Harper Teen

Allison: Mind Games | Kiersten White | Book Review

by Allison L

Mind Games is the perfect title for this book by Kiersten White because honestly that is what this book does to you. It plays so many games with your mind! Everything is part of the puzzle, and every little detail is important to the puzzle. Even if you think it might not be important in the end it could be the one detail that really matters. It’s kinda crazy in a way.

There are two main characters in Mind Games. The first Fia was born with flawless instincts and has learned to trust her gut instinct as it is usually right. Her sister Annie is blind to the world around her – except that she has the ability to have strange visions of the future. Together, they have an unusual and complex bond doing whatever they can to save the other in a world filled with secrets and lies. Even if it means risking themselves in the process.

Mind Games is written in a duel narrative which gives the reader the ability to see where each sister is coming from in terms of their decisions. It also shows how devoted they are to each other, and how much they are willing to sacrifice for the other. The flip flopping of the points of view also created the tension that was needed for the puzzle of the story. Like I said, every little detail mattered, including the flashbacks into the past. It might not have seemed like it when the detail was first revealed but once things started coming full circle, it all started making sense. Except at the same time, it didn’t … and that actually made it more intense to read.

I didn’t necessarily fully connect with either one of the sisters. They both had their strengths and their flaws but I was so drawn into the plot execution of the story that the character’s actually kind of fell to the wayside in a way. This is odd for me to think about but honestly that is the way that it happened. I was so sucked into the strength of the plot, and the implementation of it that I wasn’t focused on the characters. It was something of a different pace for me which was nice. Of course, it was a little easy to get sucked into the story when there is spying, espionage, assassinations, secrets, and lies involved!

Overall, I enjoyed Mind Games, and I look forward to the sequel which I believe doesn’t come out till 2014 (of course). I’m hoping that the second book in the series will answer my still unanswered questions, and fill in the necessary gaps which I feel as still within the story. These gaps didn’t necessarily disappoint me but at the same time I still want to know more. More spying, espionage, assassinations, secrets, and lies please!

Disclosure: Received advanced copy from Oblong Books after attending a signing event.

Other Reviews of Mind Games by Kiersten White:
The Book Belles: “This book will keep you up reading…”

Mostly YA Lit: “I would totally recommend this to anyone who needs a fast, action-y read…”

Mundie Moms: “Mind Games is a thrilling, fun, and incredibly fast read…“

Wild Awake | Hilary T. Smith | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

When all of your twitter friends are reading and discussing the same book, the pressure to read it kind of becomes expotential, especially when they are reading an early copy and you find that you also have that same book in your posession. Y’all, I read Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith because I WANTED TO FIT IN WITH MY TWITTER FRIENDS. Thankfully, this was the good sort of peer pressure, and not the type that gets you arrested. I ended up mostly pleased with Wild Awake, a book that has one of the strongest voices I have read in a long time. Now, not everyone is going to fall head over heels for this book, as I think there’s a certain demographic that will love it and one that just won’t dig it. Personally, I liked Smith’s debut but have a few reservations.

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith | Good Books And Good Wine

After smoking weed in her best friend Lukas’s basement, Kiri heads to her parent-less home where she receives a mysterious phone call from an older man asking her to pick up her sister Suki’s things from the dangerous part of the city. As Kiri’s parents are on a cruise, she decides, hey why not. And so, putting herself at considerable risk, she goes to get deceased Suki’s things and thus unleashes a chain of events that will uncover the true circumstances about Suki’s death. OH OH and there is a boy too, who is decidedly not Lukas. And a lot of music and piano playing. And really, that’s Wild Awake in a super nut shell. Obviously more things go on and happen but you totally should go into without spoilers.Like I went in only knowing that my friends were flipping the frick out and OMG-ing all over the place.

I wouldn’t say that Kiri is the sort of strong, kick ass heroine that I love. HOWEVER, I liked her for the most part. She is quite determined and stubborn. She has a huge heart, as evidenced by her treatment of Doug, a junkie who basically lives in the really bad part of town (he knew Suki). I think that Kiri is the sort of teenager who definitely does not have her shit together and that’s perfectly fine. Not every teen does. And well, Kiri is dealing with absentee parents who seem to want her to be the perfect kid to make up for how much of a problem Suki was. Kiri is also pretty manic — like she doesn’t sleep, she thinks she can play piano in her head, she is quite trusting of strangers. Oh and she definitely smokes a lot of j’s in Wild Awake. She’s DEFINITELY realistic,gritty, raw and true, ya know? And yes, those are the absolute most cliche words ever to describe a contemporary, but I honestly think in this case, it applies.

Kiri has a love interest. Which to be 100% honest didn’t entirely make me swoon. Yet, if you’re a fan of those books where two totally fucked up people fall in love, I think you’ll like this. Personally, there were some things that her love interest did that were dealbreakers to me. And no, he’s not a bad boy or the abusive sort AT all, just for ME and me alone, I was like eh, I could take you or leave you after that. However, there were some pretty sweet moments, and okay I won’t lie a kissing scene where I definitely underlined the page.

