Harper

The Spindlers Lauren Oliver Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am pretty sure Lauren Oliver could re-write the phone book or the dictionary and I would read the hell out of it. Seriously, I am consistently blown away by Oliver’s talent with each book she writes. Y’all, I went into The Spindlers with pretty low expectations because it was panned by some people I actually really trust A LOT and it turns out when you have low expectations they are easily exceeded. I found The Spindlers to be an utterly charming story about the lengths we go to for those we love and the bond of siblings through good and bad. In short, I loved The Spindlers, Lauren Oliver’s latest middle grade book.

The Spindlers Lauren Oliver Book Cover

Liza wakes up for breakfast one day and notices that there’s something odd about her brother, Patrick. He seems to have changed overnight and is acting very, very strange. It’s then that Liza remembers what her old babysitter Anna told her about the world Below and the Spindlers. The Spindlers are these spider-like creatures who hide in the cobwebs and steal souls. She realizes that the Spindlers have stolen Patrick’s soul and so, she must journey to the world Below and face all sorts of trouble and toil to get him back. While in the Below, Liza meets a rat named Mirabella who offers to guide and assist her, but there’s something a bit strange about Mirabella.

Liza is a courageous and strong character, evocative of Carroll’s Alice or Gaiman’s Coraline. Her life is far from perfect — her parents are currently stressed and experiencing money troubles. She’s a lonely girl with only her brother and babysitter for friends. Yet, Liza has a big heart and consistently thinks of others. Liza uses her intellect to navigate the Below and it serves her quite well. However, she’s a tad bit naive and it’s to her detriment when dealing with others. This stated, Liza is a wonderful lead character for The Spindlers.

I’d be utterly remiss if I did not take the time to mention Mirabella the rat. I think Mirabella is the most interesting character in The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver, in that Mirabella is quite unusual and different from your typical rat. You see, she starts the book dressed as a human — she wears clothes and makeup and a wig. She wants desperately to be liked and to be accorded the respect that people get rather than the disdain and fear received automatically by rats. Yet, there’s more to her character. There’s a bit of a dark side and it is awesome. I think she has the best character arc within the book and makes the most change. Mirabella was a nice bonus to an already enjoyable story.

Perhaps my favorite element of The Spindlers were the nocturni, creatures that show the scope of Oliver’s imagination. The world she creates is creepy and fantastical. I loved that the more scary elements were balanced out by outstanding bits — like the nocturni, and I won’t go into depth on what they are because I don’t want to spoil you but be on the look out for them.

Lauren Oliver’s writing continues to be wonderful. Girl knows how to weave a story. The Spindlers reminded me of the fantasy that I read in my youth and I thought it was a lovely send up to the genre — we’ve all read stories before of changelings and mysterious worlds right under our noses whether it’s Narnia or Wonderland. I’d recommend The Spindlers to elementary age children and those who love the middle grade genre and have a soft spot for Lucy and Alice, respectively.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver:

Justin’s Book Blog – “I would say that The Spindlers falls more on the lighter side”

A Reader Of Fictions – “The Spindlers was my least favorite, but still contained some of the wonderful bits that make Oliver’s work such a joy to devour.”

Midnight Book Girl – “a wonderful mix of Alice in Wonderland, Labyrinth, and Oliver’s wonderful imagination and originality.”

Books by Lauren Oliver:

Before I Fall
Delirium
Pandemonium
Liesl And Po

Taking Chances Molly McAdams Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Fuck this book. Seriously, fuck this book. I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO WRITE THAT IN A REVIEW YOU GUYS, and finally after reading the worst book EVER I finally have the chance to do so. Now, I am going to go in depth on spoilers of Taking Chances by Molly McAdams, but not until a few paragraphs down and I will warn you of spoilers to come with giant letters. You guys, if I wasn’t reading Taking Chances on a $200 device, I would have chucked it across the room, I was so angry with this poorly written, poorly characterized book. Further, the values within kind of go against all of more core beliefs and while I won’t dislike you or think less of you if you’re down for those things, for me I was just like no, not okay not cool.

