Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 352
Publisher: Hatchette Children's Books (UK), Hyperion (US)

Summary:  Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Thoughts: After the success of Heist Society, I really wasn't sure how Ally Carter could continue with Katarina's story. Turns out, Katarina wasn't sure either.

Unlike Heist Society, which set out to establish the verse and introduce all the fantastic characters (all while carrying out a heist, of course), Uncommon Criminals starts off with characters without a purpose. Kat and her crew have peaked as teenagers: if you've just carried out the greatest heist of your career... what do you do next?

That's not a question anyone wants to answer, but it's what Kat ends up spending the whole book working out. She also gets knocked down a few pegs: it is rather easy to develop an ego when you really are the smartest person in the room (no matter how nice you may be). And along with all this character development, there is con after con, heist after heist - all of them as clever and entertaining as I've come to expect from Carter.

I was also happy that the entire team was reunited. I knew they would be, I knew that they would become a team out of their experience in Heist Society - but it was lovely to see how it was done. I was also overjoyed to see Nick back with the team - I heart Nick the way most people love Hale. He was one of the few characters who wasn't really welcomed by the gang (other than Kat), so fitting him into the book required a rather ingenious stretch of imagination.

The only thing I wasn't quite in love with? Hale's storyline. To be perfectly frank, I've never been his biggest fan (don't shoot me people) as I never really understood why he was there in the first place. So having him sulk about in Uncommon Criminals was just rather tedious. Enough to drag down the rest of the book, to be completely honest.

Bottom line? Great follow-up to the excellent Heist Society, but it didn't blow me away the way the first book did.

Shelf Analysis: Typography in 2013 Teen Reads

It's been awhile since I've done a Shelf Analysis - mostly because no YA cover trends have really stuck out for me. But while perusing my 2013 shelf on goodreads, I noticed something somewhat usual... typography!

To those of you who are a bit confused by the term, typography is basically the art of aranging types to make things look gorgeous. To put that in book cover terms: covers where the focus is on the print of the title or the author's name, rather than an image.

Take a look at these upcoming YA books (this is a bit of a Waiting on Wednesday post, as well!) and you'll see what I mean!

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Out on September 10th 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books - goodreads

Black Out by Robison Wells 

Out on October 1st 2013 by Harper Teen - goodreads

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Out on September 10th 2013 by Harper Teen - goodreads

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Out on August 15th 2013 by Dial - goodreads

In The After by Demitria Lunetta

Out on June 25th 2013 by Harper Teen - goodreads

Snow White Must Die by Neil Neuhaus

Only out in Australia, I'm afraid! *cries* - goodreads 

Typography-focused covers are by no means a new thing, but it is rather unusual to see them in YA novels. My favourites are the covers of Not a Drop to Drink and Snow White Must Die - absolutely stunning! I have no idea when or why these covers came back into fashion, but I fully approve!

Review - The Holders by Julianna Scott

The Holders by Julianna Scott
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Received for review from author

Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 276
Publisher: Strange Chemistry (US and UK)

Summary: 17-year-old Becca has spent her whole life protecting her brother - from their father leaving and from the people who say the voices in his head are unnatural. When two strangers appear with apparent answers to Ryland's "problem" and details about a school in Ireland where Ryland will not only fit in, but prosper, Becca is up in arms. She reluctantly agrees to join Ryland on his journey and what they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together information about their family's heritage and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. But they are all, especially Becca, in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

Thoughts: I have some mixed feelings about The Holders. There were some things I really enjoyed, but there was a lot that made me feel... iffy.

Let's start off with the good, though. The Holders has a Harry Potter-esque vibe to it that I could totally get behind. Talented, magical kids whisked off to the British Isles? Say no more. Perhaps that's a wee bit too referential for some, but I didn't mind. I also really liked the fact that the book centred around a brother-sister relationship (I'm a Supernatural fan - siblings give me feelings).

That said, The Holders felt very much like a debut novel: there was a lot of tell with absolutely no show. The book was a series of conversations and half of the drama came from people not having the right conversation at the right time. Um, hello? That's not drama, that's stupidity. And add to that, you're expecting me to believe that this girl will hop on a plane to Ireland with her brother and then wait weeks upon weeks to get all the info needed to make her final decision? Hell, even Harry Potter made sure to get all the juicy details out of Hagrid before he hopped on the Hogwarts Express. And he was eleven.

It was all just a bit too easy; it was all just a bit too simple. Maybe this book would have been better in the hands of a 12/13-year-old... someone who hasn't already read this particular story. Especially if that kid is a girl - because, despite the somewhat rocky beginning, Scott managed to take a rather icky, non-feminist Universe and spin it on its head. Without giving away any plot twists, I do have to give a shout-out to Scott for the old-fashion "girl power" she snuck into this book.

Bottom line? Not bad but not great - don't go in expecting anything too original.

Review - Quantum Drop by Saci Lloyd

Quantum Drop by Saci Lloyd
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Futuristic/Sci-fi(ish) Young Adult
Received for review from publishers

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 276
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (UK)

Summary: Anthony Griffin is an ordinary kid caught up in a dangerous world. The boundaries between real and virtual are more and more blurred, and when Anthony’s girlfriend is taken out in a gang hit, he has to venture into the underground world of the Drop to flush out her killer and bring him to justice.

