The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters

Title: The Steep and Thorny Way
Author: Cat Winters
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Rating: 2/5

The Gist: A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten.

1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather.

The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a “haint” wandering the roads at night.

Review:

While The Steep and Thorny Way is inspired by Hamlet, it is not your average re-telling.  The plot follows the source material fairly closely in the beginning, but steps eventually steps away from the basic plot and becomes a great deal less predictable.  There are some really terrifying moments that involve the KKK and some exploration on how easily these hate groups can pull in and indoctrinate new members.  The violence is, however, tamed down a bit for a younger audience.

I enjoyed the main character well enough but I did not find her particularly interesting and she did not have the level of depth which usually endears a character to me.  As with all the characters here, her motivations were unsurprising and single-minded.  I did really enjoy the relationship between Hanalee and her best friend, but this did not feature very strongly in the second half of the book and I missed it. 

While the book itself is enjoyable and it brings to light some very important and uncomfortable truths regarding racism and violence, I am a little uncomfortable with the thought of (what appears to be) a white author writing this story.  It is not that I don't think she did a good job (though I am also white so I am certainly not the one to judge the validity of the young, black, girl experience) but in publishing it appears that there are a set of boxes to be ticked.  When this one ticks the Historical Fiction exploring racism featuring an African American lead box, that means that another author, likely one of color, who wrote a book with similar themes, will not get published.  It is a bit of double edged sword, we want to see more POC characters and themes, so this is fabulous, however, in an ideal world they would also be WRITTEN by POC.....

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Salt to the Sea
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Release Date: February 2nd, 2016
Rating: 4/5

The Gist: In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are  Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

Review:

Salt to the Sea tells the story of four teenagers as they experience the last days of WWII.  As they travel to the ill-fated Wilhelm Gustloff in an attempt to escape the ravages of war, we learn of the hardships they have already endured and watch as even more horrors befall them.  Admittedly, I do not usually seek out novels of this nature, especially those centered around the holocaust (since having children, I just can't handle the subject matter), but nonetheless this is a story I have not read before.  I knew nothing historically about the disaster to come, but did find it a little frustrating that the cover so clearly gives the plot away.  I realize in historical fiction this is a common theme (I wouldn't expect a book about the Titanic to try and hide the fact that the ship was to hit an iceberg) but I find in these cases I have difficulty keeping my interest in the plot because I am waiting for the disaster to strike.   


While Joana, Emilia, and Florian have stories full of heartbreak and sorrow, the fourth, Alfred is best described as putrid.  The more I read in his point-of-view, the more creepy he became.  He is the epitome of a young man who, in his own mind, is special and it is everyone else who is wrong because they are unable to see it.  He is entitled and lazy, finding a myriad of ways to avoid the work required of the other soldiers.  He becomes infuriated when others do not recognize how wonderful he is.  There is an extra, shiver-inducing, layer in his "letters" to a young woman at home that he was clearly obsessed with and who, expectantly, did not share his feelings.  The fact that I am writing this almost a month after reading the book and still want to strangle Alfred myself is a testament to what a well written character he is. 

There are several scenes that were difficult (especially as a mother) to read.  These usually involved children.  There were some heart-wrenching moments for our main characters and their friends, but also a number that happened in the background, in a mere line or two, and had nearly as much impact.  The story is told through the eyes of our four main characters and each of the sections is rather short.  This keeps the plot moving quickly and allows each character's secrets to be revealed slowly.  I was, however, a little disappointed in the ending.  It didn't seem as developed as it could have been and was overly sweet, given the circumstances. 

Bottom Line: Recommending this book for all my historical fiction fans. 

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Title: Walk on Earth a Stranger
Author: Rae Carson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: Sept 22, 2015
Rating: 4/5

The Gist: Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

Review:

Walk on Earth a Stranger is, ultimately, a story about how Leah learns to trust people and finds a new family.  After her parent's brutal murder and the loss of the gold she had been collecting for years, Leah finds herself the target of their murderer, a person who will stop at nothing to gain control of her gift.  With very few possessions and even less money, Leah begins the arduous trek to California to find her fortune along with so many other Argonauts.  The journey is not an easy one, and certainly not a safe one for an unescorted young lady, so Leah becomes Lee - a young man setting out on his own, and gets hired on by a family also headed West. 

