Annette's Book Spot

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

DNF Book Review: Get Even, by Gretchen McNeil

I read 45% of Get Even before I decided to give up. I really wanted to find out what happened, but I just couldn't do it.

To quickly summarize, there's a group of kids at a private school who are "getting even" with other students and teachers who are bullies. Then, one of their targets gets murdered, and the group is under suspicion. But it's pretty hard to do anything about it, because no one knows who they are.

I had a minor issue with the whole concept of these activities going on in a school. I'm a school librarian, and although I've only worked in one school, that's my life, and something like this would never happen. At least not in the schools that I'm familiar with. I remember feeling this way about The List, but I still enjoyed that book, and I really thought I'd enjoy Get Even too. So that's not the problem.

I couldn't keep the characters straight. There were so many characters introduced in the first couple pages, that I was overwhelmed. I thought they would soon be developed enough that I could keep track of which was which. But no. I think it was because each character (or set of characters) gets only a page or two then we switch again. And new characters keep getting introduced for a while. I suppose this is a personal thing, because I've read a few reviews and no one seems to be bothered by this. One review did mention that we slowly get to know each character's back story, but thought that was a plus, not a minus.

I considered making a list with their characteristics, but if you have to do that to read a novel, then it's just too much work.

I was excited by the murder. I thought the plot really picked up after that, and I wanted to know who did it. But as I read on, skipping from character to character, I realized that it was likely the murderer would be revealed and I wouldn't know which character he or she was anyway! That's when I decided to give up.

So, there you have it. Just know that you must read carefully and remember what is revealed about each character as you go along, because characters get introduced and set aside at a rapid pace. If you can keep them straight, I think Get Even might be a worthwhile read. Good luck.

Published by Balzer + Bray, September 16, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
180 of 400 pages

Rating: DNF

Monday, September 8, 2014

Book Review: Blackbird by Anna Carey @AnnaCareyBooks

Blackbird certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.

The opening scene is our main character waking up on the subway tracks right before a train runs over her. She is stunned and cut, but mostly unharmed. As rescuers try to take care of her, she realizes she has a backpack and in it there's a phone number that says she needs to get away and call as soon as possible. She remembers nothing from before this moment.

So she goes on the run, gets framed for a burglary, and runs from someone trying to murder her. She also realizes she's being followed.

She runs into a boy, Ben, in a supermarket who takes pity on her, and ends up giving her his phone number. She eventually uses this number, and this is where the romantic interest occurs.

The whole book is this girl narrowly escaping death, trying to figure out who she is and what has happened to her, and trying to keep Ben and others she has contact with safe. She's not very successful.

She's had a few flashbacks but they don't make much sense. She's clever and finds out she has some surprising abilities that help her fight off her attackers.

Notice I've called her "she?" Blackbird is written in the second person so that you feel like you are right there with her. I found this effective, and it didn't bother me, but I'm not sure it was necessary. I'm kind of indifferent, but not having read the book written in a different POV, I can't really compare it.

I don't want to say too much more about the story, except that it ends in a huge cliffhanger which only brings up more questions and no answers. I won't give my usual rant, but just say that I really think authors should write entire stories before they publish. Even if it's a series, each book should have an ending that ties up the issues in that episode. Otherwise it should all be one book. OK. I guess I did rant a bit....

I liked the main character. My heart pounded for her, and I sympathized with her confusion. I thought she was fairly intelligent and didn't make stupid decisions (like so many stories where the tension is based on those decisions), so I bought into her world.

Carey's blog says this is a two book series and the second book will be released in the spring of 2015. This is a compelling and entertaining read, but you might want to wait until the second book is out so you can read the entire story. I'll be enthusiastically recommending Blackbird to my teens.

Published by HarperTeen, September 16, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
256 pages

Rating: 4/5

Sunday, September 7, 2014

The Other Side of Life -- Wedding and New House!

I'm using these posts to occasionally describe other things I enjoy (besides books.) I used to post these projects on my other blog, but I posted so seldom that I decided to include them here. Feel free to skip this one, if you are strictly in it for the books.

My son got married in May, and I haven't posted any pictures yet, so here's a few. It was a beautiful wedding at the farm that my husband's family owns.

