"The Hobbit, or There and Back Again" by J.R.R. Tolkien

I subscribed to Kindle Unlimited for the first time this month because they were running a special (the first two months for $0.99) which I couldn't pass on, given Elizabeth Hunter's Irin Chronicles books are available on it. But then, I noticed The Hobbit was also available on it (a book I've always wanted to read) so I chose to read this one first.

I was a bit ambivalent about reading this book because though I love Tolkien, it was also my father's favorite (and he and I are not friends). Luckily, though, it seems the charm of Tolkien's writing and the audiobook narration (which was free with Kindle Unlimited) really helped overcome my negative feelings about this book. It's fairly hard for me to dislike any book, regardless of reason, if it's well written, and I will say the same of this one. The Hobbit is phenomenally composed and sweepingly atmospheric.

To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf's hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more.

              ~The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, page 21 of the Kindle edition

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):

'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

'Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.'

I always thought I was most like Eowyn or Galadriel in Tolkien's books, and while I may have some similarities in personality to those feisty women, I am also very like Beorn and Smaug. Beorn is a Skin-changer who can take the form of a black bear, has control over animals, and is surprisingly a vegetarian! I'm not a vegetarian, but I do have fairly good control over my trio of beasts, and I'm also less than enthused with guests like Beorn.

Smaug, on the other hand, is technically the villain of this book. To be honest, though, Tolkien paints him rather neutrally- Smaug is just being a dragon, and dragons kill people and animals and collect shiny things. I may not kill people, but I certainly keep to myself and I notice when my shiny things are touched and dislike it immensely. It was just a joy to read and hear the conversations between Smaug and Bilbo!

The Hobbit is an epic journey in one small, unassuming book. It's often hard to judge a book by its page count, but this one seems like it's longer than it is even though it's a short read (in a good way). If you've ever wanted to follow a wacky heist with a bevy of strange characters, this book may be for you.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars for a book that made me feel like a dragon again!

Age Advisory: Ages 12+ for violence, general reading comprehension, and tricksy hobbitses.

Page Count: 366 pages

"Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle #1)" by Diana Wynne Jones

The first thing to tell you about this book is its mood enhancing qualities. Something about my legs not working as they should keeps me a bit more of a grouch to live around, and I was in a terrible mood when I first picked this up. I read 37% of it in one sitting- and normally, when I'm in a foul mood I read only a few pages at a time. Beyond that, it put a smile on my face- which again, due to current circumstances, is a bit of a magic trick in itself.

If you aren't looking for a charming, if a bit light fantasy, you should probably look at some of my other reviews, because this one is rather breezy. Though some things have stuck with me from reading it, it doesn't quite have the resonance of many other fantasy books I've read. However, it proves itself a perfect respite from some of the darker reads that I tend to gravitate towards.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.'

The characters in this book are magnificent- from Sophie, who considers herself a ne'er do well but really isn't, to Howl, the obnoxious, vain peacock with a heart of gold, though it takes time to prove it. Sophie endeared me with her newfound elderly-ness and her cane, but Howl continued to irk me due to his personality. Some of the other characters probably weren't as lavishly endowed with personalities as Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer (the fire demon), but one doesn't really read a book for the background characters... or at least I don't.

Although I had seen the movie (years ago) there were aspects that still surprised me. I'm not sure if they were in the movie or not, but I found it interesting the way that the author created the world. Though this was written prior to Harry Potter, some of the elements did greatly remind me of that sort of magical experience. It also has multiple fairytale-esque qualities that helped the plot along. It's a magical book.

Howl's Moving Castle is a delightful adventure that falls on the lighter end of the fantasy spectrum, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked by the serious fantasy reader. Though many might label this a romance, I'm inclined to liken it to a character-centric fantasy instead, perhaps due to my aversion to Howl's personality. If you enjoy fantasy that isn't that grim, and can even be read by a younger audience, I recommend Howl's Moving Castle for your next reading venture.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an excellent, mood enhancing light fantasy!

Age Advisory: Ages 14+ for violence and some gruesome imagery.

Page Count: 329 pages

"Sunbolt (The Sunbolt Chronicles #1)" by Intisar Khanani

It's kind of unusual that I don't review a book I read while actively blogging, but that's what happened to another book by this author that I read first, Thorn. Sometimes you do everything right to review a book (highlight, take notes about what you'll cover) but you nonetheless draw a blank when staring down a review draft, and that was the case with Thorn. I mention this because Thorn was the reason I bothered to pick up another of this author's books, despite having a massive book hoard/TBR full of every kind of book already. Fair warning: I do compare this book against Thorn despite not having completed a review for it.

It's much easier to like Hitomi than the protagonist of Thorn, who had more growing to do before she came into her own. Despite her lack of parents, Hitomi seems fluent in the language of survival, with a little help from her friends. The start of the book is gripping because it springs from an action scene, which spurs the pace of the story, despite it being a relatively short book.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame.
'When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.'

You don't get more than a glimpse at the possible central plot to the series with this book, but there are plenty of progression points (and action) to keep this book from feeling unfocused. Hitomi joins forces with Ghost (a disguised vigilante) to aid the rebellion against Blackflame, even though it means likely drawing more attention her way- attention she doesn't need, as she's already seen as a foreigner in Karolene.

