Book Review: When We Caught Fire, by Anna Godbersen @AGodbersen

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and The Luxe Series is one of my favorite book series. So when I saw that Godbersen had a new book coming out, When We Caught Fire, I was very excited.  I was not disappointed!

The reader knows that this is a book about The Great Fire that occurred in Chicago in 1871.  But the story starts out about a girl, Emmeline Carter, who is a society girl soon to be married to Frederick Tree. Emmeline's father has worked very hard, in a sort of rags-to-riches story that has gotten the Carter family accepted into society.  And now he is to see his daughter "marry up."

Emmeline's personal maid, Fiona, is a friend from her past.  The days when they lived in squalor. Emmeline treats Fiona more like a friend, but Fiona knows that without the Carters, her family would be much worse off. She still visits her family often and gives them money each visit.  But she hasn't seen the third member of their group, Anders, and she doesn't want to. They were getting along fine, but then there was a kiss, and Anders didn't want anything to do with Fiona anymore.

Fiona wonders if he knows about Emmaline's upcoming nuptials. Anders and Emmaline were promised to each other at a young age. When Emmeline demands that Fiona find Anders for her just a few days before the wedding, Fiona senses trouble coming.

And boy does it come! Emmeline decides she's going to bail on the wedding and run away with Enders.  And Fiona has to help her with this plan. I don't want to go any further.  There is excitement, entertainment, danger, romance, and some eye-rolling moments.  I was thoroughly entertained the entire time.

Several well known Chicago figures make an appearance, but this only adds to the authenticity. In Godbersen's accounting, it wasn't Mrs. O'Leary's cow that tipped over the lantern (this story has pretty much been debunked anyway), but of course, our characters are instrumental in starting the blaze. I enjoyed learning about that historical period in Chicago and a bit about how the city changed after the fire.

Teens who enjoy historical romance will certainly enjoy When We Caught Fire, and so will adults.

Published by HarperTeen, October 2, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
384 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: The War Outside by Monica Hesse

The War Outside is a unique, compelling story about life during WWII that has never been told.

Margot and Haruko have been uprooted from their lives along with their families.  WWII is raging, and these families have been taken to a Family Internment Camp in Texas because their fathers have been accused of spying for the enemies.

Based on true events, this camp was the only one of its type in the country.  Both Japanese and German families were sent here.  The two teens’ friendship is unlikely, since the two nationalities are segregated within the camp.  But Margot’s family, going against the wishes of the camp’s Nazi leadership, decide to send Margot to the Federal High School, which is accredited, rather than the German school.

So Margot and Haruko begin a secret friendship that isn’t easy.  It is difficult for Margot to be honest, and Haruko tells secrets that she probably shouldn’t.  But she needs someone to talk to.  Life isn’t easy, and Hesse does a great job of pointing out hardships, both mental and physical, that readers might not consider.  No one can be trusted, the girls must be secretive, and they both have other stresses that threated their friendship.  Margot’s mother is pregnant.  Haruko’s brother is serving as a soldier in the war, and they don’t know where he is.

The dual narration is expertly utilized. The girls are in an unbelievable situation.  The War Outside isn’t a happy story. The last chapter found my jaw dropping open. But this is a story that hasn’t been told. This camp isn’t like the ones where Japanese who lived on the coast were sent. Yet another story of one of the atrocities of WWII that needed to be told.  Anyone, teen or adult, who wants to learn more about WWII should be exposed to The War Outside.

Published by Little, Brown BFYR, September 25, 2018
ARC obtained from School Library Connection Magazine
318 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Eden Conquered, by Joelle Charbonneau @jcharbonneau

It doesn't often happen that I enjoy the second book in a series more than the first. but Eden Conquered was more compelling than Dividing Eden.

Dividing Eden just took a long time to get going, but in Eden Conquered, the excitement starts at page one and continues to ramp up until the exciting conclusion.  If you haven't read Dividing Eden, you should probably quit reading this now and go check it out.

For most of the book, we get two perspectives.  One is Carys who has left Eden after faking her death.  She's trying to figure out who she can trust (pretty much no one) and what the almost constant whispering in her head is about.  She is no longer addicted to the drugs her mother provided, so things are much clearer.  She is sure she is being betrayed by people who are really loyal, and she is being betrayed by those she thinks she can trust.  It is a constant struggle as she tries to find answers.

Meanwhile, the other perspective is her brother, Andreus, who is now king of Eden. He has much the same problem as Carys--trying to figure out who he can trust.  And also, it doesn't seem like there are many people he can. The Elders who are serving him are all suspect.  And the wind, which keeps the lights on and keeps the kingdom safe from the zombie-like creatures called Xhelozi, has died. He has a lot to worry about and doesn't have much support.

As Carys finally returns to Eden (I don't think that is too much of a spoiler) the two points-of-view become merged. Will Carys and Andreus be able to work together to save Eden?  Or will Eden be conquered?

You'll want to find all that out for yourself.  If you've read Dividing Eden, you will definitely want to get your hands on Eden Conquered.  If not, start with that one.  It will be worth it, I promise.

Published by HarperTeen, June 5, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
320 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Audio Book Review: Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Morning Star is the third book in the Red Rising Trilogy and will whip your emotions around like a tornado.

This review may have spoilers from the previous books, Red Rising and Golden Son, so proceed with caution...

Darrow is a captive at the beginning of Morning Star. But we know he's been in many, many hopeless positions before, so somehow he's going to get out of this one. And he does.

If you read my reviews of Red Rising and Golden Son, then you will recognize some of the same statements in this review.  This is a war book.  There are battles and more battles.  Characters get killed. There is never a respite.  So many betrayals and surprises.

Along with the battles are epic twists and turns. There is never a dull moment.  As I have said about all three of these books, they are bit long and drawn out.  I actually finished this one by reading the ending (rather than listening) because I was getting tired of waiting. There is a lot of brutality and suffering. And, there are so many characters.  It had been so long since I read Golden Son. I had a hard time getting my bearings since Brown doesn't really give you much of a review.

I don't think these books are Young Adult, as I have been saying in my previous reviews.  The world is very complex.  There is nothing to keep teens from enjoying this series, but it's going to take more of a commitment than they are used to.

Morning Star is supposed to be the conclusion.  It even says that on the back of my copy.  But there is a new 4th book that was released January 16 called Iron Gold. Now that the war is over, Iron Gold is about the rebuilding.

The narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds, does a great job.  He sounds a bit like like Anthony Hopkins. I'll quote from my review of Golden Son: Those who enjoy adventure, fearsome battles, and fantastical worlds and creatures will not want to miss the Red Rising Trilogy.

Published by Del Rey, 2016, audio by Recorded Books, 2016
Audiobook obtained from the library
518 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas @SJMaas

Suffice it to say, If you've read the other books in the Throne of Glass series, Queen of Shadows is not to be missed.

The tale is long and complex and I'm not going to do much of a summary. There are parts, especially at the beginning, that are somewhat slow moving, but Mass is a great storyteller, so it isn't difficult to get through.

Then the action picks up and is nonstop until the end. All the characters are back, but some have big surprises in store. Queen of Shadows wraps up this episode nicely (I love that) so no big cliffhanger. But rest assured, there is more to come!

This is a wonderful epic tale, for even those who shy away from high fantasy (like me.) The characters are human-like and it isn't all about the magical elements. If you haven't started Throne of Glass yet, you should give it a try.

A short review for a long book.  This series is highly recommended. I had this book laying on my desk at school for a couple of days and I can't tell you how many students came in and wanted it! I told them, "Sorry. I'm reading it. You can put a request in for when I'm done." At least one of them is going to be very happy tomorrow when this book is available!

Published by Bloomsbury, September 1, 2015
Copy obtained from the library
648 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

While I found 99 Days to be predictable, the writing is very good and I still enjoyed it.

Molly Barlow has just returned from boarding school, where she spent her senior year after being literally chased out of her home town by haters. Molly's mother is a famous author and wrote a book about a girl cheating on her long time boyfriend with his brother. Then she tells everyone it is based on her daughter. So everyone knows that Molly cheated on Patrick with his brother, Gabe. And, Julia, the boys' sister who used to be Molly's best friend, is the worst at dishing out punishment.

Molly returns to spend the summer (99 Days) until she goes to Boston to college. No one has forgotten. No one has forgiven. Then Molly begins a relationship with Gabe, after everything she's been through. And to top it all off, she goes behind Gabe's back and starts up with Patrick again. Can anyone see what's coming? Pretty sure everyone can.

Teens are stupid, but how can you be that stupid. Molly finally gets to be friends with a new girl who doesn't know her past, and then finds out that girl is dating Patrick. UUggghhh. She weasels her way back into that family, all the while setting herself and them up for a huge explosion. She doesn't mature or grow at all. Well, maybe a little in the last 5 pages....

