Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1), by Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)
By Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)
Publication Date: June 1st, 1998 (first published 1964) (Puffin)
Paperback, 155 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Classics; Childrens
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!

But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Goop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

—from goodreads.com

REVEIW:

Everyone knows the story of Charlie Bucket's rag to riches and Willy Wonka's eccentric personality. Most of us have seen movie adaptations.

You'll be surprised to know that I've never read any Roald Dahl. No BFG, no Matilda (I do love the movie though!), no James and the Giant Peach (also an excellent movie).

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which I always want to call "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory") was fantasically sweet. Things all throughout it made me smile, things about candy mostly, but I forget it unfortunately. It's in my memory, but barely at the edge of my memory. 

I'll read Matilda next. 

RATING:

Review: Goddess of the Night (Daughters of the Moon #1), by Lynne Ewing

Goddess of the Night (Daughters of the Moon #1)
By Lynne Ewing
Publication Date: August 1st, 2000 (Hyperion)
Hardcover, 294 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Paranormal; Urban Fantasy; Mythology; Supernatural; YA
Source: Books-A-Million! (I bought an omnibus! Yay!)

DESCRIPTION:

Vanessa is being followed. She doesn't know by whom, and she doesn't know what they want. But she knows why: Vanessa has a secret. She can become invisible, but the problem is, she can't control it. And her worst fear is being discovered. Only her best friend, Catty, knows, and Catty is different as well. She can travel back in time—and take Vanessa with her.

—from goodreads.com

DESCRPTION:

First of all, I bought the omnibus, Daughters of the Moon ($9.99), which contains the first three books in the series. I wanted to show you the separate covers of the series because I think they're sort of...pretty (strong lookin girl covered in glitter=pretty flippin' cool). This is what my omnibus looks like:

In Goddess of the Night, 15-year-old Vanessa Cleveland, who can become invisible, learns that she is a Moon Goddess, a daughter of Selene (or whatever you wish to call her, for she has many names), born to protect all from the evil force of Atrox. At first, Vanessa and her best friend, Catty, who can time-travel and is also a daughter of the moon, are trying to figure out who is stalking Vanessa. But then some stuff happens, adding to the virtually nonexistent mystery in the story.

That said, the idea of moon goddesses who fight evil was a great idea that could have been so much more, and would have attracted a mixed fan base of feminists, urban fantasy lovers, and moon lore lovers. But it was a good idea executed wrong.

"Atrox," the evil the Moon Goddesses fight sounds like a hallucinogenic illegal drug, and the detail on this supposedly-most-evil-force-in-all-the-universe was sketchy. No specific detail was really given. The great-evil-Atrox is a shadow. A suffocating, hope-sucking shadow, but still--a shadow? The only other thing that was said was that the Atrox has followers, cleverly called "The Followers." 

These "Followers" must be evil, dark lords, who kill people in cold blood, right? Nope. They're misunderstood teens who have just given up on life. They cut themselves to feel. They hang out at nightclubs where they do drugs in the parking lot. They drink booze in the dark corners. They party at punk rock concerts where there has to be signs that say, "NO MOSH PITS AND NO CROWD SURFING." But they most pit (can that be a verb?) and crowd surf anway. And their evil powers=infiltrating peoples' minds to take away the victims hope and trap the victim in the Follower's mind. Ooh. Chills (sarcasm). Sounds bad, right? But it really wasn't. Just don't look into their eyes for too long.

The climax scene was funny when I think it was suppose to be suspenseful/scary. Try getting stomped to death and not being able to fight back because the Atrox feeds off of violence.

You're saying WTH right now. But, yes. You heard right. The Moon Goddesses have to "fight" the Atrox, but they can't use violence. WTH. What do you use then? Hope and love and kindness. Works for Sailor Moon and those other girlie anime shows I like (I love moon lore and I love the magic girl genre. I read this because I expected some great magic girl story, but was disappointed), but <i>Goddess of the Night</i> could have used some combat, some blood, a dash of guts--I don't know. Just some fighting scenes like Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument series.

All of the characters were underdeveloped, but I liked them for some reason. Vanessa was caring, but determine to do the right thing. Catty, who was a trouble maker with quick wit, always had offered a funny solution to offer to problems, but she never solved them. Selena was mysterious and I don't really know what to make of her character. And Jimena was a former gang member, who's special power had broken her, but also made her stronger.

My favorite FAVORITE FAVORITE!!! character was Kendra, the minor character who adopted Catty and was into spirituality and abnormality, such as UFOs and aliens and such. Here's some stuff from the book directly about her: 

"[Catty's mother] found Catty walking along side of the road in the desert between Gila Bend and Yuma when Catty was six years old. She'd planned to turn her over to the authorities in Yuma, but when she saw Catty make time change, she decide Catty was an extraterrestrial, separated from her parents, like E.T., and that it was her duty to protect her from government officials who would dissect her. She brought Catty to Los Angeles, knowing that in a city where anything goes, a child from another planet could fit in." (from page 26, Chapter Two).

or what the narrator says about Kendra:

"Catty's mother had probably driven over to Griffith Observatory again this evening to see if she could spot a spaceship and wave goodbye to her daughter." (from page 153, Chapter 14).