Although this book is short in page count, it covers a large swathe of story. Unique twists on paranormal staples like vampires and werewolves help define it as different from the rest, despite a relatively staid plotline. I did begin to notice some commonalities with some of Robin McKinley's books near the end, but it read more like an homage than a detraction. I likely wouldn't have noticed it as much, had I not read an interview with the author noting McKinley as one of her favorites.

A favorite quote:

I know it the moment I wake, an almost physical awareness, as if the air I breathe has lost its moisture, or a color had disappeared overnight so that, on waking, I find a world without amber or topaz, or amethyst.

            ~Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani, page 129 Kindle edition

Sunbolt is an excellent young adult fantasy I wish I had around when I was young. Not only is it a diverse fantasy book (a rarity in YA ten years ago... or even now), it also proves a quick read can also have a great deal of story to it. If you're in the mood for a unique fantasy read that won't take you very long to read, Sunbolt might be your next book.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for a magically short YA fantasy!

Content: Ages 14+ for violence, adventure, and trapped souls.

Page Count: 142 pages

"The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1)" by Soman Chainani

I received this lovely paperback from a giveaway at My Addiction: Books' blogiversary (thanks Cari and Haley!). I'd heard a lot about this book on the blogosphere previously and was also intrigued by that beautiful cover. I knew when I was done reading it, my mom's class of middle schoolers would love having a chance at winning this book before they're out of school, so I would be able to giveaway-it-forward.

Most middle grade books like this one tend to focus on schools in an effort to make schools more exciting to the kids who have to attend them (ah, those days...). But for me, a free adult, no longer jailed by a teacher, these books often either A) bore me or B) remind me greatly of Harry Potter. In the case of this book, it reminds me greatly of Harry Potter, which isn't really the fault of the book- anything with a school, magic, and with a fast-paced storyline does.

The Plot:
Sophie dreams of becoming a fairytale princess at the School for Good, while her best friend Agatha doesn't believe in such nonsense... until the night they're both snatched from their town to be students there. But instead of Agatha going to the School for Evil, like her witchy appearance would suggest, she's sent to the School for Good, while princess-like Sophie gets stuck with the School for Evil. Will they ever be able to fit in in a school in which they clearly don't belong? Or will the Schoolmaster have other plans for them?

I developed an instantaneous hatred for one of the main characters, Sophie, after reading just a few pages. As far as I can tell, the author did this purposefully, but maybe other people actually liked her prissy ways and constant health-food-referencing, beauty-routinizing, and other frivolous habits. She's more likeable as the book continues, but be forewarned you may find yourself grinding your teeth and reaching for sugary-things to endure the first few chapters of her personality.

The problems I ran into with this book were mostly personality-based. I was always a tomboy as a kid, and you couldn't sell me on boys that put worms in my hair being remotely attractive. Dresses, pink, and anything prissy were on my loathe list during the age Sophie and Agatha were in this book, and you cannot convince me all the girls would wear dresses ALL the time as students of the Schools do. Sure, they go to a private academy- I went to one too, but we had the option of pants, and 90% of the time, every single girl in our private school was wearing itchy polos and khakis to avoid having to wear an irksome jumper with Peter-Pan-collared shirt. Sophie changes up the clothes in this book, but still... pants. Girls wear pants, even when you want them to wear feminine fripperies. This book also needs a better tomboy-elect than Agatha.

The School for Good and Evil is something I would've probably liked better in my school years, but it was nonetheless an entertaining read. It's easily devourable, taking me only a few days to read it, even while enduring my first reading slump of the year. The only areas I didn't approve of consisted of some of my nitpicks, and I have a feeling most people wouldn't even notice the parts of the story that drove my rating down. If you love a good fairy tale, and ever wonder at how they might be made, The School for Good and Evil may be the book for you.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a solid middle grade fairy tale re-imagining!

Content: Fairytale violence and darkness (and one mild swear word). The back cover recommends this for Ages 8-12, but I say 8+.

Page Count: 488 pages in the paperback edition.

"Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)" by Suzanne Collins

If you haven't read or seen The Hunger Games book or movie, there might be spoilers in this review for you. My review of The Hunger Games is here.

Personally, I don't think Catching Fire and Mockingjay add much to the excellence of the original book. If you really, really loved The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, and her lovesick puppy Peeta, then you'll definitely want to read this book. This is a pretty great book, but compared with its predecessor, it lacks a certain something.

I think the biggest drawback for me of this book was the focus on what I'd call 'politics' and romance. Katniss must convince Panem that she's madly in love with Peeta, all while enduring flashbacks and what we'd label Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But then there's a twist that changes the course of the book, and we, the readers, are then sent off in another direction altogether.

The Plot:
Katniss and Peeta give their 'victory' tour, all while Katniss valiantly tries to convince the world she's in love with Peeta. But with an apparent rebellion beginning to heat up, will they be able to stifle it?

Because the synopsis doesn't mention it, I won't be discussing the major plot twist this book packs. What I will be discussing is although this book has a lot of plot points in it, it didn't strike a chord with me the way the first book did. Maybe because I never quite connected with the central characters, and without the one person I loved in the first book, Rue, I didn't feel all that sad when something bad happened to another character I didn't care about. The enigma that is Katniss Everdeen continues, and although I am *always* her when I take the book character quizzes, I still have no idea why. Perhaps because I don't feel anything for this book's characters?

Not that it matters that much now that the third book (and one of the third book's movies) is out, but the ending for this book is a cliffhanger. And I am of the opinion that this cliffhanger is not acceptable. It stops, I kid you not, in the middle of a conversation. Galling is the word I'd use to describe that lovely ending, and galling is not a lovely word.

