Book Review: Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Although Of Curses and Kisses incorporates a familiar trope, the story of Princess Jaya and Grey Emerson is engaging. 

Jaya has been raised to be an Indian heiress, following all the protocols her parents have set in place without question.  When scandalous photos of her younger sister's escapades are exposed in the media, Jaya willingly accompanies her to a new boarding school away from the attention. When Jaya discovers Grey Emerson attends the same school she vows to avenge her sister. You see the Emersons family and Jaya's family are feuding and Emerson is the author of the vicious attack on Jaya's sister. She will compel him to fall in love with her, only to break his heart. 

The reader can see from page one where Of Curses and Kisses is going. Of course, Grey is not what he seems, and these two are destined for true love, even though Jaya is practically betrothed to a neighboring prince (to build alliances for her father) and Grey has been cursed (by Jaya's family) and will die on his 18th birthday. The group of friends (and enemies) surrounding these two are interesting and canny. There is the friend who is "in love" with a cad, and the cad is dating one of the most popular girls at school. Jaya's sister is falling for a totally unacceptable mate, in Jaya's eyes. There is something mysterious about Jaya's ruby broach -- stones keep falling out of it and Grey seems to think it has something to do with the family curse. So there are plenty of barriers to true love and many surrounding issues adding substance to this "hate to love" imagery. 

Another bizarre issue is that Menon throws in obscure vocabulary so much that at times the phrasing is awkward as if she is trying to throw in as many SAT words as possible. I kept a list of just some of them: puerile, insouciant, vitriol, imbibed, ennui, loquacious, innervating bespoke, misanthrope, disingenuous, untenable, nihilism. Some of these words were used in the dialog between the teens -- it was just awkward, and some teens may find this daunting. Of Curses and Kisses is being marketed to ages 12 and up.  I just don't see that, given the vocabulary.

The happy ending is frenetic, but everything gets tied up nicely in a bow. Nothing special, but romance junkies will probably find Of Curses and Kisses charming.

Published by Simon Pulse, February 18, 2020
ARC obtained from School Library Connection Magazine
361 pages

Rating: 3/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2019 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

I'm not really sure what the title Wilder Girls refers to unless it's the wild ride this book takes you on!

There's an all-girls boarding school on an island and all of the people on the island succumbed to an illness about 18 months ago. Many of them are dead. There are only two adults left. Not only have the humans been attacked, but the animals and plants are all bizarrely affected -- growing larger and stronger.

A few girls are assigned to leave their fenced enclosure to go get supplies when they are delivered. Hetty has always been a lookout on the roof protecting the grounds with guns, but she has been elected to be one of the girls that go to get the supplies. It is dangerous, but she learns a lot by leaving the grounds -- some of it not very good. Then Hetty's best friend, Byatt, gets sick and disappears. Hetty will do anything to find out where they have taken Byatt.

First of all, the world-building is really good -- unique, deadly, and utterly terrifying. Secondly, the build-up of tension, from so many directions really sucks you in. The characters are somewhat mysterious. I'm not sure if that's intentional (I suspect it is), but I have questions about some of the motivations and decisions that were made.

Of course, we don't get much closure, although this episode ends at a good spot. Throughout the entire book, the situation seems hopeless, and in the end, I still didn't have much hope. The more I read, the faster I read, and that's a good thing. I think this is going to be a popular book with teens, and it has been well-received by the professionals. I'm "all-in" for the sequel. Write fast Rory Power! I haven't read Lord of the Flies (I should since my son says it's the only book he read for school that he enjoyed), but Wilder Girls has been compared to a female Lord of the Flies. Go for it.

Published by Delacorte, July 9, 2019
eBook obtained from the library
368 pages

Rating: 5/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2019 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

DNF Thoughts: The Academy, by Katie Sise

This is the second book in a row that was a "did not finish."  I thought I would try something different, because I'm tired of fantasy, so I picked up this contemporary, The Academy.  Unfortunately, this one did not work for me either.

Frankie messes up a few times and her parents enroll her in a military academy.  Frankie is a successful fashion blogger and has secretly applied to the American Fashion Academy, so she is understandably upset, but seems to get over it very quickly.  She's a teenager!  She should be throwing a fit.

I thought it was over-the-top that her parents took such drastic measures over a few teenage transgressions.  But this is a cute, contemporary so I can get over that.

But Frankie, I just couldn't understand.  She doesn't want to go, but when she gets there, she decides to do her best.  Over and over again.  Then she screws up.  All she has to do is get three demerits or a low GPA and she will be thrown out.  So why is it such a big deal for her to get thrown out?  She just doesn't seem upset or mad about being there, and she should be! And she vacillates so much between giving it her all and then deciding to screw up again. I couldn't ride that roller coaster. It just wasn't believable to me.