Goddess of the Night was like a trip back to the 90s, and it reminded me vaguely of the Italian cartoon, brought to America by Disney, called W.I.T.C.H. (another magic girl genre! I loved W.I.T.C.H.!), except W.I.T.C.H was much better. It also reminds me of Sailor Moon (I love Sailor Moon!). Even though I wasn't impressed by the extremely flat plot and flat characters, I will finish the series: there is a choice that must be made and I need to know what happens in the end.

So the Daughters of the Moon series of thirteen books snagged me, even though I give it...

Two Stars.

Review: Ruby Red (Edelstein Trilogie #1), by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red (Edelstein Trilogie #1)
By Kerstin Gier
Publication Date: In the US, May 10th, 2011 (Henry Holt and Co), originally published January 6th, 2009 (by some German Publishing House I can't find the name of)
Hardcover, 330 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi; Romance; Historical Fiction; Adventure; Fantasy; YA
Source: School Library! :)

DESCRIPTION:

Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended—and rather eccentric—family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors' peculiar history, she's had a relatively normal life so far. The time traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn't been introduced to "the mysteries," and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesley, watching movies and talking about boys. It comes as an unwelcome surprise then when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past.

She's totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counter-part. He's obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she's seen in any century...

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

Every once and a while, it's refreshing to read something straightforward and without the extra wordage lots of writers like to put into their stories. That straightforward book was Ruby Red. Of course, the straightforwardness of the book could be because the author is German and the book was translated into English, so some meaning could be lost in translation, but I don't know. I mean, I believe Inkheart by Cornelia Funke was translated into English from German, and that book is incredibly wordy. So it could just be Kerstin Gier's style. But that's besides the point.

Gwen's best friend, Lesley, was my favorite character. The best-friend-characters tend to be more likable than the actual protagonist to me for some reason. My biggest problem with Gwen, however, was that she was completely useless. The type of useless comparable to Sleeping Beauty's uselessness. I didn't care for Charlotte, Gweneth's cousin, but I don't think the reader is suppose to feel too sympathetic towards her. Nor did I care for Gideon. He was the love interest of the story (not a spoiler due to the book description) and was characterized quite blandly, meaning that he was characterized as the sterotypical male love interest of most young adult lit.: arrogant with some hardcoming that hurts them so badly that somehow it turns their personality inside out and makes them some sensitive nice guy.

Bleck.

The way Gwen's family treated her reminded me of Harry Potter. Everyone overlooks her because she's simply ordinary. They don't think there's anything special about her. Then, when she learns that she carries the time travel gene, some people in her family treat her even worse. It's not exactly the same as Harry Potter's situtation, but it radiated vibes that reminded me of Harry Potter.

Being the first in a triology, this book was more of an exposition for the whole series. That said, there wasn't much action, not much of a climax at all. But it certainly has promise and I'm excited to read the next one.

RATING:

Review: The Diviners (The Diviners #1), by Libba Bray

The Diviners (The Diviners #1)
By: Libba Bray
Publication Date: September 18th, 2012 (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Hardcover, 592 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction; Fantasy; Supernatural; Parnormal; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other sotries unfold in the city that never seleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened...

Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray pens a brand-new historical series with The Diviners, where the glittering surface of the Roaring Twenties hides a mystical horror creeping across the country.

--from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

Whew! After a month of reading The Diviners, meaning after a month of living in the 1920s and picking up on the slang (more to come on the slang), I've finally finished! Five-hundred-and-ninety-two pages of evil.

And by evil, I mean a man by the name of John Hobbes. Good ol' Naughty John. He really does give me the heebie-jeebies (1920s slang!). The whistling, the click of his cane, his icy blue eyes. Twice I had to leave my hall light on as a nightlight because I was terrified of John Hobbes manifesting himself and coming to get me.

Characters. There were a bunch, and the story switches veiw points to each of the major ones. Evie O'Neill, of course. She was not very likable as I found her too shallow and selfish. But she was caring a times, which I did like. Jericho Jones, typical tall, dark, and...mysterious. He was okay. I didn't feel like I really knew him. Memphis Cambelle, Harlem's next Langson Hughes. Meh.

Mabel Rose, Evie's best friend, was relatable to me because she reminded me of myself. She was living in both the shadow of her famous politcal activist parents, and also in shadow of her glamorous best friend. It wasn't in her to exchange her frilly, long dresses for short flapper-style dresses, or bob her long curly hair. She just felt like she was second best, washed out by the New York City lights. She didn't really have many parts in the book, but she was relateable anyway.

But she wasn't my favorite.

Theta (rhymes with "beta") Knight, named after the math symbol (which is pretty sweet), was my favorite. She was so multidemensinal and her backstory was by far the best.

Oh. I almost forgot. The infectious slang of the 1920s in this book has caught me. I find myself saying "And how!" a lot, and "That music is the berries," but not as much as "And how!" Anyway, if you fancy some good old-fashion slang, here's a link to more 1920s slang.

The plot had a snail-slow build-up, but it's worth it if you power through. I mean it took me a month, but I powered through and it was ALL WORTH IT.

RATING:

Review: The Monstrumologist (The Monstrumologist, #1), by Rick Yancy

The Monstrumologist (The Monstrumologist, #1)
By Rick Yancy
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2010 (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Genre: Horror; Historical Fiction; Paranormal; Supernatural; Fantasy; Mystery; Sci-Fi; Adventure; YA
Source: Library!

DESCRIPTION:

"These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for nearly ninety years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for who I kept these secrets. The one who saved me...and the one who cursed me."