I think that Wild Awake is it’s strongest in it’s voice. It’s not like anything I’ve read in a long time. The book is written in first person and yeah, getting inside Kiri’s head is kind of a trip. I’ll be honest, I thought a lot of it was weird — but in this case, I was fine with the weird. This is because the weird blended into utterly gorgeous prose that made me want to dog ear pages. As I was reading I kept thinking there’s a certain wild cadence to this book and I love that, love it so, so much. And ya know? Wild Awake is the sort of read where if you want a contemporary that isn’t cookie cutter, but a bit literary and kind of like beat poetry, you’ll like the writing style.

In all, Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith is an impressive debut. There were parts where I questioned Kiri’s life choices, but then I was like — hey I remember being a teenager and also making awful choices and sat back and let the book unfold. Kiri is an interesting heroine, and Wild Awake, a compelling story. I’d wholeheartedly recommend this to people who are fans of the off-beat and who don’t get all bent out of shape when a character doesn’t do what you want them to do. Seriously, this is a great book and utterly enjoyable.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith:

Chick Loves Lit – “WILD AWAKE gives me more reason to shout about contemporary YA from the mountaintops”

The Perpetual Page Turner – “her energy just pulses through you and holds you captive.”

Real Men Read YA – “will go bat-shit crazy with the “I don’t read much” teenage crowd”

The Madman’s Daughter | Megan Shepherd | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

My interest in The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd was peaked at the Harper Teen BEA party event. Basically they held the event at this really cool bar and we got to learn all kinds of cool things. One of those things being the evolution of the book cover design for The Madman’s Daughter and the various iterations it went through. You guys, I am a total cover whore, I can’t pretend like I don’t pick what I read based off the cover. And of course, this is such a me cover — from the red color of the font, to the dreary landscape to that awesome dress to the brunette (holla brown haired girls), I love this cover. And so, OMFG, I could absolutely not wait to read The Madman’s Daughter. Y’all, this debut was TOTALLY worth the wait. TOTALLY.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd | Good Books And Good Wine

SPOILER ALERT: Juliet’s father is a madman. Shocking, right? I bet you never would have guessed that. Anyways, he basically does somethings that society is not cool with (he’s a doctor of sorts) including vivisection, and so, a once prominent figure, he ends up falling from grace. He then ends up kind of disappearing, thus leaving Juliet and her mother with NOTHING, because he is a douchebag. Unfortunately, Juliet’s mom dies and well, she has to go into service, but it’s hard because of her dad’s reputation. When a blast from the past (her family’s old servant) crosses Juliet’s path, she discovers her dad is well and alive on an island. As Juliet’s life totally sucks in London, she decides to go to the Island of Doctor Moreau. And yes, it’s just as creepy as the original.

Juliet definitely deserves to be narrator. Like, she compelled me. Plus, she wasn’t boring or simpering. Nor was she a total weirdo despite her dad. AND OMG YOU GUYS THE FEELS. I totally had these emotions for Juliet because she’s been dealt an awful card in life, and seriously how much does it suck to have a parent who totally does not have their shit together and also a dead parent. YET. She is strong. She faces her problems head on, instead of taking the easy way out. You know me, I love a headstrong character and Juliet is totally one of those — whether she’s living impoverished in London, on the sketchiest boat journey ever or dealing with her misogynist dad, she has this well of inner strength.

I absolutely loved Megan Shepherd’s descriptions of the worlds that Juliet inhabits. Like, not just the island, but London. She describes a London that’s just getting electricity and kind of straddling the modern era while also there’s one foot firmly on the side of tradition — especially when it comes to society. I was dismayed at how society treated Juliet after all her family had been through, but I suppose scandal leaves no one untouched. I also really loved how the island was described. As a reader, I was feeling a scary sinister sort of undercurrent the whole entire time. And also, claustrophobic to be honest. I may call myself a hermit, but I could never survive on Moreau’s island where there’s only like 5 human residents. Forget that you guys. Anyways, it’s lush and so, so well done and easy to imagine the compound.

Fair warning, there is a love triangle in The Madman’s Daughter and it’s not really my favorite ever. I mean, okay okay I did have trouble deciding which team I was on. There’s Montgomery who is basically Juliet’s past. He knows so much about her and they really do have a shared history. However, he seems kind of distant on the island, yet also a bit valiant too so that makes him appealing. Then there is the mysterious Edward Prince, whom ultimately, I could take or leave. He’s got sort of a weird back story and just didn’t really bring the swoons. You’ll get why when you read the book.

I feel like The Madman’s Daughter starts off kind of slow, but honestly once you get on the sketchy ship that’s when the pacing truly picks up and when I felt utterly engaged. So, just putting that out there for those of you who need an immediate fast pace. Along those lines, Megan Shepherd’s word choice is actually pretty awesome because it gives this proper historical sort of feel to the book, but at the same time is totally accessible, so you aren’t reading it going uh can someone translate this for me. I really like it enhanced the feel of the book and engaged me as a reader. There’s a certain amount of buy in needed to really love this book — I mean buying into the concept of a madman who fuses people and animals, but for me that wasn’t so hard to do.

