Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer

After falling in love with Cinder and being left on something of a cliffhanger, I was eager to get my hands on the second book in the series. Thankfully, my mom had given me a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card that I had forgotten about. When I remembered it, I put it to good use.

When Scarlet's grandmother goes missing, she knows foul play was involved. Her grandmother would never leave her, never take off without telling anyone, and she certainly wouldn't have cut out her ID chip to do it. The police say there's no proof of foul play and drop the case, but Scarlet is determined to continue the search herself. Then she meets Wolf, a street fighter who is surprisingly quiet and a little awkward. Despite the fact that she's not sure she can trust him, she learns he may have a connection to the people who took her grandmother and asks for his help. While she is rushing into danger to save her grandmother, it soon becomes clear that danger might be trailing her already.

Meanwhile, Cinder has broken out of prison and hitched a ride with another prisoner she teamed up with in order to escape. They leave the Commonwealth, but it soon becomes clear that the entire planet is out to get them. Now Cinder has to make a decision. She can either go to Africa to be trained or flee elsewhere and try to learn more about herself and her past.

I was warned going into this book that it would feel "a little to Twilight-y." And though I've never actually read the Twilight books, I can see where they're coming from. (To be clear, I'm not a mindless hater of Twilight, I'm sure it has its merit, though I try to steer clear of anything that romanticizes abusive patterns in relationships.) However, I still deeply enjoyed this book. Again, this is another book that keeps you on your toes and definitely makes this aspiring author applaud at the very believable world-building.

Second books tend to be a bit duller than their predecessors, but this book doesn't fall prey to that lull. Marissa Meyer did a fantastic job in making sure Scarlet was every bit as good and exciting as Cinder. I am definitely eager to find out what happens next. I just have to wait for Cress to come out in paperback first!

Rating: ★★★★★

Saga, Vols. 1-4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

 I don't remember where I first heard about Saga (though I'd hazard a guess that it was somewhere on Booktube), but I am so glad I did. This is easily one of the Image Comics' top series at the moment and for very good reason.

When Marko and Alana fall in love, it isn't in a very normal situation. Marko is a prisoner of war and Alana is his guard. Their two planets have been wrapped up in a bloody war and each race views the other as something to be reviled. However, Marko and Alana fall in love despite everything and it isn't long before Alana becomes pregnant. If they thought they were in trouble before, it was nothing compared to this. Hazel, their new daughter, is viewed as an abomination and considered a political danger. The new family must go on the run if they want to stay alive, but even that's iffy when the dangers that follow them are so great.

Be warned, this is one graphic series. The author has no qualms about letting you know this from the get-go. The first of the series begins with Alana giving birth and the very first line is her saying, "Am I shitting? It feels like I'm shitting!" If that doesn't sell you, I don't know what will. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. I love how gory and graphic this series is. I think it adds that extra bit of realism to it. (More on that in a minute.) Just be warned that you're going to see a lot of nudity and a lot of gore. I mean look at the cover for Volume 2 for goodness sake. Marko's absolutely doused in blood.

I cannot say enough that I love everything about this series. The artwork is incredible, the story keeps you hooked from beginning to end, and the worlds contained within leave you begging for more. There's something about that level of world-building that takes me over the moon (and makes me intensely jealous that I couldn't create a world that detailed if I tried for the rest of my life).

However, I think one of the things that impresses me the most is how real it is. I know that sounds a little confusing, but I'm going somewhere with this. As fantastical as everything is, as captivated as the art makes me, and as thrilling as each new world is; I think it's how real the characters are that really makes this a winning series.

Every single character that steps onto the stage of this story is three dimensional. Every one has their own personality, their on flavor, that's so tangible that it's almost unbelievable. You really believe in these characters and become invested in them to a point where it's almost ridiculous.

If I keep going, I'm worried I'll spoil something in the plot, so I'll leave this review here. Just know that if you don't go pick this series up immediately, you'll really be missing out.

If You Come Softly (If You Come Softly, #1) by Jacqueline Woodson

I first heard about Jacqueline Woodson last year. One of the great things about following a ton of YA authors on Twitter is that when one of them gets an award, everyone goes crazy. In 2014, Jacqueline Woodson won the National Book Award for her most recent novel, Brown Girl Dreaming. I was eager to read the book that everyone has been talking about, but I'm trying not to buy too many books until my income gets a little more stable (something I'm still failing epically at, since I've bought nine books this month. *cringes*). It has been consistently checked out of the library for months, but I found this book of hers the last time I was there, so I decided to give it a shot.

Let me tell you, I almost closed the book as soon as I opened it. This isn't because it didn't look good. It looked great. However, this is one of those books that opens by pretty much warning you that something bad is going to happen. It tells you, "Hey, get ready. You're probably gonna cry when you read this." I wasn't sure I wanted to cry, so I almost skipped it, but the story sounded too good, so I read anyway. Just letting you know now, I definitely cried.

If You Come Softly, is a love story about a boy and girl living in New York City in the late nineties. Jeremiah (Miah), a black boy, and Elisha (Ellie), a white Jewish girl, both transfer to Percy, a prep school that neither of them are very thrilled about attending. When they meet on the first day, sparks fly and it isn't long before they are both falling head over heels for each other. However, all anyone else seems to notice is the color of their skin and it isn't long before the world starts trying to tear them apart.

This was a pretty short book, but definitely the kind that draws you in and makes the reader feel like they know the characters within the first two or three chapters. I love when books can hook you that quickly. Miah and Ellie were believable characters who felt very human. They made mistakes, they loved each other and were still embarrassed about the way people acted about the two of them being together. They were very three dimensional for such a short book and I found that extremely pleasing.
Like I said, I definitely cried in this book and I cried more than once, so keep your tissues handy.

This was an excellent novel that covered young love and romance, while still confronting racism, racial bias, and deep-seated prejudices that we like to pretend don't still exist in society today. Definitely an amazing book. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Rating: ★★★★★

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

I have heard quite a bit about The Lunar Chronicles in the past, but had never really gotten the chance to pick theme up. I'll go ahead and blame that on my taller-than-me TBR pile, because there's nothing about this that wouldn't appeal to me. A sci-fi fairytale retelling? Yes, please! A cyborg Cinderella? Count me in!