So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a doctor with a most unusual specialty: monster hunting. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. But when one visitor comes with the body of a young girl and the monster that was feeding on her, Will's world is about to change forever. The doctor has discovered a baby Anthropophagi—a headless monster that feeds through the mouthfuls of teeth in its chest—and it signals a growing number of Anthropophagi. Now, Will and the doctor must face the horror threatening to overtake and consume our world before it is too late.

The Monstrumologist is the first stunning Gothic adventure in a series that combines the spirit of HP Lovecraft with the storytelling ability of Rick Riordan.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

The Monstrumologist was the first ever Gothic horror novel I have ever read, AND I'M DEFINITELY READING THE SEQUEL! I judged a book by it's cover while I was in the library and it paid off! This book was excellent!

The plot proved interesting and spaced itself away from the vampire/werewolves/supernatural power/sinister academy/fallen angel/fairy books with all those dark looking cover that I'm so very sick of seeing in libraries and bookstores and hearing people rave about (not that I don't like them, because I do like them, just the well-written ones because they're turning those supernatural books out so fast they seem like a generic cereal bran, all with the same character archetypes and plots).

Although the book does have a sinister antagonist in it that is indeed a monster, this monster is completely different from lipstick-wearing vampires that love the scent of strawberry shampoo. This monster is seldom heard of and isn't found in any human-creature romance. Instead, you'll find this monster ravaging human flesh with razor teeth. Wanna looksee?

Picture from the blog, Corner Ink Journal

I baby-barf just looking at it.

Worst part? They've infested New England and it's up to the monstrumologist, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, and his indispensable twelve-year-old apprentice, Will Henry to exterminate the infestation.

On the negative side, the beginning of the book is very slow-paced, and did little to draw me in (with the first chapter as an exception). I always tried to get a chapter in before bed, but the chapters were so long that I would usually only get half in.

Don't get me wrong: there were phenomenal chapters, my favorite being the one with the old man in the insane asylum ("What of the Flies?" I believe it is called. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read it), and in those cases, I'd read more than a chapter and my eyes would swell because before I would know it, it would be one in the morning.

The writing style is formal and wordy since the book takes place in the 1888. I also suppose that's the reason why the chapters are so long.

The book started to pick up pace during the chapter called "The Help," because it introduced a fascinating character named Jack Kearns. I must admit that I liked him better than Will Henry.

The Monstrumologist is a perfect scare for people who like both historical fiction and fantasy.

RATING:

Review: Daddy-Long-Legs, by Jean Webster

Daddy-Long-Legs
By Jean Webster
Publication Date: (first published 1912) June 11th, 2011 (Puffin) (first published 1912)
Paperback, 208 pages
Genre: Classics; Romance; Childrens
Source: purchased at an indie bookstore

DESCRIPTION:

A trustee of the John Grier orphanage has offered to send Judy Abbott to college. The only requirements are that she must write to him every month, and that she can never know who he is. Judy's life at college is a whirlwind of friends, classes, parties, and a growing friendship with the handsome Jervis Pendleton. With so much happening in her life, Judy can scarcely stop writing to the mysterious "Daddy-Long-Legs"!

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

Daddy-Long-Legs was okay, pretty uneventful. It's an epistolary story, meaning that it is completely made up by letters. Judy is seventeen at the beginning of the book, and twenty-one/twenty-two by the end, but her vocabulary was that of a ten-year-old. The excuse that she's an orphan can't be used because her orphanage made sure they educated her well past the grade level they normally educated orphans. 

However, I was completely infatuated by two of the elements in the book:

1) The little snippets of the 1900s given to you through Daddy-Long-Legs are utterly charming. Apparently, as decreed by English grammar, a person can't feel nostalgic about something they never knew (it's used incorrectly very often). I beg to differ! I may not know that "pie-plant" is rhubarb, that "junket" is a pudding-like dessert, or that "paper chase" (also called "hare and hound") was an "outdoor game in which certain players, the hares, start off in advance on a long run, scattering small pieces of paper, called the scent, with the other players, the hounds, following the trail so marked in an effort to catch the hares before they reach a designated point" (definition from dictionary.com) (I'm totally rounding up some friends and playing). I may not know any of those things, but I can be nostalgic about it, can't I? 

2) There are pictures in this book! Hand-drawn by main character, Jerusha Abbot. Quelle adorable! For example, here's one of my favorite ones:

It's cute, no? I don't know. I really like it and found it entertaining. There was another hand-drawn picture of what Judy called a "fish," but was really a picture of a turtle. I laughed out-loud at that one, and a good friend of mine who was also reading quirked an eyebrow at me. I showed her the picture and she didn't find it even remotely entertaining. :( Guess my sense of humor is a little off.

RATING:

Review: The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy

The Apothecary
By Maile Meloy
Publication Date: August 29, 2011 (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Hardcover, 362 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Adventure; Historical Fiction; Mystery; Childrens;  YA
Source: Library (but I loved the story so much that I bought it)

DESCRIPTION:

It's 1952 and the Scott family has moved unexpectedly from Los Angeles to London. Janie Scott feels uncertain in her strange new school until she meets Benjamin Burrows, the local apothecary's curious defiant son, who dreams of becoming a spy.