While I found the plot to be a little less exciting than I would have preferred, the novel really shines in its character development.  Throughout the journey, we get to see many sides not only of Leah, but also of the many companions that she meets along the way.  By the end, she has learned to trust again and created a new family of her own.  She has also learned just what she is capable of not in spite of, but because of, being a girl. 

I was a little disappointed that the whole 'gold sense' didn't play as much of a role as I had expected, however, I also thought that this was a stand alone and not the beginning of a series.  I am hopeful that Leah's gifts will play a greater role in the next book.  The same can be said of the villain of the story.  He book-ended the story with parts at the beginning and the end, which was slightly disappointing as he was dealt with rather quickly at the end.  I will be much happier if he plays a larger role in the second book and adds and extra sense of tension. 

There is also a theme of feminism that runs through the novel.  This was refreshing and interesting as we watched Leah live as herself and disguised as a boy.  As Lee, she was able to see how differently people treated her when she was in pants rather than skirts and as Leah she became more and more frustrated with the way that men, even those who care about her, tried to control her.  I loved this aspect of the plot and look forward to even further development in the next book.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Hunting, Murder by gun
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Other Issues: Death from exposure, illness, childbirth

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Title: A Madness So Discreet
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Release Date: Oct 6, 2015
Rating: 3/5

The Gist: Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

Review: 
Grace Mae, pregnant and broken, has been locked away in an asylum by the family that is supposed to love and protect her, but which has done neither.  She endures the abuse and neglect of the asylum until she meets Dr. Thornhollow, who performs surgery on the more violent offenders.  She concocts a scheme which will allow her to escape both the asylum and her family and which leaves her in the care of the doctor as his assistant.  Under his tutelage, she begins to learn the science of profiling and seeking out murderers.  As they get closer and closer to the serial killer they are trailing, Grace's past comes back with a vengeance and she creates a trap to punish her abuser, and save all those who might become his victims. 

A Madness So Discreet explores the emerging science of profiling.  Dr. Thornhollow and Grace study crime scenes in order to create a picture of the murderer and narrow down the pool of suspects until they are able to locate their prey.  Unfortunately, this meant Grace received regular "lessons" in which Dr. Thornhollow droned on about profiling.  If this is new information for the reader, it would be interesting.  However, I feel like profiling has become such a big plot point for so many movies and TV shows now that all of this information seems like something everyone knows already; that murderers like to revisit the crime scene, that they are often impotent, that they have overbearing mothers etc.  Since I was pretty familiar with all of this, these scenes were rather tedious and slowed down the plot.

The plot is can really be broken into three parts: the Boston Asylum, Grace's Instruction, and Grace's Revenge.  The first section is a great read, but is full of triggers.  The treatment of patients in the asylum is deplorable and, as a mother, I found certain scenes very difficult to get through.  However, this sets the tone for a very creepy novel about madness and the treatment of the insane, but that is not the book that we get.    Once she escapes, the tone changes completely and the plot slows considerably as Dr. Thornhollow teaches Grace the basics of profiling and she acclimates to her new hospital.  Things become interesting again in the final part as we start to see a whole new side of Grace.  By this point, she has received enough instruction to be able to operate capably on her own and has finally begun to take control of her own life.  This makes her a much more interesting character.  At this point, the plot moves much more quickly and we get to see just how devious, and forward thinking, Grace can be. 

The novel was hit and miss when it came to the characters.  Some, like Grace, were interesting and well developed while others, like Dr. Thornhollow and his sister were flat and unbelievable.  Thankfully, there were no romantic elements as would often be expected in this type of novel and I was quite glad that the only part of Grace's body that the doctor seemed interested in was her mind.  There are also characters that, while enjoyable, did deplorable things that were applauded.  Overall, there was a theme of women gaining revenge against the men who wronged them, however they often did it in ways that I simply couldn't stomach.     

