Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

Title: Sisters of Blood and Spirit
Author: Kady Cross
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: March 31st
Rating: 4/5

 
Cover Impressions: I really like the idea behind this cover but the photoshop isn't quite up to snuff and I can't concentrate too long on the hairline without grimacing. 

The Gist: Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living.

Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn't exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she's not ready to join her sister in the afterlife.

Now the guy who saved Lark's life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.

Review:
Sisters of Blood and Spirit has a really interesting premise.  Twin sisters, one girl and one ghost - both more powerful than they know.  When they encounter a group of teens who have been marked by a frightening spirit, they agree to try and save them, even if that means venturing into the ruins of a mental institution that is filled with ghosts who would love to get their hands on the sisters.

The plot is very suspenseful and has some great, scary elements.  I actually avoided reading it right before bed.  There are some terrifying ghosts and, despite a few slow downs as we get introduced to the world building of this new series, the plot moves along pretty well.

I did feel a little lost in that so much seemed to have happened to the group prior to the start of this novel.  The girls grew up along side one another, but with Wren being considered the invisible friend.  Lark attempted suicide, was saved by a neighbor boy, institutionalized (where she had some harrowing experiences), abandoned by her parents and moved in with her grandmother.  I actually went to check if I was mistaken and there was a book (or novella) prior to this in the series, but there isn't.  Maybe Cross will be publishing a prequel at some point - either way, the time I spent trying to piece together the events of the past took away from my enjoyment of the plot of this novel.
 
The characters were fun.  Lark is the snarky, defenses up against the world, sister while Wren is kind and just wants to be accepted.  There was clearly some effort to distinguish between the narration style of the sisters, but it didn't always work and there were times where I forgot which POV I was currently reading. The sisters were also incredibly forgiving of each other.  They never seemed to get mad at each other, no matter what the offense.  The side characters each had some spark of personality, which is often difficult for large groups.  They seem to have potential for fleshing out as the series continues.  I was thankful that the love interest didn't quite turn out as expected (please Kady, no love triangle in future books...)

Bottom Line: Sisters of Blood and Spirit is a fun read with an interesting premise and some super spooky ghosts.  I will definitely be checking in with the next book in this series.   

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:15 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Attempted suicide, Violence by supernatural means, 
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Dyke, Retard, Bitch, Fuck, Bastard, Cock
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Great For Readers Who Loved:

ARC Book Review: The Break Up Artist by Philip Siegel

Title: The Break Up Artist
Author: Philip Siegel
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions:  Cute and unique.  The artistic style is really interesting and I like the colors though I am a little confused about some of the elements in the background...

Review:
Becca Williamson has a unique part-time job.  She recieves requests from jilted friends and then sets out to break up the relationship that caused the issue.  She has an excellent track record and few people even know that she exists.  Backed up by her sister, a young woman who is suffering bitterly from her own break up, Becca sees herself as freeing her school from the clutches of tyrannical rule of the couples.  Poised to embark on her biggest mission yet - to break up the school's most noteworthy power couple, and her former best friend - Becca must step out of the shadows if she hopes to succeed.  But, her talents were not hidden as well as she had hoped and devastated ex-girlfriends are well on their way to discovering the identity of the Break Up Artist.

I was really excited to read The Break Up Artist because of its interesting premise.  I can certainly relate to the teenage girl feeling like everyone had paired off, leaving the single girls an object of pity and ridicule.  It is so easy as a teenager in a relationship to make that the be-all, end-all of your existence and I loved the thought of one girl fighting back.  The Break Up Artist delivered on the teenage drama, if not quite on the espionage.  The novel was paced well enough to keep me interested, with Becca moving further and further into Huxley's sphere of influence while still attempting to ruin her prom queen life.  I wasn't all that keen on the writing style, much of it seemed superficial and I would have liked to see what was going on beneath the surface, but it didn't distract a great deal from the plot.

