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!

OMG! Have You Seen This Cover?! Magic and Kitties.

Lots of incredible covers this week.  I picked two that I loved, but for very different reasons.

The Gifted Dead by Jenna Black
Release Date: September 23rd, 2014

Politics and magic make dangerous bedfellows.

Deep within the Order, the seeds of corruption have taken root. While younger generations of the Gifted have embraced modern democratic values, a secret society of old-guard zealots seek a return to the past, when only European men of distinguished bloodlines held power.

Now, three venerable European families and a maverick American each plot to seize control of the Order and shape it to their will. A cutthroat game of political intrigue will decide the winner; and the stakes couldn't be higher, for ruling the Order carries with it the power to grant—or deny—an afterlife.

What begins as a battle of wills could turn into an all-out war. And magic could prove deadlier than any missile.

I love the cloth look of this cover and I can't help staring at the edges.  Is that dirt? Mold?  Has it been buried, or uncovered in a mysterious way?  The ouroboros (infinity snake) image is equally mysterious and I like how it looks to be printed on the cloth.  If the physical cover has some texture to it, I may just swoon in the bookstore. 

The Girl and the Clockwork Cat
Release Date: September 2nd, 2014

Feisty teenage thief Maeko and her maybe-more-than-friend Chaff have scraped out an existence in Victorian London’s gritty streets, but after a near-disastrous heist leads her to a mysterious clockwork cat and two dead bodies, she’s thrust into a murder mystery that may cost her everything she holds dear.

Her only allies are Chaff, the cat, and Ash, the son of the only murder suspect, who offers her enough money to finally get off the streets if she’ll help him find the real killer.

What starts as a simple search ultimately reveals a conspiracy stretching across the entire city. And as Maeko and Chaff discover feelings for each other neither was prepared to admit, she’s forced to choose whether she’ll stay with him or finally escape the life of a street rat. But with danger closing in around them, the only way any of them will get out of this alive is if all of them work together.

 Whereas the first cover was beautiful in its simplicity, this one has so many gorgeous details that it keeps your eye roving across the image.  The glowing city in the background is lovely, as is the girl's coat and even the texture on her tights.  But the real star of the show (as they should always be) is the cat.  I think my favorite part is the determined look on the cat's face.  Clockwork kitty doesn't need your pity, clockwork kitty is getting shit done.  

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: Nothing that I would ever pick off a shelf.  The colors are muted and a little bland.  I really dislike when covers use all lower case font, but that is my own personal issue. 

The Gist:  

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

- Goodreads.com

Review: 
We Were Liars is far more unique than I ever anticipated.  Lockhart certainly has a writing style that is all her own, but one that I feel is dividing readers.  I loved it.  But, I can see where it would annoy others.  It opens with short, choppy sentences that are more statements of fact than storytelling, but it is incredibly effective.  The story is told from Cady's point of view who suffers from memory loss, migraines and is forced to use pain killers to cope.  These facts left me wondering about her reliability as a narrator and questioning everything that she tells the reader.  It also features variations on the the three princesses fairy tale which add charm and depth to the story.

I will admit, there was a point about halfway through where this felt like just another rich girl, whining about her problems.  It certainly took patience to begin to piece the clues together and see that there was a really important story to be told.  There are a lot of characters to get straight and a lot of home names to put into place.  There are actually three group of players on the island: the Liars (the older children), the Aunts and Grandfather, and the Littles.  The Liars are the main characters, teens who have run of the island each summer.  The Aunts constantly fight each other for the Grandfather's attention and bicker over belongings and homes.  The Littles do not play a major role, but, when the book was over, I found myself thinking back to some of their actions in light of the new information which added some great depth and enjoyment.  In fact, by the end, the reader realizes that there were clues from the very first page, we were just unable to see them in context without more information.

To be honest, this review is really difficult to write without giving away too much of the story, so I will probably stop there.  We Were Liars is a beautiful, melancholy mystery that is beautiful in it's style and storytelling.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Death by Fire
Inappropriate Language: Bastard, Bullshit, Fuck
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking

Waiting on Wednesday: Maplecroft by Cherie Priest

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: Maplecroft by Cherie Priest which is due to be released on Sept 2nd

 Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks; and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one....

The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.

But it is not far enough from the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place. It originates from the ocean’s depths, plaguing the populace with tides of nightmares and madness.

This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe.

I don't really know anything about the whole Lizzie Borden story but I find it intriguing.  I was really hoping to snag a review copy of this one, but no luck.  Can't wait for it to come out!

How to Fall by Jane Casey

Title: How to Fall
Author: Jane Casey
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: August 26, 2014
Rating: 1/5

Cover Impressions:  Pretty but predictable.  I love the colors and the stormy sea.

The Gist: Jess Tennant has been dragged to her mother's hometown while she recovers from her recent divorce.  Jess quickly realizes that she bears a remarkable resemblance to her cousin Freya, who died a year ago of an apparent suicide.  Something about Freya's death doesn't seem right and Jess throws herself into the investigation.  Everyone is a suspect and Jess begins to learn that Port Sentinel is not the sleepy little town that she had expected. 

Review:

Wow, I was really disappointed in this book.  I'm actually pretty surprised.  I was excited by the premise, I was in the mood for a good, grabbing mystery, it had pretty decent ratings on Goodreads... I just didn't like it.

First of all, the main character annoyed the heck out of me.  She had a particularly bland personality with some boring facts (like a bad breakup and being the child of divorce) thrown in in a futile attempt to give her some depth.  She was meant to be determined and committed, but she came off as stubborn and irritating.  Her only investigative tool was to ask incessant questions until the person she was interrogating got angry.  Eventually she came up with a dumbass, dangerous plan that would never have worked in real life and would and resulted in her getting killed.

To be honest, there weren't really any characters in this novel that I enjoyed.  The mother basically disappears, only emerging in order to look have some angsty scene with a married man that leaves her looking desperate, idiotic and pathetic.  The police officer/mom's love interest seriously skeeved me out and neither of the main character's love interests were particularly appealing.   

The mystery isn't so much of a mystery and there wasn't nearly as much action as I was hoping.  I think I would have been more invested in the story if we had been given an opportunity to get to know Freya as she seems like a much more interesting character than Jess.  The ending was particularly drawn out and boring.  Once the main mystery was uncovered, there were pages and pages of angsty crap while we sorted out things that were very obviously going to happen.  I was even more disappointed to see a sneak peak at the end of this book, meaning that the author seems to have found a way to toss another mystery in Jess' path and more time to devote to her incessant questioning.  I, for one, will not be signing on for that story.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  13 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Falling from a cliff
Inappropriate Language: Slut, Bitch, Bastard
Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking

Audio Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: MacMillan Audio
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Rating: 3/5

Review:
I thought I would do a quick review for Cress as a) most people who are interested have probably read it already and b) it took me SO LONG to get through this audio book that I have completely forgotten most of the details.

First of all: I don't really blame this book for my taking months to finish it.  I think it was more about my personal life: while I was listening to this I found out that I am pregnant with my second child and that threw my reading life into a complete tailspin.  

I did have some trouble connecting with Cress the way that I did with Cinder and Scarlet in the two previous books but I did enjoy Cress and Thorne together.  I am hoping that Meyer will throw a wrench into the oh-so-predictable pairings by making sure that Jason is not a love interest for Snow.  I also didn't find the plot of this novel as compelling as the previous ones.  I realize that a lot of actions had to happen to pull these characters together, but I would have preferred some more forward momentum in the whole overthrow-the-evil-queen plot. 

I'm fairly certain I will be back in for Winter but, at the same time, I am hoping that the series isn't planned to go on much longer than that. 

ARC Book Review: I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora

Title: I Kill the Mockingbird
Author: Paul Acampora
Publisher: Macmillin
Release Date: May 20th, 2014
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions:  Super cute and I love the colors.

Review:
To Kill A Mockingbird is a staple on any summer reading list.  Despite this, it is rarely read or enjoyed by Lucy, Elena and Michael's peers.  They set out to change that by hiding copies of the book in every bookstore that they can.  They also set up a website: Ikillthemockingbird.com and leave their flyers in every place that they strike.  They begin to see an uptake in interest in the book and, very quickly, their little scheme takes on a mind of its own when others get involved and the movement starts to spread across the country.

The characters in I Kill the Mockingbird are extremely cute.  I wish I had friends like this when I was a kid.  They are quirky and well read, but have a tendency to come off as a little overly precocious.  I teach kids they age that these characters are supposed to be and can't imagine any of my students quoting classic novels in everyday conversation!  There is also a "romantic" element between two of the characters that feels forced and unnecessary.  I would much rather have spent more plot time on the post-cancer family dynamic.

The plot point that really worked for me was the relationship between Lucy and her parents in the wake of her mother's cancer treatment.  I could relate to Lucy doing whatever she could to try and alleviate the pressure on her parents. She also tried to take on a more mothering role, which naturally caused a great deal of stress for her and her mother.  These sections of the book were where I could really settle in and enjoy the characters.  Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the whole ikillthemockingbird plot.  There was no real sense of conflict as the kids aren't technically doing anything illegal and, despite some pretty clear clues that they were behind the endeavor, no one really tries to stop them.  The ending and wrap up is rather anti-climactic.  Overall, the book has a cute premise and is well written, but it didn't really blow me away. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  10 and up
Sex: One Kiss
Violence: None
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse:None