Thoughts: Let me just start off that Quantum Drop was exactly what I want in a YA novel. Saci Lloyd doesn't shy away from real-life issues, she doesn't consider the status quo sacred, and she sure as hell isn't afraid of calling out our species for, well, sucking. I love that, because she's so right, but no one ever seems to want to say it. The fact that she not only does, but puts it into a kick-ass book? Brilliant.

But, I have to admit that Quantum Drop is probably not the book for everyone. If you aren't in the mood for a book that needs your brain to be "on" the whole time (which I totally get, by the way), then wait for a while before you pick up Quantum Drop. Otherwise you just won't enjoy it as much.

Now, apart from Saci Lloyd's oh-so-accurate insights into humanity, I also really enjoyed the setting of Quantum Drop. Anyone who has been round the East End will recognize the familiar-yet-futuristic "Debtbelt". Saci Lloyd has kept the verse just post-modern enough to be recognizable - so much so, I barely felt the sci-element of the book. That said, the characters spend a huge part of the novel in a virtual world known as "the drop" (which, if I had to describe it, I'd liken to The Matrix). Super futuristic stuff that, for some reason, felt totally normal.

The characters in Quantum Drop were complete stand-outs. They aren't the middle-class, worried-about-prom lot that we typically see in YA - instead, they have grown up with the odds stacked against them, and they know it. They are swimming against the tide, trying to do what is right while staying afloat. The main character, Anthony, wants justice for his girlfriend, but he also has a legitimate fear for his life and the life of his family. It's easy to just give up - so when many of the characters do, it's also easy to forgive them. This made Anthony's struggles all the more impressive.

Bottom line? Quantum Drop is one of those books that makes you think (about life, the universe and everything) while telling a hell of a tale along the way. Pick it up if you are looking for something different in your YA.

Review - Heist Society by Ally Carter

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Rating: 4.5 stars
Pages: 352
Publisher: Hatchette Children's Books (UK), Hyperion (US)

Summary: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre... to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria... to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's art collection has been stolen, and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's (very crooked) history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Great for fans of: Leverage (TV) and White Collar (TV).

Thoughts: Even though this is the first Ally Carter book I've ever read, I've been a fan of hers for eons. I like her blog, her twitter and, just, the fact that she went out and pitched "I've got a book about teenage thieves a-la-Ocean's-Eleven, but with a proper gender distribution" to a publisher. And then I loved the fact that people went out and bought it.

So, when I picked up Heist Society, I knew I would enjoy it. What I did not expect was the four-hour reading marathon that would ensue as soon as I picked it up.

I didn't just "like" it. I loved it.

Ally Carter has a writing style that is deceptively simple. She jumps from country to country, character to character, scene to scene, with the skill of a professional storyteller. She manages to weave in the main character's complex back story (complete with heists, a dead parent and billionaire BFFs) into an already-tricky heist plot. Ally Carter shows and doesn't tell. Colour me impressed.

As for her characters, all I can say is: L-O-V-E. I was skeptical at first that there would be any emotional depth to this book... but there is. Lots of it. The main character is a tough, smart, savvy girl, but she is still damaged in a way that you can relate to. She's not perfect, but she's is trying really damn hard. I absolutely adored her.

Of course, the most important part of this novel is the heist. It had to be superb; it had to be believable; and it had to be pulled off by teenagers. A tall order, but one that Ally Carter met with flying colours. I won't give anything away, but suffice to say that she succeeded!

Bottom line? Heist Society is a smart, slick, and surprisingly-moving novel. Pick it up!

Note about the UK edition: There were a number of unfortunate typos in my copy. Usually this really pisses me off, but I was too distracted by the genius of the writing to fuss too much. Hopefully this will be something that's cleared up in the next printing.

Review: Last Chance by Sarah Dessen

Last Chance by Sarah Dessen
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 246
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (UK)

Summary: Colie expects the worst when she's sent to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Mira while her mother, queen of the television infomercial, tours Europe. Always an outcast-first for being fat and then for being "easy" - Colie has no friends at home and doesn't expect to find any in Colby, North Carolina. But then she lands a job at the Last Chance Café and meets fellow waitresses Morgan and Isabel, best friends with a loving yet volatile relationship. Wacky yet wise, Morgan and Isabel help Colie see herself in a new way and realize the potential that has been there all along.

Thoughts: Sarah Dessen is one of those authors I've heard a lot of rave things about; she's considered one of the very best Contemporary YA writers. And though I was not over-the-moon for Last Chance, I was certainly hooked on its author.

Last Chance is a novel about overcoming one of the toughest things in life: the terrible perception you have of yourself. The main character, Colie, has had a life of bad experiences - and she's learnt to expect more of them to come. But while I really loved what Dessen did with Colie over the course of the novel, I can't say I ever came to love her. She was fine, but I never really "got" who she was. Her main role was as the "doormat", but taking that away seemed to leave a blank slate.

Which, now that I think of it, might have been what Dessen was going for. I guess Colie was still working out who she was - as a "work in progress", I guess a blank slate would be just what she wanted. Hmm...

Anyhow, the real standouts of Last Chance are Colie's supporting cast of characters. There's Isabel, the bitchy, so-truthful-it-hurts, supermodel-look-a-like waitress who starts off as the main antagonist but slowly becomes the greatest friend you can have (and my favourite character in the novel, to boot). Morgan, the soft-hearted waitress with hearts in her eyes and a quick temper. Mira, the eccentric artist-turned-card-writer who sees a good side to everything - even the most broken of appliances. And Norman, the boy who is written off as an "artist hippie type" but turns out to be the most observant of the lot.

Gorgeous, gorgeous characters. I am going to miss them. And are they worth picking up the book for? In a word: yes.

Bottom line: Overall, a great introduction to Dessen's writing. While I wish the main character had had a bit more character, her friends more than made up for her.

Review - Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles
Goodreads / Librarything

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

Rating: 2.5 stars
Pages: 308
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (UK) Walker Books for Young Readers (US)

Summary: Like his brothers, Luis Fuentes is a risk taker; whether he's scaling the Rocky Mountains or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis is always looking for the next thrill. Nikki Cruz lives her life by certain rules -, don't trust a boy who says "I love you", boys lie to get their own way and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex's wedding and suddenly she's tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to give him a chance is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by the head of the gang that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. Will Luis's feelings for Nikki be enough to stop him from entering a dark and violent world that could prove to be the ultimate risk?

Thoughts: I really enjoyed the first books in this trilogy, Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction - they were extremely readable books that starred some surprisingly fleshed out characters. And while Chain Reaction was certainly readable, it's characters were some of the most one-dimensional I've read in a long while. In fandom, we would have called this book "crack" - the kind of story that is just so unbelievably terrible, and is yet extremely addictive. The one where Spock is pregnant with Uhura's lovechild and decides to run away on the TARDIS. This was that kind of story.

None of the new characters in this book made a lick of sense: Luis is a "good boy", but spend the last 50 or so pages oscillating between crazy and crazy with love of violence. While Nikki... ick. I don't even want to get into her. This girl had zero character and was completely defined by a traumatic experience. While I kinda "get" why Elkeles might want to traumatize her characters, you've got to give me more than just that if you want me to actually like them. *stabs them both*

Seriously, if it hadn't been such a fan of Rules of Attraction, I would never have finished this thing.

Bottom line? Disappointing ending to an otherwise entertaining series; Perfect Chemistry's is the Breaking Dawn, if you will.

Mini YA Reviews: Kelly Keaton, Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovonoff

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Goodreads / Librarything

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Thoughts: Everything about this book was rather great: the heroine (Ari) was believably tough; the love interest was mature and swoonable; the mythology was extremely well incorporated; and the setting, the weird-and-wonderful New 2, was everything I could want from a paranormal New Orleans. I liked that Ari actually had a believable reason for being so kick-ass (bail bonds woman!) and, despite spending the book on her own, actually had a good relationship with her parents... makes for a welcome change!

The reason I didn't love this book was the length. It was too short, offering an agonising hint of a book I could have adored. Kelly Keaton didn't give me enough time to properly connect with the characters or the verse. So, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I haven't run out to get the sequel.

That said, this book did have one excellent quote that I have saved for posterity:

"I'm not some 300 year old pervert who kisses teenage girls, okay?" 

Snap.  3.5 stars

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
Goodreads / Librarything

Everywhere Silla Kennicott turns she sees blood. She can't stop thinking about her parents alleged murder-suicide. She is consumed by a book filled with spells that arrives mysteriously in the mail. The spells share one common ingredient: blood, and Silla is more than willing to cast a few. What's a little spilled blood if she can uncover the truth? And then there's Nick--the new guy at school who makes her pulse race. He has a few secrets of his own and is all too familiar with the lure of blood magic. Drawn together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick must find out who else in their small Missouri town knows their secret and will do" anything" to take the book and magic from Silla.

Thoughts: Even though I was impressed by Gratton's writing and uncensored approach to YA, Blood Magic did leave me with a rather bad taste in my mouth. Why? Well, there was a scene of rather horrible animal death that served absolutely no purpose whatsoever. Had this served some sort of narrative purpose, I might have been able to put the scene into context... but it didn't. All it did was serve to make me loathe the main character.

But could I be convinced to read something else by Tessa Gratton? Perhaps. She is an excellent writer, and is rather good at writing horror-ific novels... a bit too good, if creating disturbing scenes that make me want to put the book down in disgust was what she was going for, I suppose. 3 stars

The Replacement by Brenna Yovonoff
Goodreads / Librarything

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Thoughts: This debut novel actually did have some promise to it. The world was fantastically scary; that wonderfully scary cover is actually relevant to the plot of this book. So, I guess if you're looking for a good Halloween read, you should check this book out.

But in terms of actual character development, The Replacement was a complete dud. Mackie was just one big disconnect: all tell, no show. I never got a fix on his character... probably because he didn't seem to have one. And none of the other characters were any better. There's usually at least one in every book that I want to see more of, but not in this one. Had the book ended with everyone dying, I would have been completely unperturbed. 3 stars


Bottom line? Out of these authors, the only one whose work I am certainly going to read again is Kelly Keaton. I think that, perhaps, her adult work might be a bit more fleshed out. As for Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovonoff, I will only pick up their stuff again if I see super-stellar reviews from people I trust.

Review - Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Before I Wake (Soul Screamers #6) by Rachel Vincent
Goodreads / Librarything

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 346
Publisher: MIRA (UK) HarlequinTeen (US)

Summary: Spoilers for previous books! Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life….

Review: Before I Wake was just an absolute treat. We're six books into the Soul Screamers series now, and I can firmly state that none of the characters we met in the first book are the same - Kaylee most of all.

And thank God for that! Kaylee is one of those characters that has rather frustrated me over the years. She always feels pathologically responsible for the decisions of others - which leads to books and books of guilt, guilt, guilt. It's been frustrating beyond belief.

But her death in If I Die and her break up with Nash have, well, made Kaylee grow up. This is rather sad, in a way. A lot of reviewers have commented on how they felt sorry for Kaylee in this book, that she was so depressed and that it was sad to see her that way. I understand where they are coming from. After all, she died. She can't just "get over" that. But I happen to think that overcoming her death made her grow as a person - even if she's not the same (happier?) girl we met in the first book. Bad things happen and they suck - but that's part of growing up and sometimes people can come out the better because of them.

Gosh, that was maudlin.

Anyhow, I also loved what Vincent did with everyone else in this book. I very nearly felt sorry for Nash in this book (an absolute first for me, devoted anti-Nash fan that I am), and I certainly felt for Sabine (who I've always liked despite her insanity). Both Sabine and Nash have to deal with their own fallout from Kaylee getting together with Tod, not to mention Nash's never-ending addiction problems. I am so glad I am not reading a book from their POV, because that would be epically woeful.

Vincent also went all out plot-wise. The ending of Before I Wake was an absolute shocker and all I could think was, "wow". Love that this series can still surprise - considering all the bombs Vincent has dropped in this series, you'd think we'd see it all coming! But no... she's still got us on tenterhooks.

Best for last: Tod. He remains one of my favourite characters ever and fortunately there is plenty of him in this book! I don't want to give a single thing away, so all I will say is this: every word out of that boy's mouth was a bloody gift.

Bottom line? While not quite as stellar as stellar as If I Die, but up there. I cannot wait for the seventh and final book in this series: With All My Soul.

Review - Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Breathe (Breathe #1) by Sarah Crossan
Goodreads / Librarything

Genre: Dystopian/Science Fiction YA
Received from Bloomsbury for review

Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 384
Publisher: Bloomsbury (UK) Greenwillow (US)

Summary: When oxygen levels plunge in a treeless world, a state lottery decides which lucky few will live inside the Pod. Everyone else will slowly suffocate. Years after the Switch, life inside the Pod has moved on. A poor Auxiliary class cannot afford the oxygen tax which supplies extra air for running, dancing and sports. The rich Premiums, by contrast, are healthy and strong. Anyone who opposes the regime is labelled a terrorist and ejected from the Pod to die. Sixteen-year-old Alina is part of the secret resistance, but when a mission goes wrong she is forced to escape from the Pod. With only two days of oxygen in her tank, she too faces the terrifying prospect of death by suffocation. Her only hope is to find the mythical Grove, a small enclave of trees protected by a hardcore band of rebels. Does it even exist, and if so, what or who are they protecting the trees from? A dystopian thriller about courage and freedom, with a love story at its heart.

Review: I really wanted to love Breathe. Really, I did. It had an extraordinary premise with an environmental message I fully approve of. I mean, how many YA books deal with deforestation and mass climate change?

The first half of Breathe was really rather good. Sarah Crossan bounced back and forth  between three well-developed characters - all teens, but all radically different. There's the cold resistance member who seems cold, but is really just trying to stay alive. The scholarship girl who is brilliant but will never get anywhere because of her birth. And the rich-but-mostly-kindhearted boy who doesn't stand up to the system, but doesn't lie down in front of it either. Three kids who are pretty much on their own, and who all learn to fight the status quo in their own way.

As I said, pretty good stuff - and while I wasn't over the moon about the characters, I could see myself starting to connect with them. But then, about half way through the book, things started going downhill. The chapters started getting shorter, yet covered twice as much action. Characters were introduced who were supposed to be leaders but were genuinely psychotic - but no one dealt with or acknowledged this. And badda-bang instalove! I was kinda shocked.

But it was about to get worse... bring in the bad science.

OK, I understand that most people are not scientists - but there were mistakes in this book that were the equivalent of writing, "the island of France" or "Earth's second moon". Things so blindly obvious, someone should have noticed them. I don't necessarily think Sarah Crossan should have been responsible for spotting her scientific faux-pas, but someone. Anyone.

*Minor Spoilers* For those of you who are doubting me, here's an example. Breathe describes a world where, as the oxygen levels decrease, people start dropping like flies. Suddenly, graveyards are full, mass burial sites aren't enough, so... people start burning the bodies.

*head desk* You cannot burn people in a low oxygen environment!! Flames need oxygen!! Human bodies are not super combustible! It's basic chemistry that we worked out in the stone age.

I told two people this specific example, and both of them spotted the mistake immediately. Why didn't an editor? I can only pray that that line did get cut from the final version... but doubt it.

*Even More Spoilery* Another thing that made no scientific sense whatsoever was the rebel's miraculous ability to breathe in a low oxygen atmosphere. It's true that people who live in high-altitude areas develop higher red blood cell counts and can cope in less oxygenated atmospheres... but not the 6% oxygen levels of Breathe. This becomes even more unbelievable when you find out that all the rebels had to do to breathe like this was practice and throw in a few meditation sessions.

What's sad is that science in Breathe didn't need to be bad science. If a one-line explanation had been tossed in saying that humanity had evolved genetically to require less oxygen, I could have bought this. It's science fiction, for goodness sakes! That Breathe masquerades as a scientifically sound novel is rather... off-putting. *END Spoilers*

So, after all that, am I going to read the sequel Resist? Most certainly. I know that Sarah Crossan is capable of writing a great book - there's half of one right here in Breathe.

A bit of promo: Sarah Crossan is touring the blogs of the UK right this very instance - check out her schedule on her Bloomsbury site.

Review - Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

Darkness Falls (Immortal Beloved #2) by Cate Tiernan
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Received for review from Hodder & Stoughton

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 392
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (UK) Poppy Books (US)

Summary: Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason it never seems to get any easier. She's left behind her days of debauchery to find peace and forgiveness at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There she's uncovered her family's epic history, reclaimed her magickal powers, and met Reyn, whom she dubs "the Viking god. " Just as she settles into her new life, Nastasya learns that her old friends might be in town....

Reuniting with her gorgeous and dangerous ex-best-friend, Innocencio, Nas wonders if she'll ever be truly free of her dark legacy. Is Incy dangerous, power-hungry, and wicked? Or is he the only one who truly understands Nas's darkness? Either way, Nas is desperate to find out who she really is-even if the answer kills her.

Review: I am really rather surprised by how much I enjoyed Darkness Falls. The first book in the series, Immortal Beloved, was... OK. The overarching plot of the book was a bit of a washout, but I remembered rather enjoying the main character, Nas, who was a tough cookie who had finally managed to check her damaged self into rehab. Her love interest Reyne, on the other hand, I would have paid good money to have killed.

Darkness Falls managed to keep the Nas I had enjoyed in the previous book, while also fixing the things I didn't like! It was rather miraculous. Though I will never be swooning over Reyne, nor will I ever completely understand the draw between him and Nas, I did end this book with a much better understanding of his character. Considering the bounties I'd been putting on his head, that's pretty amazing!

Tiernan added a lot of context to the background stories she introduced in Immortal Beloved and, to my surprise, they actually worked. Reyne was still the "Butcher of Winter" from the first book, but he was also the nice guy who helped out on the farm. Tiernan showed that the two identities could coexist, but cleverly she did it through another character (who I actually liked to start off with).

Also, as if by request, Darkness Falls featured a lot of Nas' former-BFF Incy... who was just fabulous. He certainly lived up to be dark, unhinged party boy Tiernan had described. But like all her characters, he wasn't completely past redemption. While I doubt we will see it in the final book, I really hope that Incy and Nas manage to reconnect at some point in the future. Sure, they were overly codependent for almost a century, but I don't think they were altogether terrible for each other.

But I have to warn you, the book does begin with some of the terrible premises that were in Immortal Beloved. A couple of lines at the start turned my stomach, as Nas practically swooned "you murderer! I want you!". But stick it out. It gets better and less rape-apologetic, I promise.

Bottom line? Darkness Falls has a tough heroine, a murderous villain, a brilliant betrayal, a bunch of unanswered questions... the works. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Review - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Received for review from publishers

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 400
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


Thoughts:
Things I liked about Cinder:

• It was only loosely based on Cinderella. Cinder wasn’t a “sit back and wait for my fairy godmother” character and actively rebelled against her family.
• The universe had fantastic potential. It was very futuristic – complete with cyborgs, flying vehicles, and aliens on the moon – and yet it also seemed quite historic – with a royal family, a hideous plague, and terrible human rights.
• Prince Kai. I have never been one to swoon over a prince, but this prince? He was everything you could possibly want from a monarch: reluctant to rule but feels obligated to do the best job he can, genuinely cares about his subjects, and has no real prejudices towards people of lower classes. I wholeheartedly approve.

Things that made me roll my eyes:

• The big “mystery”. Mystery… hah! Within about 10 pages I had worked out the book’s big secret – so I spent the rest of the book hoping that someone would wise up and just say it out loud before I killed them all for their stupidity. Unfortunately, is wasn’t revealed until the end of the book – and revealed with dramatic flair it did not deserve.
• Cinder. While she did have quite a bit of gumption, I found her self-loathing for her cyborg nature to be extremely tiresome. I wanted to just slap her and say “I get it, you’ve had a hard knock life, but just accept the fact that you don’t deserve it and DO something about it!” In a way, it was rather like a slave believing that they are property… something I cannot possibly accept in a protagonist, although I am sure it is possible in real life.
• The lunar queen. If one-dimensional were a country, she would be its queen. And, hell, I think she’d enjoy it. Queen Levana was a simple “Big Bad” and absolutely nothing else. Instead of finding her scary, I found her rather cartoonish.
• And, again, the “mystery”. Seriously, this really bugged me. I mean, I get that this book was aimed at teenagers but it wasn’t aimed at oblivious idiots. I mean, c’mon…

In short, Cinder is good. Quite good indeed. But it isn’t the miraculous novel that some reviews have made it out to be. It has significant flaws and is clearly a debut novel. I just hope that Meyer does a better job with the sequel…

Bottom line? Cinder is an enjoyable sci-fi novel with a well-incorporated fairy-tale at its heart. But is it the best thing since sliced bread? No, it is not.

Review - If I Die by Rachel Vincent

If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Received for review from publishers 

Rating: 4.5 stars
Pages: 342
Publisher: MIRA Books

Summary: The entire school’s talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr Beck. That is, everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee’s no ordinary high-school junior. She’s a banshee — she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah — it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee’s going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine — her boyfriend’s needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human, either.

But Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life. Anything.

Thoughts: If I Die was my favourite Soul Screamers novel, hands down. Rachel Vincent resolved all my complaints, "beat my head against the wall" feelings, and shoot-Nash-in-the-face desires in one tidy little novel. How? Well, she gave Kaylee a gigantic wake-up call in the form of imminent death. *grins* Oh, the joy.

OK, I realise that makes me sound rather evil. But let me put it this way: when a character literally has no reason to hold herself back, she has the chance to let out her true self. And the "true" Kaylee? She's rather brilliant. You see, finding out she is about to die frees Kaylee... it frees her from Nash, from her father, from her schoolmates, and - most importantly - from herself. So when I say "finding out she is about to die is the best thing that ever happened to Kaylee", I really do mean it in the very best of ways.

Now, other than telling you that open-eyes!Kaylee is featured in If I Die, I can't really say much more without spoiling the book for you. In short: the villain was horrifically genius, Tod was swoon-worthily brilliant, Nash was ludicrously screwed-up, Kaylee's Dad was adorably protective, and Sabine was, well... Sabine. *sighs happily*

Bottom line? It is worth reading the first 4 books of the Soul Screamers series just to read If I Die. Seriously. Hell, just consider the first 4 books a very, very long prologue.

Finished the book already? Check out my interview with author Rachel Vincent for her thoughts on the series post-If I Die. She gave me some fantastic answers - read it if you are longing for something to tide you over until the next book!

Review - My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers #4) by Rachel Vincent
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Received for review from publishers

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 352
Publisher: MIRA Books

Summary:  Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can't just pretend nothing happened. But "complicated" doesn't even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn't just an ordinary girl. She's a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people's fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn't above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants

Thoughts: My Soul to Steal made me want to punch things. Punch things repeatedly. And then it made me wish that Nash were real so that I might stab him in the eyes with a fork. These eyes would preferably be the automatically regrowing type so that I could continue the stabbing over and over and over and... yes. My Soul to Steal made me an angry, angry bunny. Angry on Kaylee's behalf... hell, furious on her behalf.

I was never a big Nash fan, nor was I ever a big Nash/Kaylee fan. But this book just... gah. It really made me wish Nash dead. That said, I do think Nash is not inherently evil, he's just madly screwed up. Rachel Vincent is an absolute genius in the sense that, yes, her characters are 100% realistic. She deals with the aftermath of drug abuse and betrayal in a heart-breakingly realistic way... but that realism? It leads to my aforementioned desire to kill her characters.

But even while I am busy plotting ways to dispose of the fictional bodies, I understand her characters. The new girl, Sabine, for example... let's just say she's pretty damn horrid to Kaylee. And yet, I really do get her - she's completely open about her actions, be they good or terribly bad. Hell, half-way through this book I would have been happy if Kaylee had decided to switch sexual orientations and run off with her. And if I was choosing the main antagonist over the boyfriend? That really gives you an idea how much said boyfriend was wrong for Kaylee.

Moving away from all the interpersonal DR-A-MA, My Soul to Steal was a riot and a half. Vincent does plotty-but-serial extremely well, and this installment was just another demonstration of her ever-improving style. Had the book been more focussed on the plotty goodness, and not on all the Kaylee/Nash/Sabine business, I would be giving it 4 stars without a doubt.

Bottom line? Rachel Vincent writes the most extraordinary characters - some of them you'll love, some you'll want to kill, and others you'll want to have committed. It's great, but oh-so frustrating.

Review - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult

Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 352
Publisher: Quirk Books

Summary: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here - one of whom was his own grandfather - were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Thoughts: I've seen so many rave about Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children... and after reading it, I can see why so many people loved it. I, however, am not one of those people.

Miss Peregrine (as I will be calling it from here on out) has a very unique selling point: it incorporates spooky, classic photography into the main plot. So, on one page a character describes a photo he is looking at and on the next page we see the actual photograph. It's pretty neat and the photos that are incorporated into the novel tell a story by themselves. The image on the cover, for example, is of a girl actually featured in the novel. As the photo so clearly demonstrates, she'd rather peculiar.

So while I enjoyed that aspect of the novel, it was not enough to make up for the book's main problem: the writing. Miss Peregrine felt like a student exercise - perhaps an A* student exercise, but not a professional job. Had Ransom Riggs not incorporated the photography into the book, I doubt it would have gotten very far. Ransom Riggs is just trying too hard. Miss Peregrine is supposed to be a creepy, suspenseful, disturbing novel - a book à la 1800s freak-show circus. Instead it is a mildly entertaining story about a boy who starts dating his grandfather's ex-girlfriend (which was just the wrong kind of disturbing).

And yet, I probably could have enjoyed lack-luster pacing and plot, if only the characters had been at all gripping - they weren't. It was as if they had been created solely to fit with the photographs Riggs had found. This was particularly disappointing, considering the fantastic original concept that created the characters.

Despite my apathy for Miss Peregrine, I can see why so many people enjoyed it. While I didn't find the book creepy or disturbing enough to merit its reputation, I think creepiness is a rather subjective test. Also, the photography, layout, and concept behind the novel are unique enough to warrant some investigation into the second book!

Bottom line? Miss Peregrine fell flat. Decent enough, but not worth the hype.

Early Review - Pure by Julianna Baggott

US cover

Pure (Pure #1) by Julianna Baggott
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
Received for review from publishers

Rating: 4.5 stars
Pages: 448
Publisher: Headline (UK)
Release date: February 2nd, 2012

Summary: We know you are here, our brothers and sisters... Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Thoughts: I wanted to wait for this book to come out before I raved about it. Honest to God, I planned on waiting. Because, really, I loathe it when people rave about books that aren't available for puchase. But in this case, I just couldn't keep it all in. This book is fan-bloody-tastic, and I need to share.

Pure is quite possibly the most terrifying YA novel out there... which is saying quite a bit. The Hunger Games was terrifying, as was Blood Magic and The Replacement. But the very premise on which Pure is based is so horror-film terrifying that it has to take the cake as the scariest YA book I've ever read.

Ok, so how do I explain?

Well, Pure is set in a post-apocalyptic world. But unlike a lot of books, it isn't set 50 years after the apocalypse - this end-of-the-world is in living memory. And the people suffering hurt all the more because they can remember the time when they weren't in pain.

Pain, you ask? Well, that's an understatement. Pure is set after a nuclear explosion has decimated the world. But the problem isn't with the casualties of death, it's with the pseudo-scientific effects of the radiation. At the time of the attack, people were merged with their surroundings. By surroundings I mean objects, animals, trees, dirt, and even other people. They fused together and everyone became, well, everyone else.

To say that this event made people less-than-friendly is an understatement. While the fused survivors are to be pitied, they are also the most fearful characters I've read in a long time. I found the whole premise utterly realistic and utterly haunting. Pure held me captive.

The reason, however, that Pure isn't getting 5 stars has to do with the nitty-gritty character business. While I surprised myself by enjoying the multi-narrator style, there were things I found a bit too coincidental. Not to mention that some of the relationships in the novel felt rather... rushed. Unfortunately, these inconsistencies kept me slightly apart from the main characters. My hope is that I grow to understand them more in the next novels!

Bottom line? Pure is an original, steampunk-esque take on dystopian fiction. It's the stuff of nightmares and you're going to love it.

Review - My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Keep (Soul Screamers #3) by Rachel Vincent
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult 

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 378
Publisher: MIRA (UK)

Summary: Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them. Until something does. Demon's breath.

No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow, the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked. And when the epidemic hits too close to home, Kaylee will have to risk everything to save those she loves.

Thoughts: In my review of My Soul to Save, I said that the Soul Screamers series was becoming rather episodic... well, this book makes me want to retract that statement. While the novel begins like a simple "new adventure" for Kaylee, events quickly take an extremely personal turn. Instead of fighting for the lives of strangers, Kaylee is fighting for those closest to her. This change gave the series a bit more gravitas and made this book my favourite in the series so far.

There is a big twist that takes place in the middle of the book - and unfortunately I found out about it before I read the book. To those of you who have no idea what I am talking about... stay that way until you read the book! Even though I was still somewhat shocked by the big revelation, I think it would have hit a lot harder if I hadn't known about it.

Big twist, you ask? Well, let's just say it is a complete game changer and I love game changers. While I don't like it when authors randomly kill off characters just for the sake of it, I do love it when they introduce something small that escalates naturally into a whole new disaster. And that? That's what Rachel Vincent did in My Soul to Keep. It was masterfully done and gave me a whole new respect for this series. While, sure, it's terrible - the twist completely revitalises the verse.

Now, I can't end this review without talking about some of the characters. I am having trouble understanding Kaylee. She spends most of the book hiding rather important problems from her father and uncle... which considering how dedicated she is to protecting people seems completely illogical. Surely consulting with people with decades of experience would be a good idea? But no. I think part of that might be Vincent's desire to keep parents out of the adventure, but it felt rather forced.

And then there is Nash. Eh. I've never been a Nash fan, mostly because we have never gotten to know him. He's always kept Kaylee at arms-length, while she has always been completely honest with him. My Soul to Keep made me even less of a Nash fan, and now I just want Kaylee to keep away from him. Far far away. I am Team Anyone-but-Nash! This book made me just... gah! Nash is going to have to sit down for a real soul-baring conversation with Kaylee before I let him anywhere near that girl!

Bottom line? My Soul to Keep lifts the Soul Screamers series from "good but not fantastic" to "this is something to write home about".

Review - Matched by Ally Condie

Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Dystopian Young Adult

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 366

Summary: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Thoughts: Matched is one of those books suffering from so-much-hype-I-don't-want-to-read-it syndrome. Every blogger out there has raved about the book, and as a result it took me a year to pick it up. Call it reverse psychology or whatever. But with the release of the sequel Crossed coming up, I knew I had to give Matched a shot. And - surprisingly - it lived up to the hype!

At its core, Matched is a romance novel. But like all good romantic stories, it is about so much more than just the romance. Its main message is an age-old one: Do not go gentle into that good night. The protagonist, Cassia, goes from being a girl who embraces the status quo to being a girl who refuses to give in. It is quite a dramatic change and the cause of the change is not just her newfound romance. There is a loss in her family, she has the things most precious to her taken away, and there are threats made against her two lovely parents. And, above all, there is the poetry. The beautiful, illegal poetry that tell her to not go gentle. It's a message that resounded with me, and I think will certainly speak to teens.

Moving on to the characters - I can wholeheartedly say that I enjoyed them all. Both love interests were fantastic (a real coup for a teen novel). They were gentle, kind, and smart - they didn't necessarily make you swoon, but they did fill me with the overwhelming urge to keep them safe. Safe, you ask? Well, while Matched is a very sedate dystopian novel (there aren't people running about with guns and cattle prods), there is a danger present in the book that was just a scary as actual violence. The Society expressed their power subtly, by reducing your food portions or cutting down your trees. It wasn't overt but it was constant. The effect was extremely unnerving.

I also enjoyed the integral role Cassia's family played in the novel. Her parents were wonderful, supportive people, and her relationship with them was one of the healthiest I have ever seen in a YA novel. It was refreshing to read - especially since most teenagers actually do have good relationships with their parents!

My only complaint would be Cassia. While I didn't dislike her, I found her to be rather bland. Every other character I felt something for, but Cassia felt like a blank slate for the reader to place themselves into the novel. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it kept me from truly connecting with the novel. Shame.

Bottom line? Matched was an extremely enjoyable dystopian novel. It's the perfect book for people who wanted more romance in their The Hunger Games!

Review - My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2) by Rachel Vincent
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Received for review from publishers (MIRA)

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 362

Summary: When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….

Thoughts: My Soul to Save makes it clear what type of series Soul Screamers is... think post-book 6 Morganville Vampire. Episodic with a monster-of-the-week. Which is cool, but you need to know that before you start reading.

I enjoyed My Soul to Save even though I can't say it was the most, er, gripping of novels. Honestly, when I worked out that the plot was going to revolve around saving pop queens who had sold their soul for fame... well, I was more of the "they deserve what they got" school of mind. But Vincent sold the nobility of the entire scenario and the pop queens actually turned out to be pretty sweet. Thank God, really, because there is nothing worse than hating the guest star.

But while I liked Kaylee (who is super independent but not at all idiotic) and the Netherworld (creepy, to say the least), I wasn't really moved by this book. Everything was perfectly well written, the dialogue was tight and the plot was even tighter.... but My Soul to Save just felt like it was missing something. When I pick up a new book in a series, I expect something to fundamentally change. There has to be something new, otherwise why bother writing the book? And the truth is that nothing really changes at the end of My Soul to Save - a couple of things are different, but nothing fundamental.

These complaints are really rather minor, though. So while this book might not have been the most riveting, I am expecting earth-shattering things in Rachel's next book!

Bottom line? Great YA series, good instalment. Pick up the Soul Screamers series if you want something different-yet-familiar in your paranormal YA.

Review - Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly by Alex Flinn
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult / Fairy-tale retelling

Rating: 2.5 stars
Pages: 304

Summary:  I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and a perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly beastly.

ETA: Apparently Alex is a she. Huh. Anyhow, note that this review was written before Jan set me straight!

Thoughts: Alex Flinn was never a teenager. He went straight from 12 to 20. It's true. How do I know? Well, I read his book Beastly.

Despite what some people may believe, writing about teenagers is like dealing with teenagers... not easy. You have to write about their hormone-fueled decisions without making them seem completely irrational. It's really hard, and your "research" cannot be limited to watching She's All That 30 times. Which is what Alex Flinn did... I can't think of any other explanation.

Beastly just fell flat. Its characters were illogical, one-dimensional creatures, even though they were based off of the brilliant characters from the Beauty and the Beast tale. In short, Flinn's Beauty is an idiot and his Beast a real ass. I mean, would the Beauty we all love - who loves her family as much as they love her - risk her future for a drug-addict Daddy? I think not. And would Beast ever purposefully lie to Beauty? No, because he's a straight-forward ass... not a backstabbing one! *shakes fist* And don't even get me started on the Beast's entourage. I mean, what self-respecting teacher would condone kidnapping a teenage girl for some spoiled hermit? Seriously? Seriously?

Ok, so while Flinn completely missed the mark with his characters, there were some things that I liked in this book. I liked the fact that the novel is told from the Beast's point-of-view. It's a perspective I honestly had never considered. I also liked how Flinn transferred the tale to modern Manhattan - Beast goes to plastic surgeons looking for a cosmetic cure, and he dresses as a Muslim woman in order to go out in public... isn't that just ingenious? Shame it didn't make the characters any more likable.

So... I am giving this book 2.5 stars despite everything I've just written. Why? Well, it's still Beauty and the Beast. And anything Beauty and the Beast is inherently brilliant - even when it misses the mark.

Bottom line? Not worth reading unless you're a die-hard Beauty and the Beast fan. And even then...