As a character, it is clear that Becca is dealing with some issues.  Watching her sister fall apart after being dumped on her wedding day changed everything that she believed about the possibility of love and she began questioning every relationship that she saw.  It is clear that Becca cares about her sister and her work as the Break Up Artist gives an outlet for some of their collective anger.  This sets us up for a character who, despite having a rather flexible set of morals, is loyal to a fault.  This led to some anger issues in myself, as a reader, when Becca makes the choice to betray someone that she cared about - for a boy.  This choice by the author undermined everything that he had already told us about the character.  The supporting characters in this story are rather flat and boring.  Her best friend is obsessed with finding a boyfriend - any boyfriend and, despite their seemingly strong bond, I don't see any real connection between her a Becca.  Huxley is clearly a Regina George clone and, once she began to have a real part in the story, brought a Mean Girl's vibe to the rest of the plot.  The one character I did want more of was Becca's sister. Dianne was clearly suffering from some serious emotional trauma and I liked that the story followed her to some degree.

One of the major issues that I had with this book was the apparent views of the author.  Having never BEEN a teenage girl, perhaps Mr. Siegel should have chosen a less demanding subject.  He seemed to believe that all teenage girls think about is relationships.  That every move made, every club joined and every word spoken is part of a calculated plan to snag a man.  He also seems to think that any boy will do and that the boys have the upper hand.  They choose a girl, and she goes along for the ride.  This left me angry.  I teach teenage girls and yes, boys take up a large part of their time, but they are not looking for ANY boy, and they are not sitting around waiting to be chosen.  Give them some credit.  I also found the boys in this story to be completely unrealistic.  The huge romantic gestures were laughable and the thought that any teenage boy would do something so public without the least amount of ribbing (or far worse) from their peers is ridiculous.  And, as a more petty side note, teenagers do not use email.  They text, they snap chat, they tweet but they do not use email outside of emailing a school project to themselves.  EVERY DAMN TIME HE MENTIONED EMAIL (which is a lot) I WANTED TO QUIT READING THE BOOK.          

Despite the issues in this novel, it was redeemed slightly by the ending.  A new bad guy is revealed and receives his comeuppance (though another one goes completely scott-free).  Becca learns how much her "profession" was hurting people and may possibly embark on a new, more moral friendly, though just as manipulative, career.  

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  15 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: None
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Piss, Flamer (referring to homosexuality), Slut
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking

ARC Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: May 28th, 2013
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions:  For regular readers of YA romance, this cover is sure to please.  The models represent the characters well, the scene is hot and steamy and the backdrop and font add a touch of edge and interest.  For me, as an often reluctant YA romance reader, it is a little too run of the mill to match up with the phenomenal writing that I expect from the author of Pushing the Limits.

The Gist: Beth Risk is constantly trying to save her mother.  When she comes to the rescue once again, she ends up in jail and is bailed out by her uncle on one condition - that she leave her friends and mother behind to come live with him.  Under her uncle's watchful eye, she tries to make a place for her in a town that she thought she had left behind and finds love in the most unlikely of places - with the town's golden boy.  Ryan Stone appears to have it all, but is dealing with a seriously fragmented family and trying to decide if the future that he has worked so hard for is his own dream, or his father's. 

Review:

Dare You To had some pretty big shoes to fill.  Katie's last book, Pushing the Limits, easily made my top ten of last year.  While the follow up is enjoyable, it is not nearly as strong as its predecessor.  I found the characters this time around to be harder to connect with.  I liked Beth from the previous novel, but her dogged determination to rescue her mother was hard to watch.  Ryan, however, I really didn't like.  He claims to be a gentleman who insists that men treat women with respect, but from the very first scene he showed that (particularly through his "dares") he is just as capable of demeaning women as the next guy.  My dislike did fade as the book went on, but it made the first half a little difficult to get through. 