Photos by KW Photography

And, my son is also building a house (really condos). He and a co-worker come home from their constructions jobs and work on it in the evenings and on weekends. It has been a slow process, but yesterday was truss day! It really looks like a house now!

So that's the excitement in my world. Thanks for sharing a minute with me.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - Good Stuff!

Found a lot to be happy about this week! Here they are:

For Review:

The Cure for Dreaming, by Cat Winters from NetGalley

I loved In the Shadow of Blackbirds, so I was really happy to get this one.

The Prey, by Tom Isbell from Edelweiss

No Parking at the End Times, by Bryan Bliss from Edelweiss

As Red as Blood, by Salla Simukka from the publisher and School Library Journal

Polaris, by Mindee Arnett from Edelweiss

Avalon wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed it enough to read the next one

Tabula Rasa, by Ruth Downie from Edelweiss
Note: this isn't the book! The one I got was by Lippert-Martin. I've corrected the link.

Belzhar, by Meg Wolitzer from Library Media Connection Magazine

The Devil's Intern, by Donna Hosie from Library Media Connection Magazine

Skink No Surrender, by Carl Hiaasen from Library Media Connection Magazine

Pretty awesome! I hope you got some great stuff too. Leave me a link in the comments. Please make sure you visit our host, Team Tynga's Reviews too. Have a great week. Thanks for visiting.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Feature and Follow Friday - Are You an Author?

Happy Friday and welcome to Annette's Book Spot. Here's today's question from Parajunkee and Alison:

Are you also a writer and what genre or did you ever consider writing? - Suggested by The Pegster Reads

Absolutely not! But, boy do I wish I could. I'm so glad there are talented people whose heads work like that, because mine doesn't! It takes more than creativity. It takes the ability to use language in a unique way so that the story comes alive. This ability amazes me.

Have a great weekend and please make sure you visit our hosts as well as the featured blogs. Leave me a link so I can visit you too!

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Book Review: The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe

While The Lives We Lost kept my interest, it does suffer a bit from second book syndrome.

Just a warning: There may be spoilers for the first book, The Way We Fall.

Things have not gotten any better on the island for Kaelyn and her friends. People are still dying, they are totally cut off from the mainland, and there's no end in sight. When Kaelyn finds sample of a potential vaccine in her father's lab, she becomes obsessed with taking these samples to someplace on the mainland who can replicate the vaccine and distribute it widely.

A lot happens in The Lives We Lost, but nothing really happens. I mean, they get in a lot of sticky situations, but it seems like the same thing over and over, and at the end of the book, there hasn't been much evolution of the story line AT ALL.

The group (I won't be specific about who is on this journey) finds some new bad guys and realizes just how bad things are all over. The part that really bothered me is how stupid their decision making process is. I can't say too much, because I don't want to give anything away, but the places they decided to head for just didn't make any sense. You are looking for medical personnel or scientists. Where would you go? It's the middle of WINTER. Maybe you should think about heading south instead of even farther north?

They spend much of the book spinning their wheels and getting nowhere, except managing to get a bunch of really bad people pursuing them.

But, that's what makes it exciting, and it was. But just looking back on the story arc, I feel cheated. Like I spend a bunch of time and really got nowhere. At least it was exciting and enjoyable to read. If you liked the first book, I would still recommend The Lives We Lost. And I'm planning on reading the third book, The Worlds We Make, as soon as possible -- I have to find out what happens!

Published by Hyperion 2013
Copy won from the publisher during Armchair BEA
276 pages

Rating: 3/5

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Audio Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

While I found Dark Places to be a bit detailed at times, this is a dark twisted story that you won't be able to put down.

Libby Day is our first narrator. Her mother and two sisters were brutally murdered by Libby's brother when she was seven years old. She was in the house, and her testimony helped put her brother, Ben, in prison. It's 25 years later and Libby has had a hard life, with no friends, no job, no money and little motivation to better herself.

Libby is approached by a man who is the leader of The Kill Club, an organization that is obsessed with notorious crimes. They want Libby to speak at their convention. Because Libby is desperate for money, she agrees to this. After speaking with the people at this meeting, basically "groupies" of her brother, she begins to question her brother's guilt. In order to get paid more, she reluctantly agrees to begin investigating what really happened.

We also get the point of view of Libby's mother, Patty. Her narration takes place beginning the morning of the day of the murders.