Friends, I’d actually really recommend The Madman’s Daughter to most of you. I mean, obviously if you hate historical fiction and love triangles, this is probably not going to be added to your favorites list. However if you like unique spins on old classics, lush backgrounds, strong world building and intriguing characters and social dynamics, chances are you’ll fall as hard for Megan Shepherd’s debut as I did.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd:

Hobbitsies – “a delightfully creepy and horrific debut”

Makeshift Bookmark – “Can we please pause to raise the roof for a snarky badass of a heroine?”

The Perpetual Page Turner – “What a compelling story!”

One Shot Away | T. Glen Coughlin | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am not sure about you, but as someone who grew up not very athletically inclined, but came to see the light when it comes to exercise as an adult, I find myself immensely attracted to young adult books where sports play a central role. I’ll admit I did participate in: cheerleading, swim team, and volleyball plus a few 3-on-3 basketball tournaments growing up. However, I was never very good at sports. In One Shot Away by T. Glen Coughlin, the three protagonists are actually very, very serious about their sport – wrestling – and definitely fall into an elite class of athlete. It was very interesting reading about the boys’ dedication to the sport. ALSO you know what ELSE caught my attention? The Harper Collins catalog blurb compared One Shot Away to Friday Night Lights, and so I knew I would have to give it a shot, because all the cool kids know that is one bombass TV show.

One Shot Away by T. Glen Coughlin | Good Books And Good Wine

Set in the part of New Jersey that isn’t the shore, One Shot Away focuses on Jimmy, Diggy, and Trevor – three wrestlers who want to have a winning season. Jimmy and Diggy are seniors and it’s important to both to get their names up on the wall. Jimmy was nearly undefeated last year and is expected to continue his streak. Diggy, on the other hand, wrestles dirty and finds that Trevor Crow is challenging him for his spot. There is drama aplenty in T. Glen Coughlin’s One Shot Away as we read about the three and their struggles – because each character has problems beyond winning and losing their individual matches.

Jimmy is the star of the wrestling team. He dates one of the more popular girls at school – Roxanne. From the outside looking in, he doesn’t have it quite so bad. Only, when we start One Shot Away, Jimmy is reluctantly accompanying his dad on a midnight ride to steal lumber. This is important because it basically messes with Jimmy’s life for the rest of the book. Like, we see the real stress having a dad who walks the wrong side of the law has on Jimmy. Then there is Diggy whose brother is a legacy. Diggy is from a wealthy family. He’s very entitled, yet there’s a lot of pressure on him. Diggy’s dad is kind of abusive and totally expects Diggy to equal his brother — who is away at college. Finally, the third point of view character is Trevor Crow. Trevor’s dealing with the pain of losing his dad to a freak car accident. Unfortunately Trevor’s mom is broke as a joke and so they end up moving to and working in a crappy motel. OH and Trevor has bulked up and wants Diggy’s weight class on varsity.

I liked that T. Glen Coughlin made use of alternating point of views in One Shot Away. I thought the various viewpoints provided diverse experiences of being on the team, and even more than that a look at the relationship between father and son. You guys, I didn’t even pick up on that until writing out this review ha ha, but that’s such a BIG theme. Like, Trevor has the dead father, Diggy the abusive domineering dad, and Jimmy’s Pops cares about him but has questionable morals. It’s a good look at dysfunction now that I think about it, and shows how that transcends class. As with most multi-main character books, I did wind up preferring certain points of view over others. Like, to be honest with you I thought Diggy was a total douche and even though he redeems himself, I still much preferred Trevor and Jimmy to Diggy.

Obviously wrestling plays a super huge role in One Shot Away. Like, we get to see the total discipline of the team. Plus, how important it is to make weight and the lengths the characters will go to. Various scenes depicted the matches and the atheleticsm involved. Granted, I am no expert in wrestling (although my uncle built a wrestling room in his house for my cousin wayyyy back when), I felt I could follow along with the pins and not be confused.I also think it’s interesting how wrestling is a very individual sport — it’s only two people against each other, yet the team was quite bonded.

Unfortunately, One Shot Away isn’t the greatest book I’ve ever read. I would say it’s good but not like a favorite or really great. For one, it took me a very long time to get into — however I also ended up making myself read 30 pages a day to finish it. That’s fine, but I just wasn’t always motivated to pick it up. I also found myself dreading a few parts. Also? It’s not entirely like Friday Night Lights but that’s more my own hang up and fault because I actually listened to a comparison. I guess I was waiting for a Tim Riggins and he never showed up to the book. OH OH and I could not get over my distaste for Diggy who seemed to have the most POV chapters.