Taking Chances Molly McAdams Book Cover

Okay, you guys this review is going to be full of swears because I am so angry and I am not talented enough to express that anger without swears and sometimes nothing gets the point across better for me than a well placed fuck. OKAY SO. Taking Chances opens with main character Harper getting ready to leave home — a military base where she lives with her father and a lot of Marines for college across the country in San Diego. Harper calls her dad Sir. This is a super big deal. Anyways, she flys out to college where she meets her roommate Breanna who decides to give Harper a makeover and they become best friends. After the makeover montage, Harper goes with Breanna to a party at her brother’s house. At the party all the guys lose their shit over Harper because she’s so hot and funny and we know this because we get to read all about her outfit. THEN! There’s this guy there who is like the most gorgeous guy Harper has ever seen, his name is Chase. However he’s a total manwhore. And so they don’t date and she proceeds to slut shame any girl who goes near Chase. THEN a few days later she meets another guy who is even more gorgeous that Chase, named Brandon and he fights underground. Brandon becomes Harper’s boyfriend but she’s still attracted to Chase. That’s the plot for 50% of the book. Then something bad happens. Then the book drags for the rest of it. And don’t you worry, I will detail my problems with this awful book.

Okay you guys, I don’t get why dudes constantly lose their shit over Harper. She’s so basic and boring, but apparently really hot. And funny. And just so cool and so amazing. We’re consistently told how amazing she is, but not shown it. Instead, I saw a petulant brat who was too self-involved for me to really care about her. I mean, we didn’t even learn what her major in college was or what she liked doing besides hooking up and shopping and eating and drinking. She’s really boring and I just don’t get why three guys within the book were so into her that it practically comes down to brass knuckles.

As for the guys, I totally got it with Chase because they had that he’s so tattooed and bad and needs to be reformed sort of relationship. But honestly, if Chase is the dude on the cover on the left with that awful hair dye job, I do not get it. He looks trashy from behind. But he’s also a total asshole to Harper most of the time, which ugh. No, not hot. THEN. There is Brandon who is pretty much a cardboard cut out stand in. He’s so nice and sweet and perfect and just YAWN. SNOOZE. I mean, there’s some drama but it’s so obviously manufactured. And I just still cannot figure out for the life of me what the big deal is.

ALSO! Because this isn’t a spoiler but I need to rant about this too — there were only two girl characters who were ‘good’. Every other female character within Harper and Breanna’s age group were ‘sluts’ or ‘tramps’ or ‘basewhores’. Like for real? I get that Harper is like the Virgin Madonna, but why does every other girl with sexual experience who just want to hook up have to be a whore? Like, that slut shaming is so stupid. I wish there were more solid girl friendships within the book instead of just between Harper and her roommate, and even then none of their conversations pass the Bedchel test.

The writing style is pretty awful you guys. I think at this point with over 700 reviews at my belt and a goodreads average rating of 4.02, you guys know me and you know that when I read a book I don’t set out to hate it. Especially if it has a setting and a cover I’m interested in. I read books with an open mind. I don’t walk in with a vendetta. And I say this to you, the writing is awful in this book. We barely scratch the surface with characterization. The dialogue is cheesy and awful peppered with babe BABE BABY BABE and I’m all ugh gag me. My notes on this book in my kindle were two ‘fuck this shit’ and ‘girl head for the hills’ because there’s no natural progression or development, just like two pages and then it’s love. I mean, I know people constantly give Twilight shit for being instalove, but at least there was SOME sort of swoon and attraction with glances and hand touching. With this, I just felt nothing. I will say, I was kind of okay with the plotting, but that’s mainly because I needed to know what was going to happen next. HOWEVER, much of the plot is drawn out and convoluted and instead of really exploring an event and the emotions and repercussions and reactions, it’s over in a blink and we’re onto the next trauma of the moment.

