The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater



 #1 in The Raven Cycle
Published September 18, 2012 by Scholastic Press
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

Review:  I absolutely loved the premise of The Raven Boys, but I had a hard time getting started with this novel.  The beginning felt very slow, largely due to the story being told from two separate perspectives (Blue and Gansey have alternating point of view chapters for a while).  However once Blue and Gansey meet and join forces the story takes a major turn.  I flew through the second half of this book and became completely immersed in the story and characters.

The Raven Boys is a bit of a slow burn to start off.  I think this is due to the fact that the marketing materials presented the book like it was going to be all about Blue and her family, but in reality Gansey is the main character for much of the novel.  I went into The Raven Boys expecting a story about a girl living with her psychic family, but instead I got a story about a group of boys trying to find a magical energy line.  This isn't bad necessarily, but it wasn't what I was expecting so I was put off at first. 

The biggest strength of The Raven Boys is the characters.  Each character feels supported and full. Everyone has a unique backstory that shapes their world view.  I really enjoyed reading how each character grows during the course of the book, in particular Blue, Gansey, and Ronan.  I also really enjoyed Blue's family and I really hope that we'll learn more about them in future books.

I'd say the pacing of the book is the biggest weakness.  It was slow and confusing at the beginning, and fast and confusing at the end.  I feel like this is a book I needed to re-read immediately after finishing because I felt like I missed something.  The world building in The Raven Boys sometimes felt too big for the book and that the ideas of the magic and mythology were difficult to get on paper. 

Overall the Raven Boys is an interesting, if sometimes confusing, start to a series.  While the world building and pacing were shaky at times the fantastically developed characters will definitely bring me back for book two.

Blog Tour: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Hello everyone and welcome to the Triple Threat Blog Tour hosted by Bloomsbury! This stop is my review for the newly released sophomore album, Hysteria by Megan Miranda.

Published February 5th by Walker Childrens
egalley provided by for review from netgalley
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others. In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

Review:  I really enjoyed Megan Miranda's debut novel, Fracture, and I was really looking forward to her sophomore novel Hysteria.  I thought the premise of this book was really great, but the execution was really lacking and sometimes just confusing.

While I liked the mystery surrounding the murder of Mallory's boyfriend, I found the reaction of her parents to be completely unbelievable.  I just can't believe that only a few months after being attacked and forced to kill her boyfriend in self defense that Mallory's parents would send her to boarding school alone.  Girl needs therapy, not being sent away from everyone who loves her.  No I'm sorry, but that is ignorant at best and in my opinion down right negligent.  I have a really hard time believing that her parents would just ship her off, regardless of the social stigma in their home town.

And let's talk for a minute about the whole boarding school plot.  (Without spoilers)  It just did not work for me.  All of the girl characters felt basically the same and I had a really hard time telling them apart.  I felt like their motivations for their actions were really unsupported, especially later in the book where things got so melodramatic it almost turned to comedy.  I thought it was a useless plot device that would have work just as well (or better) if we could have just stayed in her home town.

Then there's the actual murder "mystery".  There's really no mystery at all.  We find out at the very beginning that Mallory murdered her boyfriend.  Without spoiling the story let me just say that there really isn't anything more to this story and there is no twist at the end.  I was really disappointed with the lack of actual mystery. 

I really didn't understand Reid's character either.  Why did he even like Mallory?  Maybe he liked her when they were 14, but that was years ago and a lot has changed.  Also, did he know about her murdering her ex?  I feel like that would be something you would hear about and if I were Reid I would not be in a hurry to start a relationship with someone with such a bad track record. 

Really the only good thing about Hysteria and the only reason this didn't get a one star was Mallory and Colleen's friendship.  They were there for each other, willing to literally carry them when the other was too weak to walk.  I love reading about girls who are friends with other girls who support and are loyal to each other.  Those types of relationships are really important to YA literature and I thought Colleen and Mallory were great friends.

Overall Hysteria was a great premise that was not presented well.  It was like a collection of great ideas with no connecting plot to tie it all together.  There was so much potential for something great, but sadly Hysteria just did not deliver.

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Published February 2, 2012 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
2 stars

Goodreads Review
Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

Review:  Harbinger had a lot of things going on.  I mean a LOT.  There were elements that were dystopian, paranormal, psychological thriller, or romance.  Unfortunately these ideas were not strung together well and gave Harbinger a disorderly and confusing plot.