Regardless, T. Glen Coughlin’s One Shot Away is not a bad book, but an interesting portrayal of high school sports and the drive and dedication involved. I’d recommend it if you want to know more about wrestling or maybe know someone who is super into sports and thus wouldn’t be adverse to reading about the love of the game.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of One Shot Away by T. Glen Coughlin:

Chick Loves Lit – “I’m an advocate for good sports focused books”

Once Upon A Twilight – “storyline is truly clever along with being a little edgy”

Wake Up At Seven – “This isn’t a book you’ll want to miss, especially for fans of wrestling”

City Of A Thousand Dolls | Miriam Forster | Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Straight up, I will always read books that have girls on the cover between two giant lion statues holding weapons. ALWAYS AND FOREVER. Sometimes this is a bad life choice, but in the case of City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster, the inside pretty much exceeds the outside in terms of awesomeness. While City Of A Thousand Dolls is not quite Eon: Dragoneye Reborn calibre, it is very, very good. Nisha, the main character, has this pretty awesome coming of age where she learns secrets and must seize her freedom and her future in this Asian-inspired fantasy. FYI, I cannot really say anything about cultural authenticity as regarding this book because well, I am not an expert by any means.

City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster | Good Books & Good Wine

Nisha lives in the City Of A Thousand Dolls where the girls live in different Houses – like Harry Potter – and get trained to be valuable servants and wives. As Nisha arrived at the City at the age of six, she was too old to train at a specific house, thus she acts as a go-between for Matron, and also her assistant. She has plenty of friends, but none so close as the pack of wild cats that live on the grounds — FYI they speak to each other using telepathy. With the Redeeming, a ceremony where the girls are able to be Claimed for a price, Nisha is hopeful that her secret boyfriend will Claim her. Only, there’s one problem, MURDER. Yo, that’s right. There’s a rash of murders in the City Of A Thousand Dolls, Nisha takes it upon herself to investigate the murders.

Let’s be real for a second here, you guys know my proclivities when it comes to protagonists. SO OF COURSE you know that I loved City Of A Thousand Dolls‘ main character. Nisha is wonderful. Like, she comes off as kind of awkward because she has not really been trained in the houses. Despite her setbacks, she still manages to kick ass. Word. SHE IS KICK ASS. I mean, she puts herself at risk to save the other girls and to be a loyal friend. The killer could seriously be anyone and Nisha is all, whatevs, who cares, I am going to FIND THEM. Also, she spars a lot and I pretty much love those bits, it’s not like a battle, but training and to me that is awesome.If you like heroines who are allowed to be vulnerable and have feelings and doubts and make mistakes, you’ll love Nisha probably as much as I did.

Because I am an expert when it comes to literary terms, I figure I’d be remiss if I didn’t prattle on a little bit about the world building. You guys! This book is nothing like Harry Potter or Graceling, so get that out of your head now. Like I mentioned above, there are houses that train girls and give them purpose. You see, the Empire has a two child policy, which is you faintly reminiscent of today. Of course, girls aren’t valuable because they can’t inherit. Anyways, these girls come to City Of A Thousand Dolls and are placed in houses that best suit their personality and skills. I thought this was an interesting way of addressing that issue, and well, it sucks that women are chattel, but no worries THIS IS ADDRESSED. Also? Sidebar: I’d like to read a book on these policies where it’s the boys who aren’t valuable and the girls are the ones people keep. Anyways. There are also the cats who play a huge role. While I am not quite a cat person, I did think the wild cat tribe was quite awesome, especially Jerrit, and you’ll see why when you read, but hey these cats are as loyal as DOGS. WHAT I KNOW. OH and City Of A Thousand Dolls makes use of a caste system, which of course being weird as hell, I found fascinating.

I actually really liked Miriam Forster’s writing style. While it’s not highlight every other page writing, it is the sort of book I like during this time of year. It’s a fantasy that doesn’t take me 1000 pages just to be able to picture the setting. Instead, I felt a strong sense of place — with the city and the forest that surrounds it. I thought she did a great job making Nisha likable and interesting — and not some weird misfit. The pacing is good with this book, granted it took me about 100 pages to really be totally hooked in that can’t put it down sort of way.

Yes. There is romance in City Of A Thousand Dolls, but it’s subtle. Like, less than 30 pages probably deal with swoon time. I liked that. I liked that it was a book that focused on how kick ass Nisha was and how she’d solve her dilemma instead of the focus being on some dark mysterious stranger who would save them all. Obviously, if you want a big and grand sweeping romance this is not the book for you. But if you want fantasy with just a hint of kissing, you’ll like this, I hope.

FINALLY! I need to tell you guys about the ending, but without spoiling you. There is NO cliffhanger. Like there is an actual ending, one that I was like okay I am satisfied, I can close this and not feel the ending is a money grab on the part of the author to sell a sequel. I felt the ending was perfect for the story and solved loose ends. At this point I am not sure if there’s a sequel, I think Twitter told me there was. AND YOU GUYS I am okay with that. I am okay with a sequel because I feel like I’m not being held hostage with information/plot resolutions to read it. Nope, every thread basically gets resolved which yay, I love it when I feel a book has paid off my time investment. In all, I totally recommend City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster if you are a cat person, down for kick ass characters and like your social structures interesting.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster:

Candace’s Book Blog – “I really have a lot of mixed feelings.”