NOW TO GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS AND SPOILERS AND MY ISSUES SO STOP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE COMPLETELY SPOILED BUT I NEED TO PUT ALL OF THIS OUT THERE BECAUSE YOU MIGHT BE FEELING THE SAME THING AND YOU ARE NOT ALONE

You guys. I have made my peace with love triangles, I may not absolutely be head over heels for them, but if they are well done, at this point I’m resigned to them being a fixture in the books I read. I expect the point of the triangle to make a choice, not have the choice made for them. You guys, Taking Chances has the most bullshit plot twist and look away like I said above if you don’t want to be spoiled. But okay, so fucking Harper cheats on Brandon just twice with Chase and has sex without protection and OF COURSE she gets pregnant. Of fricken course. Because as we all know, if you have sex you will get pregnant and you will die, only she doesn’t die. Instead, Chase does. And oh my god I was so PISSED. I literally yelled at this book. I thought it was such a huge fucking cop out. Instead of having to force airhead Harper to decide between the guys, she kills off Chase in a car accident and it’s glossed over and by 70% we basically forget all about Chase and she’s pretty much over it. I hate this you guys. I hate when authors take the easy way out because they can’t make up their fricken mind or a decision. I had this same exact feeling with the book ending of My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Piccoult. I thought that was a cop out too. Sorry, but you don’t set up this big huge choice for the main character to make and then take away that agency by killing off one of the options. No, that’s just awful and poor plotting/writing.

Also, stupid cardboard Brandon doesn’t even seem all that upset by the cheating. Nope, instead not even TWO MONTHS after Chase is cold in the ground, he goes back out with Harper. And AND Chase’s family is cool with this, in fact they encourage it. AND Brandon just forgives her like that and she doesn’t have to do a thing to earn his trust back. Hold the phone you guys just HOLD THE PHONE. If some guy ever cheated on me, it would take much more than a few pretty words to get my trust back. Straight up, there’s something wrong with the relationship when someone strays and time to leave that relationship and not get back together. So, ugh. I was just shaking my head so hard it was about to fall off.

Can I also just say, how hard is the concept of birth control? Like, almost every girl I went to college with was on it. Is that a NY thing? Is it a NY thing where the RAs leave baskets of condoms in the hallway and where we had a vending machine for them? Is this something that only my part of the nation does? Am I the weird one in this situation here? Like, I literally do not understand why it’s so difficult to understand that if you don’t use protection you might end up pregnant. I know that doesn’t happen all the time — not everyone who has unprotected sex ends up pregnant (THANK GOD). But seriously? Like didn’t we all get the banana and the condom lesson in high school or did I just go to a really liberal school? I just do not get it. I know that I personally am not the most level headed person, but honestly even I know that hey ya might want to wrap your tool ESPECIALLY if you called the guy a walking STD at one point, oh my goddddd.

Further, last night I was thinking about my review of this book and what I would say and I had an epiphany. I realized one of the things I hate about this book is that it’s view of the world and relationships is diametrically the opposite of my personal core beliefs and values. You see, at the end of the book Harper is married at 19, drops out of college and has another baby on the way. Are you kidding me? Is this the message we want to send to girls who read this book? What happened to being a strong independent woman who can take care of herself? No. This is like some 1950s shit and I can’t stand it. I don’t know, maybe it’s different here in NY, but I just can’t ever see taking that route. Basically the whole message I got overall was that it’s cool to get pregnant young because if it’s the right guy he’ll take care of you and you won’t even have to work. Fricken UGHHHHHHH. The end of the book it’s basically mentioned that the two girls Breanna and Harper won’t have to work because their husbands will make enough money. Girls this is gross to me. Like, get a job and be financially independent. What if your man dies in an accident? What if the marriage doesn’t work out? Then she has no back up plan and is basically qualified for few jobs. I mean, hello in this economy it’s like a bachelor’s degree is the equivalent of a high school degree and you really need your master’s for something that pays well and I’m just so disgusted that she decides not to finish college and not get a job. I get that her husband at 22 can magically support her because he owns a gym or whatever, but still this just made me so angry. I guess I just feel that in 2013, as women we should be able to support ourselves rather than be fully dependent upon another person.

I also just kind of felt like it was the purpose of women to get married and have babies. And that’s not why I read or choose to read New Adult. I like to read New Adult because it deals with things I can relate to — namely college and just starting a career or struggling. I don’t read New Adult for things like pregnancies and mortgages because most people I know in their early 20s are not worrying about those things. I mean, maybe I just run with a more educated crowd? But this is not my experience at all.