Bottom Line: Solidly in the "Meh" category.  It wasn't bad, but there wasn't anything that I LOVED about it. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Sex: None
Violence: Sexual Abuse, Abuse of a patient, Murder
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Bastard, Whore
Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Title: Mark of the Thief
Author: Jennifer Nielsen
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: Feb 24, 2015
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions:

The Gist: When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.

Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.

In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders.

Review:

Working in the mines and obeying orders (at least the ones that aren't stupid), Nic has one goal - to free himself and his sister.  When the men discover a mysterious cave one doesn't come out, and the other will never be the same again.  Forced to enter the cave himself, Nic encounters a fearsome Griffin and an ancient Bulla (an amulet given to male children in Rome).  Stealing both, he ends up on the run from a general who has darker plans for Rome and finds himself at the center of a plot to overthrow the emperor and a world of magic that he never dreamed existed.  Now, Nic must fight for freedom, his sister, the empire and discover who can be trusted in a world of intrigue.

Nic is a very reminiscent of Sage from Jennifer Nielsen's The False Prince trilogy.  He is clever and witty.  He is always willing to deliver a scathing retort - even when he probably shouldn't.  I was a little disappointed that his inner monologue was not nearly as interesting as Sage's was, and I found myself skimming those parts to get to the action.  Nic has a great frenemy in Aurelia.  She is determined, single-minded, and great with weapons.  Nic and she have a very love-hate relationship, but I don't really see this going the romantic route.  More, they will continue to gain respect for one another and become strong allies.  We only see a little of Livia, Nic's sister, and I am really excited to see what type of role she takes on in the next book.

I knew very little of Ancient Rome coming into this book and the author did an excellent job of describing the architecture, politics, and methods of entertainment.  The magic of this world is really well incorporated into the Roman belief system.  I was a particular fan of Nic's new found power to talk to animals.  I can see this having fantastic implications as the series continues.  I also loved that where most media concentrates on the gladiator fights that took place in the colloseum, this one features the animal fights.  It was interesting to see a different side of these events. 

The plot is fast paced and fun.  There are very few moments of downtime as Nic attempts to escape the consequences of stealing the Bulla.  For the first half, he spent a great deal of time simply reacting to the situations unfolding around him and I began to get frustrated with his inability to concoct a plan.  As we reached the middle of the book he took on a more controlling role and started to meet challenges head on, rather than attempting to run from them.  This developed his character further and allowed me to engage more with the plot.   

Mark of the Thief is a fun and exciting start to a promising new series. Young readers will love Nic's adventure and the historic elements on which the plot is built.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up
Sex: None
Violence: Knifeplay, Swordplay, Death of animals, Death by magic
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

Title: Of Monsters and Madness
Author: Jessica Verday
Publisher: Egmont
Release Date: Sept 9, 2014
Rating: 1/5

Cover Impressions: I like the cover, the image is sufficiently creepy, the colors work well and I like the scrollwork on the bottom (man, I am a sucker for scroll).  But, I don't feel like this is anything too special, I've seen this kind of backlight figure on a hundred scary novels before.
The real reason that I picked this book is because I LOVE Edgar Allen Poe.  I will pretty much read anything that is inspired by his work - even though I am almost always disappointed (I'm looking at you Nevermore and Mrs.Poe)

The Gist: Annabelle Lee has just lost the only parent she has ever known.  Summoned to her father's house in 1820's Philadelphia, she finds a world if intrigue and murder.  Her father is not at all what she expected, gruff and unwelcoming, he spends most of his time in his laboratory with one of his two assistants: one fair and kind, the other dark and brooding.  As news of gruesome murders creeps closer and closer to their home, Annabelle begins to suspect that the monsters may be nearer than she ever imagined.    

Review:
I didn't have the highest of hopes for this book when I requested it, but I will read just about anything that is inspired by Poe.  This predilection of mine has, unfortunately, led to some pretty awful books, but I keep trying because there has got to be one Poe connected book out there to make it all worthwhile.  This, however, is not that book.