Hobbitsies – “Miriam Forster is basically a master world-builder”

Recovering Potter Addict – “I had FUN reading it and isn’t that the most important thing”

Revolution 19 Gregg Rosenblum Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Confession: I’ve never seen The Terminator. You guys, I was raised in a household where we weren’t allowed to watch PG-13 movies until we were like 12 nor was I allowed to watch movies that were rated R. Like I did not see an R-rated movie until I was in 8th grade. I KNOW. So, while all the comparisons to The Terminator were floating around for Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum, I was like hmmm sounds interesting based on my pop culture second hand knowledge of the film. But to be frank with you, I will read anything with revolution in the title aimed at young adults — especially if it is short and has robots. Unfortunately, Revolution 19 kind of failed to meet my expectations.

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum | Good Books & Good Wine

Revolution 19 opens with a prologue where robots kill everyone. So basically, it starts off on a cool note. We come to a group of refugees and a dog, and the robots are like only this many people can come into our camp, and so they kill these two parents leaving a baby, and the baby is adopted into the refugee group. THEN the book flashes forward a few years. The refugee group has assimilated with other survivors to form a community called a Freepost, which is hidden from the bots. Nick, Kevin, and Cass were the three children in the group of refugees mentioned at the beginning — they are basically a family even though Cass’s parents died. ANYWAYS. So, Kevin is 13 and really into technology and super annoying. So, he picks this piece of technology off the ground and ends up bringing the bots down on everyone. Nick, Kevin and Cass run away and discover they must go to the mysterious City to save those they love.

I’m clearly having brain block right now, so I’m sorry that my review isn’t the most well written, but hey at least you’re getting information about the book and my opinions, hurrah! Okay, so Nick is the leader of the trio because he is the oldest. He’s old enough to sit in on adult councils. OH and he is rational. AND it turns out he is the City’s Most Wanted and apparently good looking? Then there’s Kevin who loves taking machines apart to see how they work and doesn’t give a crap about plants or surviving or anything. Kevin is pretty stubborn and always has to be right and usually puts the group at risk instead of following the plan. He is incredibly irritating, as I mentioned above. As the only girl, Cass is very coordinated — like she’s athletic and she’s also artistic. And that’s honestly the most I got out of the characters – they had one defining trait and we didn’t get to go very much below the surface.

Robots rising against their human overlords is SUCH a cool concept, however, I need a reason why. And I want to know why near the beginning, not 50 pages from the end. Unfortunately, Revolution 19 is a poor execution of that idea. Legit, these kids run away from their Freepost after all hell breaks loose and they make a journey of three days to the City. You guys, those three days are barely given any attention. I wish the book would have expanded more on the teens survival, maybe even put some stakes in where I could feel invested in and worried about them as they are making the trek to the city. It was over in a flash, thus missing out on an opportunity to add excitement.

Typically I like short books, because I know there won’t be a lot of BS to cut through. However, I kind of thought that Revolution 19 should have been longer to allow for some character development. I thought with three main characters, we barely got to scratch the surface with them. The writing is very basic, I mean that’s not awful. Like, we don’t have purple prose or anything. But it also wasn’t the sort of writing where I am picking out my favorite quotes or dog earring the pages. It’s pretty much straight forward – you know this happened, character X though this, then they went here. That kind of thing, and for some readers that style works, but for me, I want something more.

So, I basically read Revolution 19 to cleanse my palate after the emotional roller coaster that is Boundless by Cynthia Hand because it was so different. I’ll admit, it served it’s purpose. It was entertaining and I thought the concepts involved were interesting. However, the execution was totally lacking and I just was kind of bored by the characters. I wish there had been higher stakes and more excitement — also more bad stuff, you know so I could feel something besides let’s get on with the story. Ah well, there’s an audience out there for Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum, but I am not among that number.

Disclosure: Received for Review

Other reviews of Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum:

WTF Are You Reading – “another case of a great premise lost in translation”

Once Upon A Twilight – “it just didn’t blow my mind like I had thought it would”

Panda Reads – “I thought it was a great post-apocalyptic robot read.”

Boundless by Cynthia Hand Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Wahhhh, I AM SO FILLED WITH EMOTIONS after finishing Boundless, the last book of the Unearthly trilogy. Also? Is it just me or is 2013 the year that all of the trilogies are ending? Lucky for me, I had awesome friends like Jen and Heidi to discuss how Cynthia Hand had us like puppets on strings while reading. For real, my feelings have been worked over, not that I am complaining. I am not. In fact, I freakin’ loved every minute of Boundless and am definitely going to crack open Radiant any day now. Seriously, everything I could want in an ending pretty much shows up in Boundless, and I actually do not mind at all how the triangle of love resolved itself — probably because it went in my favor ha ha. SO you guys, here’s how I reacted to this book: ugly cries, text messages of doom, and one big heart flutter. ALSO, I did say a couple ‘no don’t do thats’ to Jeffrey and Angela.