I also had a really hard time with this Academy.  A new student starts and you don't do anything to help them acclimate? You don't give them a tour, you give them impossible physical challenges without any training, you hand them a bow and arrow and tell them to shoot it, and on and on.  This "over-the-topness" was just too much. Frankie got thrown to the wolves, and she just kept taking it.

She was making some friends and they were helping her, but I didn't care about them either. I just didn't like this story.  I didn't feel any tension or drama. It seemed Frankie had several easy outs and didn't take them, which made her trials meaningless.  So I took the easy out and quit reading at 47%.

Published by Balzer + Bray, May 22, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
135/288 pages

Rating: DNF

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2018 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: People Like Us by Dana Mele @MsDanaMele

People Like Us is a twisted thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Kay and her nasty group of friends attend a prestigious all-girls boarding school, Bates Academy. This group of girls has gossiped, bullied, and cheated on their friends and each other for years, and Kay is the leader of the group.

When they find the body of a dead classmate in a pond, the suspicions abound.  It turns out several of them have a reason to kill her and no one has a great alibi.

Kay receives access to a blackmail web page that appears to be from the dead girl.  Kay must out each one of her friends for some secret transgression, or else the blackmailer will tell Kay's secrets.  And Kay has many secrets. Kay and her closest friends end up in the crosshairs of the murder investigation, and as Kay tries to clear herself, she runs up against formidable obstacles.

I guessed the identity of the murderer at about the halfway point, but I wasn't sure, and it didn't ruin the rest of the story.  The backstabbing and lying of these teens really began to stretch credibility. I mean, really, the motives are really absurd, but I stuck with it and found People Like Us to be a juicy, intricate mystery with well-described (if awful) characters.

This isn't a book that's going to have you rooting for the good guy -- because there aren't any -- but it will keep your attention and keep you guessing. I think my teens will enjoy it.

Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, February 27, 2018
eARC obtained from NetGalley
384 pages

Rating: 4/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2018 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Rowling, Tiffany, & Thorne

We are all desperate for more Harry Potter and the story of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was great but left me wanting...

Harry and Draco Malfoy's kids, Albus and Scorpius, are going to Hogwarts. Surprisingly, they become friends.  When they decide to steal a time turner and go back in time to save the life of an old character, all hell breaks loose.  Well, of course it does.  Everyone knows you can't go back and change a huge event without serious consequences in the present.  And Albus and Scorpius find this out very quickly.  And then they try to undo what they've done.

You can probably guess this is a very exciting story. Fit for Harry Potter.  But the writing, that of a play script, just didn't do it for me.  I so wanted J. K. to just tell the story.  Give me the descriptions of setting and characters.  I wanted to feel immersed as I did with the other Harry Potter novels.  But Harry Potter and the Cursed Child felt very superficial.  Like I was being told a story instead of living in it.

I want more.  I feel cheated.  But I would still recommend Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Potter fans.  After all, it's the only game in town.

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books, 2016
Copy obtained from the library
327 pages

Rating: 3/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2017 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Audio Book Review: The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is humorous and charming, if a little bit outrageous.

The students of St. Etheldreda's Academy decide to hide the deaths by poisoning of their headmistress and her brother. They died right at the dining room table, and because the girls didn't want to be sent back to their homes, they decide to create an elaborate ruse to convince everyone things are normal at the school.

Well it's a difficult task, but surprisingly they are able to pull it off. They are almost caught time and time again by the many visitors to the house but through their ingenuity and lots of luck, they manage. They are also trying to solve the murder mystery at the same time.

There are many surprising twists and turns, and the girls must come up with plausible (and sometimes not so plausible) explanations on the spur of the moment. The reader can see that this situation must inevitably fall apart, but going along on this wild ride is certainly worth your time. The ending is clever, and I really had no idea who the culprit was until exposed.

The narrator, Jayne Entwistle, is perfection. She's also the narrator of the Flavia de Luce audiobooks, which are some of my favorites.

The book is targeted for middle school, and I think that audience will enjoy The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place immensely. Audiobook fans should definitely give this one a try.

Published by Roaring Book Press, 2014, Listening Library (Audio)
Copy obtained from the library
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2016 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

DNF Thoughts: Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

If you are really into ballet and want to read everything you possibly can about it, then Tiny Pretty Things may be the book for you.

For me, it was just too slow. I read over 20% of the book, and still felt like I was being introduced to the characters. Nothing significant has happened except a lot of complaining about the other dancers.

And the characters are quite stereotypical. There's the prima donna who is upset she didn't get the lead. There is the new girl who did get the lead, and is African American. There is the one struggling with anorexia. There's the Asian girl who has a controlling mother. A lesbian who hasn't come out. And there are guys too. And a romance.

The narrative switches from character to character, and I was able to follow because the characters are distinct enough (and I've read plenty about them.) Mostly they are whining and trying to get what they want.

I think something is going to happen. At least I hope it is. But I had enough of this world and these characters, and I didn't care what was going to happen. Not a bad book, by any means. Just not the book for me.