Benjamin's father promises Janie a cure for homesickness, and it seems to work. But Mr. Burows is no orindary apothecary, and he holds dangerous secrets. When he disappears, Benjamin and Janie find themselves entrusted with his sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia. And Russian spies are intent on getting their hands on it.

Discovering transformative elixirs they never imagined could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous quest to save the apothecary and prevent an impending nuclear disaster.

From award-winning author Maile Meloy comes a novel that sparkles with life and magic. Breathtakingly illustrated by Ian Schoenherr, this is a sotry that will delight kids and return not-so-young readers to a world in which the extraordinary is possible.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

I love love love The Apothecary. It's classified as a childrens book, but I'd say it's boarderline young adult. Scratch that. The Apothecary is for anyone young at heart,  but I think female fans of Harry Potter will enjoy it the most.

Anyway, The Apothecary had a completely delightful cast of characters.

Janie was a real diamond in the rough in the world of weak-female-protagonists and male-hero-dominated-adventure-books: she was both a strong and determined main character, and a pleasant narrator (the book is written in first-person). As a reader, I found Janie easy to get along with. Benjamin, who I'd say was another protagonist, was admirably brave, and Pip, the street urchin was resourceful, funny, and intelligent. Pip wasn't my favorite, but he could easily be any reader's favorite.

My favorte character was Sergei. I completely adored Sergei. He reminded me of a more lonely version of Neville Longbottom, and I pitied him so much for it. I loved Jin Lo second best, because she acted tough and nonchalant on the outside, but harbored hidden sorrows inside. 

The plot rocked. It was fresh and ingenious. Even though the characters often brewed potions such as the Smell of Truth and the Invisibilty Elixar, I found none of it cheesy or unbelievable partially due to the way the author, Maile Meloy, and Janie presented it in the book. By "Chapter 7: The Message," which began on page 60 in my hardcover copy, the pace of the book picked up and I coudn't put it down. By the end, all the sub-plots and plots and conflicts were so tangled together that I didn't know how the end would turn out (and it seemed like the author didn't know either because one point of the conflict was lamely compromised), until I reached the ending.

The ending. Grrr. :( It took my breath away not in the way you may think. :(

The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy (funfact: Maile Meloy is the sister of Colin Meloy, lead singers in the band, The Decemberists) is a truely magical and ingenious book that I would read again and again and again and again and...

RATING:

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
By Stephen Chbosky
Publication Date: February 1st, 1999 (MTV Books and Pocket Books)
Paperback, 213 pages
Genre: Contemporary; Realistic Fiction; YA
Source: an English teacher!

DESCRIPTION:

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that wil spirit you back to though while and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

--from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

I like the one sentence summary imdb.com provides for The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie better than the actual book blurb, because the movie tagline seems to give you the gist of what The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about:

"An introverted freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world."

Anyway, you don't have to do drugs or get wasted every weekend or be gay to relate to The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

To understand why the story is so relatable, you must first understand what a "wallflower" is, dear friend, which (according to the infamous urbandictionary.com) is "a type of loner" who is "a seemingly shy person who no one really knows, often some of the most interesting people if one actually talks to them." Wallflowers "know a lot about people, what they're truthfully like," and although being a wallflower isn't bad, the word is viewed negatively.

So, from that, I think we've all felt like (or have been/are wallflowers, such as myself) wallflowers even if we aren't one. It's about being an outsider, looking in. Observing. For example, in one part of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie gets all of his friends the perfect Christmas present, and cares enough to make each personal, but no one gets him anything partially because nobody truly knows him. It's about not feeling connected to anyone. Feeling totally alone, which is completely relatable in most instances for all of us.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written in a series of letters from the main character, Charlie, to some unnamed person, or perhaps even written to us. Each letter starts out "Dear Friend," and ends with "Love always, Charlie." Some entries are beautiful. Some horrible. Some humorous. If you don't account for the themes and life lessons within the story, you will take a lot less from it than others and like it a lot less to. Without thinking about the profound meanings of each letter, the whole story can seem mundane.

I adored Patrick, Charlie's gay friend. However, I found him more likable in the movie, probably because he was more flamboyant. Movie Patrick just gave more life to the meaning of Book Patrick.

(Speaking of the movie, it definitely wasn't as good as the book, and the vibe I got from it was different from the book's vibe, but it does the book a good amount of justice. It's worth seeing).

I'd like to leave you with the best quote of the book, which has a sort of cult-following:

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

--The Perks of Being a Wallflower

RATING:

Review: East, by Edith Pattou

East
By Edith Pattou
Publication Date: September 1st, 203 (Harcourt Children's Books)
Hardcover, 498 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Fairy Tale; Retelling; Romance; Adventure; YA
Source: Library (Reed Memorial)

DESCRIPTION:

A magical epic of love, betrayal, and loss.

Rose is the youngest of seven children, meant to replace her dead sister.

Maybe because of that, she's never really fit in. She's always felt different, out of place, a restless wanderer in a family of homebodies. So when an enormous white bear mysteriously shows up and asks her to come away with it —in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family—she readily agrees. 

Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart—and finds her purpose—and realizes her journey has only just begun.

As familiar and moving as Beauty and the Beast, yet as fresh and original as only the best fantasy can be, East is a bold retelling of the classic tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," a sweeping story of grand proportions.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

If you don't read East, by Edith Pattou, you're not missing out on anything.