A coworker of mine who has heard me rant and rave about how much I love YA Fiction approached me about a month ago to ask if I'd read these books. She is in love with them and had learned that the author was going to be speaking at a Tacoma library at the end of January and wanted to know if I wanted to come with her. I regretfully told her I hadn't yet read them, but I would totally come with her and would do my best to read the three books in The Lunar Chronicles that had already come out.

Linh Cinder, our cyborg Cinderella, is a mechanic in New Beijing, known for being one of the bet at her craft. She works constantly to support her stepmother and stepsisters, who technically own her, since cyborgs are considered property, not people. When Prince Kai shows up in her shop one day, asking her to fix an android of his, Cinder doesn't want to admit that she likes the boy that every girl in the empire would kill to meet. Soon, it becomes clear that the information the android carries is more important than Cinder could have realized and may be the key to holding off the threat that is Queen Levana, the Lunar queen. Cinder wants to do everything in her power to help her country and the boy who has been so kind to her, but when she ends up getting pulled into the political skirmish, she can't help but wonder if she'll even be able to make it out alive.

I really loved everything about this book. Cinder is a great heroine. She struggles with her own insecurities and these insurmountable odds that rise up against her, but she's also smart, strong, and kind. I love the idea of a mechanic Cinderella. Her relationship with Prince Kai is incredibly believable and the romance almost creeps up on her. I really enjoyed that she was pretty resistant to the idea of falling in love with him and that he fell for her because she was someone he could talk to, not because she was the prettiest person who walked into the ball.

Cinder was a great opening to what looks like a pretty stellar book series. It keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from beginning to end, eager to put the pieces together and find out what is going to happen next. If this first installment is any indication, we have a pretty amazing series to look forward to, and it's going to be an interesting ride from beginning to end.

Rating: ★★★★★

Christmas Reads

Pulled this off my Instagram. Feel welcome to follow me
there to see tons of book and cat pictures. :P

I'm going to my parents' house for Christmas in a few days and therefore have set aside the books I'm going to read over the six days I'll be there. I figured I would go ahead and share them here in the order that I intend to read them.

My True Love Gave to Me Edited by Stephanie Perkins
~This compilation of stories by twelve different prominent Young Adult authors just came out about a month ago and I have been dying to read it. I'm not much of a Christmas-y person. I don't like Christmas music and am partial to only a few Christmas movies, but I like Christmas stories and this should be good. And I would be remiss to ignore pointing out how stunning this version of it is. It's the UK cover and I am in love with it. It's definitely one of the most gorgeous books I own. (Rivaled only by my Drop Cap version of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone & Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

~I've been wanting to do another reread of the Harry Potter series for a few months now. What better time to kick that off than Christmas, the most nostalgic of holidays (in my humble opinion)? So I'm packing up the first two adventures that introduced us to the Wizarding World and diving back in to a story that is "always there to welcome you home".

Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones
~This is the third book in the Chrestomanci series by the incredibly talented author of Howl's Moving Castle. I've been meaning to get to this book for a while. It's filled with magic and stories that really wrap you up and pull you in, so I cannot wait to get lost in it. Again, this is another stunning UK cover (their covers beat ours almost every time). All of my Diana Wynne Jones books are in this cover and they look amazing on the shelf.

Those are the books I'm taking this year, though there is always the distinct chance I'll be throwing in a graphic novel or two for the plane ride. I tend to pack even more, but I'm trying to cut back. Plus, I asked for quite a few books for Christmas, so I'm sure I'll have plenty more to choose from after we open presents.

Do you have any Christmas reads you're planning this year? If so, leave a comment here to let me know what you're reading!

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson (Shades of London, #2)

"You are not weird in the head," he said, more firmly. "You went through something horrible, and you survived, and you've done amazingly well. You're strong. Stop making jokes about it. There is nothing wrong with you." 
I wasn't expecting this little outburst, or the anger that edged his voice.
"Sorry," I said. 
"Don't be sorry. Just don't do it. It's important. Because of what we do, it's important to always remember that there is nothing wrong with you."

[Click here to read my review of book 1: The Name of the Star]

After reading the first book in this series and falling in love with it's creepy and intriguing storyline, I was excited to see what book 2 had in store. Still, I waited (It's fairly rare that I read an entire series in one go. I usually read other books in between those books in the series.) and only got around to reading it a few days ago.

After the conclusion of the Ripper case, Rory is removed from Wexford by her parents and is staying in Bristol with them while she recovers. Her body is nearly healed, but she's a mess otherwise. Her teachers have been sending her work that she ignores and her therapist keeps prodding at things Rory would rather she left alone. She's separated from her friends, the only people who understand her ability to see ghosts and can possibly help her deal with her newfound "ability".

Then Rory's therapist suddenly suggests she goes back to Wexford and Rory jumps at the chance. However, things just aren't the same. She doesn't quite know how to deal with what's happened to her and she's sick of lying to everyone but Callum, Stephen, and Boo. She's fairly certain she's going to fail her classes, yet can't seem to bring herself to catch up where she left off after the attack. As if that weren't enough to keep her occupied, murders with seemingly ghostly origins start popping up and Rory can't help wondering if something that happened the night the Ripper attacked her has something to do with it.

Rory is a very relatable character with a sense of humor that endears you to her almost immediately. Even after all the chaos of the first book and the considerable amount of trauma she's been through, that doesn't change. Maureen Johnson has created in her one of those characters that makes every situation that much more interesting and I really love that about her.

As for the story itself, I've heard a few complaints that it suffers from that second-book-slump, but I'm not so sure I agree. Admittedly, there isn't as much mystery, but there is just as much plot as the first installment in the series. Johnson is clearly using this book as a launchpad for the major excitement in the next book, but this one still has its fair share of nail biting, cheering, and crying.

I think the next book is going to be absolutely stunning and I can't wait to see where Maureen takes the story from here. If the first two books are any indication, the next one will be a knockout.