Published by HarperTeen, May 26, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
94/448 pages

Rating: DNF

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2015 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Quirky and charming, Etiquette & Espionage hit all the right buttons for an enjoyable read.

Sophronia's mother is so happy that Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has accepted Sophronia because her mother doesn't think there's any hope for her becoming a lady. Sophronia has definite reservations, especially when her adventures begin on her way to the school -- before she has any idea what she's in for. Because this is a finishing school like no other. Yes, it will teach her the necessary skills to be a lady--along with those necessary for assassinations and espionage.

Taking place in the Victorian Era, Etiquette & Espionage manages to combine historical, paranormal and steampunk elements while providing interesting, diverse characters who have some wild adventures, mostly because of Sophronia. She's a force to be reckoned with, and is very determined and bold.

The adventures are far-fetched, but they're supposed to be. You can't go in expecting anything realistic. There is a specific item the girls are working to find, but I mostly enjoyed the banter between the characters and just learning about this world. This fantasy world makes you wish it were reality.  The excitement ramps up as you get closer to the ending, and this episode ties up quite nicely.

I'm glad there's more, though. The second book, Curtsies & Conspiracies, and the third, Waistcoats & Weaponry are already available. I think this series has great appeal for a lot of teen readers.

Published by Little Brown BFYR, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
307 pages

Rating: 4/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2015 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

Flavia deLuce is at it again in As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust.

This time, she's been sent to an exclusive boarding school in Canada. The boarding school is in what used to be a convent, and her mother was a former student. A body is discovered stuffed up the chimney in Flavia's room, so she is on the case. But it's difficult being in a new place with all new people.

As a matter of fact, she doesn't even get to do much investigating until the very last portion of the book. There is also the mystery of three students who have disappeared before Flavia even arrived. Most of the book is devoted to Flavia trying to fit in to her new surroundings and figuring out if she's going to make any new friends (or enemies).

While the cast of new characters is interesting and keep you guessing, I missed Buckshaw almost as much as Flavia. She does tell stories of her sisters, but it isn't the same as their crazy interactions in the previous books. There is, of course, some interesting chemistry and Flavia is the same intelligent, precocious, witty character that I cannot resist.

Here's a couple of examples of her wit (reminder that this is an ARC, and may be changed.)

Feigning stupidity was one of my specialties. If stupidity were theoretical physics, then I would be Albert Einstein.

I had to include this one, being a librarian:

None of the books were in alphabetical order, which made it necessary to cock my head sideways to read each one of the spines. By the end of the third shelf I had begun to realize why librarians are sometimes able to achieve such pinnacles of crankiness: It's because they're in agony.

If only publishers could be persuaded, I thought, to stamp all book title horizontally instead of vertically, a great deal of unpleasantness could be avoided all round. Chiropractors and opticians would be out of business, librarians cheerier, and the world would be a better place. I must remember to discuss this theory with Dogger.

I've read every one of these novels (this is the seventh) and I don't intend to stop. It isn't necessary to have read the previous books, but I highly suggest you do. The first is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Mature teens that are interested in lighthearted mysteries will enjoy these books too.

Published by Delacorte, January 6, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss and NetGalley
416 pages

Rating: 4/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2015 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Belzhar, by Meg Wolitzer

Although there is a supernatural element in Belzhar, this is a contemporary story about teens overcoming difficulties. And it's a good one.

Jam hasn't been the same since her boyfriend died. Her parents finally decide to send her to a boarding school called The Wooden Barn for students who are "emotionally fragile and highly intelligent." So all the kids here have been through something.

Jem is chosen, along with only four other students, to be in a class called Special Topics in English. She has no idea why she was chosen, but other students are jealous of this very secretive, highly selective class.

The other students in the class are quiet and all have been through traumatic experiences that they can't get over. It really isn't clear what those experiences are, but slowly they are revealed. The students in the class become close, especially after they realize that their required journal writing sends them back in time to the happier time right before this traumatic event.

They begin meeting in secret and trying to figure out what is going on and whether their teacher knows these red leather journals she gave them possess some kind of magic.

Belzhar is really about growing and changing and learning from mistakes. The title is pronounced "bell jar" because the Special Topics class is reading only Sylvia Plath this semester, and the students name the place their journaling takes them "Belzhar."

There's a bit of romance and a shock when we learn Jam's story. There is heartbreak, and loss, and healing. All of these students come out stronger in the end.

I loved Belzhar. I was afraid the magic would be hokey, but it felt right and suitably magical. I enjoyed learning about all the characters and their struggles, big or small. The writing was great, and pulled me into the story.

I need to read The Bell Jar and some of Plath's poetry. I would highly recommend this book to teens who enjoy contemporary stories that they can easily relate to (even though they hopefully have not experienced the trauma that these teens have!)

Published by Dutton BFYR, September 30, 2014
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
264 pages

Rating: 5/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2014 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved