Victoria Reviews: Half Wild by Sally Green

I stayed up all night reading Sally Green’s first novel, Half Bad,  and I’ve been dying to get my hands on the sequel, Half Wild, ever since. I was lucky enough to secure a digital arc of this, and I must say that the second book more than lives up to the premise and excitement of the first. Nathan’s continuing journey had me hooked from the start. I’ll go ahead and warn readers that spoilers for Half Bad follow, though I won’t spoil anything for Book 2.

The book finds Nathan soon after he’s received his three gifts from his father, Marcus, as he’s trying to acclimate himself to his new ability. The book follows his search for Gabriel and his quest to free Annalise from Mercury, with some surprising twists and romantic turns along the way. This book brings everything to the table and sets it all up for a nice, action-packed, and emotional conclusion. Nathan returns with his witty and awkward humor alongside some new and interesting characters along with some

surprisingly familiar characters. Green delivers romance, blood, battle, conspiracy, and betrayal all in an exciting and fast-paced sequel, and she doesn't skimp on the character development along the way. Nathan grows and learns, often the hard way, and he truly encapsulates the half and half, middling theme that underlies his character. He muddies the line between White Witches and Black Witches, and his character helps to showcase the many, many grays that exist between good and evil, right and wrong. Nathan must come to accept the gray in White and Black Witches and in himself, and it’s fascinating to watch him learn who and how to trust.

I’d say this second novel is another success for Sally Green, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Book 3, Half Life.

Victoria Reviews: The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Considering I tore through Revis’s Across the Universe trilogy as quickly as I could, I was ecstatic when I heard she was releasing a new book earlier this year. I bought the book as soon as it came out, but alas, school and finals pushed back my reading until the end of the semester (it seems to do that quite often). I’ve been staring at that bright green cover all semester, and now I've finally had a chance to sit down and read The Body Electric. I tore through the book in one sitting, staying up half the night to find out what happens to Ella and Jack. This book was worth the wait, and Revis did not disappoint!

Ella Shepherd lives with her mother in New Venice, the heart of a new unified world and the worldly center of art, fashion, government, and technology. Ella works at the Reverie Mental Spa using technology her mother developed that allows people to access and relive their happiest memory. When Ella discovers the unique ability to enter into others’ reveries and sift through their deepest memories, suddenly her world shifts. The government is knocking at her door for help against terrorists, and Ella agrees to help until she meets Jack, who shows her that the government she trusts might not be telling her everything. Desperate to find out the truth about her father’s death, government corruption, and her own strange abilities, Ella sets off on an adventure of a lifetime, but she quickly realizes that everything is not what it seems, and the truth does not always set you free.

Revis makes science fiction look easy (and it’s not). The ease and grace with which she crafts her worlds, slipping in references, details, and explanations to fill everything out…it’s seamless, and it’s brilliant. The Body Electric is a stand-alone novel, but it has connections to Revis’s other books, the Across the Universe trilogy, as well. The trilogy explores Amy and Elder’s adventures in deep space on their journey to a new planet, but The Body Electric explores what was happening back on earth while Godspeed headed off into darkness. I really enjoyed reading through and picking out the references to Across the Universe as I went, as well as references to other works (such as "I Sing the Body Electric", the poem by Walt Whitman for which the book was named). There’s so much packed into this book that I know I’ll find more and more every time I reread it (and believe me, I will definitely be rereading it)!

Revis takes readers on a twisting, fantastic journey through the gleaming city of New Venice. The book has all you could ask for: eye screens, computer bracelets, androids, microscopic robots, computer hacking, uprisings, all the really fun stuff in science fiction (except space, but that’s in Across the Universe…and time travel, but I’m crossing my fingers for a future Revis book that deals with this). It’s fun, it’s intricate, it’s dazzling, and particularly if you’re a sci-fi fan, you need to check out Revis’s books!

I loved The Body Electric, and it now has a well-earned place on my favorites shelf next to the rest of Beth Revis’s works! Her science fiction is fun, interesting, and well-thought out and researched. You can tell she puts a lot of effort into her work, and it shines through brilliantly. The Body Electric isn’t just fun and games, though; it also examines some deep questions about society, terrorism, and what it means to be human. Revis does not shy away from such questions, and her exploration of these themes is both beautiful and thoughtful.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s a fan or either YA or science fiction, particularly fans of both. I’d also recommend it to anyone who enjoyed These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. For those interested, at the end of The Body Electric, Revis has included an excellent short story she’s written called “The Turing Test” about a young woman who must determine through conversation with two test subject which is the human and which is the computer. It’s a fascinating story, one that has unexpected and interesting connections to The Body Electric.