And WHY would her mother tell the whole world that the book about cheating is based on her daughter. No one could be that clueless, could they? Molly is adopted. I'm not sure why this is even mentioned, since we only get a few scenes with Molly and her mom. I wish this relationship were explored more.

I adored How to Love, Cotugno's other book. One of the high points for me in that one was how the characters matured and grew emotionally and how the characterizations were so well done. I didn't get that in 99 Days.

But as I said, I enjoyed reading 99 Days. From a teen perspective, it's probably a lot more entertaining. The writing is good. There are nice descriptions and the dialog is authentic. There are some interesting side characters (Penn) but none of the characters are really explored fully. The pace moves quickly enough that it was an easy book to get through, but maybe too fast for me to really sink my teeth into. I'll still be recommending this one to teens (after I recommend How to Love.)

Published by Balzer + Bray, April 21, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
384 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski @marierutkoski

Who can resist a story about forbidden love? Not I.  The Winner's Curse demonstrates this fact very well.

Kestral's father is a general in the Valorian army. The Valorians are determined to continue to conquer other lands and peoples, as they have in the past. On a whim, Kestral buys a Herrani slave, Arin, and brings him home to work as a blacksmith. But she is strangely drawn to him, as he is to her.

Kestral lives in a home that was formerly a Herrani home. The Herranis were conquered many years ago, and those that weren't slaughtered now work mostly as slaves.

There is an undeniable chemistry between Kestral and Herrani, even though both of them know this is an impossible situation. Arin is hiding some big secrets from Kestral. Secrets that may cause her friends and family to come to harm.

The Winner's Curse contains a lot more details of these two races and their world, which make it all the more compelling. There is a revolt, and poison, and music, and maybe a kiss??? A lot to keep a reader's interest. The romance is irresistible, and the political situation puts you on pins and needles. The ending is satisfying, but leaves you anticipating the rest of the story.

The Winner's Curse is well crafted and I will highly recommend this to my teens. The second book, The Winner's Crime will be released in about a week, and I'm reading great things about it also.

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014
Copy obtained from the library
355 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Golden Son, by Pierce Brown @Pierce_Brown

Golden Son, the second book in the Red Rising Trilogy, is nothing short of epic. What an intricate, sophisticated world Brown has created!

I would suggest reading my review of Red Rising or other reviews to get the background for the world and characters of Golden Son.

At the beginning of the book Darrow is participating in war games to prove he is the best warrior and win a fleet of his own. It's only him and Karnus, his arch enemy, left, and Darrow has the upper hand. But things take a turn, Karnus wins, and in the process many lives are lost. This happens in the first few pages, so this isn't really a spoiler.

I didn't understand why so many lives were lost if this was supposed to be a game. And why does Darrow get blamed for it all, when Karnus is the one who killed everyone? But, this episode changes everything for Darrow and so the stage is set.

If you haven't read Red Rising, Golden Son won't make much sense. As a matter of fact, it took me a while to remember what happened and get back into the world that Pierce has created. There's no summary of the previous book, although some reminders are given.

Darrow loses everything. Augustus takes everything away from him and plans to sell him at auction. With no protection, he will surely be murdered by Karnus' family. But an unlikely benefactor offers to help Darrow if he joins up with this man. Darrow doesn't have much choice so, even though he distrusts the man, he agrees.

Things NEVER turn out as expected. No one is to be trusted. There are more twists than you can possibly imagine. And, just like Red Rising, Golden Son is non-stop action. Battle after battle. Each time barely coming out of it alive, but never giving up.

There are a lot of characters, and everyone, every place, and everything has weird foreign names. It's hard to keep track of the characters, their race, and what family they are associated with. I know this book has been compared to The Hunger Games but Golden Son is much more complex and harder to read. I'm not even sure this should be categorized as young adult (I think it is, though, isn't it?)

Golden Son is long (over 450 pages). But, it's not just long in pages, it takes your full attention, and I had to read it much slower than your average YA book. I do think it could have been culled a bit, but I did think it's pacing was better than Red Rising, even though it's longer.

Now that those negatives are out of the way, I want to make it clear that I loved this book. It keeps your attention. Each character is unique, and portrayed with enough detail to make you care about them (or hate them, as the case may be.) Wow, and the world. Down to the tiniest detail, the world is vivid. The politics are complex and totally unique. Golden Son is a dystopian, but it's so far in the future that there are a lot of fantasy elements. Those who enjoy adventure, fearsome battles, and fantastical worlds and creatures will not want to miss the Red Rising Trilogy.

Published by Del Ray, January 6, 2015
eARC obtained from NetGalley
464 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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