Catching Fire is great, but has nothing on The Hunger Games. It's hard for a sequel to live up to its potential, and with this book, it had enormous shoes to fill and great expectations from me. I will admit, I'm a little hard to please with just about any book I read, and second books rarely seem to please me more than the first, but still. I recommend this one to those who love a good dystopian rebellion build-up, as long as you have Mockingjay on hand to finish the journey.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars for a sequel with a wince-worthy ending.

Content: Ages 14+ for the same reasons as its predecessor.

Page Count: 472 pages in my paperback edition.

"How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff

For some reason, during my purge of all my YA books, this was one of the few I chose to hold on to. Something about it was different from your mainstream books- the way it was written, the context of the plot, and the plot itself. In some ways, this is much better than The Hunger Games, because it's so much more real- I can see this happening.

This is a book I'm surprised I even picked up- the style it is written in isn't exactly my type. There are loads of run-on sentences, paragraphs that are only one sentence long due to that reason, random mid sentence capitalization of separate thoughts, and the girl who narrates it has problems with her weight- as in, she doesn't eat enough (not quite anorexia, but getting there). Somehow, the style grew on me, and made the book more raw and real-feeling than many other of the books I've read dealing with war.

The Plot (As Seen on Goodreads):
'“Every war has turning points and every person too.”
'Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.
'As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.'

I should also mention this book has incest- but it isn't as terrible as I felt the incest in City of Bones was. Daisy is Edmond's cousin, and they didn't even know each other until she was sent to England. In a way, this book provided the perfect recipe for this type of plot- because the teens were away in the countryside with no adults, it's feasible that might happen.

This is a book about the willpower to survive more than anything- at the end of the book, you get a glimpse of how some of the characters changed from who they were before the occupation. Even though they may have survived, they didn't survive intact. In a way, the lesson you take away from this book is summarized in my favorite quote:

"If you haven't been in a war and are wondering how long it takes to get used to losing everything you think you need or love, I can tell you the answer is No time at all."

            ~How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, page 111

How I Live Now takes a hard look at the consequences and horrors of war, while somehow entertaining you with the snarky teenaged heroine who grows through her experience. It is heartbreaking, but much more real due to its grimness. If you want to have your heart shredded to mincemeat with no promise of a happily-ever-after and don't mind thinking about how bad things could really be, How I Live Now might be the book for you.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars for a great, if heartrending book about survival.

Content: Ages 16+ for graphic scenes of war, cousinly incest, tobacco use, and mentions of teen sex.

Page Count: 194 pages in my paperback edition.

"The Hollow Kingdom (The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy #1)" by Claire B. Dunkle

This has an unusual plot choice for a Young Adult book- the plot is what most would consider more adult-themed. But since it's done in a unique way, there's no issue with age appropriateness.

Upon rereading this gem, I discovered my rating on Goodreads had been changed at some point- I remember rating it four stars, and it ended up with three. This book well deserves its four stars, due to its noncompliance with all my major YA hang ups- no instalove (or even instalust), no handsome suitor(s), no blah writing, and no girls completely incapable of fighting for what they want. Instead, this book tells a non superficial love story where a girl chooses to surrender herself to what she views as monsters, in order to find her sister.

The Plot:

Orphaned sisters Kate and Emily arrive at their parents' estate near Hallow Hill to be cared for by their great aunts. One night, they get lost in the woods, stumbling onto a group of Gypsies, who they ask to take them home. Kate is wary of them and refuses to ride on the horse they offer her, so she walks home. It's soon revealed that Marak, the man who escorted her home, isn't human: he claims to be King of the goblins, and intends to kidnap her to be his bride. All his intents come to naught, though, when she arrives at his door asking for his help, promising to be his willing bride if only he releases her sister.

This book reminds me of two different fairy tales- Beauty and the Beast and Rumplestiltskin, both with happen to be my favorites. It transcends both with its storyline, but in some ways it's an homage to folk tales and those who love the idea of goblins and elves in a historical setting.

The characters in this book are what make it truly stand out from the crowd. You have Kate, who is brave enough to face her instinctive fears when she realizes she needs Marak's help, and Marak, who, despite his gruesome appearance, is kinder to Kate than many other people in her life. I have always loathed captive bride stories, but somehow this one didn't end up rubbing me the wrong way, For the author to be able to tell this well, without the need for sexual content (I swear she only mentions them kissing chastely once) and still manage convince us of the depth their relationship is truly remarkable.

The Hollow Kingdom is an unassuming book loaded with a fascinating, and at times expansive story. Not only is it set in the nineteenth century, it's also set in a hidden fantasy world, somehow avoiding the hokeyness of many similarly plotted books. If you're searching for a quickly devourable book that somehow manages the depth of many similar 500+ page volumes, The Hollow Kingdom may be for you.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an excellent historical/fantasy crossover!

Content: Ages 14+ for violence and cruel magic.

Page Count: 230 pages in my paperback edition.

"The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)" by Suzanne Collins

By the time I'd read this book, I had watched the movie, read the reviews, and been fed such HYPE that I was certain I'd give it two stars or less just because it bugged me. But I was also curious- who was this Katniss Everdeen? I'd taken many "Which book character are you?" quizzes, and always, always ended up with 'You are Katniss Everdeen'... when I really wanted Arya Stark.

I was also in need of quick reads to get my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2013 back on track, and picking up this trilogy was an easy choice.

The Plot: (From Goodreads)
'Winning will make you famous.
'Losing means certain death.
'The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The 'tributes' are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.
'When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.'

My main issue with this book is the writing style, which no one else seems to object to. It was detached and made me feel 'blah', despite being in first person- or maybe because of it. I don't like many first person books, maybe because spelling out names makes sentences feel meatier and less like my second grade diary (or possibly, the first draft of my book).

Although the plot reminded me of previous books and short stories I've read, it was, in its own way, original- and probably the best part of the book. Even though many people have bemoaned the similarities to Ender's Game (a book with an MC I loathe), it didn't feel too derivative, probably because of the interesting details thrown in. The characters, besides Rue, fell a bit flat of my expectations, but really- if I lived in a dystopia, I'd be a little flat too. And not just in an emotional sense.

The Hunger Games wasn't what I'd thought it would be. Where I was warned on the news of 'extreme violence' that had supposedly induced nightmares in some teens, I found in reality it was tastefully done- I've read much more violent YA books in my time. Although Katniss may be a bit of an ice princess, her actions seem to speak louder than her words. If you're someone who hasn't read The Hunger Games, you may as well give it a try, because you'll never stop being asked "Have you read it, yet?" until you have.

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for an unexpectedly excellent dystopian.

Content: Ages 14+ for violence and killing (I wouldn't call it murder).

Page Count: 454 pages in my paperback edition

Similar Reading:

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung
A memoir I dubbed "The Real Hunger Games" because it perfectly describes it. Want to see real life dystopia through the eyes of a child? This is it.
"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson (A Short Story)
This is the story that I was constantly reminded of while reading The Hunger Games, and it's also something I read in school. It's been paired with "The Most Dangerous Game" for my Mini Macabre Review Monday feature, which also bears similarity to The Hunger Games.

"The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold" by Francesca Lia Block

These are fairy tale retellings set in the modern world, written in almost a poetry-like style. I remember reading these as a teen and being weirded out- but somehow I still rated it 3 Stars on Goodreads. As I reread, I was beginning to fear I'd made a terrible mistake in my original rating, because the first few weren't my cup of coffee, but they greatly improved after such a bumbling start.

I'll be individually grading each and put the overall rating at the bottom- it's much easier to review each story by story instead of generalizing them together.

"Snow" (Snow White Retelling)
I really felt this added nothing new to the story of Snow (White)- a few details were different, and the dwarves were renamed and modernized, but it didn't impress me.
Story Rating: 2 Stars

"Tiny" (Thumbelina Retelling)
Umm... the hero of this one was a major pervert, if you ask me. I liked Thumbelina's (or Tiny's, as she's called) character more than in the original fairy tale, but my enjoyment of her was overshadowed by the creepy hero.
Spoiler (Highlight to View): The 'hero' watches Tiny's mother undress through a window, and is perturbed to feel someone watching him- Tiny. Of course, he can't see her and freaks out.
Story Rating: 2 Stars

"Glass" (Cinderella Retelling)
Although the author's poetic style really shows in this one, I have to say I wasn't a fan. Maybe if something more was done with the story I wouldn't be so critical, but there was also the issue with the characters. I didn't even like the portrayal of one of my favorite fairy tale princesses, Cinderella (she actually went unnamed in this one, as far as I can tell).
Story Rating: 2 Stars

"Charm" (Sleeping Beauty Retelling)
This was the first one that I enjoyed rereading, despite being the one with the most difficult content (drugs and sexual abuse). The author manages to put a fresh spin on the story and addresses the difficult issues without it seeming out of place. I think she has powerful imagery, and she made the story her own.
Story Rating: 3.5 Stars

"Wolf" (Little Red Riding Hood Retelling)
Easily the best story in the entire book, due in part to a more relatable style. The characters were also more vivid, taking the spotlight instead of hiding in the shadows. Another darker story with themes of sexual abuse, but done in a tasteful way.
Story Rating: 4.5 Stars

"Rose" (Snow White and Rose Red Retelling)
This is the story that focuses more on issues between sisters or friends without as much happily ever after as the other stories have. Even the most lasting friendships can be damaged by jealousy and realizing that the other might have a better life, and this addresses that issue.
Story Rating: 3.5 Stars

"Bones" (Bluebeard Retelling)
I actually hadn't heard of Bluebeard before, and found out it's a French fairy tale based on a real life story- this is probably one of the more frightening ones due to the original story. This one truly gives you chills- it would almost have been suitable for my Mini Macabre Review Monday feature I had in October. The ending is what makes it so exceptional, which is why I said "Wolf" was the best short story, overall.
Story Rating: 4.5 Stars

"Beast" (Beauty and the Beast Retelling)
This one I really liked, but I've also read so many Beauty and the Beast stories that it didn't bring much new to the table for me, which is reflected in the story rating. Although a lot of the story was too much like the original (and other retellings), I liked what the author did for the ending, almost making it darker.
Story Rating: 3.5 Stars

"Ice" (The Snow Queen Retelling)
I vaguely remember the fairy tale of the Snow Queen, but didn't enjoy this story as much as I presumed I would. Even with the vague outline of the original story in my head, "Ice" wasn't much different, although I did like the style in which it was told.
Story Rating: 3 Stars

Although this collection didn't have the best of starts, the six stories at the end bolstered the rating. I'm sure there are better fairy tale retellings out there, but what made this one different was the setting in the modern world, with modern evils. I recommend this to those looking for a modern take on fairy tales, if you're willing to suffer the huge margins in the paperback edition (see below).

Overall Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a good collection of short stories that starts out 'meh'.

Content: Ages 16+ for f-bombs, sexual abuse, drug abuse, and violence.

Page Count: 227 pages in my edition, but more like 113 due to huge margins.

"Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies #1)" by Isaac Marion

I had no intention of ever reading this book, so I watched the film first. Then I purchased my Kindle, and this was one of the first Daily Deals I bought it on impulse, because I liked the film. It sat untouched until I was brave enough to pick it up- would I even like it? I have a history of not liking popular YA.

To my surprise, I really liked it- even though I knew all the plot twists and how it would likely end beforehand. It was better than the movie- and I thought the movie was pretty darn good. In my vague memory of the movie, I think it compares very well with the plot of the book- of course, if I watched it again I would probably find quite a few flaws with it.

The Plot:
R is a zombie. He eats people's brains, and through that, he relives the person's memories. He meets Julie on a raid in the city, but instead of eating her (and her brains) he chooses to shelter her from the other zombies. Will this unlikely bond last- and will Julie be able to make it back to the city?

I think the main reason I like this story is it's so different- to be able to see the world simplified through a zombie's eyes and have him crushing on (instead of crushing) a human girl is unusual. Because of the viewpoint- R doesn't have any memories and his thoughts are rather simple- there isn't any fantastic prose, but there is certainly a lot of candid truths R's world that might be true of our own world.

Whenever I review YA, I think of what my teenage self would think of this book, and in this case I probably would've loved it- I've never been particularly attracted to zombie fiction, but this one breaks the mold. However, having more experience with a wide range of books, I really like this book, but don't absolutely worship it. It should be noted that watching the movie prior to reading this may have spoiled some of the special experiences for me.

Warm Bodies is a study in what really makes us human and what truly makes us monsters. Like The Mad Scientist's Daughter, it's also a story of forbidden love, but it doesn't take the spotlight as much as the end-of-the-world adventures of humans and zombies. If you aren't one for normal zombie fare and prefer a different twist to what people assume are monsters, Warm Bodies might be your cup of coffee.

Rating: 4 Stars for an excellent zombie adventure!

Content: Ages 14+ for violence and occasional brain eating. I like my YA with a side of brains...

Page Count: 240 pages

"Cipher (The Shadow Ravens #1)" by Aileen Erin

Disclaimer:
I received this ebook for free via NetGalley, but in no way did it affect my literary taste buds. This critique is my honest opinion.

Book One of The Shadow Ravens Series

To Be Published: October 14th, 2014

If you're looking for hard sci-fi, this book probably won't be your cup of coffee. Cipher puts more emphasis on the romance side of things than its technological side- and more emphasis on genes and DNA than anything techie. For that reason, I was a bit disappointed: the cover suggested technology would be more than a little advanced. Instead, it's more ten years to the future (or at least that's how I see it) with dystopia as a side piece.

What this book offers instead is a look at relationships of the future: will we be more or less connected by technology? How will we live in the future- what will our dwellings look like? Will trust suffer in a world where identity is king?

The Plot:
Cipher (AKA Emma) is a hacker who has never been caught because of the precautions she takes with her work. Because she has a Red Helix in her DNA, she is hunted by government goons bent on killing her- Red Helixes wreak havoc on electronics and the electrical systems, and are considered largely dangerous. But when she doesn't run away after her latest hack, which caused her to fry most of the electrical systems nearby, will the mistake cost her her life?

Let me begin by saying YA isn't my favorite genre (and I had no clue when I picked this up it was YA- which the people of Goodreads currently shelve this book to be), but I can still enjoy a well-crafted story regardless of the age of protagonists. While I found the characters and storyline quite interesting, the world-building fell under my questionable category. It wasn't that the world-building wasn't there or wasn't unique in some way, it was that nothing was explained. I still have many questions left after reading this book, which normally would be a good thing. In this case, it caused major annoyance.

One thing I found very odd as a gamer myself was the gamer's lounge Cipher hangs out at, Marx's. The screen is super-big, but only up to 5 players can play on it. Five players? My brothers have both had original Xbox parties where seven of their buddies (eight total players) would play on two tiny television screens (as in, smaller than your average computer monitor tv screens) with no internet connection required. On a huge screen described in the book, I would expect up to ten players would be able to play, no problem. And it was especially weird given we now have MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) that that was the limit of players. Why wouldn't they hook up with other gamers lounges to play online with them? If you're going to game, it's the more the merrier in my humble opinion, and with technology the way it is now, things will only get more immersive in the coming years.

I also had some issues with Cipher herself- she comes across as majorly naive, despite hacking for big bucks for (most likely to be) nefarious people. In Marx's, the bartender tells her to see "Crackhead" if she wants a new processor, and Cipher thinks she says "a crackhead". If you've been online as much as I have (which isn't that much), you see a lot of people calling themselves some pretty odd names- not to mention gamers with pretty odd names/tags. Crackhead wouldn't be a stretch as far as a nickname goes.

Overall, Cipher left me with more nagging questions than answers. What are the Voids, and how did they come to be? Will the other Helix colors have more screen time in future books? Why only five players on one screen? Although I have many questions, I did like the basic story Cipher tells, and it was a very quick read. If you're a fan of Young Adult books and light sci-fi with a lot of romance, you'll probably like this book more than I do.

Note: The book I received was a review copy and this is a pre-release critique, so I have no idea what changes might take place in the published novel.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for a good story that left me with a few too many questions.

Content: Ages 16+ for cursing (a few f-bombs), violence, and sexual innuendo (no sex scenes).

Page Count: 210 pages (according to Amazon)

"Pirates!" by Celia Rees

Pirates! is the kind of book I expected when I picked up The House of Four Winds: a tale mainly about pirates, with a believable world (in this case, a historical one), plenty of adventure, and nail-biting moments. Pirates! starts out slow, but quickly builds into a rather inspiring tale of an unlikely friendship and the courage it takes to find freedom.

The Plot: (taken from the back cover)
"Nancy Kingston, an heiress fleeing an arranged marriage, and Minerva Sharpe, a runaway slave, both find unlikely salvation on the pirate ship Deliverance. Life as a pirate is difficult enough, but can the two young women escape the cruel Captain Bartholome, who has pledged to follow them over the seven seas? And will Nancy's long-lost friend, a sailor in the Royal Navy, love the pirate she has become?"

What drew me to the book as a teen was the promise of pirates, and the story elements that come with pirates (lying, cheating, adventure, stealing, being an outlaw, etc.), definitely not the romance. As a teen I was deeply unromantic, having been raised with an older jock brother who exploited the lust of women (girls bought my brother chocolates on Valentine's Day, not the other way around). This book was right up my alley- the romance is sweet, but it isn't used as the main plot (even though Nancy is a bit attached to her beau).

Cheating Pirates! From Giphy

This is my first historical read that deeply explored the concept of slavery from multiple angles. It's almost horrifying to read some passages where people are left out to die or die slowly and horribly, knowing that it actually happened. Even though this book is fiction, it paints a gut-wrenching picture of a time in history when our humanity wasn't valued, much different from the glossed-over depictions of Gone With The Wind.

I kind of wish they'd used this as the cover- Minerva deserves a place on the front as well.

I also liked the tentative friendship between Nancy and Minerva- I mean, if they were insta-buddies, it would have been odd. Their friendship may have started as one of convenience, but grows as the plot unfolds. Young Adult characters usually aren't my favorite, but these two grew on me.

This is a book choice both the adult and teen me can agree on- Pirates! is a historical adventure that goes beyond being just a story. It isn't often you have such an interesting (and unlikely) depiction of friendship in YA, and it truly made this book be memorable for me (having not read it for six years). If you're looking for a historical that doesn't gloss over the history, but isn't likely to bore you with details, Pirates! may be a book for you.

Pirate Rating:

From Giphy

Actual Rating: 4 of 5 Stars for a nautical historical YA that takes you (many) places!

Content: Lecherous scum, naivete, slavery, and violence. Best read when Ages 14+.

Page Count: 374 pages in my paperback edition

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (HP #1)" by J.K. Rowling

Chances are, you've heard of this book. It's very likely that you've read it- or re-read it- a time or two. I've read this many times, as a child, as a teen, and as an adult, so it seems only natural for me to write a review.

This book was banned in our house shortly after it entered, due the the presence of witchcraft and wizardry, and for other stupid reasons that never made sense in the first place. My brother was able to read the first four books without much trouble, but I couldn't read this series openly in our house without the a certain tyrant of a parent throwing a hissy fit. I was forced to buy the rest of the books covertly, sneak them in the house, and put them on the bottom shelf. If you happen to be a parent, don't ban books- your children will read them anyway, and bury you with that banned book in your hands, and then read a line from said banned book every time the child visits your grave. True story.

The Plot:
Orphaned shortly after birth, Harry lives in a cupboard under the stairs as a neglected ward of the Dursleys. As soon as Harry turns eleven, at the stroke of midnight, his world changes. He's been admitted to Hogwarts, a prestigious school of witchcraft and wizardry that both of his parents went to. But he soon learns the scar on his forehead is not the result of a car crash, and he has a foe who may be the greatest wizard of them all...

My favorite quote:

"There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

          ~Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling

As a kid, I loved this book because Harry was living a dismal life until the day he turned eleven, when everything changes and he realizes his destiny. As a teen, I loved the concept of a hidden world that ordinary people (Muggles) couldn't see, and the resulting sense of escapism every time I read a Harry Potter book. As an adult, I can appreciate every aspect of this book: the world, the characters, the story, the characters, the humor, the characters, the magic, and most important of all: the Characters.

If you haven't read this book, you've probably missed out on a lot of nerd-culture moments in the last fourteen years or so. I never went to any parties, never wrote a fanfiction of this, and never did anything Harry Potter-related, but I spent much of my teen years with friends who'd read it and liked to discuss it amongst ourselves. Most disappointing to us was the fact we didn't get accepted to Hogwarts (or its American cousin) when we turned eleven, but at least we had the books.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a book that promotes childhood reading, and brings back the childhoods of those who grew up reading it. It may not be written to the tastes of many who read it as adults, and some people don't like it at all, despite reading it as children. But if you have a taste for magic, humor, friendship, mythical beings, and extraordinary adventures, this may be the book for you.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars, for a banned book that made me want to be a witch!

Content: Suitable for almost everyone: mild violence and witchcraft, Ages 9+.

Page Count: 309 pages in my hardcover edition

"The Foretelling" by Alice Hoffman

This is a book I read as a teen, my first Alice Hoffman. You'd think that this is the novel that made me her fan, but I was honestly unimpressed after reading this and rated it accordingly.

The style of this book is a bit hard for me to swallow. At times, it's lyrical and lovely. At other times, it is so choppy and abrupt it hurts my eyes. I also really didn't like that this book was double spaced: if it wasn't done that way, it would probably be labeled a novella. I don't like books where there is a lot of formatting and random art pieces that sometimes take up a lot of the page, because I buy books for reading words and not looking at pretty things, and this was one of those books. But when I look past all of that, this book is worthy of being read, despite all my nitpicking.

The Plot:
Rain is the heir apparent in her tribe of Amazon warriors, although her mother and Queen, Alina, doesn't treat her like it. She was born as a result of intruders of their land raping Alina and leaving her for dead. Rain had hoped that as she matured, her mother would warm to her, but in her thirteenth year, a time when all Amazonia girls get their horse, it becomes clear that Alina will never be part of her world. Rain gets her mare from another source, the warrior Astella, who taught her to ride. It is said Rain has the gift for prophecy, and therefore her dreams are omens of the future. But increasingly, her dreams feature one thing, a black horse. The omen of death.

Rain is an interesting character because even though she's been brought up to be a warrior and kill anything foreign, when she finally meets a foreigner and he aids her she chooses not to kill him. She also doesn't spend a lot of time with her tribespeople, and only finds a friend in a former slave girl her people rescued. Generally when I think of queens-to-be, you'd think they would spend more time with their people instead of with their animals, but I could see how the Amazon tribe would differ.

It has been a subject of debate in recent years as to whether the Amazons of the ancient world were mythological or actually historical. I wasn't quite sure what to label this with, so I did a little digging online, and came up with this helpful article from the Smithsonian. Archaeologists have found remains of female warriors buried in kurgans- just as this book depicts.

The Foretelling is a tale about a queen-to-be coming of age and inheriting responsibilities. While it certainly isn't one of my favorites, it succeeds in bringing to life the myth and the history of the tribe of Amazon female warriors. If you are looking for a quick book about the Amazons, consider making The Foretelling your next read.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars for an interesting story with historical details that fell a bit short of my expectations.

Content: Violence, rape and sexual references, and Amazon culture. Ages 14+.

Page Count: 167 pages in my paperback edition, double spaced, with extra space taken for art elements.

"Briar Rose" by Jane Yolen

This is a book that combines the ominous historical elements of the Holocaust with the whimsy of a fairy tale, without being drawn out or boring. I read this last year, and was unaware that people considered it of the Young Adult genre, mainly because the heroine is twenty three years old and is taking care of her
grandmother.

I was in the same position a year ago, living with my grandma who is elderly, along with my mother. My grandma is a gem of a person, and she has so much experience in life that boggles the mind: she was at the very first school shooting in America, she was raised on a farm and rode a horse or walked to school, and decided to be a nurse when it was highly controversial (young women looking after male bodies was a no-no at the time). While I was reading this book, I found the heroine immensely relatable due to that: she saw her grandmother as a person, even in her most senile of moments, which is how it should be. Not everyone has the experience of caring for grandparents, and so I decided to add my two cents: this book is incredibly accurate in its depictions of the elderly, and even the nursing homes- many are still like that today, despite our best efforts to make them home-like and sanitary.

The Plot:
Twenty-three year old Becca visits her grandmother more frequently than even her parents, leaving her sisters to scold her for it. Before her grandmother passes, she is insistent that Becca know she is Briar Rose and once lived in a castle, and wants Becca to find it. Becca promises her this after much coercion, and shortly after her grandmother passes, leaving a mysterious rose-carved box full of breadcrumbs (newspaper clippings, heirlooms, and photos) for her granddaughter to help find her past.

What is so unusual about this take of the Holocaust history is that the author makes it clear that not everyone who was sent to death camps was Jewish. Sure, the majority of people were of the Jewish faith, but there were also gay people, Romani people, communists, people who protested or thought freely, and people who were reported by their neighbors. A lot of Holocaust fiction may only briefly mention the other peoples who were sent to be slaughtered, but one of the key characters in this book isn't Jewish and was sent to a death camp, which you typically don't find in the genre.

Briar Rose is about finding a family's heritage, written in such a way that it makes you curious as to what might be your family's secrets and stories. Holocaust fiction never makes for a light read, but this book captures the essence of a fairy tale, along with its depth. After you read this book, you won't think of Sleeping Beauty in the same way again: the real Sleeping Beauty has a crown of red hair, and she just may be Becca's grandmother.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars for a "better than the actual fairy tale", historical fairy tale.

Content: Aspects of the Holocaust are always disturbing and violent, I advise ages 14+.

Page Count: 200 pages in my paperback edition

Confessions: YA is Not My Cup of Joe

Confessions of an Insomniac Book Devourer #5

There is a growing trend of adults beginning to read books written with young adults in mind, so much so that it has even been mentioned on national news. In this vast movement, there is a sense of comradery and like-mindedness amongst its people: blogs have been made, Goodreads groups founded, and a whole community solidly instilled.

I am not among them. YA is just not my cup of coffee. Although I do critique it from time to time, those are mostly of books I read as a teen. I kind of wish I was an adult fan of YA, because the people of the movement are lovely and amazing, and have every right to read PG-13 books if they please. But I grew out of young adult books roughly four years ago.

Let me elaborate:
When I was a teen, I had real friends I could see on the weekends, but during the week, I relied on my book-friends, as I was in a homeschool-type situation. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Aerin the Dragonslayer, Princess Thirrin, Maerad, and Kaye the edgy faerie could visit me during the week, any time I wanted, without the bane of social media to talk through. I was not a rich girl, so buying new books had to be done with great thought, and the library in my city was a mess at the time, so I didn't use it. Instead, many times I reread my YA library, which was bigger than many of my friends' book collections, due to the money I spent building it. I would take those books with me everywhere during the week, often sitting in the waiting room of whatever doctor I was seeing that day's office, as I had a multitude of health issues during my teen years.

Gradually, when I was about 16, I began reading "adult" books instead of my library of young adult, and a funny thing happened. I felt like a whole new world was opened. You see, in many YAs, there is an ever-prevalent coming of age tale, but often the problems of the characters didn't equate with my problems. When you have physical pain most every day, and all the doctors in your region are baffled as to what the cause is, you don't want to read about some healthy, pain-free girl whining about how her life sucks because she has no boyfriend and a "v-card". You want to hear about people who have more meaningful struggles, which is why I often gravitate towards fantasy and sci-fi. And while the YA genre has many great fantasy and sci-fi books, often I still found the characters angsty over things that didn't matter to me.

As soon as I turned 18, I began giving away much of my young adult collection. I felt freed from the genre I spent my painful teen days reading, and I was quite ready to read any and all adult books I could get my hands on. I currently only have YA books were my favorites, but better yet, I've found new favorites in the adult genre.

And so, when I heard of adults reading YA, I became confused. Why would people want to go back to YA, having tasted the forbidden fruit of adult books? Did they enjoy the simplicity? The static coming of age themes? The boyfriends and v-cards and gossip? I did, after much cajoling, read The Hunger Games, having been pushed to read it by my older brother, and found it was really good, for its genre, but I won't be reading a lot of YA anytime soon. I still find it not my cup of joe, though I do continue seeking out new worlds to delve into, and sometimes consider young adult books for reading, it is not my mainstay.

If you limit yourself to YA on Amazon, there are 54,217+ options, but considering there are about twice as many Sci-fi and Fantasy books, it truly becomes a limited selection. I believe you should read whatever you want, whenever you want to, and it covers a vast majority of taboos, including adults reading YA. But it's good to remember there are a multitude of other genres out there, just waiting to convert you.

P.S. Although this blog is an ode to worlds of the written word (fantasy, sci-fi, historical, paranormal, classics, etc.), I read pretty much every genre. My mind requires a range of reading exercises not limited to the genres I blog about.

"The House of the Scorpion (Matteo Alcran #1)" by Nancy Farmer

The Hook: Matteo Alacran wasn't born, he was harvested.

I received this book as a gift at a present exchange in junior high, and had relatively low expectations of the book, despite the prolific awards dotting its cover. This was my first brush with dystopia, and one of my first exposures to science fiction as well. I don't think I even knew to call it "dystopia" when I finished reading it, it wasn't until the Hunger Games were the rage that I knew this actually was one. That said, this dystopia is more sci-fi than the ones you usually find, as it deals mainly with clones and futuristic technology.

The subject of clones is both taboo and intriguing in our modern world, because we do have the capabilities to clone animals, and it has been shown that clones of mice live just as long as the originals. Much of the discussion is being made as to whether we should clone extinct animals and essentially resurrect them from the dead, though the chances are slim, and it hasn't yet been done. There have been claims that human clones have been made by a religious group called the Raelian Movement, but no proof has been offered. This book was published in 2002, and it's fascinating how far the science of cloning has evolved since then, and yet how little we hear about it now.

The Plot:
Matteo Alacran is a clone, one of the few that survived being incubated in a cow's womb, to be harvested and raised as spare parts for his master. Although his brain wasn't damaged, as they do to many other clones, he lives a sheltered life with Celia, a housekeeper, in a shack set in a field of poppies. Until one day, when kids stumble upon his shack, he decides he wants to play, and breaks free from his lonely shack.

I'd never considered how someone would treat a human clone until I read this book. I would've assumed a clone would be treated humanely, because it would be a human, but I suppose the treatment of Matteo in this book would be more realistic, as some people wouldn't consider him human. While skimming the book for this critique, one of the main questions that came to my mind was how would we define human, in a society where there are identical humans walking about? I would consider a clone like Matteo a human, because of the humanness of his emotions- he could feel lonely, angry, and content depending on his day. When he was in the shack alone during the days, he longed for company, and his wish was granted. With some of the other "human" characters, you kind of wish they weren't human beings.

When you read this book, you really wonder what the future holds. If human clones are made, will they be treated like animals or humans? While there is technology to clone specific organs, is it really ethical to do so, or for that matter, is it ethical to clone anything at all?

The House of the Scorpion is a book that continues to ask questions of its readers, despite it being more than a decade old sci-fi novel designed for young adults. The characters are ones you relate to, and though the setting is futuristic and foreign, it feels familiar. I read this many years ago, but I still remembered the tale of a clone named Matteo when I dusted my copy off to critique it, proving that among the many books I read as a teen, this one you won't forget.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars for a solid coming of age tale dealing with topics of justice and humanity.

Content: Mild violence and abuse, Scholastic suggests grade levels 6+, or roughly ages 12+

Page Count: 380 pages in my paperback edition