Harbinger is set in a post apocalyptic type world, but because Faye is secluded in an institution type place, we only get hints at the dystopian world around her.  This would be ok if the action was only in Holbrook Academy, but the story eventually stretches to a world wide problem.  Because of the scope of the issues presented by the end of the book I really needed more information about the current government and social structure.  We just don't get enough information about what went wrong and what changed from today to bring the world to such a drastic situation.  I felt like there was a lot of interesting things there, but it was treated as common knowledge, which in a made up world doesn't really work.  Honestly I would have just shifted the setting to today's world because the story is about what is happening at the academy and all of this post apocalyptic stuff was just distracting.

I also found the characters to be really confusing.  There's some really unfortunate insta-love with Faye and this guy she meets named Kel.  It's that common trope of two people instantly knowing they are super special snowflakes the first time they meet.  I really don't like relationships like that in books, I much prefer the slow burn of a relationship that takes a whole book to develop.  I find the payoff much more satisfying.  (Plus it's never a good sign when the romance happening between two side characters is more charming than the main love interests.)

I felt like there was a lot of potential with Harbinger.  The mystery was intriguing and suspense was built well throughout the first half of the novel.  However there are just too many different story threads that aren't pulled together neatly.  Harbinger would have definitely benefited from a stronger editor who could have narrowed down the scope of the book to just the elements that are essential to the plot and cut the rest out. 

On a brighter note, there was some really fantastic marketing when the book came out and artists were commissioned to create different scenes from the book.  I think this is a bang up idea and I wish more books would do stuff like this.  Some of these turned out quite lovely, which I think is proof that there is potential with this book in terms of creativity.  Below are some of my favorites, but check out all of the art here.

(c) Mary Etienne

(c) Andrea Offermann

(c) Andrew Mitchell

The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress + GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

Published December 6, 2012 by Dial
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns–and the heroines who use them all.

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.

Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.

Review:  The Friday Society is simply a fun read.  What I loved the most about The Friday Society was the girl power vibe.  Cora, Michiko, and Nellie were all smart, independent, and resourceful but still had different shortcomings they had to overcome with a little help from their friends. 

The three main characters were the best part of this novel.  It is incredibly refreshing to read a YA that has girls working together to solve a problem, not fighting or swooning over some boy.  I think The Friday Society has just the right balance of boy angst in that it's there, but it's not the main focus of the novel.  This kind of relationship between girls, friends helping other friends, is really important in YA and sadly very lacking.  I also loved how the three girls start off as assistants, but throughout the course of the book they find their own agency and really take control of their lives. 

The actual story is cute.  It's not anything wildly substantial, but it's entertaining and exciting and would make a super fun teen movie.  I wouldn't have minded some of the science to be more fleshed out, but I'm really picky about science and understanding how things work in a novel.  I did find some of the technology in The Friday Society to be a bit convenient so I really had to stop questioning it and just let it happen.  There's a lot of just silliness in the book (they dress up in super hero costumes at the end to go fight the bad guys) but I just kind of had to be like Michiko and go along with it, even as I rolled my eyes.

The biggest negative was that the book was written with a very modern voice despite the historical setting.  However as I continued to read the novel I enjoyed it more and more.  Sure the book is set in Edwardian England, but I could completely related to these girls and was really cheering them on. 

The Friday Society is a cute and silly novel that I think would work well as an introduction to steampunk and alternative history.  I think it's a perfect book for a middle school aged reader and has a great message of team work, friendship, and a healthy dose of girl power.

Congratulations to the winner of the giveaway, BookYAReview!

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

#1 in the White Trash Zombies series
Published July 5, 2011 by DAW books
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

Review:  I found out about My Life as a White Trash Zombie from Felicia Day's Vaginal Fantasy Book Club.  This was my first read for the club and I have to say that while I don't think it was a vaginal fantasy MLasWTZ was a thoroughly enjoyable read. 

The zombies in MLasWTZ aren't standard zombies in that they retain their humanity as long as they consume brains on a regular basis, as opposed to the usual mindless re-animated corpse.  In this way Angel is more like a vampire, especially like the vampires in the Daybreakers movie (with Ethan Hawke and Sam Neil, am I the only person who's seen this movie?).  As long as she has brains she can pass off as human.  This didn't bother me at all but some people were squicked out by the eating brains and the idea of undead sexy times (even though physical romance is very light), so be warned if you're squeamish.