I knew I probably wouldn't like it by page 25, but I kept at it anyway. I even followed my Fiftieth-Page Rule, the one where "giving a book a fair chance" means reading fifty pages in, then deciding if I want to stop reading it. But I kept reading past the fiftieth page, so the book must be doing something right.

(By the way, here is a link to the original Norwegian fairy tale, "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" if you want to read it.)

First, East is written in first-person, but the views alternate between Rose, Neddy (Rose's older brother), Father (Rose's father), Troll Queen, and White Bear. I don't have a point-of-view preference, so I didn't mind the alternating view points.

The main character, Rose, was so foolish the majority of the time, it made me want to pull my hair out. Her foolishness seemed to clash with her admirable intelligence, which I don't understand. I don't understand how in one instance a person can set a character up as having quick-wit, and then in the next, make the character foolish. I just don't get it.

The climax was anything but that. I'm itching to sarcastically tell you the climax, but I can't because you may want to read it.

East was too long. Worst yet, I feel like East had no substance. It's hard to describe, but I'll try. In it, the narrator tells you this happened, then this happened, then this happened. The end. No moral. No value. Nothing.  

And what the H is with all of these Stockholm Syndrome fairy tales? Beauty and the Beast, anyone? Stockholm Syndrome does NOT equal romantic.

RATING:

Review: Lips Touch: Three Times, by Laini Taylor

Lips Touch: Three Times
By Laini Taylor
Publication Date: October 1st, 2009 (Arthur A. Levine Books)
Hardcover, 266 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Short Stories; Romance; Paranormal; Supernatural; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Everyone dreams of getting the kiss of a lifetime—but what if that kiss carried some unexpected consequences?

A girl who's always been in the shadows finds herself pursued by the unbelievably attractive new boy at school, who may or may not be the death of her. Another girl grows up mute because of a curse placed on her by a vindictive spirit, and later must decide whether to utter her first words to the boy she loves and risks killing everyone who hears her if the curse is real. And a third girl discovers that the real reason for her transient life with her mother has to do with belonging—literally belonging—to another world entirely, whose queen keeps little girls as pets until they reach childbearing age.

From a writer of unparalleled imagination and emotional insight, three stories about the deliciousness of wanting and waiting for that moment when lips touch.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

ME: It was very...ordinary.

YOU: How could you say that, Samantha? How can the great Laini Taylor, who is made out of creativity, be ordinary?!

ME: Let me explain...

Yes, Laini Taylor DOES have a wonderful imagination.

For example, there's an Ambassador to Hell, and a girl with a voice that can literally kill. There are salt shakers full of diamonds and, my personal favorite, demons who can smell color.

BUT the way she tells her stories just doesn't have the support the ideas need. 

I don't mean her writing is mundane, because her writing is utterly gorgeous. All of the descriptions and senses and whatnot. Gorgeous. I mean all of the stories are the same, as if she kept the same characters, changed little pieces of their appearances but keep the same personality, and gave them a new conflict to overcome. Each story was like reading the same thing over and over and over again.

For example, the protagonists of each short story were essentially the same in personality. They're described as liking quirky things, and the majority of them have sweet faces, and are demure in nature. If I had to sum up Taylor's main character's personality's in one word, it would be INFP (which is a Myers-Briggs personality type).

(This has nothing to do with the book, but look "INFP" up. Then, if you so chose, take the personality type test. I don't know about you, but I love personality tests. I think it's just interesting to see what general group you're put in.)

While the plots of each story themselves are not really predictable, there is an intense feeling of familiarity, like you've read the story before and know the outcome. And you must definitely have read the story before if you've read any of Taylor's other books (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, perhaps?).

However, I truly enjoyed the romance (what can I say? I'm a big sap-sucker), even if it was nothing new and contained the essence of Taylor's other works. Most of it was sweet, innocent love. True courtship. Young men dancing with young women at garden galas in exotic lands. Fugitive sweet nothings whispered into one another's ear. Dates that consist of exchanging flowers, then walking hand-in-hand to the pond where the lovers feed the ducks.

Lips Touch: Three Times, a collection of three short stories by Laini Taylor, were clones of what an imaginative author usually does in all of her stories. The stories were nothing special, and were ordinary, which was a big surprise coming from an author who's imagination is extraordinary. Lips Touch: Three Times was okay (2 stars), but the ideas get another 0.5 stars.

RATING:

Review: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1), by Maggie

Shiver
By Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: August 1st, 2009 (Scholastic Press)
Hardcover, 392 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Romance; Paranormal; Supernatural; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

Sam has lived to lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

—from goodreads.com

REVEIW:

Shiver started off slow, as most books to, but it was so painstakingly slow and so in depth detail-and-imagery-wise that I wanted to blow my brains out by page 35 and give up on reading it.  However, if you can get past page 50, you're in luck because it gets much better. :)

The main character's "friends," Olivia and Rachel were really annoying and didn't really have elements to their character. They were just hose friends-who-aren't-friends-percieved-as-the-typical-highschool-girl's-best-friends.

Grace, the main character, is obsessed with the wolves living in the woods behind her house after she is mauled by them (that's a little...strange. I guess we love the things that nearly kill us). I found Grace relatable at the beginning of the story. I don't know why. Perhaps because she's characterized as this introverted and strange outsider. I say I found her relatable at the beginning of the story because she changed after Sam, the love interest, came into her life, and after that I didn't like her.