Rating: ★★★★★

We were sitting right on top of the graveyard of the world's most infamous mental institution, which is arguably many hundreds of times worse than being on top of the old haunted burial grounds that things are always being built on in America. Loads of mad ghosts . . . who might be disturbed by, say, a major explosion that might have, quite possibly, opened up some kind of crack that they could pass through? And they might, for instance, kill people with hammers . . .
Now I had a reason to call Stephen.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

“Pastor McKee, do you think we really have a ghost up there in the sanctuary? I mean, does the church even believe in ghosts? Because – if there is a ghost – maybe it's related to this drowning?”

It sounded so ridiculous when she said it out loud.

“Tell me, lassie, have you paerchance heard any local tales o' sea folk?” he said out of the blue.

“Uh . . .” Hester wondered where he was going with this.

“I've haerd tell they live en the deepes' par' of our own bay.”

“Why do you ask?”

He shrugged and shifted his feet, preparing to sit in the chair again. She held his arm while he lowered himself into it. “Jus' tha' tales o' ghosts and tales o' sea folk paersist in the world. Even an educated paerson mus' wonder ef thar's a reason for et.”

“Monstrous Beauty” is another book I came across on the shelves of my local Half Price Bookstore. I hadn't ever heard of it or the author before, but the cover was stunning and the summary on the back sounded just dark and interesting enough to catch my attention. If I remember correctly, this wasn't long after I had read “Fathomless”, so I'll admit I was probably on a bit of a dark mermaid story binge at the time, though I obviously didn't read it until much later.

Hester Goodwin has pledged herself never to fall in love or marry. Most especially, she will never have children. Hester has made this decision because of her family history. After all, if all the women in the last one hundred fifty years of your family history had died within a week of giving birth to their first child, you would be concerned too. Though she definitely has feelings for her best friend, Peter, she suppresses them and pulls away. She can't fall in love. She can't be talked out of it. She doesn't want to die.

Then Hester meets Ezra, a strange and intoxicating man whom she only ever sees on the beach, and suddenly all of her resolve seems to dissipate. He claims he can help her, that her troubles sound more like a curse than a genetic fault and perhaps the two of them can solve it together.

As she begins to look into her family's past, Hester begins to uncover the pieces of a tragedy that took place long ago and may be the cause of her curse, as well as the rumored hauntings that have taken place in the church and its graveyard, where she used to play as a girl. It's up to her to uncover a terrible truth and set to rights that which was tampered with long ago, that is, if the forces that be will let her do it.

The further I sank into this book, the more surprised I was that I hadn't heard of it before. A beautifully written tale that can be dark, tragic, thrilling, and hopeful all in one excellent novel? I was smitten from the start.

I cannot get over how good this book managed to be and I will definitely be singing its praises for months. The reader is caught up along with the protagonist in the mystery that surrounds her and the terrifying adventures she must face in order to get to the bottom of things. Hester is fierce and resourceful and an all-around believable character that I enjoyed getting to know within the pages.

If you're looking for a good, dark fantasy preferably containing mermaids and other supposed myths, this is the book you need on your shelf. I suggest finding it as soon as you can manage.

Rating: ~★★★★★~

She struggled and writhed as the thing switched positions, easily hooking an arm around her neck and swimming her down – headfirst, faceup, deeper and deeper – in a death-spiral version of a lifeguard rescue. It was a distinctly humanlike arm that held her, and Hester clutched it with both ahnds, afraid of the speed, and afraid it would strangle her. The rhythmic thumping and pumping beneath her was the unmistakable action of a powerful tail, propelling them to the depths of the bay. Hester kept her eyes closed, but she knew without seeing the creature: it was a mermaid.

They were real.

McKee was right; E.A. Doyle was right.

And Hester was about to be killed.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Piper and Edmond and Isaac and I used to watch this lunatic fringe milling around every day around sunset and then Edmond and I would slip away up to the tiny bedroom at the top of the house or the big storage closet under the eaves or the lambing barn or one of about a thousand places we'd found where we could try and try and try to get enough of each other but it was like some witch's curse where the more we tried to stop being hungry the more starving we got.

It was the first time in as long as I could remember that hunger wasn't a punishment or a crime or a weapon or a mode of self-destruction.

It was simply a way of being in love.

I picked up “How I Live Now” while I was Christmas shopping late last year. It's a pretty well known fact that I can't leave a bookstore without at least one book for myself, so I already knew shopping books for Christmas presents was going to end up with me buying some for myself. Thankfully, I was in charge of stocking stuffers this year, so I could get away with convincing myself I needed it.

I spotted this lovely volume in the Young Adult section at my local (at the time) Half Price Bookstore. I'd been trying to find this novel for a while anyway, but had only ever managed to locate movie cover copies, so you can imagine how I snatched this one up.

In “How I Live Now” we meet Daisy, a fifteen year-old who has been sent to live in England with her cousins after her father marries a particularly foul stepmother. Though she has never met her cousins until now, she immediately fall in step with them and all their endearing oddities.

When her Aunt Penn goes of to give a talk on the impending war many believe England and much of the world are about to face, the children can't help but view it as a blessing. The five of them now have the huge house to do with as they will. Even when war does break out, it certainly doesn't seem real. And with Daisy falling madly in love with Edmond, well, how can she be expected to think of anything else? That is, until the military shows up at their doorstep and Daisy is separated from nearly everyone she has grown to love.

Edmond and Daisy promised each other they would find the other. Now it's up to Daisy to make sure she and her youngest cousin, Piper, make it back to their home before they become casualties of a war they never imagined could touch them.

Forbidden love, World War III, and coming of age all in one story? You can count me in.

Written from the perspective of Daisy as she tells the story long after it has happened, I fell in love with “How I Live Now” almost immediately. The writing style, which is almost like reading the protagonist's journal, fits the material like a glove. There are no word for word quotes, only Daisy's record of what she remembers them saying and, for some reason, that works phenomenally.

This book is about war and survival, falling in love and the breaking of hearts. It captures the helplessness a young person would feel in the midst of a battle they don't know how to fight or win, and it captures the triumph of good and heartlessness of evil one must come face to face with in those circumstances.

I fell in love with Daisy and the way she tells her story. I'm sure you will too.

