenness with
which some later revelations are made: to the point where I was wondering if my
ARC was missing pages. But these are minor, and on the whole I found this story
engaging. There are no easy solutions to the Walker family’s problems, but they
do unburden themselves of the weight of what’s haunting them and there is a
sort of catharsis. A definite recommended read for those looking for a more
contemplative haunted house story.
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