Annette's Book Spot

Monday, October 14, 2013

Book Review: Witchstruck, by Victoria Lamb

I love stories about the Tudors. And when you add a little witchcraft, that can only make things better. Witchstruck adhered to the basic story of Elizabeth, the exiled princess, and her sister, Queen Mary, but added a supernatural element by making Elizabeth's friend and confidant a witch.

Meg is our first person narrator, and she's been asked to help assist Elizabeth during her imprisonment (by Queen Mary) in Woodstock Castle. Elizabeth has been accused of treason. She knows of Meg's special powers, and also uses Elizabeth's Aunt Jane to assist her to see the future and influence it if possible. Jane has been like a mother to Meg, and has also helped train her to use her powers.

A Spanish priest and his assistant, Alejandro, arrive at Woodstock to see that Elizabeth has changed her Protestant ways and is being a good Catholic. Queen Mary is going to marry a Spanish prince, thus making England a Catholic nation. Alejandro takes a special interest in Meg, and a very subtle, slow burning romance seems to be kindling.

Meg gets herself in trouble and is accused of being a witch because she refuses to marry Marcus Dent, who is a witch finder. Dent vows to have Meg tried and executed for being a witch.

There's a lot going on. I found Witchstruck to be constantly entertaining. There was always something new happening, and even though we know some of the historical story, it was just so much fun seeing things unfold paired with the witchcraft and the romance. There is danger too, but I never felt much tension. The atmosphere always seemed more light, maybe because I knew the witchcraft could always save the day.

Anyone who likes a good witch story should enjoy Witchstruck. And if you like your Tudors to include some magic, then Witchstruck is perfect. I'll be happy to point some of my teens to this story and the series. The second title, Witchfall will be available in March and it's going on my list for sure.

Published by Harlequin Teen, September 24, 2013
eARC obtained from Netgalley
320 pages

Rating: 4/5

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Stacking the Shelves: Publisher Special

I didn't get a lot of books this week, but I did get one directly from the publisher, which doesn't happen very often, so that's what made this week different.

For Review:

Dare Me, by Eric Devine ARC from the publisher

Bellman & Black, by Diane Setterfield, eARC from NetGalley

It's been a long time since I read The Thirteenth Tale, but I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to this new book by Setterfield.

So, how did your week go? I'm looking forward to a three-day weekend, hopefully including lots of reading (and the Cardinals winning some baseball games!!) Let me know what you got this week -- leave me your link in the comments. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit our hosts, Team Tynga's Reviews.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Book Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea, by Diana Peterfreund

Across a Star-Swept Sea surprised me with it's political intrigue and interesting world building all wrapped around a slow building romance.

Across a Star-Swept Sea is really a spy novel. There's a revolution on one island, Galatea, and a secret spy from the other island, Albion, in what is left of the world. Then we have Justen, who has escaped the revolution because all he wants is to find a cure for the drug that his island is giving the aristocrats that damages their brains and turns them into slaves.

Justen convinces Isla, the ruler of Albion, that he needs to be able to do research to continue to find a cure -- research that his famous grandmother started years ago. Isla thinks Justen and her best friend, Persis, should pretend to be in a romantic relationship. What Justen doesn't know is that Persis is the secret spy who is rescuing aristrocrats of Galatea. Persis finds out things about Justen that causes her to believe his motives may not be truthful.

The politics, and the history of how the islands got to this point is complex, but interesting. The characters are well developed. I really liked Persis. She acts pretty much like a rich airhead -- but is really an intelligent and very successful spy. There are subtle nuances that add a lot to Across a Star-Swept Sea. The intricacies of the disease, how it affects the "regs" as opposed to the "aristos" and how the disease has changed over the years is all very intriguing. The technology is unique, and the differences between Galatea and Albion technology just adds to the tension.

The plot is steady, although I wouldn't consider Across a Star-Swept Sea to be unputdownable. The ending provides much tension, but up until that it's just a really interesting, well-paced story that I really enjoyed.

Because of the details, I wouldn't recommend Across a Star-Swept Sea to reluctant readers or younger teens. Although it adds a bit to the story to have read For Darkness Shows the Stars, it isn't necessary. I haven't read The Scarlet Pimpernel, so I can't comment on Across a Star-Swept Sea as a retelling. Those teens who like a bit of espionage with their romance will enjoy this one for sure.

Published by Balzer + Bray, October 15, 2013
Copy obtained from Edelweiss
464 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

DNF Book Review: Never Fade, by Alexandra Bracken

I've never had this happen before. I really LOVED The Darkest Minds - gave it a 4.5/5 rating. But I just could not finish Never Fade.

I really had trouble following the story. I thought there were pieces that were implied, but I just didn't get. I even went back and re-read the beginning, because I thought I must have missed something. Ruby is on a mission with her team to rescue Prisoner 27. When she is the one who finally rescues him, she is surprised about who it is. She says things like "he's thinner" and stuff like that. Then after we go forward a bit, they keep referring to a character that was unfamiliar. Finally, after re-reading, I figured out that this was Prisoner 27. How was I supposed to figure that out? What did I miss?