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire: A Read & Review Club Review

The CHB Read & Review Club is a chance for high school and middle school students who enjoy reading to share the joy of reading with others through reviewing and recommending books. As a bookshop, we often receive special review copies of books in advance of their release dates so that we can review them. However, since we can only read so many books and we value the thoughts and opinions of other readers, CHB is recruiting high school and middle school students who would like to read and review advance reader copies (or arcs) of middle grade and young adult books that we receive, and we'll be posting their reviews here!

Samantha B. (15) is a Read & Review Club member, and she has written a review of Roxanne St. Claire's new book, They All Fall Down! Check out what she has to say about the book:

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire was excellent. If you are a fan of thrillers and murders –and I do not mean a group of crows—you will love this book. The author really knows how to grip the reader from the first page. The characters were very well developed and the dialogue was splendid. I would recommend this book to anyone above the age of thirteen. I found Kenzie Summerall to be an excellently developed character. I could just imagine everything she went through. I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down! I stayed up most of the night trying to finish the book! They All Fall Down will hold you captive until the very end. Any parent and teenager who loves fiction or have read any of her other novels will love this book. Every twist and turn will make you want more and more of each of the characters. Every character certainly brings this amazing thriller together. I certainly hope Roxanne St. Claire continues to write young adult novels like this one! 

Thanks to Samantha for her review!

For Real by Alison Cherry: A Read & Review Club Review

The CHB Read & Review Club is a chance for high school and middle school students who enjoy reading to share the joy of reading with others through reviewing and recommending books. As a bookshop, we often receive special review copies of books in advance of their release dates so that we can review them. However, since we can only read so many books and we value the thoughts and opinions of other readers, CHB is recruiting high school and middle school students who would like to read and review advance reader copies (or arcs) of middle grade and young adult books that we receive, and we'll be posting their reviews here!

Rebecca R. (15) is a Read & Review Club member, and she has written a review of the new novel by Alison Cherry called For Real! Check out what she has to say about the book:

In Alison Cherry’s new novel, For Real, she presents readers with real life situations and struggles. The characters face the difficult question: whom can I trust? When Miranda finds her boyfriend cheating on her, Claire, her sister, is there to help her find a way to get back at him. Claire, a shy, awkward, pop culture nerd, decides Miranda, a cool, outgoing partygoer, needs to go on a reality TV show, and Claire finds herself there too. Once they are put in the television show they are quick to make alliances, but are soon forced to decide if the friends they are making are true. The book is full of plot twists and is aimed at teenagers. It teaches about love and how important family is through everything. It also teaches that not everyone is just like they seem on the outside. I thought the book was amazing and a definite page-turner; the characters and plot were well introduced. The plot has so many twists and turns that there will almost never be a point where you are ready to put the book down. I absolutely loved the book and I hope others do too!

Thanks to Rebecca for her review!

Victoria Reviews: Ensnared by A.G. Howard

I have been dying to read this for over a year, ever since I sailed through the ending of Unhinged only to be left clinging to the side of a cliff for a year as I waited (and waited…and waited!) to hear news of the finale of the Splintered series. And then finally it came. My arc of Ensnared arrived in the mail, and I was beside myself with excitement. I dived right into the story as soon as I could (which was, unfortunately, nearly a month after I received the book because school and finals came along to ruin my happiness), and I say with conviction that the wait was worthwhile. Howard has delivered a fantastic and un-put-downable conclusion to her wonderful trilogy, and it’s even better than I hoped!

I wrote in my review of Splintered that A.G. Howard knows how to write a killer love triangle, and this holds true throughout the trilogy. It’s the question on everyone’s minds: will Alyssa choose Jeb or Morpheus? Which will win her heart, Wonderland or reality? Most love triangles are easy to figure out. There’s usually one guy the main character primarily prefers (think Bella and Edward: did anyone really ever think she’d ever leave Edward for Jacob?). A.G. Howard, however, likes to keep readers on their toes. I spent the entire trilogy trying to figure out which guy to root for, which one might be best for Alyssa. I was just as torn between them as she was, and there was never a moment of certainty about which guy (and which world) she’d end up choosing. Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no spoilers, but I, at least, was very happy with the way Howard chose to conclude this particular conflict.