I have to say that my most favorite part of MLasWTZ was Angel and her inner monologue, which is hilarious and sarcastic and awesome.  She also goes through so much transformation, both physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Angel starts off as an unambitious pill head with a dead beat boyfriend and an abusive father.  Throughout the book though she really comes into her own.  She starts to care about her situation and she realizes that she is not only capable of more, she is worthy.  The Vaginal Fantasy Book Club usually reads romance novels, but as one commenter so aptly put it, this is a story about Angel finding love for herself. 

Ultimately I don't think that Angel is white trash.  I think that just because you're living in poverty or have an addiction problem doesn't automatically make you white trash.  I think that white trash is a state of complacency, a willingness to stay in your current situation and not work to try and change it. 

Overall I really loved My Life as a White Trash Zombie.  It was quirky mystery and a great introduction to The Vaginal Fantasy Book Club.  I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series and to reading more VFBC selections.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

#1 in The Body Finder series
Published March 16, 2010 by HarperTeen
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Review:  The body finder has a really interesting premise that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I really liked the idea of the echos, how they worked and how they helped Violet solve the murders.  For me they were a unique concept that really added to the suspense of the mystery. 

Violet was a fairly likable main character in general, even if she is obsessively boy crazy.  I mean, I know most 16 year old girls are obsessively boy crazy, but Violet was taking it to a new level.  The teenager angst was a little too heavy for my taste, and I would have preferred more murder and mayhem, and less high school drama.  (though I have to admit the kissing scenes were pretty great, Derting knows how to write sexual tension (comeone adult romance novel!))

Speaking of murder and mayhem, I really loved the serial killer!  Some of the chapters were written from his perspective and they were FREAKY!  I really loved these chapters beacuse they were perfectly timed and added a lot of great suspense to the story. I was really surprised by some of the plot twists and had absolutely no idea about the killer's identity, so that's a pretty good sign of a good mystery in my book!

Overall The Body Finder is a really cool start to this unique murder mystery series.  I'm really curious to see what kind of bad guy will show up in the next book, Desires of the Dead.  The title hints that maybe there will be more ghosty happenings?  Who knows, but I'm really excited to find out!

Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

#1 in the Heather Wells series
Published in 2005 by Avon Trade
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Heather Wells Rocks! 

Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft. 

The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knowsteenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective! 

But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .

Review:  I listened to the audio book for Size 12 is Not Fat almost a year ago, but with the release of the 4th installment in this series (Size 12 and Ready to Rock) I thought I would go ahead and do a quick book review.

The initial thing that drew me to this book was the title.  I have had weight issues my whole life, and was a size 12/14 when I first heard about this series.  I wanted to read it because I wanted to read a book about a protagonist that looked like me and dealt with the same issues I deal with.

I really enjoyed this book.  I loved listening to Heather's inner monologue (it's so like my own lol) and I loved reading about the antics that all of the college kids get up to.   The murder mystery is also really well done, I had NO idea who the killer was and was thoroughly surprised as the different twists were revealed.  I also really liked the commentary on weight in the media and how gaining weight doesn't reduce your value as a person. 

Honestly, I can't pinpoint the exact thing that made this book so enjoyable for me, it really was everything.  Size 12 is Not Fat is a cute and fun story that is a perfect summer read.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

#1 in the Across the Universe series
Published January 11, 2011 by Razorbill
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming. 

Review:  Look at this cover.  Look at it.  It is phenomenal.  Seriously, take off the words and I'd hang that on my wall.  But sadly I cannot say the story inside the book was as wildly exciting as the cover.  I rarely think that books are overwritten, but There were so many plot twists it got to be too much and I found myself figuring out everything long before they were revealed and rolling my eyes. 

The biggest problem in Across the Universe is world building, as is often the case with lack luster science fiction.  I did not understand why there needed to be a society of people to maintain the ship in the first place.  Couldn't there be a group of frozen technicians who are awaken at certain intervals?  Couldn't most of the ship's functions be run by computers?  Also, what was the point in the mission at all?  I don't remember if that was explained but I never really knew why Amy and her parents were frozen in the first place. 