Later, one of the kids gets killed on a mission. Another one says it's his fault and they watch some surveillance tapes. And Ruby says, "Don't say anything to anyone." I just didn't understand what was going on. What did the kid do? Why was it his fault? I could not make sense of this scene and that's when I quit.

Alban is the leader of the Children's League. Ruby is so frightened of him. I didn't find him that scary. There were a lot of new characters, and I had trouble remembering all of the old ones. Since it's been a while since I read The Darkest Minds, it would have been nice to have a little background rather than jumping right into the action, and then flash back suddenly without warning but not far enough back to give me a sense of familiarity. I had trouble following it, like I said.

I read very little on Saturday, and today, Sunday, I only just decided to pick up my book in the evening. When I find myself not wanting to read, there's a reason. It's this book. I'm just not interested, and I decided to move onto something else. I made it through 15% (about 75 pages) so I really feel I did give it a chance. But I kept feeling like I missed something and I needed to go back and re-read. This is such an unusual feeling for me.

I can't wait to read more reviews of Never Fade. Is it just me? Is it my reading mood? Am I having a "senior moment?" I'm honestly baffled....

Published by Disney Hyperion, October 15, 2013
eARC obtained from NetGalley
512 pages (I read 75)

Rating: DNF

Monday, October 7, 2013

Book Review: How to Love, by Katie Cotugno @katiecotugno

I am not usually a big fan of typical teen romance books, but How To Love is so much more. I adored this book.

How to Love is told from the first person POV of Reena. But we still get two perspectives: Before and After. "Before" is Reena falling in love with Sawyer, a bad boy who she's known since she was a little girl because their families own a restaurant together. "After" is when Sawyer reappears after apparently disappearing for several years without a word to anyone.

A lot has happened in those years, but the biggest thing is that Reena has had Sawyer's baby. She's lost her dream to go to college and become a travel writer. She's pretty much lost her father because he can't forgive Reena for getting pregnant at the age of 16.

So you can imagine there are some uneasy moments when Sawyer reappears.

The characterizations are exceptional. I didn't like Sawyer. He has problems, and he's not very nice to Reena sometimes. But I don't think we're supposed to like him. I really got angry with Reena too. She simply overlooks Sawyer's problems and lets him walk all over her. But she's SIXTEEN years old, and the guy she's had a crush on forever is finally paying attention to her. I think her behavior is fairly typical for a very young teen in this situation.

The emotional growth and maturity these characters experience during the "After" is also a dream to read. They struggle. A lot. And they should. All of the family issues and some pretty big issues from the past need to be dealt with before these two can move on. Everything isn't perfect at the end of How to Love, but it's getting better, and there's lots of hope.

I guess the only aspect I can say I had problems with is Hannah, the baby. She's just too easy, and Reena seems to be too good at being a teen mother. There's always someone to leave her with; she always goes to bed when she's supposed to. She accepts Sawyer (and pretty much any stranger) too easily -- kind of a dream baby. This is a minor issue though and didn't really affect How to Love at all.

Teen contemporary fans should not overlook How to Love. Sarah Dessen fans will love this. I can't wait to start handing it to them.

Published by Balzer + Bray, October 1, 2013
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
400 pages

Rating: 5/5

Friday, October 4, 2013

Feature & Follow Friday -- Books I Missed

Welcome to Friday! Our hosts, Parajunkee & Alison have presented this question for the week:

What book (or TV show or movie) have you not read that seemingly everyone else has?

One thing that immediately came to mind is Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice & Fire Series). I haven't read the books or watched the series. I don't know if I ever will. I've encouraged my husband to pick up the books, but he is a slow reader and it will probably take him years!

Seems EVERYONE is talking about Breaking Bad. Everyone tells me I have to watch this series because I'm a teacher. Yeah, like that's really what the series is about. I fully intend to watch it on Netflix, or DVDs -- eventually...

So how about you? What are the big "holes" in your reading experience? Leave me a link....

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge! - September Update

Another month has come and gone so it's time to see how we're doing on our Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge! You can keep track of my entire year's progress here. My goal for the year is to read 25 books. This month wasn't great, but I'm still on pace to make my goal. I feel like I'm not getting many chances to read for this challenge, because I've been so swamped with new releases to read -- and most of them aren't short!

Here's what I read in September:

21. Countdown, by Michelle Rowen

That's it folks!

How about you? Have you read any books in ONE DAY? Give me some suggestions.

If you would like to join us it's not too late! There's a link to the challenge page on the sidebar.

If you are participating, please leave a link to your post, or just list your books in the comments. Hope you are having fun with these "little gems."

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Book Review: Sex & Violence, by Carrie Mesrobian @CarrieMesrobian

Sex & Violence introduces an authentic teen narrator, but left me wanting more.

Evan's mother is dead, and since that happened, his father (a workaholic) has moved him from condo to condo and from boarding school to boarding school. Evan appears to be a typical teen boy -- obsessed with girls and particularly with having sex with them. But he's strictly a one-time guy, deleting their numbers from his phone after the deed is done. Until he meets Collette. While Evan isn't interested in an emotional relationship, he enjoys the regular sexual encounters with Collette. Collette's former boyfriend finds out about this relationship and beats both Evan and Collette to within inches of their lives.