All of the characters changed after Sam came into the book as a human. Grace's character became watered down, and she faded toward that Seventh Circle of Hell for unbelievable characters. It was like Hush, Hush, or Twilight, or Jace and Clary in The Mortal Instruments series: after the love interest of the main character is introduced, the characters lose personality and the book seems to SUPERFICIALLY circle more around the depth of the "relationship" rather than the way the two characters in that relationship change. How can you make a relationship deep without highlighting character personality changes and making other characteristics bolder? You can't. That said, the romance in the book was the typical cuddle-in-bed-together-steamy-make-out-sessions, without any real personality.

Sam's character was watered down also, but he never really seemed to have a solid personality anyway. A bit of his background is given, horrible things meant to make the reader pity him, and it works. I feel awful for him. Sam's background stories were groundbreaking-earth-shattering, whatever you wish to call it, and wholly satisfying, but his character was just flat somehow, which was really disappointing after reading his powerful life story. :(

Olivia and Rachel's characters improved, I'm proud to say. :) 

Isabel (another supporting character) improved also. Through the whole book Isabel was mean, but there were little nuggets in there where she could be sympathized with an even adored. If I had to choose my favorite character, it would be her. She's just so determined, resourceful, and intelligent even though her striking beauty would make you believe she's stupid.

The plot was fresh and captivating, and the ideas that made the plot up weren't overly imaginative. They were just right. :)

I just LOVE Maggie Stiefvater's writing style! It's so poetic and lyrical and descriptive, and although the style draws on the story and makes it slow in the beginning, her style adds to the middle and end.

The ending—it was cute. Truly. Well, actually the ending was suspenseful, then tense, then sad, then happy, the cute. A rainbow of emotions. However, not all of the characters get their way...

RATING:

Nerdrobe: Molly Weasley T-Shirt

Molly Weasley: Not My Daughter, You Bitch
$25.00

Just another day in the land of epic Harry Potter quotes.

Review: Trafficked, by Kim Purcell

Trafficked
By Kim Purcell
Publication Date: February 16th, 2012 (Viking Juvenile)
Hardcover, 384 pages
Genre: Contemporary; Realistic Fiction; Social Issues; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

The American Dream becomes a nightmare...

Ever since her parents were killed and her beloved uncle vanished, Hannah has struggled to support herself and her grandmother. So when she's offered the chance to leave Moldova and become a nanny for a family in Los Angeles, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime.

At first, Hannah likes her new employers. But after weeks of working sixteen-hour days and not being allowed to leave the house, she still hasn't been paid. As things go from bad to worse, Hannah finds herself doing things she never imagined herself capable of—lying, eavesdropping, even sneaking out late at night to meet Colin, the boy who lives next door. And when she gets caught, the mother threatens her with a fate even worse than being a slave: prostitution.

When Hannah discovers that the father knew her family back in Moldova, she's determined to find out if he knows anything about her missing uncle. But as she uncovers the truth, she may be exposing more than she bargained on—and putting her life in danger.

—from goodreads.com

REVEIW:

Trafficked, by Kim Purcell, made me furious—in a good way. In a "hey-let's-all-go-out-into-the-community-and-spread-awareness-about-human-trafficking-in-the-United-States-because-yes-it-does-go-on-here" kind of way, which is what the author's intentions were, no doubt.

Trafficked isn't about sexual slavery; rather it's more about domestic slavery. In Kim Purcell's Author's Note at the end of the book, Purcell states that trafficked people are "hidden in warehouses, brothels, and regular American neighborhoods," the last fact being chilling because you, dear reader, could have a "Hannah" living in the house next to you.

I feel this way because Kim Purcell has injected her little gem with what I like to call "Emoto-juice," a serum powerful enough to make even the coldest of people emote. The serum is released by unfortunate happenstances when god-awful things happen to a character who does not deserve those awful things to happen to them.

I'd love to provide you with examples from Trafficked, but each misfortunate happenstance is a spoiler in a way, because through inference and prediction you'd know what would happen (and I'm sure you'd figure it out, because the characters are quite predictable. Concerning the predictability of the plot...

The beginning and end were predictable, but the meat of the story wasn't. The web of plot points was made up of lies and those lies kept being rewritten and rewritten until I was slightly lost in the plot. Some points just didn't seem to make sense, or add up. I was content with the ending because I felt like it left a lot of loose ends lying around, and I wanted to know exactly what would happen.

Even though Hannah could be naive sometimes, she deserves the Badge of Courage. She's beautiful, not much of a physical fighter, but she is a psychological fighter with great intelligence and wits about her. She never, ever cries or yells or talks back because she rightly knows it gives the bully satisfaction. She creates a docile facade she uses around her employer, but she was always buzzing with emotion and thoughts under the surface. Even though it was just as easy for Hannah to numb her emotions and become part of the living dead, she refused to do so.

RATING:

Review: Sabriel (Abhorsen #1), by Garth Nix

Sabriel (Abhorsen #1)
By Garth Nix
Publication Date: 1995 (Harper Collins)
Hardcover, 292 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Adventure; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Ever since she was a tiny child, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world.

Though her journey begins alone, she soon fined companions: Mogget, whose seemingly harmless feline form hides a powerful—and perhaps malevolent—spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. 

With threats on all sides and only each other to trust, the three must ravel deep into the Old Kingdom, toward a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death—and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own hidden destiny.

A tale of dark secrets, deep love, and dangerous magic, Sabriel introduces Garth Nix as an exceptional new talent.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVEIW:

First of all, let's talk about the book cover: Is that a girl or boy on the cover? Take a moment to look at it.

Odds are you're thinking about his man-hands. However, the truth in the matter is, that that man is a wo-man. Yeah...

Anyway, I don't buy books often. Okay: I try not to buy books often. Sometimes I buy books when I don't really have any money because (not necessarily in the order of reasons I'm most passionate about) 1) I love supporting the work of great authors; 2) I love the smell, the feel, and the look of a new book; and 3) I love sharing great books by lending them to friends. 

Sabriel, the first book in the Abhorsen Series (it was originally a trilogy, but that idea is no more. There are currently four books in the series), by Australian author Garth Nix, is a book I will without-a-doubt purchase.

Sabriel isn't about Sabriel, the 18-year-old female protagonist, journeying into the afterlife to save her dead father from, well, death, by bring him back to, well, life. I thought it might be. Not really though. Sabriel only goes into Death a handful or two handfuls of times in the book. Most of the time is spent in this raw, broken country called the "Old Kingdom," as Sabriel and her companions are chased by the Dead (what we would call "zombies") and an unspeakable evil that is trying to manifest itself again in the world of the living.

Sabriel was a pretty flat character. I liked Mogget, the "cat," and his smugness. Touchstone made me laugh, even though I don't think some of the parts he was highlighted in, such as his crazy-rage parts, were meant to be humorous. Still, I found Touchstone pretty unremarkable.

The world-building in Sabriel is fantastic and the ideas in it are unlike anything I've ever read. 

Sabriel's world is made up of two completely different places: Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre. Think of Ancelstierre as similar to our own world, with perhaps a pinch of World War Two England in it: electricity, modern-ish weaponry, boarding schools. Then Ancelstierre is like some rouge, war-torn country, with Free, lawless magic. Ancelstierre and Old Kingdom are right next to each other, the only thing separating them from one another is a wall and a second-rate army on the Ancelstierre side. Cool world, right? Taking gated communities to a whole new level.

More on the world: there's Gore Crows, which are basically zombie crows; Mordicants, beasts made of human blood, moulded bog mud, and magic freakin' blasts out of their mouths and drips from their claws (aka: awesome); and Mordaut, which are parasitic zombies. Of course there's more, but those are my favorites. 

RATING:

Review: I'll Be There, by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I'll Be There
By Holly Goldberg Sloan
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2011 (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Hardcover, 392 pages
Genre: Adventure; Coming of Age; Contemporary; Romance; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Sam Border wishes he could escape. Raised by an unstable father, he's spent his life moving form place to place. But he could never abandon his little brother, Riddle.

Riddle Border doesn't talk much. Instead, he draws pictures of the insides of things and waits for the day when the outsides of things will make sense. He worships his older brother. But how can they leave when there's nowhere to go? Then everything changes. Because Sam meets Emily.

Emily Bell believes in destiny. She sings for her church choir, though she doesn't have a particularly good voice. Nothing, she feels, is more coincidence. And she's singing at the moment she first sees Sam.

Everyone whose path you cross in life has the power to change you—sometimes in small ways, and sometimes in greater ways than you could have ever known. Beautifully written and emotionally profound, Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut novel deftly explores the idea of human connection.

—from goodreads.com
 

REVEIW:

OhmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH!

I'LL BE THERE WAS FLIPPIN' AMAZING! WHERE HAS THIS BOOK BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE? You'll be asking the same thing once you read it. :)

Sam Border, a kindhearted musical-protege, and his highly introverted brother, Riddle Border, live a nomadic life with their violence-prone, schizophrenic father, Clarence Border. Life with Clarence Border consists of Clarence driving his truck and kids (which are the last thought in his life) to a medium-sized town. Here, Clarence commits petty crimes, such as stealing, breaking-and-entering, and vandalism. When people start getting suspicious, Clarence packs the truck up and leaves, taking Sam and Riddle with him.

Because Clarence is a criminal, Sam and Riddle have to be invisible, leading into the fact that seventeen-year-old Sam hasn't been to school since second grade, and twelve-year-old Riddle has never been to school.

However, one day, Sam "randomly" picks a church service to go to not to be preached to, but to hear the music. At the service a girl named Emily Bell sings "I'll Be There" and Sam falls in love with her—convinced not by her awful singing voice, but by the fact that she seems to be singing to him, singing the powerful words sincerely—completely changing his life and his brother's life.

Until they have to pack up and leave again with their father, leaving the life and love they established behind...

Sam Border, Riddle Border, and Emily Bell, were characterized much, but it worked for the style of the book. There were at least eleven secondary characters who were essential to the plot as a whole. At the beginning, all of their plot lines seemed random, and I had no idea how things would play out, but in the end, the strands came together to resolve the story beautifully.

I'll Be There is written in third-person omniscient point-of-view, making the reader feel like a spectator, watching events unfold. If I remember correctly, Sam, Riddle, Emily, all eleven (if not more) secondary characters, and a bear (yes, a bear) were all highlighted at some point by the omniscient narrator.

Because the characters (even the main characters) weren't characterized into 3D existence, because the book is written in third-person omniscient, and because the writing style of the book is straightforward, each portion of the book that follows a different character feels like a snapshot of what (or who) the character really is.