I was glad to see that the whole dare thing was put to bed fairly quickly and that it didn't result in the expected cliche (a la She's All That and a thousand other movies).  The connection between Beth and Ryan was HOTTT, though I could have done with a little less on again, off again.  I was also happy to see some depth of Ryan's character once we begin to learn a little more of his family situation.  McGarry really knows what she is doing with character development. Dare You To shows a nice juxtaposition between the "golden boy" and the damaged girl and explores how both of their lives are challenging even though only one appears so from the outside.  Beth begins as the complete badass that we remember from Pushing The Limits but sees some considerable growth by the end.  The scenes with Beth and her mother were heartbreaking, terrifying and made for some real excitement to what is not a particularly action fueled plot.

Dare You To was not a particularly weak book, but it did take me a considerable amount of time to get through.  I am chalking this up to my difficulty connecting with the characters and my inability to immerse myself in a plot that is mainly about the romance between two teenagers.   I would still recommend this as a strong contemporary romance for those students who love that genre. 


Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, intercourse between teenagers (not graphic)
Violence: Physical Fighting, Child (Teen) Abuse
Inappropriate Language: Ass, Fuck, Dick, Bastard, Whore, Slut
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking, marijuana use, heroin use

Book Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Title: Speechless

Author:  Hannah Harrington
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is cute and effective but needs something to make it a little more eye catching.  I am happy to see a cover model that seems to reflect the main character, but would have seen a bit more red to her hair.

The Gist: Chelsea has spent most of her teenage years playing sidekick to Kristen.  In her climb to the top of the social pyramid, she has discovered and revealed secrets about most of her classmates.  One night, a secret she reveals leads to consequences that she never expected and she is forced to re-examine her choices.  She realizes that he root of her problem is her gossiping ways and vows to stop speaking.  Abandoned by her friends, she must now find a way to survive the abuse and ridicule, without speaking a word. 

Review: I read Speechless in just a couple of hours last night.  Now, I know, that doesn't seem remarkable to most readers, but you have to realize; I have a child, I have a husband, a home and a full time job.  I have a thousand things vying for my attention during every minute of the day and I still read this book in one sitting. 

This story tells of a unique perspective: the popular girl who is part of something horrible and is able to see the error of her ways and actually take an action to become a better person.  I loved that even though Chelsea had ruled with fear and ridicule as Kristen's second in command, she was able to see what a horrible person she had been and to recognize that her problem had come from being unable to keep her mouth shut.  Her progression from popular princess to actual decent human being is not an easy or quick one.  She struggles along the way, but, through her vow of silence, is eventually able to see herself and the people around her in a much more realistic light.  I love watching a character grow throughout the book and by the end of Speechless, Chelsea is a much better person, able to see not only the flaws, but also the good in herself and others. 

The other characters are sweet, if a little underdeveloped.  We have two love interests, one sweet and one superficial.  Eventually Chelsea is able to distinguish between them and to make the right choice.  We also have Asha, the kind and kooky girl who sees the potential in Chelsea and helps her find it herself.  Naturally, we also have to deal with the "villians" of the story - Chelsea's former best friend Kristen, who honestly wasn't that nice to her to begin with, and the jocks who torture Chelsea as punishment for ratting out their friends.  These characters, particularly Kristen, could have used a little more page time.  There were glimmers of potential with her, but it wasn't really explored. 

The plot is not particularly fast paced.  There is a party, some school issues, a romance, some personal growth and a school dance.  However, it is very well written and Harrington does an excellent job of writing realistic teenage dialogue, though I wish she had gone a little easy on the vulgar language.  Chelsea's journey to self-realization and her dedication to her vow are interesting enough to keep the plot moving and the friendships and romance that develops is sweet, without being overpowering.  I would recommend this for most teenagers, but would warn that it includes vulgar language and sexual situations that may not be appropriate for younger teens.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing, Talk of sexual acts
Violence: Fist Fighting, Attack on a gay teen
Inappropriate Language: Piss, Shit, Bitch, Slut, Whore, Fag, Fuck, Dick
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking, Marijuana Use

Book Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

 
Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is ok.  It doesn't even come close to showing what a great book this really is.  I am happy to see that Noah and Echo are pictured as described (even down to the long sleeves - though I would like to have seen her in gloves).  The lighting is well done, but I'm not sure this one would stand out very well on a shelf.