Boundless by Cynthia Hand | Good Books And Good Wine

Boundless basically starts off after the novella Radiant, so I did spend a good part of it confused and wondering what exactly happened in Italy and what Jeffrey’s deal is. Anyways, Clara and Angela and Christian all head off to Stanford for college and to complete their purposes. AND OMG YOU GUYS! Can New Adult books be written like this? For real, their college experience includes dating, the annoying kid in class who doesn’t shut up and always has to argue with the professor, frat parties, and them actually going to classes. AND ROOMMATES! I loved this and the entire time I was like OH MY GOD MORE OF THIS PLEASE. So, back to what we were talking about. Okay, so pretty much Tucker is still in Wyoming working on the farm trying to clear his mind of Clara, only hahaha she keeps popping up in his life. Plus, there’s the Black Wings who totally want to do bad things to the Triplares. ONLY Samjeeza is kind of acting out of character. And that’s Boundless in a nutshell without any real spoilers. Trust, you do not want to be spoiled with this one.

Clara is still an awesome friend to Angela and a great sister to Jeffrey even though those are the two ‘mess everything up’ characters — you know the ones who are so freakin’ stubborn that it comes back to bite everyone in the ass. Yeah, that’s what they are. ANYWAYS. So, I love that even though Clara still has feelings for Tucker, she does not spend the entire book moping. Instead, she deals with it like a grown up. PLUS! PLUS! She gets to learn how to use this new weapon because of the best instructor ever and goes up a notch in my estimation. Like, I just like Clara because she’s a good person who tries hard, even when she’s got a lot of responsibilities on her plate.

SO. The romance. LOL you guys. There is one character who manages to be a cockblock even though he isn’t there for the vast majority of the book. So, okay I am writing this review assuming you’ve read Unearthly and Hallowed because if you haven’t, then WHY are you reading a review of book three? SO, now that we are all on the same page, basically now that Christian is in Stanford with Clara, he’s trying to put the moves on her. ONLY Clara is still hung up on Tucker, and so it’s like a total cockblock for Christian, because he can read her mind and all. BUT NEVER FEAR YOU GUYS. Of course there’s still kissing and romance and moments when you just hug the book with a sigh, just like the previous two books.

I need to warn you right now, get Kleenex for chapter 18. It’s a real tearjerker in the very best possible way. And put your swoon boots on for chapter 21 and okay, more Kleenex. Oh man. SO MANY FEELS, I just want to give you warnings for every single chapter, but instead I’ll leave those two warnings so you will be pumped right up and ready for the glass case of emotions. I think that this whole book was quite the experience and while I did leave feeling kind of drained (also sobbing does that to me), I also left Boundless feeling buoyed and satisfied with the conclusion. I was thrilled by how it played out. ALSO. I guess if you’re reading this review and you have not read the Unearthly trilogy yet, you need to get on it. It has heart, it has beautiful writing, it has wonderful characters. Seriously, I am in love with these books and think you should start an affair with them too.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Boundless by Cynthia Hand:

Alice Marvels – “romance that makes your heart sing and your toes curl”

Pure Imagination – “I can’t think of an ending that could have made me happier”

The Midnight Garden – “kept me up through the night until I finally finished it at 4 in the morning.”

Books by Cynthia Hand:

Unearthly
Hallowed

Shadows In The Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Yo, so you should go read my review of Angelfire, Wings Of The Wicked and my interview with Courtney Allison Moulton to avoid spoilers for the series, obviously I will not post spoilers for Shadows In The Silence.

1438 pages later and I’ve finished reading the Angelfire trilogy by Courtney Allison Moulton. YOU GUYS. Shadows In The Silence was an awesome send off to a series that I was heavily invested and totally sucked into. ALSO! I love it when a series has a big payoff and the ending doesn’t leave me wanting to punch the book in the end, and you guys, the payoff in Shadows In The Silence was fantastic — I feel like as a reader, I got exactly the ending I was hoping for without any sort of contrivance. By that I mean — the ending didn’t feel stupid or fake where everything contrives to be perfect and nothing bad happens, nope instead it just absolutely fit the overall trilogy and yes, some blood was shed along the way. AND TEARS, on my end. And laughs. Pretty much the feels were involved while reading Moulton’s last Angelfire book.

Shadows In The Silence Courtney Allison Moulton Book Cover

At the end of Wings Of The Wicked, Will is in pretty dire straits. Seeing as how one of the Vir attacked him with poison, Will is dying. Ellie is super bereft, and so she is determined to do whatever it takes to save Will, because she loves him and all. Meanwhile, Lilith and Sammael are planning something evil which could spell the end of days for mankind. And so, besides finding an antidote, Ellie also has to find the Hallowed Glaive which will basically destroy the Fallen as long as she wields it in Gabriel form. ONLY the thing is, it could kill her. Stakes are freakin’ high and legit. OH OH and there is pretty much a bloodbath in the beginning of the book, so if you like a whole lot of action and fighting, definitely continue this series.

FRIENDS! Ellie is all grown up. Wahhh. She’s so much more adult compared to Angelfire. This is because Ellie has been through a lot of terrible things, and instead of shrugging it off in the next chapter or the next book, it changes her as a person and that change echoes throughout the book. She’s a lot more serious, less of a school girl, ya know? And I am not saying that’s a bad thing, it’s actually great to see a character mature over a lot of pages. Like, I will admit, I’d totally be Ellie’s friend in the first two books, but I’d much RATHER be Shadows In The Silence Ellie’s friend, because she’s loyal, dedicated, and strong. I like to surround myself with people who meet those qualities — most especially loyal.

If you’ve read Angelfire and Wings Of The Wicked, you know that there’s so much swoon laced in those books. You know that you’ve been waiting forever for Ellie and Will to seal the deal because you are a pervert like me. You guysssss PAYOFF. That’s all I can scream without spoiling you. What I especially loved about this whole series is that there was never a love triangle or even a question of one. PLus, the romance is so sweet. Like, Will is not a bad boy at all. Sure, he’s her guardian and has tattoos, but he’s essentially a nice guy who would do anything not to hurt Ellie. He puts her needs before his own, and vice versa. They have a relationship that’s one of the most positive that I’ve seen in young adult paranormal books.

For such huge books, this trilogy is filled with action and non-boring things. Like, most of Shadows In The Silence was ‘questing’ and battles — as the characters were either fighting the Vir or they were looking for sacred objects. FURTHER! We got to travel all over the place in Shadows In The Silence and it’s awesome because part of the travels took the characters to my neck of the woods practically. Yay, upstate NY, yay! AND! We got to go to Europe. And to the Middle East. Pretty much all over the world. I love that, because hey if the characters have the money and the ability to travel, I darn well want them to go all over the place. PLUS PLUS PLUS, there is a big huge showdown and I’m all clapping my hands and covering my eyes and pumping my fist, because I have that sort of reaction to war scenes. And yo, Armageddon — yes, that noise makes an appearance because it’s a place, not an event. And sigh, I just want you guys to read the big huge battle scene because it is SO awesome.

Confession: I bought the novella A Dance With Darkness like five seconds after finishing Shadows In The Silence and I pretty much never read those — although I kind of want to make an effort to do so. I think that if you’re on the fence about this series, maybe you should give it a shot. I quite liked the mythology, the adventure, and most definitely the romance. Like if you’re looking for YA paranormal without any sort of love triangle, with a girl who is fierce, and with a rich backstory, definitely read the Angelfire trilogy.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of Shadows In The Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton:

Me, My Shelf And I – ‘The wait for the book is worth it”

Once Upon A Twilight – “My heart ached when the end came”

Proud Book Nerd – “I found myself quite happy that I saw it through to the end”

Books by Courtney Allison Moulton:

Angelfire
Wings Of The Wicked

Wings Of The Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Warning: Slight spoilers for Angelfire, so instead you should check out this review if you don’t want to be spoiled.

You know when you have to go to court for your speeding ticket and get stuck waiting for a long time in the room before it’s your turn and so you need the perfect book to sit and wait with? Okay, maybe not because you aren’t a delinquent or a speed racer like me. Friends, Wings Of The Wicked the second of the Angelfire trilogy by Courtney Allison Moulton brings the noise and bro, it is a fantastic to accompany you while you wait to find out your legal fate. Seriously, I was so invested in Ellie and her guardian Will, that I was not thinking racing thoughts about whether my suit looked too guilty. Nor did I spend very long thinking about other people at court who looked like they just strolled out of the garbage dump. For real, Moulton dials it up a notch AND IT IS MARVELOUS.

Wings of the Wicked | Courtney Allison Moulton

Ellie has pretty much made peace with the fact that she’s a total badass who has the job of being Preliator. Yet, all is not perfect by any means. You see, yes she gets to go and party with her friends and Kate, however she’s also expected to balance this by fighting reapers by moonlight (never running from a real fight, she is the one named GABRIEL – could not resist). Anyways, Bastian, the bad guy from Angelfire totally has a plan to screw things up because you know he is a bad guy and that is what bad evil reaper guys do. So, Cadan, Bastian’s son comes to warn Ellie. And omg, mini love triangle but all you geniuses know Ellie has eyes for one dude alone. SPEAKING OF WHICH she has to constantly fight her feelings for her guardian because her brother gave Will a stern talking to, and that’s kind of a big deal. ANYWAYS, there are a whole lot of stakes and there definitely were a few moments where I was all omg, Moulton went there, she went the full nine yards.

So, one of the things that I LOVED about Wings Of The Wicked was that Ellie actually progresses as a character. She’s not stuck in boring stasis. Like, in Angelfire Ellie is all nervous about being the Preliator, but then she comes to terms with it. So, in this book she’s fierce and focused. I mean, sure she has her occasional distraction and acts like a teenage girl. She has her weaknesses — especially when it comes to Kate, her best friend, and being normal. Not that Kate is bad or a liability, just that Ellie’s desire to be a normal teenager gets in the way of her being Heaven’s warrior and all that.

Probably the greatest thing about Wings Of The Wicked is how packed it is with swoons. You guys, think about the sexual tension in Angelfire and dial it up about ten notches. For reals, every time Ellie and Will interact is filled with INTENSE longing. And pretty much every person in the room knows how much they want each other, but can’t give in or act on it. I love that. I love how hard they fight it because the part where Courtney Allison Moulton smushes their heads together like Barbie and Ken is like this giant big huge payoff. And it’s all filled with FINALLY and then a bit of uh-oh and then some OMG OMG OMG at the end, because, well you will see why.