I found myself really disliking Elder and Amy, the two main characters.  I felt like there wasn't anything special enough about either of them to make them stand out and I couldn't relate.  Amy was particularly bland.  I came away from the novel knowing she was different because she had red hair, liked track and field, and spent a lot of time whining about her parents, her ex-boyfriend, and how different life on the ship is.  I got a bit of a better feeling for Elder, mostly because he had the opportunity to develop as he learns more about Eldest and the deceptions of the ship's government.  What really bothered me about these characters was how terrible things could happen to them but then they'd get over it in a matter of minutes.  Amy, in particular, had some very unbelievable reactions.  The romance between these two was boring and poorly paced.  By the time they finally meet we're a third of the way through the book and I found it very difficult to care. 

There were some good themes in Across the Universe, namely does quality of life matter if something can survive?  It questions government control through various means: medicinal, class structure, and religion.  It was like Revis had these great ethical themes that were bogged down with poorly built science fiction and tiresome romance. 

Across the Universe looks like a beautiful romance set in outer space, but don't let that cover fool you.  The book plods along with a clunky and more than slightly creepy romance and while there are some huge plot twists, they're hinted at with extremely obvious clues and then solved with extremely convenient solutions.  This would have been a one star read, but that stunning cover is worth a star all on it's own.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Published in 2006 by Atria
4 Stars


Goodreads Review
Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author’s tale of Gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.


Review:  The Thirteenth Tale is a book for bookish people.  I really enjoyed the literary feel that this book had and the reverence for books.  There's a great mystery that unravels at a comfortable pace.  I loved Vida, she is by far the most interesting character.  I enjoyed learning about her past and figuring out how much of her story was true and how much was fiction. 

My favorite scene in the book was probably when Margaret goes to explore the ruins of the house.  I love exploring ruins of old buildings and hoping to find hidden treasures long forgotten.  There is something magical about being in a place that has seen so much history and I think Setterfield does an excellent job of capturing that creepy wonder. 

There are some parts of The Thirteenth Tale that I didn't like.  Mostly it was the pacing of the non-mystery subplots.  The back story of Margaret was beautifully written, but extremely slow.  The characters in the present were very flat compared to the characters in Vida's flashbacks.  Then again, maybe that was intentional because Vida is supposed to be a fantastic writer and story teller.  I would have liked Margaret and charters surrounding her to be as compelling as the characters set in the past. 

The other part of the book I didn't like was that sometimes the writing would get a little pretentious (and I hate using that word to describe writing, but that's all I can came up with).  I mean, the author bio on the back of the book says "Diane Setterfield is a former academic, specializing in twentieth-century French literature".  *insert eye-roll here*  I understand it's supposed to be written in the Gothic style, and the flashbacks do this very well, but there are other times where the story just drags.

Overall I'd say The Thirteenth Tale is a great book for people who like elegant prose, lengthy descriptions, and a more abstract way of story telling.  The mystery in this book is fantastic and definitely had me guessing (and guessing wrong) the entire time. 

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

Published February 14, 2012 by EgmontUSA
egalley for review from netgalley
3 stars
DAC 2012

Goopdreads Review
Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.
 
But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.

As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.

Review:  I wanted to start off this review by saying that while I gave this book three stars, I read an advance galley so I think the finished copy will be more of a 4 star book.  There are certain things that will probably be edited up a bit (mostly some support to characters that may not show up a lot but are important to the story).  However as it was The Butterfly Clues was still an excellent murder mystery that, while not really all that surprising, was still very suspenseful and enjoyable to read.

The Butterfly Clues is first and foremost a book about OCD.  The author does a, well, intense job of describing what it's like to have OCD.  It is on every single page, for better or worse.  When the consistent need to touch, take, and tap is done well, it adds SO MUCH anxiety and tension to the murder mystery.  It's like, imagine not being able to escape a dangerous situation because you HAD to tap your leg nine times before you went through a doorway, or you HAD jump over every crack in the sidewalk or you'd HAVE to go back and start over, even if someone was chasing you!  There were times where I just had to take a break from reading because I was getting so freaked out!  But then there were times where the OCD was just there because it had to be, but didn't do anything to move the plot forward.  Those scenes were painfully slow to read. 

I really liked Sapphire as a character, even though we never get to actually meet her.  I don't want to give away the plot (even though I found it to be pretty predictable, as in I guessed everything from about page 60 or so) but I liked who she was and what ultimately happened to her.  I found her relationship to Lo a little convenient, but still very interesting.  

There is one other thing I didn't like, and I think this is just personal preference.  What is up with the idea that homeless = artsy?  Where exactly does this kid get the money to pay for art supplies?  I had a really hard time believing a person like Flynt really exists.  Maybe that's because I am too grounded in my need for security.  I could never just be an artist and "live off the land" Chris McCandless style.  I think if more background to how Flynt survived had been given I would have enjoyed his character more.  As he was I pretty much rolled my eyes every time he used his art to be all mysterious and sexy.

Overall The Butterfly Clues is an intense murder mystery (that doesn't have any paranormal aspects to it, thank God!) that uses OCD to create extremely suspenseful situations for the main character.  Lo is a unique character that has some major flaws, but you can't help but love and root for anyway.  I recommend The Butterfly Clues to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries or books about mental illness (or books with beautiful covers!).

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

#1 in Shades of London Series
Published September 29, 2011 by Putnam Juvenile
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Review:  The Name of the Star is an excellent murder mystery that combines historical, comedic, and paranormal aspects to create a unique spin on one of history's most famous crimes.  This book is excellently researched and fully utilizes the urban legends that have grown from the historical facts to create a believable modern day mystery.  


I really loved the main character, Rory.  She is smart and funny and really well developed.  She rolls with the punches and is able to step up to the different challenges she faces and is just totally awesome.  But I have to admit my favorite moments weren't the fast paced action but the small moments when Rory was hanging out with her room mates and friends.  Maureen Johnson is excellent at writing girlfriends.  (I also have to admit that the first 100 pages or so felt like Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins but in London.  Sort of a Aurora and the English Murder, if you will...)


One thing that I have to mention is the humor in this book.  It is very smartly done.  There are pop culture references without being specific.  I really hate specific pop culture references because it dates a book.  Maureen Johnson did a wonderful job creating jokes that are funny because they are funny, not because they're relying on current events that will be forgotten about in a year.  


I'm super excited that this is the first of a trilogy.  The ending of this book was CRAZY AWESOME.  I really have no idea where the next book is going to go, which is both exciting and kind of scary.  The next book is called The Madness Underneath (awesome title, btw!) and it's due out October of 2012 and I cannot wait.  Will it still follow Jack the Ripper, or will it go into a different British myth?  (maybe some creepy Alice in Wonderland?  I'd freaking love that).  The point I'm trying to make is that I'm really hooked on this series and will definitely be pre-ordering book 2.  


Overall The Name of the Star is an excellent murder mystery with a great sense of humor AND a freaking scary ghost/killer that will keep you laughing and guessing on every page.  I highly recommend this book for all fans of paranormal YA or books about European boarding schools.  

Pink piggy mugs....for times of extreme stress

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Published April 27, 2011 by Amulet Books
5 Stars

Goodreads Review

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. 

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Review:  Shine is a very important book that covers the topics of homosexuality, drug use, and small town mentality.  It's about how ignorance can breed fear and hate.  But Shine is also about overcoming social expectations to do what is right.

I really liked how Shine handled such a wide variety of problems without ever feeling forced.  The main story is about a gay hate crime, but as the motivations behind that crime unfold we get to see the fronts put up by everyone in the town fall away.  We see that everyone has things about themselves that they are ashamed about.  Instead of putting things out in the open where they can be resolved and get help they shove it down where it never gets dealt with and just festers and gets worse.  I think this creates a sense of isolation and helplessness. 

However I did find parts of the story very predictable.  There would be times where I figured out something way before Cat and I would just sit there thinking 'Come on girl, figure it out so we can move on."  Eventually she'd figure it out and we'd move on.  There were also times where my imagination was way worse that what actually happened.  I think that because it was a YA book parts of the story were toned down a bit.  I don't have a problem with that but when I was expecting an ocean of hurt and only got a medium sized pond of hurt I felt a little underwhelmed (if that analogy makes any sense at all).

Beyond the who-done-it aspect of the story, I think the most important part is the commentary on how fear causes us to be selfish and act with a fight for survival mentality.  We forsake other's well being for our own when fear takes us over.  And ignorance and misunderstanding cause fear.  We have to all be more tolerate and take an active role to understand each other and people who are different in order ot overcome that fear.

After the cluster that was the WSJ Article of Doom and the more recent National Book Award mess I can only hope that people will continue to read books and make up their own minds about the merits of a book.  Shine is a dark book that covers dark topics yes, but overall it has a message of hope and that even the most prejudice of people can learn to accept and love.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

#1 in the Mara Dyer series
Published September 27, 2011 by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
3 stars
DAC 2011


Goodreads Review
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.


Review:  This book was a major disappointment for me, and this review may get a bit ranty but I'll try and reign it in.  Now, I'm not saying that it was bad or poorly written.  But I was expecting an exciting and fresh murder mystery/ghost story, and what I got was an overdone and tired paranormal romance.  It's not a poorly written paranormal romance, but it was unoriginal.  People who liked Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick will really enjoy this.  I think if I had read this book in January or February, which is when I first started reading YA, I would have absolutely loved this book.  However I feel like I've read way too many YA books that go down the same road TUoMD did. 


This book divides into two parts for me.  The first part is a ghosty murder mystery where we don't know what is going on with Mara and it full of WTF moments (it's the part I really loved) and the second part falls into the stereotypical paranormal romance.  That's when TUoMD lost a lot of appeal for me.  It became predictable and I started to care less and less about the characters because the focus shifted from an awesome mystery to a boring romance. 

I'll start with the things I liked.  I loved the mystery around why Mara was in the hospital, what happened to her friends, and what the hell is currently going on.  I loved all of the scary stuff that happened and I wanted so much more of that.  When this book is good, it's damn good.  Which is why it was so frustrating too.  I don't understand why this book couldn't have been a paranormal mystery or even horror book.  It had SO much potential and great marketing.  I also LOVE the cover, it's so cool and mysterious. 

I had problems with the ending, mostly because I had a very hard time understanding what was going on.  I have pretty good reading comprehension skills and I found myself re-reading paragraphs because I was trying to understand what was happening.  Now, part of this was probably because I finished the book at around 3am, but it also was the unclear writing.  I think this was partially due to the fact that the story hadn't focused on the mystery for so long that at the end when it tried to go back to that it was underdeveloped. 

The other parts that I had an issue with was how the relationship was handled and how the friendships developed (or didn't).  Mara made a friend at school but he really seemed like a device to introduce Noah, the love interest, and once that relationship had started he was unceremoniously dumped from the story.  This pissed me off.  I hate it when romance=no other character is important in the MC's life.  I kept expecting the friend to make another appearance, but he never did.  He was just gone.  The romantic relationship between Mara and Noah was very Twilight-y.  Noah was too perfect (hot, smart, rich as balls) and Mara was too insecure about him and  her feelings.  And then the paranormal aspect of Noah was also too convenient.  It literally was like "oh, you have magic powers? I have magic powers!  What a coincidence!"  Their whole relationship and the plot devices used to move their relationship were frustrating, illogical, and too perfect to be realistic.

The final issue I had is a minor one that I didn't like but many people may, and that's the writing style used to create humor in conversations.  I know the author was trying to be amusing and teenager-y but it came across as too crude for my taste (and that's saying something because I'm a pretty crude person).  There were just too many immature boner jokes and sexual innuendos that didn't really fit with the voices of the characters nor the overall tone of the book.

Now, don't let this review get you down.  I still really enjoyed this book, even with all of the complaints I have.  I think I feel this way because I was hoping for something amazing, and what I got was a story I'd already read in 20 other books.  Many people will love TUoMD, I just wasn't one of them.

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

#1 in the Nikki Heat Series
Published in 2009 by Hyperion
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.


Review:  Heat Wave is a fun add on that will certainly delight fans of the TV show Castle.  This book is a great tie in for the show and adds an interesting perspective.


I really enjoyed this light mystery.  Since I am a fan of the show it was great to read parts of the book that were also mentioned in the series.  I also loved the fact that it was written as if Richard Castle was a real person.  It includes a picture of Nathan Fillion as Castle as well as an author bio.  


As far as mysteries go Heat Wave isn't the best.  The story line is fairly predictable and lacks a lot of detail that a stand alone mystery would have.  However the charms of the TV show come across in the book.  There's a lot of the witty banter and sexual tension that the viewers of the TV show have come to love.  


Overall Heat Wave is a great book to add to the experience of the TV show Castle.  Fans of the show are sure to enjoy as well as any read who enjoys a light and humorous mystery.

Possess by Gretchen McNeil + Giveaway! (CLOSED)

Published August 23, 2011 by Baizer + Bray - ARC
5 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

Review:  Possess is one of those rare books that has it all: a likable heroine, a thrilling story, lots of great humor, and some very steamy romance.  The plot is a perfect balance of charming banter and creepy demonic possession.  Possess is always interesting, covering all of the plot points well with clear description and interesting writing style that will have readers jumping to read the next page.

First I have a lot of cover love for Possess.  It's what initially drew me to this story.  The cover art and title font fit the book perfectly and really add to the experience of reading Possess.

The best part about possess is the writing style.  It's conversational and even though it's in third person there were a lot of interjections that really added to the story and the overall tone of the book.  Also, the make out scenes in the book were spicy and hot and I loved them.  Possess is constructed well with a plot that moves along and is well supported by the characters.  There is also a clear beginning, middle, and end which a lot of authors seem to neglect.  There wasn't a cliff hanger ending, it felt complete and whole.  However, the ending did leave some room for a sequel if McNeil ever feels like dipping back into Bridget's world, which I sincerely hope she does. 

Bridget is a great character who is well rounded and realistic.  She makes mistakes but learns from them.  Her voice is clear and it is sassy, sarcastic, and full of awesome.  Bridget and her gay BFF Hector would differently be my friends in real life.  I also really liked the love interest Matt Quinn.  He was so sweet and gentle with Bridget  and he never gave up on her.  I also really liked their teenage romance scenes.  That was some HOT making out and I was into it.

This book isn't all fun and games though.  There are some majorly creepy events taking place.  I have always been fascinated by demonic mythology and exorcisms.  The journey Bridget goes on as she tries to find out about her dead father's past and control her special powers is exciting and dangerous.  I thought the descriptions of the possessions and the battles with the demons were very well done and quite scary.  I also loved the explanation of why the demons were there, their objective, and how to defeat them.  The mythology was well explained and very interesting.  I was really invested in this story and could not put the book down because I had to know what was next.

Overall Possess is a creepy mystery that has a funny and intriguing voice and is a complete book that will appeal to many different readers.  Possess appeals with a mysterious plot, snappy dialogue,  and freaky ass possessed dolls.

The giveaway is closed, congratulations to DevvourBookReviews!

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

#3 in Robert Langdon Series
Published in 2009 by Doubleday Books
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling--a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths... all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for... his most thrilling novel yet.

Review:  The Lost Symbol, the third installment in the Robert Langdon series, is an exciting adventure that combines ancient conspiracy theories and modern espionage, but lacks some of the magic of it's predecessors.  The Lost Symbol follows the basic formula as The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons; an evil villain hell bent on awakening some ancient power and bringing about the end of the world and our hero thrust into the fray, frantically trying to beat the clock and solve the puzzles before the villain can achieve their dastardly plan.  Brown again uses his knowledge of symbolism, history, and philosophy to weave a fictitious story founded in fact. 

I'm not sure where exactly The Lost Symbol missed the mark.  I think much of my dislike comes from the naivety of the two main characters.  They do things that didn't seem logical, such as agreeing to a meeting without ever confirming with their friend, believing text messages and not actually phone calls, not backing up their life's research, and just the general gullibility of the cast.  These people are supposed to be top scientists and scholars, but their lack of common sense made them seem unbelievable and unlikable. 

However, my biggest problem is the lack of completion at the end of The Lost Symbol.  In all of Brown's previous books, I finished with a sense of knowing.  All of the loose ends were tied up, I understood the motivations of the characters and the myths and truths that their believes were based upon.  However in The Lost Symbol the main plot concepts were never fully explained.  The ending is very anti-climatic, disappointing, and more than a bit confusing. 

There were smaller concepts that I found very interesting, in particular the noetic science that Katherine was investigating.  I found her story to be a lot more compelling than Roberts.  I cared more about her scientific discoveries than his symbollic history.

Overall The Lost Symbol is a good action story that has some very interesting concepts, but misses in the big payoff at the final reveal.