Immediately upon starting Of Monsters and Madness I couldn't help feeling like the writing was a little juvenile and eye-roll worthy.  It felt almost like it hadn't been edited carefully.  The first half spent entirely too much time comparing Annabelle's new life to the one in Siam.  If the author didn't feel it was important enough to start the book while she was still living there, why pound us over the head with it every chance she got?  It began to feel like she was saying "look at all this fancy research that I did, I will show you ever fact I learned!"  This interrupted the flow of the writing and annoyed me.

I got the feeling very early on in this novel that Annabelle was going to play the damsel in distress, and I was right.  As a character she was rather bland, despite the author's desperate attempt to make her seem oh-so-special.  From the very beginning, she was a mess of cliches.  We are told that she prefers to wear trousers (though we never actually see this in the rest of the novel), she clearly treats the servants as her equal (like every other heroine in lame historical fiction) and she even meditates.  It really bothers me when authors try to take on a historical setting but give their characters modern sensibilities that are completely out of place in the time frame.  What results, at least in this case, is a character who seems all too perfect.  Other than being completely oblivious to what is right in front of her face, Annabelle doesn't appear to have any character flaws and spends the entire novel desperately trying to please other people.  She is simply too good to be true.  

None of the other characters are even remotely compelling and Poe is set up as the love interest.  There was some chemistry between the two but he was far too pushy for my taste.  On a couple of occasions he insists on being alone with Annabelle despite the social norms of the time that would dictate that there must be a chaperone.  This is one of those triggers for me.  It is not romantic, it simply shows that the character has no concern for his love interest's reputation or her future.  The servants and her grandfather are at least kind, but they don't have anything interesting about them and the father is interesting, but is featured so little that it barely registers.

The biggest issue that I had with this novel came in the very reason that I chose it.  I was looking for a story inspired by Poe, but that was done very poorly.  There were bits and pieces of Poe's work scattered throughout the narrative but their inclusion seemed clunky and awkward.  They appeared completely out of place with the writing style of the author and the scenes that featured them seemed contrived merely for their sake.  To make matters worse, the story was actually a mish-mash of classic horror novels.  It was as if the author a) could not decide whom to emulate and decided to throw them all into one book and let them hash it out or b) could not come up with a unique idea on her own and decided to steal them from the greats instead.  The plot was almost completely predictable and there was no real sense of danger or excitement. 

There was also a strange epilogue that appeared to be tacked on in some odd way of setting this book up for a sequel but I, for one, will not be signing on for that.   

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:15 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Murder (not described), Arson, Animal Experimentation
Inappropriate Language: Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Unanswered Questions:
Does she really not take the scarf off, ever?  Not even to wash it?  Man that thing must reek!

ARC Book Review: Going Over by Beth Kephart

Title: Going Over
Author: Beth Kephart
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: April 1st, 2014
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions:  The cover is cute and, having read the synopsis, most of the elements make sense.  However, I don't particularly feel this would jump off the shelf at anyone.  To be honest, the reason I stopped to take a second look was because of the National Book Award Finalist tag from an author that I had not yet encountered. 

Review:
I will admit, I got sucked in by the award nominated author tag.  I had never heard of Beth Kephart before and certainly not read any of her books, but the National Book Award is a big, prestigious silver sticker - and she was a finalist!  Perhaps, there is a reason the committee passed her over and I probably should have as well.

Going over is the story of two teenagers stuck on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall.  Full disclosure: that is not a part of history with which I am entirely familiar.  I started the book, hoping for some sort of explanation or perhaps a story that started when the wall first went up (incidentally I would love to read a book about waking up on that morning, suddenly cut off from family and friends whom you had embraced just the night before - get on that authors) but instead, I got thrown right into the midst of the story and actually had to go do a little online research before I felt qualified to read this novel.  Ada lives in the East with her mother and grandmother.  At night she sneaks to the wall to capture the images of famous escapees with her paint cans.  By day she works at a daycare and dreams of the day when her boyfriend, Stefan will make the leap of faith to join her.

I did find this novel rather difficult to follow.  There were no explanations of certain unfamiliar words or customs and I did not understand the mechanics of the wall.  Were people actually allowed to visit from the East?  Weren't they afraid that they wouldn't be allowed to return?  I realize that the West was meant to be a place of suffering and anguish, but the author didn't make this particularly clear.  Stefan never spoke about his hardships, other than have had a job chosen for him, while Ada constantly mentioned hers.  Speaking of which, it seemed particularly selfish that while the family lived in very poor conditions, Ada was spending money of spraypaint to cover the wall.  Perhaps I am reading all of this wrong and it might be different for a reader that is more versed in the time frame and circumstances in which the book takes place.  

Part of the narrative is written in the third person, which takes some getting used to and I am still not entirely sure that I liked it.  Neither of the characters is particularly moving and I did not relate to either of them.  This had a serious impact on my enjoyment of the novel because I simply did not care what happened to Ada and Stefan.  Ada was loud, impetuous and pushy.  She constantly talked to Stefan of escape and would not listen to his concerns about leaving his grandmother behind, not to mention the serious chance that he would be killed in the attempt.  As a result, Stefan did not make many arguments and seemed like a complete pushover.  He was flat and boring with nothing to define his character other than an interest in astronomy.  I was actually far more interested in the story of the little boy who ran away than I was with the two teenagers. 

This most interesting part of the novel, for me, was the snippets of stories of people who either made it over the wall successfully, or died trying.  A particular heartbreaker was

"Giuseppe Savoca, six years old, who wasn't even trying to escape.  Giuseppe was a kid playing with a friend.  They were looking for fish along the riverbank and he fell.  The guards did nothing; they let him drown.  He was six."

These stories were moving and painful and made me even more angry at Ada for pressuring Stefan into something with such real danger behind it.  

The novel itself was pretty slow paced.  I didn't see any real excitement until the very end.  By this point however, I was not emotionally invested enough in the characters for it to have any real impact.  I think this novel had great potential but, for me, it simply was not realized.  


Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Gunplay, Knifeplay, Murder, Rape
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Shit, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse:

ARC Book Review: Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore

Title: Manor of Secrets
Author: Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Point (Scholastic)
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions:  Pretty girl in a pretty dress with a pretty staircase in the background.  Nothing that stands out at first glance.  The tagline (on my ARC) is "Upstairs.  Downstairs.  Drama."  Which sends me into Downton Abbey territory - which I love.  The cover model even looks like a younger version of Lady Mary.

The Gist: Charlotte lives a life of luxury.  Sheltered in the manor by a cold and distant mother, she longs for a life of adventure.  Janie works in the kitchen under the tutelage of her mother.  Having spent a tumultuous childhood wondering where her next meal is going to come from, she clings to the only place that she has ever felt secure.  As the girls' paths cross their lives are thrown together.  Charlotte sees a manner of escape, Janie sees a lonely girl who has never known love.  Together they begin to learn more about each other, and themselves and seek to unravel the secrets of the Manor.

Review:
I will admit it.  I, Zabet Reading, am a Downton Abbey Junkie.  With the show off the air until next season, I was excited to read a book that seemed to follow that type of world quite closely.  In fact, I couldn't help but picture the characters and set from Downton Abbey.  (Of course, Charlotte was Lady Sybill despite the cover model's clear resemblance to Lady Mary.)  Manor of Secrets doesn't quite hold up to Downton, but then that is a pretty high bar to reach.  On it's own, it was an interesting story and a quick and easy read. 

The setting was beautiful and the author clearly delineated between the opulence and quiet of the upstairs and the simplicity and chaos that came downstairs.  Personally, I preferred the drama and quarrels of the servants' quarters to the cold and oppressing formality of Charlotte's world and could completely understand why she would want to escape it.  I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of the "downstairs" back-story - particularly why Tess and Mollie hated Janie so much.  Had we had an opportunity to learn a little more about this history, I think the events in the second half of the book would have had more impact.  The first half of this novel was much stronger than the second.  In the first half we watch a sheltered young woman begin to break out of her shell and a romance that was clearly going to cause a great deal of turmoil.  By the second half, most of the secrets had been revealed and the reader was left to watch as the two girls tried to decide which path to take.    
 
I did find the plot a little bit predictable but it moved fairly quickly and the only moments of lag came from some eye-rolling dialogue near the middle.  The relationship between the two girls developed rather quickly for my taste.
The main characters seemed rather true to form: Charlotte was the clueless aristocrat who had no idea how much trouble she could cause for her servants in simply seeking a bit of "adventure" and Janie was trying to be kind to a lonely girl while still protecting her livelihood.  The side characters were interesting but not quite as fleshed out as I would normally prefer.    The men were all rather bland and I found Andrew's loyalty after Charlotte's scandal, to be a little hard to believe.  I think the book could have benefited from featuring a smaller cast, so that we could get to know each one a little better.
 
This is my first foray into Katherine Longshore's writing, though I am familiar with her previous books.  I am putting her on my "search for" list in the hopes that I come across her earlier work in a second hand bookstore. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 12 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Fist Fighting
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Book Review: Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers

Title: Dark Triumph

Author: R.L. LaFevers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: I really like the covers for this series.  Grave Mercy had a beautiful scarlet color, but I think the muted colors here are much more fitting for Sybella, as is the background of a dark corridor rather than a grand castle.  Her work is better suited to the shadows.

The Gist: The His Fair Assassin series continues with the story of Sybella.  Having escaped the fear and madness of her father's house, Sybella finds a new home at the convent of St.Mortain.  Having been trained in the deadly arts, she is just beginning to find her way back to herself when the political ambitions of her father forces the convent to send Sybella back into his arms.  The brutality and unpredictable rage of her father, coupled with the unhealthy obsession of her brother threatens to drive Sybella mad until she embarks on a mission to free an important prisoner and, in doing so, finds an unlikely ally.

Review: Admittedly, I was underwhelmed by Grave Mercy.  I loved the premise of assassin nuns trained in the deadly arts, but was turned off by the breadth of the political intrigue and Ismae's accursed conscience.  In the wings, however, waited Sybella.  She was such a mysterious and interesting character that it made me long for the release date of Dark Triumph.  I am happy to say, Sybella does not disappoint.  She is certainly bloodthirsty, (and one point she even mutters "I am in desperate need of killing something.") and she does not often worry about the moral implications as Ismae did.  While Ismae faded a little when the love interest was introduced, Sybella railed against him, taking every opportunity to comment on how ugly he was.

The romantic angle in Dark Triumph was much more palatable for me than it was in Grave Mercy.  Beast and Sybella seem equally well matched and neither comes to love the other easily.  There was a point at which Beast seemed to have developed an unhealthy desire to rescue Sybella, but that passed and they were placed on equal footing once again.  For his part, Beast opened Sybella to a world of compassion that her upbringing had denied her and I really enjoyed how she developed in his presence. 

This book featured much less political maneuvering than its predecessor and this makes for a much faster paced plot.  Beast and Sybella's lives have been closely intertwined for many years and the revelation of her secrets adds an air of mystery to the story.  There are also a number of exciting battles and the introduction of an interesting new cast of characters.  While this book moves the overall plot along and sets up for the final in the series, it also provides a satisfying ending to Sybella's personal story.

I will definitely be waiting with baited breath for the final installment in the His Dark Assassin series for more of Sybella but, as I remember very little of Annith, I am also excited for a story that follows her and one that finally reveals the secrets of the convent.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing, Allusion to incest, one instance of consensual sex - not explicit
Violence: Torture, Rape, Swordplay, Knifeplay, a number of murders including one disturbing (for me) scene featuring the death of an infant
Inappropriate Language: Whore, Piss, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking

Book Review: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn

Title: Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters
Author: Suzanne Weyn
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: The cover has a little bit of an old school feel.  It reminds me of ghost stories that I would have read in elementary school.  The colors are pretty and the setting is ominous.

The Gist: Giselle and Ingrid have discovered that they are the daughters of the brilliant and wealthy Dr. Frankenstein.  As his only heirs, they inherit his castle in the Orkney Islands and set about making it their own.  While Giselle renovates and plans an elaborate party, Ingrid becomes lost in her father's journals and begins to take her own steps down his dark and dangerous path. 

Review:
I love new takes on old classics and was excited to read this interesting spin off of the classic Frankenstein tale.  The story is told through the diary entries of both girls.  While this style works well in the beginning, it becomes a little cumbersome as the action starts to pick up.  There are also a few repetitive issues such as the constant speaking to the diary and informing the reader of when each girl had time to write in the diary.

The girls themselves are a little bland and stereotypical.  Giselle is the pretty one, obsessed with dresses and parties while Ingrid is the smart one, fascinated by science and experimentation.  Giselle is more the more interesting of the two as her exploits seem to constantly put her in danger.  Ingrid, for her part, develops an infatuation with a man whom she must save from a debilitating disease, and we get to see a shadow of the obsession that marked her father's demise.

The plot was a bit predictable and could have been shaken up with a surprise ending.  There was some eye-rolling at the number of men who seemed to want to harm Giselle (she cannot possibly been so beautiful that every man she encountered felt the overwhelming urge to consumer her) and Ingrid's escapades sneaking into university lectures dressed comically as a man. 

Overall, Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters did not wow me, but I would still recommend it for those who love the classics and, perhaps, to inspire those young readers to pick up the original.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 12 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Murder by strangulation, attempted rape, scientific experimentation, body snatching
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse:  None

Audio Book Review: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Title: To Kill A Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: Caedmon
Release Date: Aug 22, 2006
Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: Meh.  Boring imagery - doesn't do the book justice.

Review: What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said?  I was never forced to read it while in school (or university), but it has remained on my list of classics to read.  To be honest, I knew very little about it prior to starting, but I can now see why it has become a staple in so many classrooms.  The writing style is fluid and prose beautiful, without being inaccessible for today's students.  The historic setting transports the reader to a slower time that is often looked upon with nostalgia and longing.  However, the subject matter soon turns and reveals the dark underbelly of this society.

The part about this novel that I truly loved was its characters.  Scout has an incredible voice and she interjects a wonderful sense of humor to a plot that would otherwise have gotten far too serious for young readers.  The author managed to write a child that is precocious, innocent and most importantly - believable.  The adult characters are also wonderfully drawn, with strengths and flaws

The audio version of this book was fantastic for my traffic-ridden commute.  The pace was slower than many of the other books I have listened to and the prose flowed like smooth chocolate - which worked very well to keep me calm, I must admit.  Sissy Spacek was an great choice as narrator and she did a wonderful job of embodying the voice of Scout.

I truly enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird, and it has inspired me to seek out other classic YA in audiobook format.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: None
Violence: Gunplay, Knifeplay, Discussion of Rape
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Book Review: Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Title: Changeling
Author:  Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 24, 2012
Rating: 1/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is pretty, but expected.  It makes it appear that Isolde is the main character when, in actuality, the plot follows Luca for a majority of the time.  I was glad to see the omission of the "heaving bosoms" that normally accompanies this type of cover

The Gist: Seventeen year old Luca is accused of heresy and thrown out of his religious order for using math to prove that it is impossible for all of the relics from the true cross to be real.  He is quickly recruited by a secret order and sent on a mission to hold an inquiry into strange occurrences.  Isolde has been cast out from her home upon the death of her father and forced to vows at a nunnery and serve as their lady superior.  When the sisters began acting strangely and complaining of strange dreams and stigmata, Luca is sent to investigate.

Review:  I was pretty disappointed by this one.  I have read a lot of Philippa Gregory's books (though I haven't really enjoyed the latest ones) and was hoping for the same sense of excitement that I got while reading The Other Boleyn Girl.  Instead, I got a watered down romance, predictable storyline and characters who were barely tolerable.

When we meet Luca, we are told that he has a remarkable head for numbers and that these skills led to him being called a Changeling (my definition: a child that is left behind by the faerie folk to be raised in a human household).  Take note of this BECAUSE IT NEVER COMES UP AGAIN! Seriously.  He never uses these mysterious mathematical skills and, despite the title of the book, we never find out anything about whether or not he is a changeling.  As a character, he is boring as heck.  He never does anything exciting or unexpected, his manner of speaking is flat and unaffected and he switches between allowing others to take charge and pompously reminding them that he is supposed to be leading this investigation.

Isolde has been promised by her father that, upon his death, all the lands and the kingdom would be hers.  She has been raised to be the lady of the house and taught how to maintain her lands and keep her people fed and safe.  Yet, on his deathbed he supposedly recounts all of this and gives her the choice between marrying a particularly disgusting man or joining the nunnery.  Isolde is told all of this by her brother (her father apparently refused to see her at the end) and never questions the authenticity of his claims.  When she asks to see the will, he gives her a COPY instead of the original and then sends her would-be husband to rape her.  That's right folks, her brother tells his buddy that he can exercise his matrimonial rights before she has even accepted and (I think) within 24 hours of her father's death.  And STILL Isolde doesn't think he is lying about her inheritance.  FFS! How dense can you get?  For the rest of the book, Isolde continues to be boring and is in constant need of rescuing.  The only characters that show any type of promise are the servants Ishraq and Freize and even they are not nearly as interesting as they could be.

This book holds an odd place in the genre spectrum.  It is not quite realistic enough to be true historical fiction nor is it strange enough to be paranormal fiction.  The blurb promises werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers but doesn't actually deliver on either werewolves or witches and I can only assume the alchemists and death-dancers will be featured in the next book.  The plot is sloooooowwwwww and concentrates far too much on traveling and interviewing people.  It really feels like two separate stories; one that features the nunnery and one a village with a werewolf.  The stories felt disconnected, almost like two novellas that were strung together in an attempt to make a full book, and no progress is made on any of the over-arching issues (Luca's mysterious new order and his heritage or Isolde's disinheritance).  


For most of this book I found myself waiting for it to be over and wishing that I had chosen to read something else instead.  I do not think I will be sticking around for the next in this series. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: None
Violence: Death by Poison, Death by Fire
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking Wine/Ale

Book Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFever
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions: Pretty girl in a pretty dress, but wait! What's this? A MASSIVE CROSSBOW?! This just got much more interesting!  I love the look on the model's face and the hair and makeup are well done (though I do wish it had featured Ismae's fancy poison pearl hairnet.)  I particularly enjoyed the tagline "why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?".

The Gist:  Ismae has been sired by death.  At the hands of the Sisters of the convent of St. Mortain, she learns the art of dispatching a man from this earth and finally finds the strength to stand against the men that have filled her life with cruelty.  Sent to on assignment to the court of Brittany, she must wade into a world of secrets and intrigue and follow her own guidance about who to trust, and who to kill.

Review: This book gets an A+ for the originality of the idea.  A convent of nuns trained in the deadly arts and willing to assassinate based on the will of their God - now that is something I have not read before.  In fact, I so loved this idea that I am a little disappointed that LaFevers did not spend more time describing Ismae's training.  The opening was incredibly strong, but then instead of watching Ismae learn the skills that will allow her to kill a man in seconds (or stretch his agony out for days), we get a three year time jump which was more than a little unsatisfying.  

I enjoyed most of the characters (and the glimpses of Sybella made me long for the next installment in this series).  Ismae is strong willed, though young and inexperienced.  I loved her cold hearted certainty and willingness to follow her convent's orders without question.  However, I found her less enjoyable as she developed a conscience.  I was also thrilled to read descriptions of the weapons that she carried rather than the diatribes about sumptuous gowns that one often finds in period novels.  

Despite the strong opening and a very interesting premise, the plot had a tendency to lag.  For a book about an assassin, it was sorely lacking in assassinations.  I like politic intrigue as much as the next reader, but after pages and pages of political maneuvering I was practically foaming at the mouth for some bloodshed!  As for the mystery element, it is laughably transparent who is to blame for the current state of affairs and I kept waiting for some plot twist because surely it couldn't be this obvious, alas - it was.  

I will be back for the second book in this trilogy, mostly because I am intrigued by Sybella but also because I am too in love with the concept of deadly nuns to give up hope for a dark and compelling sequel.  Stay Tuned.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: One instance, tastefully written
Violence: Domestic abuse, garotting, poisoning, shooting with arrow, knife play

Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Abuse: Drinking of wine 

Additional Notes:  This is a decent introduction into historical fiction