I actually really liked Moulton’s plotting. Like, there is a ton of action but I was never all UGH where did the characterization go? Because you know how with some books it is either one or the other? Anyways, I just felt like we got a true sense of the characters without spending 45 pages on meandering bits. Like, yes Wings Of The Wicked is mad long, but I was never like yes, let’s chop this bit or that bit because it’s boring. Instead, everything adds to the story, there isn’t waste. PLUS there are actually enough pages to develop and tell a fascinating story and allow me to get hooked. I also loved all the angel mythology — especially about Lilith and Sammael – total douchebags, FYI. You guys the world building is kind of my thing, and of course I soaked up all the bits of mythology.

If you’ve read Angelfire and are kind of hesitant about investing the time in Wings Of The Wicked, I just want to tell you to DO IT. Sure it’s thick, but so what. It is beyond worth it to see the new developments in the swoon department. Seriously, if you like books with strong girls who save the world, romance of the mentor-student variety, and battles you need to drop your life and read book two of the Angelfire series. Like right now.

Disclosure: Received For Review

Other reviews of Wings Of The Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton:

Fiktshun – “an utterly mind-blowing sequel”

Making The Grade Reviews – “full of breathtaking action, suspense, and achingly sweet romance”

Mundie Moms – “sexy, dark, and emotionally gripping”

Books by Courtney Allison Moulton:

Angelfire

Something Strange And Deadly Susan Dennard Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

My attention usually perks up when someone mentions zombies. Throw 1876, the post-Civil War era into the mix and you have me as a reader hook line and sinker. Something Strange And Deadly by Susan Dennard adds a unique spin to the paranormal zombie genre via setting. Further, it is an example of strong characterization. Something Strange And Deadly does not take a turn for gimmicky, but instead is a genuinely good book and unique story.

Something Strange And Deadly Susan Dennard Book Cover

The walking Dead are plaguing Philadelphia. As if Eleanor Fitt didn’t have enough to worry about, what with being her formerly wealthy family’s last hope in achieving prestige again, she now has to worry about if the Dead have her brother Elijah. Eleanor must turn to the Spirit Hunters for help — speaking of which she’s totally attracted to one of the Spirit Hunters, Daniel, the problem is he is below her class. Meanwhile, her mother is trying to foist her off on Clarence Wilcox, one of Philadelphia’s most wealthy bachelors. As you can see, Eleanor has a lot deal with. Luckily, she’s quite the plucky heroine.

Eleanor is headstrong and brave for her time period. She does not simper or wait for others to take action. Instead, Eleanor is the sort of female who takes the bull right by the horns. She’s very loyal to her brother and also does her familial duty despite not exactly loving it. PLUS! When the walking Dead show up she doesn’t cower in fear or faint, but instead thinks with a clear and logical head. She is a pleasure to read about.

Something Strange And Deadly does an excellent job providing readers with a sense of place and time. In the book, Philadelphia is holding an international exhibition and so many tourists are in the city taking in the new sights and technology. The exhibition also brings the spirit hunters to Philadelphia. Dennard does fabulous work in making the technology of 1876 seem new and wondrous. Beyond the machinery of the age, Dennard also incorporates the constructs of social structure. Class divisions are illustrated in the dialogue — for example Clarence Wilcox, who is one of Eleanor’s rich and wealthy suitors, speaks using formal speech patterns. In contrast with Clarence is Daniel, one of the spirit hunters, Daniel is working class and thus employs a lot of slang and contractions in his speech. I thought this was an interesting way to show that people of various classes spoke differently.

For a long book, clocking in at 388 pages, Something Strange And Deadly by Susan Dennard is rather engaging. There are not very dull moments. Instead, the book has an interesting plot, plus there is an air of mystery as to the identity of the necromancer raising the dead. The dialogue is not clunky or weird or out of place — even with the class divisions. I also found the characters to be quite likeable.

The romance within Something Strange And Deadly is subtle. It’s not quite in your face. Eleanor doesn’t spend the entire book pining or fantacizing about a certain character. She does entertain notions of kissing the character, but it’s not something that happens on the first page. Instead she gets to know her love interest and through working with him and assisting him, she then decides that she’s into him. It’s quite the slow burn and very swoonworthy when she realizes she has feelings for him and he for her. I will say, this book is light on physical interaction between the two characters. It’s not a kissing fest by any means.

Susan Dennard’s Something Strange And Deadly was an unexpectedly good read. It has a unique concept. It’s got such a cool setting. There’s a romance that is neither instant nor overwhelming. The main character is someone to cheer for. The stakes feel real. If you’re looking for a young adult paranormal book where the girl doesn’t fall in love with the zombie, check out Something Strange And Deadly, it is well worth your time.

Disclosure: Received for review via a few sources — Amazon Vine and also from publisher, holla!

Other reviews of Something Strange And Deadly by Susan Dennard:

365 Days Of Reading – “a fun romp through an alternate history (with zombies)”

Cuddlebuggery – “mixes aspects of Steampunk with good ol’ zombie fun.”

Hobbitsies – “I just wasn’t grabbed by it”