The Gist: Overnight, Echo Emerson went from Miss Popularity to the High School Freak and no one knows why.  The horrible scars on her arms prove to Echo that something awful happened that night, but she can't remember.  Under the guidance of a new therapist, she meets Noah Hutchins, a boy who is not only dark and dangerous, but just as damaged as she is.  Fighting their undeniable attraction, they set out to reveal each other's secrets.  In order to do so, they must each let their guard down and let the other in.

Review: Jumping on the Awesome Book Band Wagon in 3...2...1... WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Confession time: were it not for the amazing reviews from other bloggers, I never would have picked up this book.  I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction and I tend to steer clear of books that appear to focus mainly on a romance ESPECIALLY if they throw out the words "soul mates" or "destiny" (which the UK version does - right on the cover).  But Pushing the Limits, is not one of those books.  Yes, the romance is a big factor, but it loses center stage to some wonderful character development with a smattering of mystery.

McGarry has a remarkable skill in writing broken characters.  Echo and Noah both had moments that forcibly grabbed me and threw me into their world.  It is not often that a book can evoke such a strong emotional response in me, but this one succeeded.  There were several instances where I blinked back tears or fought the urge to shake somebody (usually Echo's parents).  The two main characters felt so real that I could easily picture them sitting in my classroom, trying to be invisible, while I sit behind my desk trying to think of a way to reach them.  Those are the type of students that break your heart - when you can see so much potential being smothered by so much pain.  As characters, Echo and Noah are always compelling, often raw and never boring.  They carry the story and have the kind of chemistry that makes the reader's heart race right along with them.

I was impressed by the manner in which McGarry tackled the relationships not only between Echo and Noah but between all of the characters on the periphery, especially Noah and his brothers and Echo and her parents.  It was heartbreaking to watch Echo interact with her "friends" and family as she struggled to meet their demands and win their love and to stand by while Noah spent supervised visits trying to maintain his connection to the two little boys who were his whole world.  Throughout the novel, I was pleased to see a great deal of growth in both characters, but a realistic journey to it.  There were struggles, there were setbacks, and, in the end, there were issues that weren't exactly solved, but where steps had been taken down the right path.

The writing in Pushing the Limits is clean (though I wish Noah would have laid off the siren and nymph comparisons) and the plot moves at a steady pace.  In character driven novels such as this it is easy to let action and excitement fall by the wayside, but the truth behind Echo's scars is revealed in such as way as to keep the reader engaged.  As Echo's memory returns in snatches, we begin to see the true horror and sadness behind what happened to her and how broken her family truly was.  In splitting the narration between Echo and Noah, McGarry ensures that each chapter leaves the reader wanting to turn one more page, read one more line until, if you are like me, you have finished the entire book in just a few short hours.


The only mark against Pushing the Limits is that the sexual nature and vulgar language would prohibit me from recommending it to my Junior High students, though I highly recommend it for teens over 16 and adult lovers of YA novels.

Katie McGarry has earned a fan for life.  I have already listed Dare You To (Beth's Story) as to-read and will count down the days until it's eventual release sometime in 2013.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender:  Female
Sex:  Kissing, Sexual Acts, Vulgar Sexual Language.
Violence:  Fist Fight, Drugging, Attempted murder
Inappropriate Language: Varied and Often: Fuck, Tits, Dick, Ass, Shit, Bitch, Jesus Christ, Pussy, Slut, Bastard, Whore
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking, Marijuana use,


Notable Quotables:

"She'd come home with me to act as my barrier for Family Firday - or as I liked to refer to it, Dinner for the Damned."

