Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 78 - 79

:: 78 ::

BOOK REVIEW 

Becoming Marie Antoinette

Juliet Grey - @none found




Historical | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: My mother liked to boast that her numerous daughters were “sacrifices to politics.” I never dared admit to Maman, who was Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, that the phrase terrified me more than she could know. Every time she said it, my imagination painted a violent tableau of Abraham and Isaac.

SUMMARY :: from the book cover

This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette.

REVIEW :: Becoming Marie Antoinette starts at the beginning where Marie Antoinette is still balancing her courtly lessons with her desire to chase after butterflies. She hardly seems ready to reign and dance through the political webs of French court, especially with a husband equally ill-prepared. Juliet Grey brings this young woman to life and captures her voice so vividly that one cannot help but to love her. I especially enjoyed the moments when Marie tries to capture Louis’s attention – their relationship seems so beautiful in its awkwardness. The only downside that I noticed was the ending. Granted, Becoming Marie Antoinette is simply Book 1 in a series, but I had wished it had continued a little bit longer just when the story starts to take off.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
---RELEASED AUGUST 2011 BY BALLANTINE BOOKS (RANDOM HOUSE)
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: DAYS OF SPLENDOR, DAYS OF SORROW

:: 79 ::

BOOK REVIEW 
LIE
Caroline Bock - @cabockwrites




YA | Contemporary

FIRST LINE :: ARC :: I should be in calculus, reviewing for the final, not at the police station. Or I should be in the school parking lot, deciding on whether to cut class and go to the beach with the other seniors. Or at the diner with Lisa Marie. Or even home. I should be anywhere but here.

To lie or to come clean… Skylar Thompson has to decide whether to free her boyfriend Jimmy by keeping silent or speak the truth and face its consequences. To love or to let go… Jimmy helped Skylar come to terms with her mother’s death and makes her feel loved, but how can this Jimmy be the same one who brutally assaulted a couple of immigrants? To make things right or to leave it wrong… When Skylar finally makes a decision, will anyone be there to support her?

REVIEW :: LIE is laid out a little differently from other books in that it weaves the story from multiple perspectives. Everyone has different reactions and mixed thoughts about what happened, and I think it was interesting to note that Jimmy was the only one who stayed silent except through other viewpoints. I can see why LIE had been told via different characters, but I feel that there were too many cooks in the kitchen – and no one seems to stand out enough from each other. For me, it is obvious that hate crime is unacceptable – but I am not sure if LIE truly a undeniably strong message of how wrong it is. It shows a few teens and adults who want to make things right, but it also shows other teens and adults who see no big problems with what happened. After I finished reading this book, I was still left wondering if LIE will make any difference – if it will change the minds of those who see no problems with bullying and targeting those who are different.

---DISCLAIMER :: LIBRARYTHING
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN

BkRv :: What would I give if I could live out of these waters?

BOOK REVIEW 
RIPPLE
Mandy Hubbard - @mandyhubbard




YA | Mermaids

FIRST LINE :: The first boy I ever loved, Steven Goode, was really into cars.

 








SUMMARY :: from the book jacket

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn’t, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love – again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgment, she’s opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn’t. But when she’s offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

Mandy Hubbard spins a sea-ravaged tale of melancholy beauty, and the choices one girl makes between land and waves, love and freedom, her future – and her heart.

REVIEW :: 
I am not a major fan of Prada & Prejudice or you wish – they were cute and bubbly, but nothing great – and you may wonder why I continue to look out for the next Mandy Hubbard book. It is because of her blog, specifically her “road to publication” entries, and I appreciate her honesty and hard work – and it is truly inspirational to see where the wind will blow her because it seems to be everywhere! But back on topic…

THE GOOD BITS
{The story was deliciously darker than previous works!} I may not have been knocked over by her first 2 books, but RIPPLE finally gives me something that I can sink my teeth into! The main character felt more serious, more relatable, and more believable – well, as believable for a girl who has been cursed to swim every night or suffer the consequences the next morning. I could feel Lexi’s turmoils – her desire to have a normal life, her longing to feel safe to love someone, her inability to resist the need to swim every day.

{A depth-defying storyline.} Hook, line, and sinker – Mandy Hubbard delivers quite a story that blends past, present, and possible future in perfect, tantalizing proportions. It reminds me a little of some girls are or Twenty Boy Summer where the past bleeds into the present as the present tries to move into a survivable future. Beautifully crafted to take your breath away, Lexi’s plight definitely will tug at your heartstrings as she tries to figure out which boy can save her.

THE BAD BITS
{Cole.} I wished, however, that we had known more about Cole and why he suddenly wanted to draw Lexi back into the high school crowd she has avoided since Steven’s death. Especially considering he had been Steven’s best friend with a history of going through girls like a box of chocolates. He was present, but I did not feel that he came alive enough for me to care about him – or have a secret crush on him as other fictional boys.

THE OVERALL
RIPPLE shows that Mandy Hubbard can definitely dish out the dark as expertly as she can the sparkle. I am more than excited to see what new direction this author will take us because it seems that her next ideas are always better, bolder, and on the cutting edge of creative!

---DISCLAIMER :: BOUGHT
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY RAZORBILL

BkRv :: Circle, circle, dot, dot, see the death in this inkblot

BOOK REVIEW 

inkBLOT

Johnson Naigle - @inkBLOTtheNovel




YA | Suspense

FIRST LINE :: Ronnie’s mind juggled the images on the screen and the faces of those two dead girls.

 








SUMMARY :: from the Amazon website

Eighteen-year-old web entrepreneur Ronnie Wright owns the virally popular website, inkBLOT. Determined to sweep local newspaper reporter, Chelsea Pressman, off her feet, he tries to wow her with his internet success.

Chelsea has one goal, making it big as a reporter. Unfortunately the editor isn’t tossing any good stories her way. But her luck changes and she is first in line to cover a string of bizarre crimes. The notoriety she’s gaining from the front-page stories is addictive.

The police finally trace the crimes to a common link – inkBLOT.

Now, Ronnie has to clear his name as the number one suspect in Chelsea’s headline crimes.

REVIEW ::
The cover may not be much to talk about, but I cannot imagine how they could dress up the inkblot to make it more eye-catching. Which is ironic since Ronnie makes the interpretation of inkblots as a form of marketable social media. inkBLOT may not look like much, but holy cow, turning pages as quickly as possible has never been this addictive!

THE GOOD BITS
{Just the right amount of suspense to die for!} A good suspense is worth its weight in gold – and I love it when I stumble across one! inkBLOT may seem simple and straightforward, but I never quite knew what would happen next. Each character had their own quirks that raised suspicions, but their alibis seemed airtight and indestructible. The genius about inkBLOT is that the writing is so easy-going that it sucks you into the suspense before you can even think about stopping.

THE BAD BITS
{Not enough inkblots!} I was a little disappointed that inkblots did not play as big of a role in inkBLOT as expected. It might have been cool to have seen sample inkblots – even as an bonus feature. Ronnie seemed to have created such an awesome app that I want to check it out, although it is a little scary that how telling inkblots are!

{The predictable villain.} The suspense was great up until the ending started drawing near – and it seemed inevitable as to whose twisted mind was behind the murders. Predicability ruins the fun – and I like to be kept in the dark until the final AHA! moment. However, the fact that I got a personal backseat with each character involved without knowing at first who may be the bad guy still gives me a shiver when I got the end.

THE OVERALL
There were times when inkBLOT tries too hard to be modern-day cool and tech-savvy and comes across as a little over-the-top, but overall I think the story had enough suspense to carry the day. I can see inkBLOT as a nice introductory for those want a little suspense in their reading pile – and it may appeal to younger readers of the Facebook generation and give caution as to what we reveal about ourselves online.

---DISCLAIMER :: PUBLISHER
---RELEASED JULY 2011 BY CROSSROADS PUBLISHING HOUSE

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 75 - 77

:: 75 ::

BOOK REVIEW 
Spellbound
Cara Lynn Shultz - @CaraLynnShultz




YA | Series Book 1

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: It’s always embarassing to have someone take you to school. Your dad, your mom, anyone with her hair in rollers.

We all know the doomed story about Romeo & Juliet, but did these young lovers know how hopeless their star-crossed romance would be? When Emma gets to start fresh at an exclusive prep school after some family tragedies, finding a Romeo was bottom on her to-do list. So, why does the resident hottie Brendan draw her unwilling eye – and why does their dance feel like a tale as old as time? The answer is rather grim: True love, if what they have is true, will end in a curse called death if they are unable to resist each other. Will Emma and Brendan find each other worth the risk?

REVIEW :: I know the story of Spellbound seems familiar – Romeo & Juliet, new girl & hot-but-oh-so-elusive boy, true love headed down the track of destruction – and you must wonder if this book is worth a gander. My verdict? Spellbound has such an enchanting voice that will make the classic story pop and sparkle like nobody’s business. Fun and charming with enough dash of mystery, sizzle, and snark that will keep the pages turning. I tend to find something magical in a romance-gone-cursed – and watching Brendan and Emma try to decide between being together or staying apart is heart-wrenching. I am curious to see where the series goes from here.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED JUNE 2011 BY HARLEQUIN TEEN
---OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES :: TBD

:: 76 ::

BOOK REVIEW 
Cinder and Ella
Melissa Lemon - @Melissa_Lemon




Fairy Tale

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: If you drink water and breathe air, then you have heard the story of Cinderella. And, if you drink water and breathe air, you have heard it…wrong.

Cinderella has been retold in numerous of ways – Disney, historical, musical, pop culture, ninja, assassin, ugly sister’s perspective, masculine – but here is one that claims she is actually 2 sisters named Cinder and Ella who each have their burdens to bear. Cinder has been the Atlas of the family, waiting on her sisters and mother hand and foot without complaint, while Ella has a harder time with being as patient. When Cinder leaves the family to be a castle servant, Ella tries to pick up the slack but it is obvious that her family would rather have Cinder. However, something wicked resides in the castle by the name of a supposed Prince Charming – and it is up to Ella to get to the bottom of it and rescue her sister.

REVIEW :: The Cinderella fairy tale retellings seems to be gaining popularity lately – and I can’t seem to resist them as I patiently wait for Apocalypsie debut Queen Of Glass. I had a difficult time with diving into Cinder and Ella. I know that this was not supposed to have any bibbidies or bobbidies, but the story didn’t draw me in very well. I thought it was about both Cinder and Ella – but Cinder becomes more of an afterthought as Ella takes the stage. I thought there’d be more to how they became “Cinderella” but it hardly mattered. The opening line promised a “corrected” version – but as the story slowly proceeded, it seemed like a completely unrelated story that had no bearing on this age-old fairy tale.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED NOVEMBER 2011 BY CEDAR FORT

:: 77 ::

BOOK REVIEW 

BLUEFISH

Pat Schmatz - @NONE FOUND




YA

FIRST LINE :: eARC :: Travis stood in front of locker number 78.

Travis has spent his high school years with his head down and staying off everyone's radar. When he moves to a new school in a somewhat small town, it seems that he attracts attention like a flame does for a moth. The town bullies see a new threat; the basketball players see a new ally; the rejects see a possible savior; the girls think he's cute but dumb; and the English teacher see a boy who somehow got left behind. Travis succeeds in keeping everyone away except for the colorful Velveeta who refuses to leave him alone until she discovers what makes him tick.

REVIEW :: I found BLUEFISH a rather nice read that will pair well with a lazy, summer day in the park if you need a break from those intense paranormal or moving contemporary reads. The two main characters - Travis and Velveeta - were a little hard to befriend at first. They seemed closed-off, and they each had quite the backstory that unfolded chapter by chapter. Primarily BLUEFISH was Travis's story, but Velveeta sneaks herself in at the end of each chapter with a journal entry - and honestly I fell more in love with Velveeta's quirky voice and wished I had seen more of it! As far as illiteracy goes, I was intrigued with how the English teacher tried to motivate Travis to learn - which, in turn, makes me want to read The Book Thief which got mentioned quite a few times.

---DISCLAIMER :: NETGALLEY
---RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2011 BY CANDLEWICK PRESS