Evan's father decides to take him to their family cabin in Minnesota to heal -- both physically and emotionally. So that's pretty much the rest of the book. Evan's healing. He has a therapist, he makes friends, his body heals and he begins to even strengthen it. There are some little surprises and even a couple of romantic relationships.

Sex & Violence reads quickly and easily. I must caution that there are really a lot of instances of the F-word. Not that it wasn't authentic, but even I noticed it (and usually I can't remember if there was any swearing in a book by the time I've finished.) Also, as the title indicates, there's sex. Talking about sex, thinking about sex, having sex. Not explicit, but it's a theme.

Sex & Violence is all about the character of Evan. He's telling the story. We get his inner thoughts and feelings, and Mesrobian gets Evan's voice perfectly, I think (having never been a teen boy.) I enjoyed reading the story, all the time hoping for better things for Evan.

And Evan does end up better. Well, I think he does. The story just leaves off a bit too soon. I'm not all about perfect, happy endings, but I did feel like I needed a bit more closure for Evan. I think I needed him to not only heal, but mature. And I think he still has a long way to go in the maturity department. I still don't feel right about his situation at the end of Sex & Violence.

If you are all about authentic teen characters, then Sex & Violence is a MUST read. But if you are mesmerized by a great plot and the satisfying resolution of conflict, you may be left wanting.

Published by Carolrhoda Books, October 1, 2013
Copy obtained from LMC Magazine
294 pages

Rating: 3/5

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Audio Book Review: Of Poseidon, by Anna Banks

I found Of Poseidon to be a bit too over the top for my tastes, but I still think there could be wide appeal for the intended audience.

Galen is the Syrena (read: Mermaid) ambassador to the humans. Not that any humans know anything about the Syrena. Well, there are two of them that do, and they help Galen. When he meets Emma on a beach in Florida, there is instant attraction, but Galen can't figure out why. Until he realizes that Anna is possibly Syrena -- and she doesn't eve know it!

Of Poseidon is about Anna discovering her powers and figuring out her heritage, as she and Galen become more and more involved -- but both are denying their attraction to each other. There are two factions of Syrena - those that follow Poseidon and those that follow Triton, and this causes some additional tension.

Anna and Galen's relationship is cute -- too cute for me. I didn't like the denial of feelings and the dishonesty. Anna is supposed to be tough because she is stubborn and thinks for herself. I found this stubbornness made her more annoying than tough. This may have to do with the narrator's voice, but I found Anna to be too whiny. I got so tired of her voice.

The repetition of certain phrases drove me crazy. And I've NEVER commented on this in any other review I've written. So you know it was big, if it bothered me. "Oh my sweet goodness!" and "Triton's Trident!" were repeated over and over. Even if people speak this way in real life (some are very repetitive, I know), authors SHOULD NOT do this.

As far as the plot and some of the big surprises, well, I wasn't surprised. This was a situation where the characters couldn't figure out what was OBVIOUS to the reader. Even teen readers would pick up on most of these answers fairly easily and much before the characters. This slowed down the story and weakened the plot, and all the delay of figuring things out really isn't necessary.

Of Poseidon would appeal to younger teens. It's a totally clean, cute read that less experienced readers will find easy and entertaining.

I found the narrator to be too high-pitched and whiny, like I said. She did vary the voices for the characters which made it easier, but the combination of her voice and the immaturity of Emma was a bit much for me. I'm sure that's the way she was supposed to narrate, but I had issues.

Published by Feiwel & Friends, 2012
Audio Book obtained from Sync YA
336 pages

Rating: 2.5/5

Monday, September 30, 2013

Book Review: More Than This, by Patrick Ness

I'm not sure what to say about More Than This. I'll start with, "It's unique!" I enjoyed the book, it was easy to read, but I'm not sure I get the point.

Seth dies a brutal death, as his bones are crushed on the ocean floor. He remembers every detail of this death when he wakes up in a strange, desolate, but somewhat familiar place.

More Than This finds Seth trying to figure out where he is, and where is everyone else? He seems to be alone. He's back in his childhood home, but everything is abandoned -- dirty, dusty, broken, and in some cases burned.

Is this hell? Seth has reasons to believe he might be in hell, as he struggles with dreams about his past that serve as flashbacks. Seth does start to figure some things out, but with these revelations, he still doubts everything he thinks and feels.

More Than This will not appeal to the teen masses. It's messages about life and what it means to be alive are subtle, and as Ness is known for, we get very few answers. (I never read past book 1 in the Chaos Walking trilogy because I was SO ANGRY at the cliffhanger.) I spent most of this book eagerly anticipating the ending -- finding the solution to this big mystery -- but I was disappointed.

At almost 500 pages, More Than This reads surprisingly quickly. I'm not sure to whom I'd recommend More Than This. I could recommend it to some teachers for a classroom read. I think More Than This could generate some interesting discussions.

Published by Candlewick, September 10, 2013
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection
480 pages

Rating: 3/5