One of my favorite things about this book was how much time I got to spend in Wonderland and

the Looking Glass World. Once again, no spoilers, but I think it’s okay for me to say that the majority of the book takes place far from reality, and that was a welcome distance. I loved reading about the fantastic world that Howard has created around Lewis Carroll’s original one; her creativity and ability to make Carroll’s worlds her known know no bounds. Howard’s world is her own, but it’s not entirely unrecognizable to fans of the original Alice stories. In fact, I think it’s the intricate links to and twisting of the original story that make Howard’s take so fascinating. She’s clearly done her research: she knows these stories well, and she’s done the originals justice.

I can’t recommend this series enough. To those Splintered fans awaiting this book with bated breath: you won’t be disappointed. To those fans of Carroll’s Wonderland who haven’t read these books yet: what are you waiting for?! Ensnared is up there as one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. It was thrilling, weird, and wonderful, and I’m so excited to have taken the journey with Alyssa through these books. It was a fitting end to a mad ride, and I couldn’t have asked for better.

Ensnared will be released on Tuesday, January 6th!

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare: A Read & Review Club Review

The CHB Read & Review Club is a chance for high school and middle school students who enjoy reading to share the joy of reading with others through reviewing and recommending books. As a bookshop, we often receive special review copies of books in advance of their release dates so that we can review them. However, since we can only read so many books and we value the thoughts and opinions of other readers, CHB is recruiting high school and middle school students who would like to read and review advance reader copies (or arcs) of middle grade and young adult books that we receive, and we'll be posting their reviews here!

Caitlin G. (14) and Samantha B. (15) are Read & Review Club members, and they have each written a review of the new short story collection by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan: The Bane Chronicles! Check out what they have to say about the book:

Caitlin: In The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Magnus Bane’s life is revealed in ten short stories. These stories take readers through many different experiences including warlock cacti, Herondales, and humorous first dates. Clare brings characters from the past, present, and quite possibly the future into this mini-series.  I really enjoyed this book because it answers so many questions that I had about Magnus and his past.  Also I liked the fact that I knew many of the characters in the stories because of Clare’s Shadowhunter series.  Some of the new characters may end up in the next two Shadowhunter series that Clare is writing.  In this book, readers are shown who Magnus is and the life experiences that have helped to make him who he is in The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.  I think that people who have read one or both of Cassandra Clare’s past series will greatly enjoy The Bane Chronicles.  This book gives reasons for Magnus’s decisions in the Shadowhunter series and looks at Magnus’s immortal friends’ lives.  Magnus has always had a special relationship with the Shadowhunters and this book looks into that a little too.  Anyone that considers themselves a Shadowhunter will enjoy learning Magnus’s story. 

Samantha: Cassandra Clare has done it yet again! The Bane Chronicles was absolutely amazing! I could not put this book down! If you liked The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, you will love this book! The characters were so well developed I almost started perceiving them as real people instead of fictional characters. When the author gives you the ability to lose yourself in the book, that is when you know they have done their jobs correctly. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has read any of Cassandra Clare’s work. These three authors really know how to get their readers hooked from the first page. Through every twist and turn, The Bane Chronicles will have you begging for more. The comic strips drawn in the book are fantastic! The comics that are drawn at the beginning of every chapter really help you visualize what is going on with Magnus. I highly recommend reading this book and the rest of the books by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson. You most certainly will not regret it! These authors will take you on an amazing journey though each of their books.

Thanks to Caitlin and Samantha for their reviews!

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick: A Read & Review Club Review

The CHB Read & Review Club is a chance for high school and middle school students who enjoy reading to share the joy of reading with others through reviewing and recommending books. As a bookshop, we often receive special review copies of books in advance of their release dates so that we can review them. However, since we can only read so many books and we value the thoughts and opinions of other readers, CHB is recruiting high school and middle school students who would like to read and review advance reader copies (or arcs) of middle grade and young adult books that we receive, and we'll be posting their reviews here!

Samantha B. (15) is a Read & Review Club member, and she has written a review of Becca Fitzpatrick's new book, Black Ice! From the author of the Hush, Hush saga comes a new thriller: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick. From the publisher’s summary: “Britt Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants – but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there...and in uncovering this, she may become the killer's next target. But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?”

Check out what Read & Review Club Member Samantha has to say about the book: Black Ice is amazing! I was hooked by the first page. Fitzpatrick really knows how to make her characters come to life and make you feel what they are feeling. The ending was not what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. This book is fantastic, gruesome, intense, and heart-stopping; I could not put it down! I didn’t want to sleep until I finished this book. I was up from dusk till dawn reading to see what would happen to Britt Pfeiffer! Would Calvin, her ex-boyfriend who haunts her thoughts, find her before it was too late? Mason was absolutely perfect in a kidnapper-but-awfully-kind way. I had trouble trying to figure out if he was Britt’s enemy or ally. I could only hope he was an ally when Britt makes a discovery that could make her a serial killer’s next target! You will not regret buying this book. If you loved Hush, Hush, you’ll love Black Ice. This novel is perfect! A thriller with just the right amount of romance, Black Ice is going to grip you and not let go until the ride is over.