In all conscience, I can’t recommend Taking Chances to you if you are anything like me. If you like strong independent women as main characters, you won’t find that here. If you like swoons and a slow burn and banter, you are out of luck. If you like writing where you highlight every other page, this is not the book. However, if you like a long drawn out, train wreck of a soap opera, then you’ll love Taking Chances.

Disclosure: Received for review, but what the heck I’ll buy the 99 cent copy so I don’t feel awful about this review which is the most negative review I’ve ever written.

Other reviews of Taking Chances by Molly McAdams:

Dear Author – “ non stop eye rolling what the f__ck reactions of everyone that circles the orbit that is Harper.”

The Book Scoop – “By the end of the book, I was reading it so that I could close the book and put these characters out of my head.”

My Secret Romance Book Reviews – “definitely an emotional story and not one that I regret reading.”

The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons Barbara Mariconda Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Y’all, I am attracted to a bright orange cover. Hello eye candy. So, of course when The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons by Barbara Mariconda was up for grabs on Vine, I immediately snatched it up. ESPECIALLY because I love middle grade books with a nautical theme and for the most part, I thought The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons delivered on my nautical expectations.

The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons opens with a tragedy. Lucy and her parents are out for a bit of a pleasure cruise, when the sky turns dark and all of a sudden, a storm is brewing. While the ship is tossing, Lucy’s parents notice a man is out on the water and drowing, so they try to save him. Unfortunately, Lucy blacks out and when she wakes up, she is in her bed and discovers that her parents are dead. Even worse, her long lost Uncle Victor and his wife appear from out of nowhere for the reading of the will — and they are hoping to hit paydirt. When it’s discovered that Lucy is the sole heir and that her Uncle does NOT have guardianship of her, her relatives begin scheming for a way to get rid of Lucy and lay their hands upon her inheritance, which includes the huge mansion she lives in.

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The Whispering House Rebecca Wade Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am pretty sure ghosts don’t get enough love any more, especially the kind that haunts, not the kind you pseudo-make out with. Y’all, when the readathon rolled around, I was totally down for a few hours with a middle grade ghost story, because I knew there would be no kissy faces, just thrills and chills. The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade is a suitably creepy read, with mild flirtation but some totally goose bump inducing scenes — particularly if you are creeped out by dolls. And frankly, I’ll admit, dolls are kind of creepy now that I am an old.

Set in England, Hannah’s family must move out of their house because of a damaged foundation. Apparently the house is unlivable until it gets repaired. They end up moving into Cowleigh Lodge, a place that hasn’t really been inhabited for awhile, but the rent is definitely a steal. Hannah comes across an old book of fairy tales in her room, belonging to a girl named Maisie who died 140 years ago at the age of eleven. It is up to Hannah to discover the circumstances surrounding Maisie’s death in order to get Maisie to stop haunting her and The Whispering House.

Hannah is an awesome main character. I mean, she’s not exactly a loud, in your face character. However, she’s subtle. She uses her intellect to triumph, rather than brute strength. I love that she uses logic to get through her sleuthing. Plus, she keeps such a calm head during moments that would probably have me panicking. AND GET THIS, she has a great relationship with her parents, but maybe that’s common in middle grade? I’m not entirely sure, but it’s refreshing to see characters who don’t have those dysfunctional relationships. Also? There’s sort of a potential for romance in The Whispering House and I was like come on just kiss or something pleaseeeee and then I was like, oh yeah this is middle grade and that’s not bloody likely. Still, I liked Hannah’s characterization because it was different from the typical BAMF girl that I read about.

Honestly, I didn’t find The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade to be all that terrifying. I mean sure, it was good. There were moments where I was like, yes that’s kind of creepy. However, it takes either zombies or a whole lot to scare me. Plus, I read this in the light of day during a readathon. Thus, it wasn’t really a super huge deal. I think the target audience, actual middle grade children, might get a little bit nervous while reading, BUT given all the violence and gore and parents who are totally cool with their kids watching rated R movies at young ages, there’s not much here to give a kid nightmares. Yet, this is still a fun, slightly chilling Halloween or fall read.

If you’re looking for a seasonal read, but are kind of a chicken and can’t handle legit Stephen King style horror, then I think that The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade will be right up your alley. It’s got a good back story, interesting characters, ghosts, creepy dolls, friendships AND decent family relationships. The writing flows rather well and is free of purple prose. I quite enjoyed the brief amount of time I spent reading The Whispering House and think that middle graders will enjoy this book too.

Disclosure: Received For Review

Other reviews of The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade:

Charlotte’s Library – “I was so utterly engrossed by the ghostly shenanigans”

The Bookish Babes – “I will recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery books”

Birth Of A New Witch – “a fun little mystery – light, fluffy, and an easy read”

Monsters On The March Derek The Ghost Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am totally PRO-middle grade books where you can pick up the series in the middle and be just fine following along and not lost at all. This happened when I read Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins and also when I read Monsters On The March by Derek The Ghost and I just have to say THANK GOODNESS I do not have to take a lot of time out of my schedule to get all caught up on a series. Plus, I imagine that it’s nice for a middle grader to just be able to pick up a book. ANYWAYS, rant aside, I definitely thought Monsters On The March was pretty decent October Readathon material and I think it will also be decent Autumn reading material for actual middle graders.

Monsters On The March is the second book in the Scary School series and so I have no idea if I am giving spoilers because I haven’t even read the first book. Anyways, it’s basically a book written by a ghost, although I am pretty sure the actually writer is not a ghost in real life but A GHOST WRITER BAHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, I am so hopped up on the caffeine right now. In Monsters On The March, there is a new sixth grade teacher. The students at Scary School are a mix of humans and paranormal creatures. They are back from summer and find that oh, hey there’s a new teacher who is elephantine in form and cannot remember a thing. Derek The Ghost has been living at the school over the summer and is excited to have new things to write about. Anyways, the school ends up in a rift with the monster kingdom AND THERE ARE BATTLES y’all. And that’s pretty much the most in-depth I can get with the plot without spoiling.

I liked the large cast of characters, especially when a side plot or a chapter would specifically focus on that character. Like, for example, Petunia who has purple hair. She’s mad cool but doesn’t exactly fit in all that well. Or, this one character who knows he is a character in a book and gets all existential on us which is WAY awesome for middle grade. I thought that over all, Derek The Ghost was a competant narrator and interjects a bit of humor, but also makes for an exciting story.

As an adult, I thought Monsters On The March was a very quick read, what with the large print and pictures and all. It’s also fast-paced and doesn’t drag, but instead has a ton of action. The plot definitely moves along without ever getting boring. Plus, I was never confused as to the characters or what was going on. No eye glazing here, y’all. The tone is fairly light, I was never like UGH SO DEPRESSED while reading. I also laughed a lot while reading, because it is pretty humorous. This is more a Halloween-ish book for kids who are too chicken for horror, which is FINE.

What really enhanced my enjoyment of Monsters On The March were the pictures which are in almost every chapter. Scott M. Fischer is the illustrator and definitely brings some skills to the table. I loved being able to see what the various monsters looked like, especially the monster princess ha ha ha.

If you are looking to stock your library shelves or your classroom library with some Halloween appropriate reading, definitely add Monsters On The March by Derek The Ghost to your list. It is a zany sort of reading with fun characters and in all, a good time.

Disclosure: Received for review.

Other reviews of Monsters On The March by Derek The Ghost:

I Smell Sheep – “If you have a kid in middle school, you have to get this series for them!”

Imaginary Reads – “Boys will love this series for the action”

Word Spelunking – “Readers of all ages will be captivated by the humor, chills and fantastical setting”

Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins Emily Jenkins Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Friends, I have Halloween fever. Seriously, every time I go to the store I want to buy all of the holiday things. I also want to read all of the Halloween books and review them. Lucky for me, some are super short, super fun and fit perfectly into my schedule. Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins (dear readers, you may know her better as E.Lockhart) was an adorable Halloween read, that while not exactly scary by any means, was totally heartwarming.

Hank Wolowitz is a fourth grader lives in Brooklyn with his family who owns the Big Round Pumpkin ice cream shop. His best friend is an invisible bandapat named Inkling who lives with Hank and stirs up trouble. Hank is not a huge fan of Halloween. You see, every year his sister Nadia boos him and it totally scares the daylights out of him. To make matters worse, Inkling LOVES to eat pumpkins and so sees Jack O’Lanterns as free for the taking, so Hank has his hands full trying to prevent Inkling from wreaking havoc on the neighborhood stoops.

Hank’s a sweet character. Sure he gets pretty angry at Nadia, but if you read about the crap she does, you’d probably get angry too. What I especially liked about Hank is that he’s kind of a lonely kid. Besides Inkling, he does not really have any friends. Sure, he has acquaintances, but no best friends or clique or anything. As someone who used to be a lonely little kid, I felt kind of a kinship with Hank. In the end though, I was rooting for him to make friends and experience a bit of triumph. So, I guess if you or your child or students like characters to root for, you’ll enjoy Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins.

Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins contains illustrations by Harry Bliss in every chapter. The illustrations are black and white, make good use of shading and look to have been done with pencil. I thought they added a bit of friendliness to the book, if that makes sense. As a reader with a soft spot for unicorns, my favorite illustration is on page 38 of the hardcover version, it’s got a bandapat riding a unicorn which cracks me up.

I have not read the first Invisible Inkling book, yet was totally fine and easily able to follow along with Dangerous Pumpkins. It’s totally able to stand alone and not at all confusing, whether you are an adult or a child, you should be perfectly able to follow the plot without being lost. If you are looking for a Halloween treat for your child that isn’t going to give them nightmares, but rather teaches a great lesson about family and friends, I definitely recommend Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins, especially for the 2nd-6th grade set.

Disclosure: Received for review.

Other reviews of Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins:

The YA Bookcase – “This book made me laugh”

The Crown Of Embers Rae Carson Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am going to take hacking lessons. The university of the internet offers that right? Why do I want to take up this dubious hobby? You guys, after reading Rae Carson’s phenomenal sophomore book The Crown Of Embers, I am going to throw my hat in the ring as a super fan. AND as a super fan, I’m going to learn how to hack so I can read The Bitter Kingdom. You all have NO IDEA the kind of tenterhooks I am on. If you haven’t read THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS yet, stop reading this because it’s about to get book one spoilery up in here and just click this link instead.

Crown Of Embers Rae Carson Girl Of Fire ANd Thorns Book Two Book Cover

The Crown Of Embers

HERE THERE BE SPOILERS

Remember how I was all like, Rae Carson is totally the George RR Martin of YA, because like everyone dies in The Girl Of Fire And Thorns? WELL YOU GUYS, people die in The Crown Of Embers but thank freakin’ godstone it wasn’t a character I was pulling for. Okay, so like Rae Carson totally ups the ante in this sequel and oh my god I cannot even, when it comes to my love. Elisa is totally not static, she continues to develop and grow. You see, she just lead her country to victory against the Inviernos by using guerrilla tactics. Now, she’s queen because of the whole dead husband thing. Yet, there’s totally an enemy in the midst and Elisa is at risk. Does she cower in the kitchen with her bon bons? Hell no. Elisa might as well be an Amazon queen. Instead she uses her brain to try and suss out who the traitor might be. PLUS OH MY GODSTONE DESTINY! OH OH and if you were swooning all over the place with The Girl Of Fire And Thorns, girl get your smelling salts for The Crown Of Embers. Let me tell you, intensity of LOVE in ten cities.

Sometimes, it can seem like the characters don’t change or go anywhere in the second book. Friends, Elisa DOES change and become more fully realized as a character. She starts the book pretty nervous and scared because holy crap she has to govern a whole country AND find a bachelor to marry AND she has the hots for a certain Captain of the guard. Sure, she spends a lot of the book hiding. Let’s be real though, if you are the queen of a nation and a stepparent, would you really be all heyyyy mr. assassin please kill me now? No, you’d probably have more brains than that. But anyways, Elisa totally grows a spine and every time she stood up for herself I was pumping my fist and yelling GET IT GIR, because like most of you my passions become enflamed when I read.

THE SMOLDERING ROMANCE. Yes, in my review outline, I totally wrote THE SMOLDERING ROMANCE for a paragraph topic, because you guys I would be a fricken liar, recounting my feelings for The Crown Of Embers if I did not mention the romance. For real, it just burns right off the page and it is SEXY for a YA. Like, in that omg their hands just BRUSHED way. Like, after the good parts, the swoon parts, I would set the book down to just sigh and process. I must say, Elisa and her male suitor have some chemistry. I never thought to myself ‘why are those crazy kids attracted to each other?’ Instead, I was like ‘can we please get those two a room?’ Sigh. Even now, looking back thinking about it, I have to smile a little bit, nostalgic about a fictional romance.

HOWEVER. The ending. It’s a cliffhanger. Like, it’s not like the book is just chopped in half but I am pretty sure Rae Carson chopped my heart in half with that ending. It still ends on a fierce note, but it doesn’t end in a way where it could stand perfectly alone like The Girl Of Fire And Thorns. You all have no idea how much I want to talk about the ending with you BUT I CAN’T unless you’ve read it, because it would ruin the experience to be spoiled on what happens. I will just say there’s a cliffhanger and I’m desperate. BUT I liked the way it ended, I can just picture Elisa’s fierce face. That’s all I will say.

So, your biggest take away from this as a blog reader? If I disappear for a few days it’s because I’m working on a degree in hackerology, just because I AM DYING for The Bitter Kingdom. And I need to hack that manuscript because if the world ends, I’ll be so pissed if I don’t find out what happens. Friends, you need to read this worthy sequel, I promise if you liked The Girl Of Fire And Thorns, you will LOVE The Crown Of Embers and swoon hard for this book.

Disclosure: Received for review.

Other reviews of The Crown Of Embers by Rae Carson:

Pure Imagination – “Rae Carson might just be the new queen of slow burn romances”

The Housework Can Wait – “a YA fantasy series that you can really sink your teeth into”

Supernatural Snark – “a sequel that gets off to a strong start and never relents”

Books By Rae Carson:

The Girl Of Fire And Thorns

The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle Avi Audiobook Review

by April (Books&Wine)

There are a lot of books that I think I’ve read but don’t remember or that seem to be a part of my generation’s collective childhood but not mine. I kind of remember starting The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, but I don’t remember ever finishing it. When it came time to make my Project Fill In The Gaps list, Charlotte Doyle came to mind because I had remembered the cover, it seems like everyone has read it and that on the surface I figured it was about the adventures of a girl on a ship, sort of like this other audiobook I reviewed.

The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle

Y’all, this shit is cray is all I’m gonna say. Actually, I do have more to say on the premise and plot of The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle. K, so Charlotte Doyle is a 13 year old girl who takes a ship voyage in 1832 from England where she attends school to America BY HERSELF with no chaperone or escort. Yeah, I know totes suspension of disbelief, because she is rich so one would expect a servant or something. Anyways, while on board, Charlotte is found guilty of MURDER, also no spoiler, it’s in all the official summaries and so the book deals with the whole situation and Charlotte’s ch-ch-changes. Oh yes! And mutiny!

I actually really liked the plot and character development in The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. Obviously it’s not exactly realistic because I am pretty sure privileged rich girls did not travel alone on a ship full of mens and no women at the age of 13 in 1832. I’m also sure that no one in real life would ever believe she killed a grown man without the use of a gun or poison. So, when you read this book, just strap in and enjoy the adventure turn your brain OFF. Where this book shines is in how much change and growth Charlotte undergoes, not puberty. She’s quite prissy when we meet her, but then she becomes a hard working bad ass with moral fiber. BOOM. I love that noise, moral fiber and such.

However, if you are going to read Avi’s classic, do not do the audio. Seriously, this listening experience was the opposite of fun for me, I was expecting Katherine Kellgren calibre but was totally let down. The narrator, Alexandra O’Karma breathes pretty heavily. There are LONG pauses. Plus, the voice hardly feels appropriate to the story. The audio could definitely use a new narrator and a face lift, perhaps to appeal to a broader audience. The bright spot? It is only 6 hours and 27 minutes unabridged. OH and the version I listened to was produced by Recorded Books.

Disclosure: Purchased copy with my cashmoney on Audible! Make it rain dollars on books! WHOOO!

FYI, I totally read this as part of my own personal Fill In The Gaps reading project.

Other reviews of The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle by Avi:

Views From The Reader Side – “I really became enraptured”

The Blog Of Jess Haines – “This award-winning novel is made of so much WIN”

Reading Is My Super Power – “a fast-paced, Gothic-tinged action story”

Size 12 Is Not Fat Meg Cabot Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I had no intention of ever reading Size 12 Is Not Fat, even though I love Meg Cabot. My mind did not change until book four, Size 12 And Ready To Rock came unexpectedly in the mail and the general consensus among my friends who read the series is that it is great and worth reading. Of course, my peeps were right.

Size 12 Is Not Fat

Bro, I need to venture outside of YA more often, because there were SO many elements that I love in Size 12 Is Not Fat: college, mysteries, washed up pop stars, and humor of course. So, Heather Wells is kind of a down on her luck former teen pop star. Yet, this luck changes when she is hired as an assistant resident director at New York College. The job is actually pretty great until girls in Fischer Hall start dying. Heather is suspicious that foul play is involved.

I pretty much loved every single character in this book. Heather could have been wicked annoying, you know like one of those people who is like ‘oh I hate them skinny bitches’ like in other books I’ve read with plus sized heroines which totally turns me off. I don’t like being made to feel bad because I’m a size 4. Anyways, instead, Heather is charming, has great taste in food, and shows solidarity with other women regardless of size. Plus, her instincts are dead on. And her friends are great too — like Magda who works in the cafeteria and has the most ridiculous nails, she is a hoot!

You all know how one of Meg Cabot’s trademarks is her ability to always bring some swooning — let’s just say the swoons were brought out full force in Size 12 Is Not Fat. See, Heather lives rent-free in exchange for doing Private Investigator Cooper Cartwright’s books/accounting. Heather wants to do more than his books. There are definitely sparks there. And even though it’s more like a crush – I could see some sizzle. Cooper isn’t a douchebag, but he genuinely cares about Heather, which is the kind of male I like to read about.

Plus? The mystery? I thought I had it solved, but I was TOTALLY wrong and honestly, I don’t mind that. I like not being able to guess the killer in the first 50 pages.

Look, it is pretty much summer, so if you aren’t sure what to throw in your beach bag or what to load on your kindle -Size 12 Is Not Fat is a great entertainment investment. Plus if you are a YA fan curious about adult books, this one isn’t too far out of the comfort zone.

Disclosure: Borrowed from the library.

Other reviews of Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot:

Fyrefly’s Book Blog – “I am of two minds about this book”

Write Meg! – “Campy, light, over-the-top and entertaining”

The Book Scoop – “This book makes me laugh”

Lone Bean Chudney Ross Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Chudney Ross has a charming debut in Lone Bean that is faintly reminiscent of the Ramona Quimby books. Lone Bean opens with main character, Chrysanthemum ‘Bean’ as she prefers to be called, bursting with excitement over starting third grade, but Bean discovers the year won’t quite be what she expects.

Lone Bean

Bean has two older sisters – Rose and Gardenia. her sisters are kind of mean, but she doesn’t mind because she has the best friend ever, Carla. Yet, when Bean returns from a summer vacation spent at her Grandma’s she finds that Carla has a new best friend, Sam. To make matters even worse, Bean’s music instructor father wants her to begin learning a new instrument. Will Bean spent her third grade year friendless and learning an instrument she loathes?

Lone Bean by Chudney Ross has themes that children aged 7 to 12 will be able to relate to. These range from being left out to the relationship and pecking order between siblings. Bean is dealing with a difficult and lonely time, yet she acts with aplomb and gains self discovery in the process. She is far from perfect and often the quintessential annoying little sister. Bean’s growing pains and ultimate success ring true making Lone Bean a recommended read for elementary school kids.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine.

Other reviews of Lone Bean by Chudney Ross:

Tina Says – “a great selection”

Auntie Karen’s Book Pile – “clear and concise and fairly authentic”