Rating: ★★★★★

There never were seven more silent human beings in the back of a truck, we were too stunned even to cry or speak. When we reached Reston Bridge our driver, who I knew was a close friend of the Major's, got out of the truck and stood there for a minute trying to get up the courage to go inside and tell Mrs. M what happened, but first he turned to us and said in a voice that sounded broken and full of rage, In case anyone needed reminding This is a War.

And the way he said those words made me feel like I was falling.

Winger by Andrew Smith

Then I saw Casey puffing his chest out, walk straight up to Joey and push him hard, knocking Joey back. And Casey said, “You think you're funny with your song, queer?”

I threw my backpack down and ran as fast as I could.

I knew Joey would fight. He wasn't afraid of anyone. You had to be like that to be a fly half, and I'm sure that Joey had been hit square against his unpadded body at least a thousand times more than Casey ever had. But I wasn't going to let him get gang-jumped by those assholes.

So I ran faster than I did in practice. I had to. And just as Joey was making a fist, Nick was circling behind him, and Casey was in the process of throwing the first punch, I launched myself, head up and shoulder down, right into Casey's knees and wrapped my arms around his legs, driving him, crashing, to the ground.

I love a good fight scene.

Seriously. If a book or movie has a good fight scene in it, I'm much more likely to enjoy it than if it doesn't. Some people like romance, some people like mermaids, some people like pirates. I like violence.* I'm not sure what that says about me (other than the fact that I like to write fight scenes too), but it's true.

It's no wonder, then, that I picked up Winger. I mean, the kid on the cover looks like he's been in some kind of fight and I wanted to know why. After reading the summary (and seeing that there were illustrations scattered throughout – I'm a sucker for art), I had to have this book. I bought it and added it to the hoard of unread books stacked around my room until I finally got around to it a few days ago.

Ryan Dean West, or Winger (as his rugby teammates call him), is a loser. At least, that's what he calls himself almost constantly. He's a fourteen year-old in his junior year, making him the baby of the class, and is in love with his best friend, Anna, though he doesn't have the guts to tell her. Adding to his loser status is the fact that last year he got caught having stolen a teacher's phone, which he only took to call Anna on her birthday, and has now been to Opportunity Hall – the crappy dorms where all the delinquents are sent to live in his boarding school, Pine Mountain.

Ryan Dean is certain this is his death sentence, especially when he realizes he's rooming with the biggest asshole of them all (not counting the football team, whom everyone hates most of all). When Annie tells him he'll have to toughen up, he knows she's right, but even Ryan Dean has no idea what this year has in store for him and it's going to take more than a little toughness if he's going to make it through to senior year.

With its witty sense of humor and realistic portrait of teenage confusion, heartbreak, and cruelty; Winger was a joy to read, even if it did break my heart more than once. I love Ryan Dean as a flawed protagonist who made more than his share of mistakes, but did them with a good heart so that you couldn't help cheering him along.

Intelligently written, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartbreakingly honest, this is one I'd suggest to most teenage boys and girls – especially those that need reminding that just because you make a lot of mistakes and bad choices doesn't mean you're a bad person. We're all just finding our way along as best we can and sometimes the only thing we can do is try.

Rating: ★★★★★

*Not senseless violence. I do have specific standards with what's involved. I just like a good fight, that's all. Particularly when the hero is the winner. But then, what else do you expect from someone who has been in love with DC Comics since the nineties?

And that's probably about the time that Joey seriously considered throwing the old man out too. If it wasn't precisely at that moment, I'm sure he felt like it when Ned started screaming insanely in wild terror.

You know, there's something especially frightening when you're stuck in the darkest depths of hell, in the middle of a raging torrent of mud, and the insane old lost guy in the front seat starts screaming like he's going to die. I mean, I figured Ned had probably stared Death in the face more than a few times in just the past four of five hours, let alone since the discovery of fire, so when you hear a guy who you know has gone through as much shit as Ned has – in a lifetime that was undoubtedly measured by geological periods as opposed to calendars – screaming like that, well . . . you just know you're going to die too.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments, #2)

"To draw something is to try to capture it forever," Jocelyn had said, sitting on the floor with a paintbrush dripping cadmium blue onto her jeans. "If you really love something, you never try to keep it the way it is forever. You have to let it be free to change."

[Click here to read my review of book 1: City of Bones]

I ordered City of Ashes almost immediately after finishing its predecessor. I really enjoyed the first book and was eager to find out what would happen in the sophomore addition to the series.

Since Clary and Jace found out that they are actually siblings, things have been tense between the two of them. Both are doing their best to deny their feelings for each other and that means they're doing their best to shy away from even the smallest contact.

Simon, on the other hand, is becoming both more bold and more withdrawn. Venturing into Clary's world means finding himself in a place where he is virtually powerless and, more often than not, a liability. But Clary's his best friend, and if he wants a part in her new life he has to find a way to fit himself inside of that, even if that means throwing himself headfirst into danger.

As things heat up between these three, as well as the rest of the Shadowhunter world, Valentine returns to New York City in order to pick up where he left off with his two children. He's not done with them and he'll do anything to draw them to his side of the battle, even that means showing them why he's not the kind of person they want as their enemy.

I really wanted to like City of Ashes. I tried to defend it against the people who had already read it and told me to stop while I was ahead. I tried to defend it against myself, saying this was just a little step back--the next chapter will be better. I just couldn't do it.

As much as the action and Cassandra Clare's lovely writing style had me hooked, I just could not bring myself to really enjoy this book. A lot of that can be attributed to Jace and Clary's I-can't-love-you-because-you're-my-sibling angst. I just cannot sympathize and the longer it goes on, the more uncomfortable it makes me feel.

Beyond that, it seems like this book really just brings the romance aspect of the Jace-Clary-Simon love triangle into focus and pushes the Shadowhunter war to the back burner, which I do not like at all. I'm all for a little romance, don't get me wrong, but making their awkward angst a priority instead of the battle is just frustrating. I want to hear more about what Valentine is planning, not listen to Jace moan about Clary avoiding him.

Even in that, I am interested in finding out what the third book has in store. There are some hints in this book that make me think there may be some resolution to a few of the problems I had, but I'm still on the fence about whether or not that means I'll read it. After all, I've been trying to teach myself not to read books I don't like just because I feel like I have to. There are too many good books I need to read.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

"Look," Luke went on. "In all the years I've known him, there's always been exactly one place Simon wanted to be, and he's always fought like hell to make sure he got there and stayed there." 
"Where's that?"
"Wherever you were," said Luke.

Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle

"Hey, man," says Peter after a moment. "I know I'm just going by what I'm seeing here, but what you're describing is a Viv I don't know yet. The Viv I know- and again, not an expert, because I only officially met her within the last five minutes- is a sledgehammer-wielding badass. She's the only person I've met in the last two months who's said, 'I don't know what's going on here; let's find out.' You know it's a lot easier not to try, right? It's a lot easier to just curl up in a ball and let the world end."

I ordered Vivian Versus the Apocalypse after hearing the fabulous reviews by people like Sanne who reviewed it and couldn't stop raving about just how wonderful the book was. (Here's a link to her Youtube review: Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle.) Of course, I had to get my hands on it and, once I did, it quickly moved to the front of my "to be read" list.

In Katie Coyle's debut novel, we are introduced to a society where many believe the end of the world is rapidly approaching. The members of the Church of America, followers of the Book of Frick, have been told a set date that they will be raptured and that, just a few short months later, the world will come to an end. Vivian Apple never believed any of this was even remotely possible. She thought her parents were insane for believing it could possibly be true. But then the day of the Rapture comes and there are two holes in the ceiling above her parents' bedroom. They're gone.

Suddenly thrust into a world that is spiraling into chaos, Vivian is lost and deeply confused. Hundreds of people have gone missing, including the parents of her best friend and countless other members of her neighborhood. Vivian still thinks all of this is fishy, though. Faced with a world that seems on the brink of collapse, Vivian sets out in search of answers.

Flanked by Harp and a new friend named Peter, she sets out across country to California, where she believes she might find the family she so recently lost. It's only a hunch, but she has nothing to lose. After all, if she's wrong about the apocalypse, she'll die in a few months anyway. Together the three teenagers set off on a road trip that very well might claim their lives.

As mentioned before, I heard a great deal about this book before I managed to get my hands on it. Let me tell you right now: it is absolutely worth the hype.

In Vivian Versus the Apocalypse, Katie Coyle sets up this amazing novel about finding yourself and believing yourself while setting it up in this near-dystopian America that is slowly killing itself. It's a story about friendship and beating the odds, while still managing to be a social commentary on the dangers of the kind of fanaticism that makes you forget that the people around you are just as worthy of life as yourself. And though the author set it up to be open to a sequel, I honestly am not sure whether I want one, because I'm not sure it can surpass the first.

There's so much about this book that I loved that I hardly know where to start. I don't often come across books that I want to reread as soon as I finish, but this one would definitely count as one of those. I cannot praise it enough.

If you haven't read Vivian Versus the Apocalypse yet, you need to find it and dive in as soon as possible. Kudos to you, Katie Coyle, for creating such a stunning first novel. I hope I get the chance to read plenty more from you in the future.

Rating: ~★★★★★ ~

"The way we live our lives is not sustainable. I don't just mean recycling and turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth. I mean the way we treat each other. The way we pick and choose whose lives are important, who we actually treat as human. There is nobody on this Earth whose life is not of value."

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

They were all waiting for me to do something- to lead them. And that thought made me want to laugh and cry and crawl under the nearest bench to die.

Valkyrie Rising was one of those lovely books you spot on the shelf at the library and read the back, decide it looks decent enough, and check out. It was one that I wasn't sure I would bother reading, but checked out of the library anyway because it had mythology in it and I am quite the sucker for mythology. Admittedly, almost all of my "expertise" is in Greek mythology; I have almost no knowledge of Norse mythology. Still, I added it to the stack of books I always leave the library with and took it home with me.

When I did crack open Valkyrie Rising, I couldn't have been more surprised by how much I loved it. If I hadn't started reading so late at night, I could have easily read the entire volume in one sitting. (And not because the book is short- it's a hefty 345 pages.) I was hooked and had to force myself to go to bed so I would stop falling asleep with my face on the pages. Still, I woke up and finished it off in a matter of hours.

In Valkyrie Rising, we meet Ellie, a girl from California with an overprotective big brother, Graham, and some deep roots in Norway. Summer has finally arrived, which means Ellie and her brother will be headed to Norway to visit their grandmother for a few weeks. And Graham's infuriating best friend, Tuck, will also be coming along for the ride.

However, when Ellie arrives, she isn't greeted with the usual hospitality and friendliness the small town of Oslo. Instead, she's regarded with suspicion and even her fair share of violence. Reports of the disappearance of young, strong boys has been enough to scare the townspeople into hostility, especially because, for some reason, her grandmother is the prim suspect- and least in the eyes of the public.

It isn't long before Ellie is also being accused to being a Valkyrie, one of those mythical beings whom people believe are snatching up their boys. As much as she wants to deny it, when she saves a friend from being taken by the Valkyries, she sees them for herself and they call her one of them. Even as they say it, she can feel the tug within her, the call to join them.

Yet when Graham is taken next, Ellie knows she'll do anything to save him, even if it means taking down the Valkyries and losing her life in the process. Tuck joins her, eager to save his best friend and keep Ellie safe; but, considering who they're up against, they might as well be running toward death itself.

Like I mentioned above,  I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. Ellie is a great heroine who experiences her fair share of self-doubt, yet is too focused on saving the people she cares about to let it conquer her. She's strong and fierce, yet profoundly human, and I love that. Tuck is wonderfully protective, even knowing that Ellie could easily take him out, and perfectly comedic. His comments had me laughing out loud more than once.

The Norse mythology peppered throughout the novel was deeply interesting and definitely pushed me into wanting to learn more about it, and the story itself was fast-paced and left me wanting more. I think this is the first time I've read a stand-alone novel and wanted to bang my head against a desk when I realized there would be no sequel.

Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to be happy with what I was given. After all, at least I'll have plenty of opportunities to reread it.

Rating: ★★★★★

Then Tuck stepped right into the middle of that mess, shielding me completely. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He shoved the ringleader in the chest. While Tuck definitely had a temper, it always came out sideways through jokes. It took me a second to recognize the look on his face as absolute fury. "I don't know what happens in this hick town, but where I'm from, we don't push girls around." He knocked the boy back one more time, driving his point home.
"She's not a girl," Margit said, glaring at me with so much hatred that it almost hurt. "Filthy Valkyrie."

GNW: Mercury by Hope Larson

In Mercury, we are told the story of two different girls, separated by time. In 1859, Josey meets a strange and intriguing stranger who promises to help her family find gold by mining on their farm. Even more important to Josey, he promises to love her and even to take her for a wife one day, a prospect which has her heart soaring. The only problem is that her mother doesn't like Josey's new suitor and isn't shy about letting her feelings known. She worries that the bad omens she has been seeing are directly related to the appearance of this particular young man and that tragedy will soon strike in his wake.

In 2009, Josey's descendant, Tara is living with her aunt and uncle after the fire that took her house left her virtually homeless. Her mother is across the country working on a temporary job and trying to find a more permanent solution. In the meantime, Tara must begin attending high school with her cousin and classmates she hasn't seen in years. When she finds an old pendant that used to belong to Josey, she soon learns it has magical properties that might just lead her to some of that gold that was once rumored to be hidden on the land where the ashes of her home now stands.

Filled with lovely illustrations, interesting characters, and a good dose of magic, Mercury is a fun graphic novel. After all, who can resist hidden treasures, intrigue, and romance? Each of these themes can be found within the pages of Mercury. The artwork compliments the story well and brings a simple beauty to the pages that ties it all together. 

Mercury was a fun, quick read that took me on a short, but thoroughly enjoyable adventure. If that isn't reason enough to give it a try, I'm not sure what is. 

Rating: ★★★★☆

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare

"Every teenager in the world feels like that, feels broken or out of place, different somehow, royalty mistakenly born into a family of peasants. The difference in your case is that it's true. You are different. Maybe not better - but different."

I've been meaning to read this book for ages. I heard about it quite a long time ago and kept reminding myself that I needed to get my hands on it, only to have it pushed back on my reading list once again. Finally, the movie adaptation came into theaters and I figured it was about time I buckled down and read it. I don't intend to see the movie until it comes out on DVD and I've read the second book (because movie adaptations are notorious for using bits from later books to cushion the first and I don't want any spoilers), but I figured it was about time I got started.

City of Bones is told from the perspective of Clary Fray, a teenage girl who witnesses a murder in the back room of a New York City club she visits frequently with her best friend, Simon. Only, this isn't a normal murder. How could it be? After all, she is the only one who can see the murderers. And the boy who died? He disappeared seconds after he took his last breath.

Only a few days later, Clary comes home to a demon that seems to have killed or taken her mother and threatens to end her as well. She barely manages to kill it before it kills her, but not without collateral damage. It has managed to wound her pretty badly and who should come to her aid but one of the murderers from the club.

As it turns out, the boy whom she saw killed was actually a demon in disguise. Jace, the one who comes to her aid after her own brush with a demon, explains that he and his friends are Shadowhunters, descendants of the Nephilim and sworn to protect humanity from the demons who threaten to overrun it. By inking special runes on their skin, they can make themselves invisible to mundanes (humans) or demons, stronger, or a number of other things. The thing that neither of them can figure out, though, is how a mundane like Clary could possibly have seen them or the demon in their home.

The more she sees the more she wonders what connects her to this world of strange mythical creatures and seeming humans with inhuman power. And why has she never seen them before now? Clary soon realizes that her mother has kept far more from her than she could have ever dreamed and the only way to get answers is to find the person who kept the questions from her in the first place.

I had really hoped I would like this novel, which made me more than happy to find myself with my nose in this book at every given opportunity. I simply could not put it down!

I love the entire paranormal mythos that is presented in this book. There are fairies and pixies, vampires and werewolves, even demons and intensely creepy monks. Though these themes are common in fantasy as of late, it is in no way campy or unoriginal. Clare puts her own spin on the creatures we've heard about since childhood and weaves it all into a deeply enthralling tale that will keep you wanting more.

There is so much I could praise about this book: its original take on well-known tales, its characters' vast differences and similarities that make them each profoundly human and realistic, the gray areas that remind the reader that there isn't always a black and white answer. I could go on, but I won't. If you're not convinced this is a worthwhile read already, then I'm not sure what else I can say.

The point is that this book was immensely satisfying and definitely worth giving a read. It won't disappoint.

Rating: ★★★★★

"Instead his father took the bird, now tame and trusting, in his hands and broke its neck. 'I told you to make it obedient,' his father said, and dropped the falcon's lifeless body to the ground. 'Instead, you taught it to love you. Falcons are not meant to be loving pets: They are fierce and wild, savage and cruel. This bird was not tamed; it was broken.'
"Later, when his father left him, the boy cried over his pet, until eventually his father sent a servant to take the body of the bird away and bury it. The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed."

Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

"Don't be ridiculous," snaps Iris. "You don't want to be caged in the shell of some stupid marriage, Clara, but don't be caged by your own limited experience, either."

I picked up this lovely volume in the Amsterdam Waterstones. I had begged my parents to let me visit that particular bookstore and was thrilled when we had the chance to drop by on our last day in the beautiful city. While I was exploring the fabulous four-story shop, I happened upon an entire shelf dedicated to literature based in the Netherlands, so of course I had to select one. When I spotted Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and noticed that the author was the very same who wrote Wicked (which I have seen the play of, but have yet to read), I had to snatch it up.

Iris knows she is ugly. She doesn't need reminders, though everyone is more than willing to give them anyway. She's clever though, and her sisters needs her. That's what keeps her going. That's what consoles her when she watches others praise Clara, her step-sister, at every turn for her stunning beauty. For Clara, her own beauty is merely a gilded cage and she likes it almost as little as she likes those she comes in contact with. She has convinced herself that she is a changeling and therefore despises nearly everyone. After all, she's really only loved her father and step-sisters, whether she knows how to show it or not.

When a Prince comes to Haarlem to find a wife, Iris is told by her mother that she must do what she can to be his choice. Iris is confused by this advice, knowing that her mother must be losing her wits and her sight if she thinks a prince would choose her over any other number of choices. Beyond that, her heart belongs to another, though he too is blinded by the light of Clara's good looks. However, Iris begins to understand that this prince's arrival might just be the escape Clara has been looking for, that is, if Clara can be convinced to attend the ball at all.

I'm a huge fan of fairytale retellings in general, especially ones done well. So I knew I would like this. After all, how could the person who wrote Wicked possibly mess up a retelling of Cinderella? Let me tell you: I was right.

Iris is a smart and savvy heroine with a desire to take care of her family, specifically her older and developmentally delayed sister. She has seen the hardships that have befallen her small family and, after coming to England after the brutal murder of their father, does everything in her power to make sure they don't have to face that sort of terror again, though it makes her fearful and convinces her that danger lurks in every corner.

I particularly enjoy the way that Gregory Maguire makes his characters real people. By this, I mean that they make real choices, real mistakes. Their motives for any single action aren't always pinned down or for the reasons they want them to be. There is a little bad mixed into every character and no one makes all the right decisions.

The story itself was a very interesting and gritty take on the Cinderella fairytale. He did a fabulous job on this book and anyone who is even remotely interested after hearing the summary really ought to get their hands on it. It's absolutely worth your while.

Rating: ★★★★☆


But I suspect, some days, that beauty helps protect the spirit of mankind, swaddle it and succor it, so that we might survive. Beauty is no end in itself, but if it makes our lives less miserable so taht we might be more kind--well, then, let's have beauty, painted on our porcelain, hanging on our walls, ringing through our stories.

GNW: Brain Camp by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan [Illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks]

Brain Camp is one of the graphic novels I picked up at Teen Book Con earlier this year (and unfortunately one of the only books I bought that I didn't manage to get signed). I had read Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks only a few weeks beforehand and, though this wasn't written by her, I instantly recognized Hicks' superb artistic style and snatched it up.

In Brain Camp, we are introduced to Jenna and Lucas. Jenna's the oddball in her perfect family, not as smart as her sisters and too weird for her parents to understand. Lucas, on the other hand, is something of a thug, hanging out with all the wrong people and going home to a mother who drinks too much and views him as yet another hassle who is more than likely to turn out just like his father. But when a representative of Camp Fielding shows up at their homes, both Jenna and Lucas are sent off to a summer camp where they make kids just like them become everything their parents always dreamed they would be.

It isn't long before the two teens discover that there is something very sinister going on at Camp Fielding. Only they seem to have the strength to stop the threat before it overcomes the entire camp, but only if they can keep it from overwhelming themselves first.

Brain Camp was a fun, gross, terrifying, and exciting adventure geared toward older children and teens, though still a great read for just about anyone who's interested. It pits two underdogs against formidable opponents and a threat they could never have imagined.

The artwork is splendid and the story both believable and captivating. I would definitely lend this one out to anyone who might be interested. It won't disappoint.

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray (Spellcaster, #1)

"Thanks," Verlain whispered. "Kendall was being such a witch." 
Nadia tried to brush aside her momentary annoyance. "I prefer bitch actually. Most witches are perfectly nice people. Sorry - pet peeve."

I picked up this book at Teen Book Con earlier this year. I had the pleasure of getting to hear Claudia Gray pitch her book and, frankly, I was intrigued. She explained the synopsis of the story and I was interested; but it was her description of how she had basically reinvented the laws of magic that piqued my interest. She explained that, while she had wanted to have that magical element in her story, she hadn't wanted to get the "universally accepted magicking laws" messed up. She didn't want any obnoxious letters about how she had messed it up. So she created her own.

In Spellcaster, the spells are not powered by your typical magic. Each has a list of ingredients that aren't really ingredients at all. They're memories. The stronger the memories in the combination, the stronger the spells. When she explained this, I knew I had to purchase the book. And though it took me a while to actually get to it, I've finally read it.

When Nadia, her father, and brother move to Captive's Sound, she's already got a lot on her mind. Her mother recently packed her bags and abandoned them. This is hard enough for any family, but it's especially hard for Nadia, who was being taught the Craft by her mother and now has no teacher and no way to further her mastery of witchcraft.

It's not long before Nadia realizes that there are sinister forces at work in Captive's Sound and she seems to be the only witch around who can do anything about it. However, because she has no one to continue training her, she's not sure how much she can do about the growing threat. And now she has to deal with a mysterious boy whose family is cursed and a girl that seems to be constantly overlooked or forgotten. It's up to Nadia to figure out what's going down in Captive's Sound and do her best to fix it without getting herself, her family, or her friends killed in the process.

I really enjoyed Spellcaster. I was hooked from Chapter One and could hardly convince myself it was worth interacting with my family instead of reading this. Claudia Gray has managed to create both an original magical mythos, as well as a great heroine and a fabulously terrifying villain. (Seriously, though. Props to her for creating a villain so believable and intensely scary.)

I really enjoyed the story and the new context of the magic involved in it. I was quite excited to find that this is slated to be a series (with book two set to hit shelves in March of next year) and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. If you're a fan of magic and contemporary fantasy, you'd better get your hands on this book as soon as humanly possible!

Rating: ★★★★★

"But no matter how hard I pushed you away, you just kept coming. You're relentless, you know that? You wanted to understand me. You wanted to know me. You wanted to save me, and I think you're the only one who can."

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (Fins, #1)

"Let me get this straight," he says, recovering himself. "I'm turning into a mermaid because I kissed you?"
"I don't remember asking you to kiss me," I retort.
He scowls and I regret my snide remark. He didn't ask for any of this to happen, either. There was no way he could have known what he was getting himself into.
"Technically I explain, "you're turning into a merman."

Forgive My Fins was another book I picked up a few weeks ago when I was getting ready for Teen Book Con. Tera Lynn Childs was there and I was hoping to read one of her novels before seeing her there. As you can tell, I didn't manage to read it beforehand, but I did finally finish it.

When Lily discovers that she is half human, she decides to live ashore for a time, living with her late mother's sister and attending high school, maybe even finding that special boy that she is going to spend the rest of her life with. After all, if she wants to inherit the throne from her father, she has to have bonded by her eighteenth birthday and that is quickly approaching.

High school is tough for a girl who's half mermaid, half human, but she loves exploring this part of herself. Likewise, she loves Brody, the boy she's been working up the courage to share her feelings and her secret with. Only, when she finally gets close, he rejects her and breaks her heart.

Quince, the boy next door who has done everything in his power to irritate and humiliate Lily, takes this as his cue to step in. He devises a plan with her so that she can win Brody, though he's outspoken in his belief that Brody is not worth a second of her time. But the plan backfires and Quince steps in to be her "knight in shining armor" and kisses her in Brody's place.

Only, Quince didn't know she was a mermaid. And he certainly didn't know that kissing her meant bonding to her and it jumpstarted the process into his becoming mer too. Now, they have to get back to  Thalassinia and fast, before the change and bond are permanent and the two of them are stuck together forever.

Forgive My Fins was, to me, one of those books in which the ending is predictable, but in a totally unpredictable way that makes it totally worth reading. It was a fun, light tale about mermaids and learning who to trust that I really enjoyed reading. It's definitely what I would call a beach read, quick and playful, with some great scenes and interesting characters that I really enjoyed getting to know.

All in all, it's not the best book I've ever read, but one that I'm glad I did. I'll definitely have to keep an eye out for the second book in the series. I'd love to find out what happens to Lily next.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

As if I'd conjured him with magic, the door above swings open and Quince is filling the doorway with his leather-jacket-clad self. 
I practically sag with relief . . . until I sense the fury pounding through his blood. He felt my fear and now he's here to protect me. By any means.
This can't end well for anyone.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

"I am your Prince and you will marry me," Humperdinck said.
Buttercup whispered, "I am your servant and I refuse."
"I am your Prince and you cannot refuse."
"I am your loyal servant and I just did."
"Refusal means death."
"Kill me then."

I know very few people who aren't deeply familiar with the movie adaptation of the Princess Bride. I know it was my sister's favorite when we were growing up (I'm pretty certain it still is) and we watched it often. I was the little girl curled up next to her dad doing her very best to burrow into his side as the R.O.U.S (Rodents of Unusual Size) made their appearance. It was just too much for my little eyes, even as it enchanted my older sister's.

When Prince Humperdinck decides he will have Buttercup marry him, she refuses. After all, Westley, the love of her life, is in America making his fortune and will return to marry him herself. But when she gets news of his death at the hands of pirates, she finds herself at a loss. Heartbroken and distraught, she finally gives into Humperdinck's demands. After all, she would never love again.

That was before she was kidnapped. It isn't long after their courtship begins that Buttercup is whisked away by three men plotting to kill her. They take her to Guilder, a neighboring country, hoping to pin it on them and start a war between that country and her own Florin. However, it isn't long into this journey that her kidnappers realize they are being pursued by a man in black. Picking them off one by one, he slowly makes his way toward saving her. Could this be her new groom, Prince Humperdinck, or could it be someone far more welcome to her?

The way this story is presented by its author is part of the reason it is so wonderful. It's not just a straightforward fairytale. No, Goldman presents it as if he's simply writing an adaptation: a "good parts" adaptation of a story that was much longer. Of course, the "original Florinese manuscript" doesn't exist, but it was a genius move on his part. He fills bits of the story with bits of another fictitious tale about how he got his hands on the book, so that it's practically two stories in one. The second story weaving through the first and adding little bits to it so that it feels both natural and intentionally scripted.

I've never read another novel written this way and I would be deeply surprised if there is anyone who could do it nearly as well as Goldman has.

This was a fabulous book and one I am beyond happy to have had the chance to read. I look forward to reading it many times in the years to come.

Postscript: There is one thing I would like to note. The Princess Bride is near impossible to find in its original edition. You're most likely to find it in its 50th Anniversary edition or (more unlikely) its 25th.  Because of this, it should be noted that you DO NOT want to read the 50th Anniversary Introduction first, unless you have already read the book and its extension, "Buttercup's Baby." Here is the way best order in which to read it (according to myself, as well as other readers):

-Introduction to the 25th Anniversary Edition
-The Princess Bride
-Buttercup's Baby: An Explanation
-Buttercup's Baby, Chapter One: Fezzik Dies
-Introduction to the 30th Anniversary Edition

This may sound a bit strange, but trust me. This is the order in which you want to read it.

Rating: ~★★★★★~

But I also have to say, for the umpty-umpth time, that life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all.

The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson

Performance and public shaming are often virtually identical experiences, differentiated only by context. And often even then, not that different.

The Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills was another of the books I picked up in preparation for Teen Book Con (the blog post covering that event is coming soon) in an attempt to read as much as I could from the authors that would be making appearances. Of course, I started working on this pretty late (probably two weeks in advance), so I only managed to pencil in a few new authors, but Joanna Pearson made her way into the list of those I managed to get to in time. At least, she would have been, if she had been on the list. Apparently, I grabbed the wrong book, but it was worth it.

When aspiring anthropologist, Janice Wills, enters her junior year, she is expected to participate in the Miss Livermush pageant along with the rest of the girls in her grade. After all, it's only the most important event of her high school experience (at least in the eyes of everyone else in town). Janice has other priorities: like studying the people around her, making anthropological observations, and doing her best to get an article published in Anthropology Today.

Her approach to life is standing outside of it, doing her best to watch and judge while not actually participating. This is what helps her survive the high school hierarchy. However, when her aloof attitude starts drawing in the wrong people and pushing away the ones that have always been there for her, Janice starts to realize that maybe she isn't as unbiased as she thought. And maybe you have to dive into the world around you, even if it's uncharted territory.

This was an adorable book. I really enjoyed Janice and getting to walk alongside her as she learned how to become the person she wanted to be. The subject of anthropology has always been fascinating to me and I loved seeing an author take an interesting topic and wrap it around a lovely coming of age story. This was a fun, light read. One of those quick books that I really enjoyed losing myself in.

Rating: ★★★★☆

"No, no, no, Janice," he said. "I thought you were a better anthropologist than that! You have the entire art of adolescent survival all wrong! You don't hide your weirdnesses. You embrace them, thereby making them cool."