"No.  I like my brian cells.  I find they come in handy when I ... oh, I don't know ... think."


"Luke used to give me butterflies.  Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls."

ARC Book Review: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

Title: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

Author: Kady Cross

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: May 22, 2012

Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is very eye-catching and I love the color of the dress and the intricacy of the clockwork collar.  I am particularly glad that it was featured as it played such an important role in the novel.  I also enjoy the ambiguity of the expression on the model's face.  It is difficult to tell just what she is thinking and feeling.

The Gist: Having defeated The Machinist, Finley Jayne and her newfound friends have barely a moment to celebrate before Jasper is handcuffed and whisked off back to America to face a murder charge.  The team follows him and are thrown into midst of the New York criminal underbelly while Jasper attempts to save himself and the mysterious girl that he left behind.  

Review: This novel felt much more comfortable than it's predecessor.  The characters seem to have worked out some of their issues and we are allowed to experience much more action and adventure rather than melancholy and introspection (though Griffin is still far too moody for my liking).  In setting the novel in New York, Cross allowed for the development of Griffin and Finley's relationship without the interference of Griffin's station as Duke or Jack Dandy's advances.  Finley also shows a great deal of growth in the acceptance of her abilities and, it is my hope, by the next novel she may have stopped whining about her attraction to the dark side all together.  

Having established much of the world building in the previous novel, the writing in this one flows much more easily.  We are not bombarded by the introduction of machine after machine and those that are described are much more original and, usually, play an integral part in the plot.  Cross still shows a weakness for describing clothing and often seems to invent excuses to get Finley and Emily into elaborate dresses.  The major flaw in her writing is the repetitiveness.  We are constantly reminded that Finley has a dark side, that she enjoys the danger and that they are all worried that the "Jekyll" part of her personality may be becoming dominant.  She also has a tendency to repeat descriptive words and phrases (snap like a chicken bone, tear like tissue paper, etc).  What made this novel receive 3 stars (as opposed to The Girl in the Steel Corset, which I gave 2 stars) is that the story is interesting enough and the plot fast-paced enough, to overlook this idiosyncrasies.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: Age 12 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: None
Violence: Fighting, Gun-fighting.

Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse: None

Early Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules 
Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 24, 2012

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: This cover doesn't do much for me.  Firstly, the main character is Asian, this model is .... not.  I don't like that.  If the person on the cover is meant to represent a character, then make them look like that character.  No white-washing please.  Secondly, the expression on the model's face is bland, I would prefer her to look upset, or angry or determined or ... something.  Thirdly, the tear, while eye catching, seems off somehow.  Perhaps it is because it starts in the very middle of her eye, perhaps it is because it doesn't wash away any of that heavy eye makeup.  I do like the font and am thankful that, although Kagawa is already a successful author, her name doesn't appear bigger than the book title.

The Gist:  In Allison Sekemoto's world vampires rule with an iron fist and humans are treated as no more than cattle.  Here she fights for survival alongside other scavengers, constantly aware of the threat lurking in the shadows.  When her daring leads to a deadly attack, Allison is offered a choice: die on the dusty street or become what she loathes most. 

Review:  The Immortal Rules is one of those rare YA novels which combines an interesting world, and an action packed plot with a strong, capable heroine. Allison is not your average YA female, she pulls her weight and doesn't depend on the men around her to act as her savior.  She never balks at an impossible situation and she doesn't whine.  When she is faced with a task and other issues threaten to steal her attention she says things like "I would sort all this out later" and "though I hated this, I forced myself to concentrate".  Despite her claims to own the keys to lonerville, Allison continually surprises herself, and the readers, by risking herself in order to protect that people that she is supposed to think of as nothing more than food.  