In that way, I'll Be There, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, is very much like a delightful movie (and it should be made into a movie), and reads exactly what a movie would read like, offering the movie-goer a glimpse into many different lives, lives of both horrific shock and of unmistakable beauty.

RATING:

 

Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1), by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1)
By Rae Carson
Publication Date: September 20th, 2011 (Greenwillow)
Hardcover, 424 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Adventure; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.

Most of the chosen do.

—from the book's dust jacket

REVIEW:

Here. I will provide you, joyous reader, with an even shorter blurb, a summary if you will, brought to you by the copyright page of The Girl of Fire and Thorns:

SUMMARY: A fearful sixteen-year-old princess discovers her heroic destiny after being married off to the king of a neighboring country in turmoil and pursued by enemies seething with dark magic.

:/ Still not good enough.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns, the first book in a planned trilogy (I can't wait for the next book which comes out in September 2012!) follows the arc of Elisa, a fat and useless princess who God had chosen to provide an act of service to the human race. She sits around, eating pomegranate scones, venison with basil and garlic, and spiced lamb shanks with buttered spinach (Let your mouth water. Food is mentioned a ton in this book, but it is not overly described. It's always the occasional, "We're eating this:") until she's literally bursting her dress seams.

Yet, somehow, she is THE BEARER of this century's "Godstone," which is fixed in her navel, always reminding her of her destiny, turning cold to warn her and turning warm to assure her (in essence, Elisa's Godstone is a bit like Harry Potter's scar). Elisa, of course, knows God has it all wrong. He must have picked the wrong person, because she is no where near heroic. She's nothing like her sister, which she envies oh so much.

So, Elisa gets married off to the neighboring kingdom's king, who needs Elisa, Bearer of the Godstone, to help him defeat barbaric, bloodthirsty invaders and protect his kingdom. However, as a Bearer of the Godstone, she's more sought after than she thinks, by friends—and by cutthroat enemies.

THE END OF MY BLURB

Anyway, Elisa is a wonderful character. Quite Kick-Ass, if I do say so myself. Even while she was fat, she was never as useless as she thought she was. She saw the venomous people her husband's court for what they were, and the gears in her head were always turning. She was analytical and a wonderful problem solver. Quite frankly, she was utterly brilliant. And she grows into her skin even more than just figuring out puzzles—actually, I could say Elisa grew out of her skin, such was the nature of her destiny, courage, and will power.

To everyone who says they predicted something in a book: you will not be able to predict the mind-blowing events in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. It's like slight-of-hand. The surprises in The Girl of Fire and Thorns are like getting slapped; or being pushed out of a car going 60 miles-an-hour; or having your heart sucked out, through your mouth, by an industrial-grade vacuum cleaner.

I can't begin to tell you how much I found Elisa admirable and inspiring. It will probably come across as cheesy, dear reader, but she's the embodiment of heroism coming from a person nobody would define as even remotely "heroic." Nobody would ever suspect that Elisa is capable of having courage and being a strong leader. I like the idea that anyone, even that quiet, lonely person sitting next to you in Advanced Pre-Calculus, can have the making of a hero—they just need the opportunity.

Please please please bare with The Girl of Fire and Thorns to at least Part Two (page 142 in the hardcover edition) if you do choose to read it. If you want to put it then, sure; I won't hold a grudge because at least you tried. The beginning is awfully slow, and you will be tempted to put the book down (if we're being honest, I actually did put the book down numerous times because I had to return it to the library. I've had to borrow it at least three times, each borrow a period of two weeks. I've been reading it since April and just finished it yesterday, August 20th, 2012). But just please please please make it to Part Two at least: That's when Elisa stops being some fat girl who thinks she's useless, and starts to become the Bearer of the Godstone who knows her own strength—a girl truly of fire and thorns.

RATING:

Review: What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1), by Kat Zhang

What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)
By Kat Zhang
Publication Date: September 18th, 2012 (HarperTeen)
ARC Paperback, 343 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi; Dystopia; YA
Source: Goodread's First Reads Giveaway and HarperTeen

DESCRIPTION:

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren't they settling? Why isn't one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn't...

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to more again. The risks are unimaginable—hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet...for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

The whole idea around souls in What's Left of Me, by Kat Zhang, is Golden-Compass-esque—only instead of the one soul being in a "daemon" and the other in the human as in The Golden Compass, both souls are inside of the human.

The two souls sharing one body in What's Left of Me were Addie and Eva, although the spotlight was more on Eva because she was the "recessive soul," the soul that was suppose to die, but never did for some reason, which of course, the government hates. Eva had more redeeming qualities and was more likable that Addie, but she's still just an average "meh" character that I didn't really have an emotions invested into. Both Addie and Eva, but especially Addie, did a lot of sniveling and crying. :/ Honestly, I did not care much for any of the characters.

But (once again), I love the idea. If Addie kisses a boy, Eva is only an observer: she can't move or speak, but it's awkward for her and maybe she doesn't want to kiss the same boy Addie wants to. Maybe Eva doesn't love the same boy as Addie. I guess it's like being Siamese twins with your sibling, and one of you gets a boyfriend/girlfriend and the other twin is that awkward third wheel.

I wish there was more action, inspiring speeches, better description and such. I was confused a few parts in the book about what was happening because the writing seemed unclear.

What's Left of Me leaves a lot of unanswered questions by the end. Hopefully, they'll be answered in the next book.

RATING: