The Shadow Behind The Stars by Rebecca Hahn

Title: The Shadow Behind The Stars
Author: Rebecca Hahn
Publisher: Atheneum Book for Young Readers
Release Date: Sept 1, 2015
Rating: 3/5

The Gist: Heed this warning, mortal: stay far away from the three sister Fates. For if they come to love you, they might bring about the end of the world…

Chloe is the youngest. Hers are the fingers that choose the wool, that shape the thread, that begin it. The sun smiles upon her. Men love her without knowing who she is. She has lived forever and will live forever more. She and her sisters have been on their isolated Greek island for centuries, longer than any mortal can remember. They spin, measure, and slice the countless golden threads of human life. They are the three Fates, and they have stayed separate for good reason: it is dangerous for them to become involved with the humans whose lives they shape.

So when a beautiful girl named Aglaia shows up on their doorstep, Chloe tries to make sure her sisters don’t become attached. But in seeking to protect them, Chloe discovers the dark power of Aglaia’s destiny. As her path unwinds, the three Fates find themselves pulled inextricably along—toward mortal pain, and mortal love, and a fate that could unravel the world.

Review: 

The Shadow Behind the Stars features the three fates of Greek mythology.  On a desolate island the sisters spin, measure, and cut, shaping the lives of humans they were sure to never meet.  Until Aglaia appears on their doorstep and forces them to once again engage with the human world.  While many books will feature encounters with the fates, this is the first time I have read one where they are the main characters.  I loved the concept and the humanization of such epic characters.  With only a handful of details written about the sisters in Greek mythology, it allows a wealth of opportunity to expand their story and imagine their world.  Hahn capitalizes on this in the best way possible, creating characters that are interesting and intricate with thousands of years of experience to motivate their actions. 

As with her previous book, A Creature of Moonlight, Hahn's writing is beautiful and haunting.  She keeps true to the spirit of the old Greek tales and also makes a nod to Shakespeare with the inevitability of death that features so prominently in Macbeth.  However, The Shadow Behind the Stars is not a particularly fast paced novel and does require a patient reader who can appreciate the beauty of the writing and forgive the sometimes slow crawl of the plot.

I loved this book almost all the way through, but it did take a downturn in the ending.  After the novel was over, nothing really seemed to have changed for the characters.  I don't think life after the story would have been all that different for the sisters if Aglaia had never shown up in the first place.  As such, I'm not sure what the point of the entire adventure was.

Bottom Line: The Shadow Behind the Stars is beautifully written and, despite some pacing and plot issues, will surely be a hit with readers who love Greek Mythology.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:16 and up
Sex: None
Violence: Rape, Murder
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Title: Spelled
Author: Betsy Schow
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: Loooooooove this cover.  The shoes are so sparkly and a great updated version of the ruby slippers.  The font in evil villain green is pretty classic as is the curl of the smoke around the magic mirror. 

The Gist: Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after.

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

Review:

Like many princesses she knows, Dorothea is cursed.  A wicked witch put a spell on one of her ancestors that she would burn the entire world, but she messed up and it skipped a generation, or many.  Without knowing WHICH princess was a dangerous to the world as they knew it, all the women in Dorothea's line have been forced to stay within the castle walls.  As if that isn't bad enough, Dorothea must endure a long line of suitors hoping to gain her hand, and control of the kingdom.  When her insurmountable mother finally settles things by choosing a husband for her, Dorothea wishes that everything could be different - until it is.  With her kingdom in shambles, her parents missing and an evil witch taking up her mother's crown, Dorothea makes a run for it.  She is accompanied by Kato, her not so handsome anymore Prince, and Rexi, the servant with a loud mouth and sticky fingers.  With nothing to go on but the cryptic directions of her own green-skinned witch, the trio attempt to escape the witch and restore the rules of magic to the kingdom.

Spelled is a truly fun novel.  It takes place in a world where fairy tale kingdoms are melded together like squares on a quilt.  This allows for some really amusing connections between the various characters and worlds.  There are connections to The Wizard of Oz, like Dorothea's love of designer footwear and her guardian/witch named Verte, that are bound to make any reader smile.  The author also makes references to modern day words, but with a fairy tale twist.  And ebook is an enchanted book where the pictures move.  The storage area for all things is, literally, the cloud.  These pepper the plot with humor and were such an amusing touch. 

The main characters are interesting, if not overly complex.  Dorothea's character development is the standard spoiled brat learns to be a better person, which is fine.  She also has some internal turmoil over the use of her powers and whether she is the hero of the story or the villain.  Kato is a little dull as love interests go.  I think I liked him more when he couldn't talk.  Rexi, on the other hand, has some of the best lines in the book.  Despite being a servant, she is certainly not subservient and refuses to bow down to the royals and is constantly sniping at one or both of them.  She also has a serious issue with stealing anything that isn't nailed down, which sometimes comes in handy, and other times gets them into trouble.  I am really hoping that any subsequent books go a little further into her backstory as I am curious how she came to live at the palace with such an anti-royal attitude. 

Where Spelled really shines is in its side characters.  We have a wizard with a serious Dorothy obsession, a massive Chimera with a heart of gold and Hydra - who switches heads AND personalities (not to mention mixing spells in a crockpot!)  The world these characters inhabit is equally strange and wondrous, with new surprises around every turn.  I was slightly disappointed in the villain.  We just didn't spend enough time with Griz (at least when she wasn't tossing lightning balls) to really flesh out her character and make her truly terrifying. 

Each chapter in Spelled starts out with a quote or rule from fairy tale characters or books.  My favorite was:

"There's nothing really to fear but fear itself.  And trolls.  Fear and trolls.  Oh, and I guess gigans and dragons too.  And can't forget wicked witches. Yeah, I guess there really is a lot to fear."

- Prince Charming, excerpt from an interview in Hero Beat

These add an extra sense of amusement and charm to the novel.  The plot is non-stop, with lots of action.  We have Kingdoms being torched, houses falling from the sky and a giant tinman bent on destruction.  The main characters face traitors and deception from all sides and the reader is left guessing who they can trust up to the very last minute.  While nothing has been mentioned about this being the first book in a series, it is pretty clear from the ending that there is more to the story and we have yet to see the last of Dorothea, her shape shifting fiance or their foul-mouthed friend.  I, for one, will definitely be waiting on the next one.   

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 12 and up
Sex:  Kissing
Violence: Knifeplay, Death by Magic, Death by Drowning, 
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Great For Readers Who Loved:

Rook by Sharon Cameron

Title: Rook
Author: Sharon Cameron
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  Dark and foreboding.  I love the image of Paris in ruins and the iconic Eiffel tower decimated.  The fact that the only things in color are the title font and the tip of one feather add interest and call attention to those elements.  The rain of feathers is a beautiful way to fill the sky. 

The Gist:
History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.

As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

Review:
The only hope for Sophia's family to maintain their ancestral home and escape debtors prison is for her to marry Rene Hasard and have him pay for the privilege.  However, unknown to all but her inner circle, Sophia spends her nights creeping about prison halls releasing those who would face the Razor for nothing more than being on the opposite side of someone more powerful than they.  As Sophie, she must allow others to determine her fate, but as the Red Rook, she is the master.  As she tried to meld her two lives, the cruel and determined LeBlanc is coming ever closer to discovering the identity of the Rook and everyone Sophie loves is coming closer to the Razor.

"The heavy blade hung high above the prisoners, glinting against the stars, and then the Razor came down, a wedge of falling darkness cutting through the torchlight."

From the very first line, we are introduced to the darkest of atmospheres.  A polar shift has caused the world's technology to fail and satellites to fall from the skies.  Humanity found themselves unable to cope without the machines they had come to rely on and thousands died.  Eventually, the people of Paris turned their backs on the evils of technology and engaged in hyper-vigilance, watching their neighbors for any sign that they were disobeying the new laws put in place by a government who punished whole families by putting them to the Razor, an even more terrifying weapon than the guillotine of the past.  This results in a strange and fascinating blend of modern architecture and remnants with a return to historic style of dress and the subordination of women.  There are descriptions of how inventions like cars and elevators have been re-purposed without the use of machinery.  These add an interesting layer to the story and result in some truly unique world building.

Sophia is a strong, independent woman in a world that requires her to submit to the will of the men in her life.  Despite this, she maintains a secret life and an attitude of self-reliance that makes her an engaging main character.  She is smart and witty when she is angry and even more so when she is fighting.  Sophie is set up for a love triangle between her childhood best friend, Spear and her new fiance, Rene.  However, refreshingly, this never truly materializes.  Sophie has been blind to Spear's interests and, once she discovers them, remains uninterested and tells him so.  Spear appears to represent the man who presents himself as a "nice guy" but has his own ideas for Sophie's life, ideas he has never consulted her about.  He becomes incredibly controlling, always believing that he knows best and that he can manipulate the situation to his own benefit and that, eventually, Sophie will thank him for it.  As I got further into the novel he become more and more controlling and I was very happy to see that Sophie was not falling for his "I have your best interests at heart" act.

The antagonist of Rook is truly mad and through his obsession with fate the novel makes an interesting point on fanaticism and blind faith.  LeBlanc puts his trust in rituals of his own creation and asks the same question again and again until he receives the answer he was looking for.  He then uses this to justify horrific evils and to advance his own position.  His unpredictability leaves the reader on the edge of their seat as we never really know what he is going to do or how much he really knows.  

The first half of the plot is, admittedly, a little slow.  There is a large cast of characters to get to know and I found myself losing track of who was playing what role.  The second half, however, makes up for it.  Just when you think you know who to trust, Cameron changes the entire game and leaves the reader guessing.  She has a fantastically clever way of switching between characters, using short paragraphs and ending each with a word or phrase that is repeated in the next.  This adds a sense of urgency and suspense and allows the writing to flow beautifully.  

Rook explores a world that is no longer able to rely on technology.  It is a fascinating view into what society might devolve into when stripped of the things we have come to depend upon and features some wonderfully strong, independent and noteworthy characters who fight for justice and humanity. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  16 and up
Sex: Kissing, allusion to intercourse
Violence: Beheadings, knifeplay, swordplay, attempted strangulation
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking

This and other reviews can be seen on Young Adult Books Central

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

Title: The Wicked Will Rise
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions:  I love the entire concept of this cover.  Very dark and gritty.  The cut out showing storm clouds is fantastic and I love the shade of green for the title font.

The Gist:
In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?
 
Review:Having failed to assasinate Dorothy, Amy Gumm is on the run.  Alongside her is princess Ozma, former ruler of Oz and current space case.  All she has to go on is the Wizard's assurance that she can succeed in her task once she has collected the three most powerful objects in Oz.  With the tin man's still beating heart squirreled away in her satchel, Amy sets out to find the rest her compatriates, collect the Lion's courage and Scarecrow's brain, and finally kill Dororthy.

For those people new to the story, this is not the Oz we grew up with.  It is much grittier and features some truly dark characters.  There are gruesome deaths (usually at Amy's hand) and some scary moments that are not for the faint of heart.  This creates an action-packed plot that is near impossible to put down (even when it is past midnight and you know that your 3 month old will be waking in a few hours!) 

In this second book in the series, Danielle Paige has expanded to cast of characters and moved beyond those we may be familiar with.  We meet LuLu, the monkey queen with a past close to the crown, Bright, a beautiful but cowardly young man and Polychrome, the rainbow fairy who appears to have a great deal more going on beneath the surface.  Of course our old favorites reappear and we get to see a developing relationship between Amy and Nox.  Amy experiences a great deal of growth within this novel as she learns more and more about the magic of Oz and balances the line between good and wicked.  She is not your simpering, goody-two shoes character who whines about her lot in life and she never hesitates to do the dirty work - even when that involves beheadings!

We follow Amy and Ozma through several new, enchanting lands and get a glimpse of what Oz could have been without the influence of Dorothy and Glinda.  These worlds are truly magical and I only wish the book had been longer so that we could spend more time in these incredible places.  We also get to see a twisted, macabre version of the Emerald City and discover that the liberation of Oz has become even more complicated than we had previously thought.  In the end, we are left on a cliffhanger that had me thinking about the book all night long and pining for the release of the next in the series (2017? Say it ain't so?!)

If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and pick up this book.  And while you are at it, grab the novellas as well. They add an interesting dimension to the story and allow you to immerse yourself in Oz just that little bit longer.


Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  13 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Knifeplay, Swordplay, Death by Beheading, Death by Strangulation
Inappropriate Language: Fuck, Dick, Shit,
Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking

The Wizard Returns by Danielle Paige

Title: The Wizard Returns
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: It is not often that a novella cover appears this well done.  I love the green on green effect for an Oz story and how well this fits with the other covers in the series. 

The Gist: Dorothy Gale is back . . . and she's not the sweet little heroine of Oz anymore. She's power-hungry and vicious, and she leaves a trail of destruction beneath her spike-heeled, magical shoes. But she wasn't always in charge. There used to be a different ruler of Oz. Someone who also came from the Other Place, and who stole power for himself. They called him the Wizard.

The story goes that when a young Dorothy revealed the Wizard as a fraud, the man behind the curtain fled Oz in his hot air balloon. But in The Wizard Returns, he wakes in a field of poppies to find out that not only had he never left, but that he has no memory of who—or where—he is. As he undergoes a series of tests to uncover his memories, he finds that the very girl who threw him from the Emerald Palace is in control. And that Oz may be his destiny after all 
Review: The Wizard Returns answers the question of what exactly happened to the Wizard after supposedly leaving Oz.  Following a drug induced, 25 year long snooze, the Wizard is found by a young man calling himself Pete and sent on a mission to redeem himself.

 

The plot has a very Christmas Carol feel to it as Hex (the Wizard) encounters a number of tests which are meant to reveal or change his character for the betterment of Oz and set him on the path to defeating Dorothy.  It is fast paced and allows the reader to delve more deeply into the Oz that Paige has created, which is one of magic and wonder but also terrible injustices.   

 

Hex is unable to remember the terrible deeds he had done as the Wizard, but his deplorable sense of self-preservation at all costs, remains.  This novella allows a really interesting glimpse into his motivation and makes me really excited to see him become a more prominent figure as the series continues.    

Bottom Line:I love this series and The Wizard Returns is a great addition.  GIVE ME The Wicked Will Rise!!!

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Sex:  None
Violence:  Attack by a lion,
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking

Great For Readers Who Loved:

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: Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Title: Unhinged
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet (Abrams)
Release Date:  Jan 7, 2014
Rating: 3/5

Cover Impressions:  This isn't quite the masterpiece of a cover that Splintered was, but it is quite lovely all the same.  I am glad that we get to see Morpheus on the cover as YA so often concentrates on the female characters and I love continuation of the buggy touches.  I do wish the coloring was a little lighter so that I could see more of the details

The Gist: We rejoin Alyssa as she attempts to put back together the pieces of her life shattered by her trip through the rabbit hole.  Her family is reunited, but tensions mount as her newly returned mother attempts to control her choices and her access to Jeb - the boy who saved her life but cannot remember his bravery.  As graduation and prom approaches, she finds it more and more difficult to maintain the wall between her world and the world of Wonderland.  Creatures begin to cross the barrier and Red becomes a threat not only to Wonderland, but to Alyssa's world as well. 

Review: 
Unhinged is a decent addition to an interesting series.  I really enjoy Howard's take on the Alice story, it is fun and fantastical.  The world building is incredibly detailed and stays true to the sense of whimsy we know and love from wonderland.  That being said, it is considerably more dark than the world we are familiar with.  In particular,  the enemies in this book are much more nightmare inducing.  I could never quite picture the ferocity of the flowers in the previous book, but raggedy and demented toys, especially a clown doll bent on your destruction - hand me my blankie and nightlight.   I was a little disappointed that we never got to Wonderland.  My taste was somewhat satiated with the number of elements that seeped into the real world, but I still longed for the wild excitement and madness of the first book.

Unfortunately, from the first book to this, we didn't get much in the way of character development for the three main characters, but we do get to see some for Alyssa's mom.  This is accomplished through trips into mom's memory that provided and interesting glimpse into her story (possible prequel or novel??).  As for the main characters, the whole Jeb vs Morpheous triangle got old really fast and it was difficult to maintain sympathy for Alyssa as she consistently makes choices that will ruin her relationship.  She seems to have real feelings for both love interests, but the back and forth gets really hard to take.  There appear to be two very different characters: real world Alyssa and Wonderland Alyssa.  Real world Alyssa is often infuriating and slow to action, Wonderland Alyssa, on the other hand, is much more fun and I really enjoyed watching her grow into her powers. 

Had I not loved the ending so much, this book probably would have gotten a lower rating.  The plot twist was rather obvious and I was annoyed by the love triangle.  However, the ending is a perfect segue into the third book and made me very anxious for it's undermined release date.  I have high hopes that Alyssa's acceptance of both sides of her personality will make for a much more determined queen and all round more interesting character.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing, Talk of Sex
Violence: Fighting with Magic
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Audio Book Review: Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

Title: Such Wicked Intent 
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Brilliance Audio)
Release Date: August 21st, 2012
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  This cover works really well with that of the first in the series.  I love the font treatment and how the author's name is incorporated.  The muted colors are reflective of the tone.  I am really happy that Elizabeth is also featured on this one and the pose suggests familiarity and closeness without leaning to romance. 

The Gist:  Having failed to save his twin brother from the clutches of death, Victor Frankenstein is ready to leave the world of the occult behind but, it seems, the fate is not quite finished with him.  He stumbles upon a portal to the spirit world and finds his brother in a strange, in-between state.  With his new found power and confidence, Victor, Elizabeth and Henry promise to bring Konrad back - by any means possible.  Even if it means dabbling in dark forces that they may not be able to control.

Review: 

Such Wicked Intent tells the story of Victor Frankenstein's first steps on the path to creating one of the most feared and villified creatures in the literary world.  Victor is an incredible character who is both magnetic and repulsive.  The reader cannot help but root for him, even when he shows the most vile characteristics.  He is accompanied by is friend, Henry who, in this installment, shows some depth of character and begins to step out from behind the shadow of the Frankenstein twins.  While the other characters were interesting and complex, can someone please explain to me the draw of Elizabeth?  Is she the only teenage girl that these boys have been exposed to?  Why does EVERYONE fall in love with her?  In the first half of the book, she was shrill, annoying and nauseating in her piousness.  It is not until the spirit world begins to reveal the cracks in her perfect persona that I begin to even be able to tolerate her.  I often found myself rolling my eyes or even yelling at her for her actions (a common practice I have developed with irritating characters in audio books).

The creatures in this book are pretty terrifying.  One in the very obvious, deep down gut kind of terror and the other in the much more sinister, there's something wrong but I can't quite put my finger on it kind of way.  I absolutely loved the treatment of the butterflies and the crucial part that they played throughout the entire book.  I couldn't help hearing the voice of Bart Simpson in my head "Nobody ever suspects the butterfly..."  The world building in Such Wicked Intent was incredibly detailed.  The laws behind the Spirit World were clear and the possibilities that this setting opened up were endless.  It was clear from the beginning that the power held there would be far too tempting for Victor's own good, but it was also interesting to see the impact that it had on the other characters.

The pacing of this novel was spot on.  The darker aspects of the character's nature lend well to the sense of building tension.  There are some true moments of excitement and terror as we watch the characters explore the new world that has opened itself and battle the monsters that it has breathed forth.  I do hope that any further books will take the story beyond the halls of Chateau Frankenstein.  One could suspend disbelief at it having secret passageways, staircases and libraries but to now add a mysterious cave filled with dark and dangerous drawings - eventually the teens are going to have to search beyond the ancestral home for their next adventure.

I did have a few issues with the narrator for this audio book.  His voices for the young male characters were a little too close for easy understanding, but it was his female characters that were downright laughable.  They always came out oddly breathy and over-dramatic.  I was very glad that there were not more of them and that, other than Elizabeth, they didn't have much to say.  

I actually enjoyed Such Wicked Intent much more than the first in the series - a feat that happens very rarely.  I have not yet seen anything to indicate that there will be a third book, but I certainly hope that this is the case. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Fist Fighting, Swordplay, Attempted Rape
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

ARC Book Review: Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen

Title: Mrs. Poe

Author: Lynn Cullen
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: October 1st, 2013
Rating: 1/5

Cover Impressions:  Kinda boring background, but I enjoy the font

Review:

I quit 70 pages in. I could not, for the life of me, find anything the least bit interesting about the main character. She is whiney and self absorbed, complaining about her situation and waiting for a man to swoop in and save her.

I became more and more frustrated by her constant struggle with her writing. Clearly, she had seen success in children's stories but was trying to write something more prolific that would pay more. I am not one to bash artistic endeavors, but perhaps in attempting to put a roof over the heads of your children you might deem to lower yourself to write something THAT ACTUALLY SELLS! She spends countless pages moaning about her monetary situation but decides to spend her time attending frivolous parties and walking the streets of New York rather than actually writing anything.

I was also bored and appalled at the characterization of Poe and his wife. They were simplistic characters with little color and nothing to hold one's interest.

With a plot that crawls and characters that make my skin do likewise - I quit.

ARC Book Review: A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison

Title: A Wounded Name

Author: Dot Hutchison
Publisher: Lerner Publishing
Release Date: September 1st, 2013
Rating: 1/5

Cover Impressions:  Very pretty.  I love how she is leaping into the water, rather than falling as is common in a lot of YA covers. 

The Gist: A re-telling of Shakespeare's Hamlet through the eyes of Ophelia.

Review:I have been seriously procrastinating on writing this review.  THis is a direct result of the annoyance I felt while reading this book.  I chose A Wounded Name as one of the books to read while I was staying with my parents, preparing for my wedding.  I was hoping for a book to drag me away and give me a moment of to of respite from the insanity of wedding planning.  However, A Wounded Name ended up being the ONLY book I read because reading another page was the LAST thing that I wanted to do.  Bring on the crazy relatives, just don't make me read any more of Ophelia's tortured world!

A Wounded Name has the distinction of being the only book I can recall reading in which I hated ALL of the characters.  Every. Single. One.  I realize that this follows the plot of Hamlet pretty damn closely, but I could have done with some characterization to at least make one of two people appealing.  Dane is an ass.  Ophelia has no spine whatsoever.  Her brother and father are duel control freaks and, frankly, the character the reader is meant to truly hate, is the only one who behaves decently throughout the whole book!

The relationships in this novel are creepy at best, downright scary at worst.  Ophelia appears to have feelings for Dane but never takes any control and allows herself to be lead wherever he wishes.  Where he wishes, also tends to include physical abuse, which she endures in order to show her love.  THE FUCK OPHELIA??? She is constantly hiding the bruises, engaging in dangerous activities at his behest and making excuses for his actions.  Speaking of bruises - the author is OBSESSED!  Nearly every page mentions actual bruises, past bruises, bruise colored objects and on and on and on.  It has gotten to the point where I will never again be able to read that word without cringing inwardly. 

Ophelia's relationship with her father and brother is not much more healthy than that with Dane.  Both men are incredibly controlling and treat Ophelia like an invalid.  The family also seems to be distant and uncaring, while overly familiar with each other's private lives.  At one point, Ophelia describes her brother's sexual activities in a way that made me want to call child services. 

To compound on the horrible characters, there was a great deal of confusion about the time frame.  There are modern conveniences, such as cell phones, but antiquated ideas about women's roles.  The females are the school are raised to be obedient wives and the administration fights against any suggestion that they should change.  The language also got more and more annoying as the book went on.  I was looking for a re-telling of a Shakespearean masterpiece, but that doesn't mean I wanted to read someone else's version of Shakespearean language.  Every time the teens started speaking this way, it immediately jolted me from the story and made me question the author's choices.

A Wounded Name is merely a butchered classic that fell far short of expectations.  I do not think I will be anxiously awaiting any more of Hutchison's books.   

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Sex: Kissing, Sex among teenagers
Violence: Physical Abuse, Gunplay, Poisoning
Inappropriate Language: Whore, Prick, Bastard, Crude language regarding sex and masturbation
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking, Smoking