The world that Kagawa has created combines the dystopian elements of a post-plague city ruled by bloodthirsty vampires with the heart-thumping zombie-like "Rabids" who stalk the lands outside.  The rabids are terrifying, difficult to kill and can erupt beneath the very ground you walk on.  Their mindless quest for blood creates exciting battles and heart-thumping moments as we push for human survival.  As Allison travels with a pack of humans, ever conscious of their tempting vulnerability, she struggles with her hunger and fights to pull together the tattered remains of her humanity creating a sense of suspense as we wait for the inevitable.

While the second half of this novel is ruled by action, the first half does contain a certain amount of info-dumping, mostly through Kanin - Allison's maker.  I did not find this too distracting as the world Kagawa has created is a very interesting one, but I do wish that the character of Kanin had been a little more animated in his lessons.  I am very confident that, now that the world building has been established, the other books in this series will scarcely give the readers a moment to breathe.  

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Either
Sex: None
Violence: Vampirism, swordplay, gunfights, violent attacks by "rabids"

Inappropriate Language: Whore, Bitch, Bastard
Substance Abuse: None

Book Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is quite beautiful and matches well with the previous one in the series.  I like the styling of the model in a simple dress and headband with natural wavy hair.  Although a small part of me does wish it showed some reflection of the opulence of the Underworld palace.  

The Gist: After winning both her immortality and a seat as the Queen of the Underworld, Kate Winters must now fight to win the heart of her King and husband, Henry.  Just when she is ready to spend some time getting to know the man that she married, her new-found family is attacked by Chronos, King of the Titans and Kate must put her own jealousy and mistrust aside to enlist the help of Persephone, her sister and the woman who broke Henry's heart.

Review: Goddess Interrupted is one of those books that leaves me wishing I could shake the author until she agreed to go back and fix it.  I love this world.  LOVE! I enjoy the new take on the Gods and Goddesses, I love how they had to re-invent themselves and how they depend on mankind to keep them relevant.  I was really intrigued by the imagining of the Underworld as being whatever the spirit expects it to be and believe that this opened the door to explore the moral ambiguity of a person spending eternity being punished, not because they deserve it, but because this is what they have always been told to expect.  The plot itself hinges on the many instances of infidelity among the Gods and could question whether or not a person should be held accountable for their actions after having their heart broken over and over again for millenia.  Had the author chosen either of these paths, the second half of this novel could have been interesting and thought provoking.  However, she did not.  Instead, Aimee Carter choose to write page after page of an increasingly whiney girl begging a boy to love her, despite the fact that his words and action show little more than disdain.

The first half of this novel described a fascinating world in which resplendent meadows gave way to rivers of fire and back again.  Kate explores this world, enlists the aid of the sister she never wished to know and is part the battle against the King of the Titans.  The characters showed major flaws, but we still had half the book to go in which they could grow - I was hungry for more.  Then things quickly fall apart.  We spend the second half of the book listening to Kate as she laments that Henry doesn't love her.  *Knock, knock "Hello Kate? Just thought I would remind you that the world is about to end.  Yeah, this big mean dude made of fog is going to kill everyone in the ENTIRE WORLD, could you maybe concentrate on the big picture for one, teeny, tiny moment?"  Nope.  She didn't listen.

Kate goes on and on about Henry's lack of interest and, normally, I would chalk this up to her being an annoying, self-deprecating character who is unable to see the truth, but no, based on Henry's behavior, I don't think he loves her.  He treats her like garbage, refusing to speak to her, refusing to be alone with her and comparing her to his first wife at every turn.  At one point I found myself yelling at Kate to get angry, start throwing things, storm out of there, do ANYTHING but cry on your bed and make excuses for why you should overlook his behavior and "give him time".

Goddess Interrupted gets a 2/5 because the world is wonderful and interesting.  It is also redeemed by the last couple of pages which leaves me considering reading the next book in the series.  But please, no more sycophantic teenage girl characters who are willing to overlook not only major flaws, but horrid mistreatment, for the man that they "love".  It sets a poor example to young girls everywhere and with all the Snookies and Lindsay Lohans out there, aren't there enough bad role models already?

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Talk of sex between two characters, A LOT of talk about infidelity, one sex scene.
Violence: Cuts, attempted strangulation, loss of a limb

Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse: None

Book Review: The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions:  The cover is beautiful, even if it isn't exactly unique.  Far too many YA novels are simply shoving a pretty young girl into a stunning dress and expecting the masses to jump on board.  Unfortunately, as readers, we are suckers for this.  The pose is pretty common and I am simply thankful to the cover art gods that she doesn't have a tattoo across her back.  It also displays one of my pet peeves: elements that have NOTHING to do with the book: here it is the odd finger contraption and locket.  In fact, now that I think about it, the dress is "off" as well.  I would have much preferred if they had featured the dress that Finley received from Jack. 

The Gist: Finley Jayne is different.  When she is threatened the "other" Finley takes over.  This side of her has a fierce temper and the strength to back it up.  When an altercation sends her running, Finley finds herself with a new group of allies and in the midst of an investigation against "the Machinist"; a madman bent on wreaking by commandeering the city's automatons

Review: This was my first foray into the world of Steampunk and I am finding it difficult to determine how much of my dislike came from the book itself and how much came from the genre.  (As a side note - if someone can recommend a better Steampunk novel, please do so.  I really don't want to give up on the genre because of one sub-par book).  While reading, I kept questioning which came first: the story or the wardrobe and machine ideas.  It seemed that Kady Cross had written this novel simply so that she could describe pretty dresses and odd machines.  Unfortunately, she did not do either particularly well.  The whole world seemed a bit too .... convenient.  Why set your book during the 1800's, if each time they encounter an obstacle, you are going to provide your characters with bastardized versions of modern electronics?  Even these machines weren't creative, the "hand torches" (flashlights) and "pocket telegraph" (texting feature on a cell phone) left me rolling my eyes each time they were mentioned.

Cross' characters were also flat and unappealing.  They seemed to have little personality beyond the bland stereotype (pretty girl, rich gentleman, smart chick, tough guy, bad boy and cowboy - Yes, I said COWBOY to borrow from my teenage years - gag me with a spoon).  Emily had unrealized potential and left me wishing that she had been the main character instead of Finley.  Speaking of Finley, it seemed like she was playing at little girl lost.  Her cries for friendship felt weak and insincere and her moments of self-doubt and guilt were completely un-realistic.  As for the gentlemen, if you threw them all into a giant melting pot and threw in a dash of Johnny Depp and a pinch of Ryan Reynolds (remember that scene in Blade where he was being tortured and you could just see a tattoo...well,  it has nothing to do with this book but it was a great scene wasn't it?) mix those guys all together and you MIGHT come out with one interesting character.  The villain was laughable and seemed to have just escaped from the Mystery Machine yelling "and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!"

The plot was pretty predictable.  I had figured out all of the plot twists long before any of the main characters.  The writing annoyed me with repetitiveness.  I could have started a drinking game with the number of times I read "Corset" or "Cravat" or Emily's hair was described as "Ropey".  Note to author: Either a) use a thesaurus or b) STOP CONCENTRATING ON THE DAMN CLOTHES AND GET ON WITH THE STORY!  The "romance" in this book was nearly non existant and would have been better described as a bro-mance between Griffin and Sam. 

But why, you ask with baited breath, did you give it a 2? Why not a 1?  Firstly, a 1 is reserved for the most vile, vomit-enducing pieces of tripe and this wasn't quite there (mostly because I liked Emily and hold out hope that in the next book she will get more page time).  Secondly, without having read any other Steampunk, I am not entirely sure whether or not some of my issues stem from the book or the genre and reserve the right to re-evaluate at a later date. 

Teaching Notes:

Age: Grade 7 and up
Gender: Girls, very few boys would pick up a book with this type of cover. 
Sex: None
Violence: Attempted assault, violence between humans and between humans and machine, lots of blood. 
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse: Discussion of the use of opium, one scene of adults and minors drinking alcohol.