Ben also narrates. He tells his story also from the day of the murders.

No one seems innocent. A lot of the characters are warped and you can think, "Oh. So now I know who did it and why." But you will be wrong. I don't really want to say too much about the characters, because that's part of the discovery. Suffice it to say that they are vividly written and mostly unlikable.

The build up to the event is detailed, but you don't always know what parts are going to be important to the outcome, so bear with it. The story is exposed very slowly, and I just kept listening more and more. I usually only listen to audio books in the car, and I found myself looking forward to my next car trip so I could continue. I ended up finishing it by just listening at home. I couldn't wait.

The audio is narrated by three different people, one for each point of view, and they are all excellent. I think there may be a fourth narrator because there is an additional POV at the very end.

Much like Gone Girl, I really don't think you are going to be able to predict what really happened on that day. It's unbelievable. If you liked Flynn's other books, or like twisted mysteries that are sure to surprise, you should really check out Dark Places.

Published by Broadway Books, 2010, Random House Audio
Copy purchased from Audible
349 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Book Review: Illusions of Fate, by Kiersten White @kierstenwhite

I enjoyed Illusions of Fate because of the unique take on some magical elements and the all-around entertainment value.

Jessamin has left her simple island life and her mother to attend school in the big city of Albion. She chances upon a handsome man named Finn, and for some reason their paths keep crossing. Jessamin is a poor student supporting herself by working in a hotel. Finn seems to be very rich and possibly a member of the aristocracy. So why is he being so nice to Jessamin?

It turns out the nobility has magic, and Jessamin gets in the middle of a power struggle. Evil Lord Downpike has learned of Finn's attraction to Jessamin, so he's using her to get what he wants from Finn.

The magic is unique and entertaining. I did have a problem with the shadow thing. It seems because Finn is attracted to Jessamin, his shadow now belongs to her so she has two shadows? This wasn't explained very well and left me a bit confused. I loved the rest of the magic. The bird, the walking stick, the doors that lead to other places, the letter writing -- all very intriguing.

I enjoyed the characters. Jessamin is feisty, but not too stupid. As much as she wants her independence, she realizes she needs Finn's protection. I found this refreshing after reading so many novels where the heroine makes stupid decisions again and again just because she must not be tied down.

I enjoyed the romance. It wasn't too big of a secret, but it also didn't happen too fast. The secondary characters add a lot. Lord Downpike is very easy to hate. And Jessamin's friend, Eleanor, is a true friend.

The ending was quite a shocker. It all happens a bit quickly, but I didn't see that coming. Stunning.

All in all, I was very entertained and I couldn't put Illusions of Fate down. I'm sure there are many teens to whom I will be recommending this book.

Published by HarperTeen, September 9, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
288 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 4/5

Monday, September 1, 2014

Book Review: Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

I didn't really get much of a horrified feeling from Of Monsters and Madness, but I did enjoy the book.

The main characters are Annabel Lee and Allan Poe. Sound familiar? Annabel has lived in Siam most of her life with her mother. Now that her mother passed away, she has come to Philadelphia to live with her father and grandfather. This is quite an adjustment in cultures for Annabel.

She makes good friends with her maid, and her grandfather is very kind. But, her father is grumpy most of the time and makes Annabel feel like he doesn't approve. She also meets Allan and an immediate attraction is apparent. Almost too immediate.

There are a lot of secrets in this house. And Annabel has some of her own. She meets Allan's cousin, Edgar, who also works for her father. But no one will admit he even exists. Her father has a lab in the basement, and Annabel's curiosity and interest in science compels her to investigate. There are mysterious murders happening in Philadelphia.

You can probably see where this is going. It really didn't seem that scary. Kind of a classic horror feel, a la Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which is OK. I enjoyed the references to Poe's work. Allan reads passages from The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and of course Annabel Lee to Annabel as if he's just writing them.

The ending leaves much unresolved since this is the first in a series. Of Monsters and Madness kept my attention easily. The plot moves steadily and is easy to follow. I liked it enough to want to read more in the series. Annabel is a likable character, although she frustrated me at times by making some risky decisions.

Poe fans and lovers of gothic horror will find Of Monsters and Madness very appealing.

Published by EgmontUSA, September 9, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
288 pages

Rating: 4/5