Thanks to Samantha for her review!

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid: A Read & Review Club Review

Introducing the CHB Read & Review Club! The Read & Review Club is for high school and middle school students who enjoy reading and would like to share the joy of reading with others through reviewing and recommending books. As a bookshop, we often receive special review copies of books in advance of their release dates so that we can review them. However, since we can only read so many books and we value the thoughts and opinions of other readers, CHB is recruiting high school and middle school students to read and review advance reader copies (or arcs) of middle grade and young adult books that we receive, and we'll be posting their reviews here!

Alexis B.'s review of Let's Get Lost is the first Read & Review Club member review we're posting! Check out what she has to say about the book:

"Let's Get Lost is not just a book about love, friends, and adventures; it goes much deeper than that.  Let's Get Lost gives us a greater understanding of our need to find ourselves.

A mechanic/med school student, a runaway, a senior going to prom, and a girl learning how to love have only one thing in common: Leila.  Leila is traveling across the country meeting people that will forever affect her life.

Alsaid has written a very unique book. Many people compare his novel to John Green's novels, but each individual book tells an individual story.  If we compare these novels, we are saying they are cookie-cutter, and while Let's Get Lost may have the same effect on people as John Green's novels, it is a very unique novel. This novel is not necessarily a page-turner but in the best way. Let's Get Lost is the kind of book you want to take in slowly so you don't miss even a minor detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Alsaid's new book and highly suggest it to anyone who wants to see their life in a different perspective because Let's Get Lost applies to everyone's hidden feelings."

Thanks to Alexis B. for her review!

Victoria Reviews: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

As soon as I heard that Afterworlds existed, I needed it. A book about a teenage debut young adult author trying to make it in the publishing world of NYC, coupled with the entirety of the novel she’s writing about a girl who can visit the ghostly Afterworld? And it’s by the brilliant Scott Westerfeld? YES PLEASE! I was hooked before I even cracked the spine. But crack the spine I did, and let me tell you, the book was even better than I imagined.

Darcy Patel is 18 years old, she’s just graduated from high school, and she has a book deal. She spent her last November of high school typing 1667 or more words a day for thirty days straight and, through the amazing process of NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month for those who don’t know), emerged with a completed (though unedited) novel. Determined to make it both as an author and as an adult, Darcy delays college and heads to New York to become one with the publishing scene and revise her novel. Through new friendships, books tours, YA author meet-ups, revisions, plotting, book research, and even an unexpected romance, Darcy must not only meet the deadline for revising her novel (a difficult job in itself) but also navigate her new life and take up the responsibilities of an adulthood that she’s not entirely sure she’s ready for yet.

I loved Darcy. She feels so real, and I wish I could befriend her and join her on all her crazy author/writing adventures (including driving a car around NYC with a friend locked in the trunk…anything for research!). Anyone who has ever written fiction at all will relate to Darcy’s struggles and insecurities as she revises her book and as she struggles to become and see herself as a professional author, despite her constant impostor syndrome. She’s funny, witty, and apprehensive, and I found myself really wanting her to succeed. By the end of the book, I cared about Darcy’s happiness and success, especially since the life she makes for herself as an author is one that I supremely envy.

Speaking of authors, this book is full of them. Anyone familiar with YA and YA authors will recognize hints of some of their favorite authors in Westerfeld’s characters. Though they are all completely fictional, the references to the world of young adult fiction and its writers are real and wonderful. On the one hand, it gives the reader the opportunity to see inside and experience that world for themselves through Darcy’s eyes. On the other hand, I can’t help but feel that this book contains a great deal of inside jokes and references exclusive to YA authors who have actually been through these experiences. This doesn’t take away from the novel at all; contrariwise, it adds another dimension of realism. It allows the reader to glimpse not only Westerfeld’s fictional YA world but also hints of the world of young adult literature as it actually exists. Darcy’s story also (for me, anyway) reignited my excitement and passion for writing. This book, more than just about anything else I’ve read or seen, made me want to be an author.

Darcy’s book is just as intriguing as Darcy’s own story. Afterworlds, the inner novel for which the book is named, follows Darcy’s character Lizzie after she survives a terrorist attack in an airport. To escape certain death, Lizzie inadvertently slips into the “afterworld,” the strange world that exists between life and death. After this first encounter, Lizzie is able to move between reality and the afterworld with ease, and she starts seeing and encountering ghosts, even in her own home. Helped along by the scared ghost of a little girl and a kind and protective psychopomp who never ages, Lizzie must learn how to use and embrace her newfound powers for good, even when a darker invitation comes knocking.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was really phenomenal. The two stories alternate, with Darcy’s story one chapter and Lizzie’s the next. I was worried that this method would make the stories feel interrupted and that they wouldn’t flow together well, but all my worry was for naught! Both stories fit together flawlessly. It was fun to pick out the bits in Darcy’s life that appear in her novel and observe how the two stories affect each other. I even found myself wishing I could read the other (fictional) YA novels mentioned and quoted in the book, because all of them sound that intriguing!

Afterworlds has earned itself a firm place on my favorite’s shelf (next to everything else Scott Westerfeld has written, of course). Westerfeld shines in this two-in-one-book; it’s well-written, compelling, and it features amazing characters that you can’t help relating to. This book is a must-read for Scott Westerfeld fans, and I’d also recommend this book to anyone who loves YA (of any kind), especially those interested in writing. I think Nerdfighters in particular will also get quite a kick out of this book, though in the interest of not spoiling things, I won’t say why!

Victoria Reviews: Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

When I first picked up this book and started to read, I did not expect to find myself sucked into the story just as fully as Nolan, one of the book’s main characters, gets sucked into the world of Amara, the other main character, when he closes his eyes. The book was fascinating and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

Otherbound follows Nolan who inhabits another world every single time he closes his eyes (even if he blinks). Each time he closes his eyes, he is suddenly in the mind and body of Amara, a servant in a different world. Amara protects a cursed and exiled princess in the Dunelands as a healing mage, and Nolan can only observe her life without every interfering. Nolan has been diagnosed with epilepsy in his own world, since the best explanation for what happens when he gets sucked into Amara's world is a seizure. But what happens when he starts learning how to take over and control Amara? 

Both Amara and Nolan are wonderful characters. Despite much of their shared experiences, they are two very separate people, and their individuality is a large part of what helps drive the story. There’s never any point where it’s unclear whether it’s Amara or Nolan is thinking or feeling something, even if they are both experiencing the same things. Amara is a servant whose tongue has been cut out – all servants have their tongues removed – and she bears the mark of a servant on the back of her neck in the form of a tattoo. She uses sign language to communicate, another mark of a servant in the Dunelands, and her job is to help protect the princess Cilla at all costs. Cilla has been cursed, and shedding even the smallest drop of her blood will activate the curse, leading to her almost immediate death. Amara is servile in all ways. The duties and expectations of a servant are constantly in the back of her mind, and she almost always does her best to observe them. Even in situations where she could (or needs to) take power, Amara is uncomfortable. Being an abused and watchful servant is all she knows of life, and she isn’t quite sure what to do in situations where she needs to take charge. She doesn’t know how to treat Cilla, who is both her better and possibly a friend. Her uncertainty along with her hatred of feeling this way pervades the book. Though Amara may dream of freedom, she is aware that she might not be able to accept it comfortably.

Nolan has been seeing Amara’s world through Amara’s eyes since he was a child. He’s been in several comas, and he lost his foot in an accident once when sucked unexpectedly into Amara’s painful world. His parents, teachers, and doctors all keep a careful watch on him, often to Nolan’s frustration. He puts up a front to them all, giving out “teacher-smiles” and constant refrains of “I’m okay” to everyone expressing concern. Nolan knows that he doesn’t have epilepsy, and he knows the medications don’t work; however, he can’t tell anyone about Amara’s world, because he knows they wouldn’t believe him. So he simply lives with the pain of existing between two worlds: with his eyes closed he enters Amara’s world only to observe and feel her pain, and with eyes open he must attempt to live out some semblance of a normal life with people who can’t possibly understand him.

There’s a lot of depth to these characters. Even as the book progresses and the characters develop, they still stay themselves – the unity that Duyvis maintains in characterization is quite impressive. Amara acts only in ways that it is believable for Amara to act based on who she is, and the same goes for Nolan. Even by the end of the book, they are still not entirely okay, all of their problems and flaws not magically solved along with the conflict. This makes the book that much more real and convincing – you can almost believe that the Dunelands do in fact exist, if only you could forge your own mind link to see it.

The story itself was fascinating, and the plot twists were completely unexpected. Instead of just pulling twists out of nothing, however, Duyvis manages to make them flow naturally from the story. Once the twist happens, suddenly everything else you know about the story shifts, and you see how that made perfect sense; you can’t believe you didn’t figure it out yourself.

Duyvis’ worldbuilding was excellent; the Dunelands were detailed yet understandable. The details of this world came naturally throughout the story. I never once felt like something had happened or someone had spoken simply so the reader could learn information. One thing I found very interesting was the concept of language and communication in the Dunelands. Different races or nationalities speak different languages, and the mute servants use sign language to communicate, often having to spell out unfamiliar words. Though all languages used in the book are written out in English (even the sign language), it was interesting to see the character stumble a bit in trying to translate certain words, especially English words.

Overall, this book was excellent. It was a fantasy story taken to the next level by its combination with our world. Though it’s a standalone novel, I’d gladly read a sequel or anything else taking place in Amara’s world, if Duyvis ever chose to write such a thing. I loved the characters, and I’m sad to let them go. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes YA fantasy (especially fans of Catherine Fisher’s Incarceron series or Half Bad by Sally Green) or anyone who is simply interested in a compelling story.

Victoria Reviews: Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston

The inside cover description portrays Frozen as a Vegas-esque romp through a nearly destroyed future with hints of magic and darkness lurking around every corner. As exciting as that sounds, thankfully the book is quite a bit more than that. The setting is frozen both literally and figuratively: everything in the world not covered by ice and snow is toxic waste, and passage between civilizations is either highly regulated or impossible. Society is frozen in its current state, with the rich and privileged spending all their time gambling while the lower classes struggle to survive in such a toxic environment. The government has as tight a control as it can manage on the world, and those trying to slip under the radar are usually caught and quickly executed.

Amidst the militaristic rule and dog-eat-dog population comes a surprisingly old-fashioned tale. Arrogant good guy meets independent, no-nonsense girl, and what results is a toxic seas adventure more like Pirates of the Caribbean than a Las Vegas thriller.

This pirate adventure may sound like it couldn’t possibly fit in with the futuristic Vegas that the book paints as its setting, but the interesting thing is that it actually does; the two seemingly opposing ideas flow together quite naturally, even when you throw in a bit of sorcery and a promised land of the kind Wendy Darling could only dream of.

The characters manage to hold their own despite the mixed setting. Nat and Wes are strong people, capable of handling just about anything that comes their way. But at the end of the day you’re reminded that, despite their ingenuity and intelligence, these are only two teenagers making the best of the cruel world in which they are stuck. Hope and a refusal to give up are sometimes the only things giving them the strength to keep moving.

All in all, I must admit that while I started this book with my expectations closer to the floor than the ceiling, I was rather impressed at the way de la Cruz and Johnston managed to seamlessly stitch together so many vastly different pieces to create a complete and compelling story. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and dystopian stories, as this is a bit of both. Frozen is the first book in the Heart of Dread series, and I'm sure the next book will be just as fantastic and surprising as this one!

Victoria Reviews: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Let me get my fangirling out of the way. I really adore both Eleanor and Park and Fangirl. Those two have permanent places on my favorites shelf, and I recommend them to just about anyone who will listen to me for half a second (speaking of which...if you haven’t read them, THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GO READ THEM). Since it’s an adult novel, I was afraid I wouldn’t love Landline the way I love the other two. I usually prefer YA to adult novels, and this is often because the problems and ideas in YA still apply to me at 21 years old. It’s rare for me to find an adult novel that I can relate to and care about like I do with YA. So I was nervous about starting Landline, worried that the book wouldn’t stand up to my love for Rowell’s YA novels.

Once again, Rainbow Rowell has proven her strange ability to get right at my heart and soul. Landline is definitely an adult novel, but it completely destroyed my fears of being unable to relate to its themes and ideas. Its themes include marriage, regret, first love versus lasting love, and figuring out whether the life you’ve been living for so many years is actually what’s right for you. Rowell has packed this book with so much character, personality, and emotion that it’s nearly overflowing. It’s nearly impossible notto find something to relate to in this book. The characters feel like close friends of yours by the end; you might even fancy calling them up to invite them over for dinner and a game night, if you could just remember their phone number.

The book follows Georgie McCool, a TV comedy writer in Los Angeles, and her husband Neal, the quiet stay-at-home dad and artist. When Georgie tells Neal she can’t go to Omaha with him to spend Christmas with his family, Neal simply packs up the kids and leaves for Omaha without Georgie, leaving her lonely and worried that her marriage is finally over. While staying with her mother over the holidays, Georgie discovers that an old phone in her bedroom has the power to call Neal in the past, back before they ever got married. Georgie has to figure out if she’s supposed to save her marriage or if maybe they would both be happier in the long run if they never got married in the first place.

Georgie is hilarious, sweet, and so busy and caught up in life that she doesn’t always stop to think of everyone around her. She loves her husband, her kids, and her job, but it’s hard for her when any of these things clash together. Neal is quieter and more reserved. Emotion doesn’t radiate off of him constantly like it radiates off of Georgie, and even getting a true smile from him is an achievement. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, Neal is deep and thoughtful. He’s an artist, and though he may not always show his emotion plainly (be it anger or happiness or anything else), there is no doubt that he contains multitudes.

What surprised me most about this novel was that I related to it separately from how I normally relate to YA novels. This is one of the first books I’ve read that related to my life as an adult specifically. I connected very strongly with Georgie, especially with her concerns about being a good wife while still taking care of her own hopes and dreams in life. Though not exactly carefree, she’s still able to really experience and enjoy life, an enviable feat. She’s thoughtful almost to a fault, overthinking just about everything she does, trying to figure out the right thing to do. It’s difficult for her to deny her own happiness, even if the things that make her happy are making her husband unhappy. She cares deeply about her family and her job, and she tries her hardest to be who everyone expects her to be and make everyone else happy. She appealed to me quite deeply, getting at the heart of some of my own fears about adulthood and being a good person. The book is witty and filled with the kind of romantic moments you can’t help but smile at while reading. It manages to be both hilarious and sweet, sometimes in the same moment. It makes you reconsider the importance of love versus happiness in a marriage and in life; if you love someone, what happens if you can’t make them happy? Is it best to let them go or keep trying? Is it better to be unhappy with the one you love or happy with someone you don’t love? Rowell examines these questions thoroughly and beautifully.

Overall, Landline is a Rainbow Rowell book through and through: it makes you feel something, and you aren’t quite the same person by the time you turn the last page.

World Book Night: The Fifth Batch

With this five I have now read twenty-seven of the thirty-five WBN choices; the final eight will have to wait for me a while as Victoria and I began our re-read of the Harry Potter series yesterday, and I’ll be in a state of Potter mania for the bulk of the summer!

Rebecca Lee’s Bobcat and Other Stories has left me with a hunger for short works. The stories in this collection are wonderful. With such a small amount of space Lee was about to fully draw me in to each story and make me care about the lives of her characters. All the while I was lingering over various lines and phrases simply admiring the prose. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by Lee and I thank the WBN committee for introducing me to these stories!

Can something be both idyllic and jaded? If so, Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin is a wonderful mingling of the two. This novel of an almost-but-not-quite magical apartment building in San Francisco in the 1970s was such an entertaining read. This book is full of wit, heart, and sass – it’s just a good time.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is one of those books you have to talk about. I have probably mentioned some element of this book in conversation every day since I started reading it. The idea of “little things” making a “big difference” and just what makes things tip is compelling and so interesting to talk about. Definitely a good choice for book clubs (of which it has been a staple for a while now) as it is sure to get conversations going.

 

Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon have created a perfect middle grade mystery in Zora and Me. Using facts from Zora Neale Hurston’s early life they imbued this novel with a pitch perfect sense of time and place. The imagination at the center of this story fully realizes the spirit of Zora and her tall tales – child readers will enjoy the fun and fear of the mystery while adult readers see a portrait of the child Zora who will continue to challenge established ideas, create great stories, and teach us much about race and history through her collections of folklore. And adult readers get to enjoy the fun too.

Reading Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers was a jarring experience. Myers lulls readers with the monotony and boredom of everyday life for soldiers in Iraq; then just as you settle into that idea of life catastrophe strikes. The sheer psychic rift of inaction shifting dangerously fast into violent action was the greatest thing I took from this novel. While it is still difficult for me to imagine the life of a solider I feel that this novel helped put me into their frame of mind.

Victoria Reviews: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

I first picked up The Bone Season because my favorite vlogger (video blogger, for those who don’t know) Carrie Hope Fletcher sang the book’s praises in one of her videos on her YouTube channel (ItsWayPastMyBedtime). Seeing someone whose opinions I trust go crazy over an amazing book she was reading piqued my curiosity, and I eventually snagged a copy of the book for myself as well as some time to sit and read it.

The Bone Season is the first in a seven book series, and it follows Paige Mahoney, a clairvoyant (or “voyant,” as they refer to themselves) working in an underworld crime syndicate in Scion London, where clairvoyance is illegal and persecuted. Paige is a dreamwalker, and she has the power to penetrate the dreamscapes (“the interior of the mind, where memories are stored”) of other voyants. She uses this power to recruit powerful voyants for her sector's crime lord. But when she's captured and sent to a camp where she’s enslaved by otherworldly creatures, Paige must discover the truth about clairvoyance as well as her own powers, because the world is much more dangerous than she ever dreamed.

This book drew me in from the start. Shannon’s world of clairvoyant London is fascinating and complex. She’s created an intricate classification of voyants and abilities that lends authenticity and believability to an already captivating story. The book even features a glossary at the end to help readers keep up with all the Scion slang and terminology. There’s no question that Shannon’s world-building skills are enviable. The story, made all the more interesting by the setting, kept me hooked. I found it impossible to guess what would happen next, and even if I managed to figure out one thing, there was always a big part of it that I never would have guessed. The story is daring and personal, filled with an excellent mixture of dangerous exploits along with character and relationship development. You really get to know and care for several of the characters, which makes the moments of action and danger all the more heart-pounding.

Shannon sets up the start of her series nicely, giving readers a good introduction to the kinds of people, creatures, and society the books will follow. There’s so much depth and possibility in what she’s created that, though I was a little dubious when I heard that it’s a septology, I quickly saw that Shannon has more than enough imagination and material to craft into seven books.

Author Samantha Shannon

Paige is a lovely and well-rounded character. She’s tough and intelligent – she has to be to survive as a voyant – but her fears and insecurities feel real and believable. She lives in a dangerous world, and she’s developed a hard exterior to protect herself, and as a reader, it was a joy to not only see beneath the shell but also to watch Paige learn how to open herself to new experiences and relationships. She’s clever and witty; she says what she thinks, and she’s very fluent in sarcasm. Her witty banter with other characters – friends and foes alike (as well as with friends who might be foes or foes who might be friends) – was really funny and helped make the book an enjoyable read. One of my favorite things about Paige is that she’s not worried about being likeable, she’s worried about surviving and being herself. Whether or not everyone else personally likes her as a person isn’t really the most important thing to her. This attitude, however, doesn’t stop her from being kind and trying to be the best person she can be. Paige is constantly looking out for others and doing everything she can to help those who need it. Despite the world’s cruelties, she refuses to give up completely on the world.

The Bone Season now sits firmly on my favorite’s shelf. I recommend it to just about everyone I know. I’d especially recommend this book to fans of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Divergent, and all the really popular dystopian series. It’s an adventure in a new world, and I’m excited to be a part of it from the beginning.

Book two in the series, The Mime Order, is set to be released on October 21st!

World Book Night: The Fourth Batch

World Book Night has come and gone. I had a blast distributing my books; each year the process has been a little different, and I look forward to next year’s excitement!

Unfortunately, I didn’t complete the list before going out into the world on the Bard’s day, but I’m still reading my way through.

Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars is a post-apocalyptic novel with strong prose and a disregard for writing conventions thus it is frequently compared to McCarthy’s The Road but in my opinion it lacks the overall impact of the earlier novel. Hig is a pilot using a single prop airplane and a cache of weapons to maintain control of small plot of land against marauders and cannibals. Heller describes the relationship between Hig and his dog so well that it is almost painful – this relationship is the final shred of Hig’s humanity and it is stirring and beautiful.
 

Middle grade fantasy is probably one of my favorite genres and The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan is a really fun addition to the category. This novel about a young apprentice to a ranger (a sort of magician/knight) is perfect of fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Super quick, fun read!

I spent most of my time reading This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff wishing that I could talk to my grandfather about it. My grandfather used to tell me about his “wild days” with his brothers – sneaking out and wreaking havoc, and this novel about a boy transitioning from childhood to adulthood in the 1950s is something he would have understood and recognized. Wolff looks back on his memories and was able to extract exactly how he was developing into his adult self and describe all of the difficulties and confusion therein.
 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews falls into another category of young adult fiction that I love – books about outsider teens! This is sad and funny and self-deprecating with a perfect sarcastic tone, but it is ultimately life-affirming (in a totally knowing and nonobnoxious way). Great YA especially for film nerds.

Sadly, Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot may be my least favorite from this batch. This is a novel about a kid fight to save a rare species of owl in the Everglades. The environmentalism is never overbearing and I can see the humor in it, but it never really touched me on either level. I feel like Hiaasen has taken his brand of Florida quirk a little too far for me.