Series Review: Underland Chronicles

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic 

Genre(s): YA/Middle Grade Fantasy 

*5 Books*
~Spoiler free~

Summary:
The Underland Chronicles tells the story of Gregor, a seemingly average 11year- old boy, and his adventures in Underland, a world he discovers one day when he falls through a vent in his apartment. 

Review:

UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT: To be honest, I liked this series waaaaaay better than the Hunger Games.  In fact, I felt like this series was really underrated and overshadowed by the Hunger Games.

Why? 

Well, I think that topic merits its own post.:)

For now, I've complied a bullet list of the reasons of why I absolutely love the Underland Chronicles.

(Note: There won’t be any spoilers for this series but there will be a few spoilers for the Hunger Games that I have left uncovered.  Read at your own risk!)

1  1. Characters: (Was it just me or were all the characters really similar to the ones in Percy Jackson?  Or the other way around, since this series came out first.  Gregor wasn't quite a sass master like Percy, but other than that, they were pretty similar.  This type of character must be a common thing because I’ve heard the characters of Percy Jackson be compared to Harry Potter (mostly in appearance; I'm not sure personality-wise because I haven't actually read Harry Potter).  Maybe that’s why I really loved this book series- because it was so similar to Percy Jackson. )  

The thing I loved most about this book, and what I felt was somewhat lacking in the Hunger Games, was the chemistry between the characters.  There wasn’t really romantic chemistry (hints here there), but the family and friendship dynamic was amazing.  You could see how much Gregor loved and cared for his sister.  It was clearly evident throughout the book with everything Gregor did.  In contrast, yes, Katniss did love her sister, and yes, her actions showed it, but as I was reading the book, I felt like Katniss viewed her sister as more of a delicate object to be protected (she was delicate, but a person isn’t an object).  The love Katniss felt for her sister could be argued as genuine, but at the same time, I personally felt there was an underlying coldness and a little resentment from Katniss to her sister.  There was something off about their relationship.   But with Gregor, all I could see was his sweet affection and unconditional love for his sister.  (I'll explore this more on the next post!)

There were other relationships I adored, especially Luxa and Gregor, Ripred and Gregor, and Ares and Gregor. 

In a bullet list within another bullet list:

- Luxa and Gregor:   They went from I-find-you-interesting-and-as-about-trustworthy-as-cockroaches (not to bash cockroaches, but they were seen as lower class; to be honest, though, they were actually really cute in this book) to I’ll-trust-you-with-my-bat (which is a pretty big deal!).

-Ripred and Gregor: Ripred is the snarky (and hilarious) mentor who, besides the cockroaches and Ares, was one of my favorite non-human characters in the books.   They have a I-care-for-you-like-you're-family-but-I’ll-pretend-I-don’t type of relationship.  Ripred is gruff, but caring in his own way.

- Ares and Gregor: They started off as sort of enemies, but grew to love and care for each other.  Their relationship was very honorable with a tinge of sweetness.  (It’s a bit weird to describe their relationship like this, but I think "honorable" really sums up their interactions.)

2. The plot: Oh my goodness, the story was AWESOME. I can’t gush about it enough!  It was exciting, entertaining, and fun.  It was fast paced too, and there were so many twists and turns with each book; it definitely kept you on your toes. Again, I felt the stories were similar to Percy Jackson in nature; I don’t know if it was just me, but there were A LOT of similarities between *certain* scenes.  

But read and decide for yourself.  ;)

I can’t really say more about the overall plot without giving away spoilers, but it was really something (prepare thy heartstrings to be tugged and soul to be ripped).  And that ending?  I can’t guarantee it won’t disappoint (in a good way!), but it was satisfying.  So satisfying. (Mockingjay doesn’t hold a candle to it.)

3. The world:  Made me want to find a vent and jump in myself ;).   It might not be appealing to everyone (there were rats, bugs, bats…), but I personally love bugs, and the description of this place was beautiful.  Seriously.  There are few authors that could make an underground fantasy world beautiful, creepy, and real all at the same time- Ms. Collins is one of them.

The world building was just amazing. The author built up this world slowly, telling us only what we needed to know at that time- and there was a lot to know (esp. the prophecies!).   No info dumps or lack of info.  This book was a great example of balancing telling and showing.

4. Messages/themes:  This series was really lovely, not just in the plot and characters, but also in themes and messages.  It was mostly focused on themes of loyalty, family, doing what's right, and destiny/fate (PARTICULARLY THIS!). Now, these themes might sound cliche and overly done (esp. nowadays with YA books popping out like cake pops), but the author doesn't just plow you in the face with them.  It was very subtle, and writing this review now (I read this series again a month or two ago), I found myself realizing more connections and more themes within the novels that I hadn't before.  

5. Addiction level: INSANE. This series was amazing.  Honestly, I think I’ve read this series only a few less times than I’ve read Percy Jackson (and you guys all know my obsessive love for that!!).   The thing I think that made  this book so great was the chemistry between the characters and the characters themselves.  The plot itself was amazing, but with cardboard characters, even the best plots can be ruined.   Here, we were lucky enough to get both a great plot and awesometastic characters!  

Final thoughts?  So usually, I would take issue with the fact that Gregor was THE ONE.  But here, there was a rare exception of that being done well and being done with a plot twist.  (!!)

Can't recommend this series enough!!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Maid of Secrets

Author: Jennifer McGowan

Release Date:  May 7th, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre(s): YA Historical Fiction
Pages: 416
*1st Book in a series*

~Spoilers are hidden! Highlight the page to see them!~

Summary (Goodreads):
Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril. 

For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.

A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love…

Review:

I read this book via Pulseit.com as part of their 31 days of reading!:)

I’ve been in a book slump lately.  Almost every book I’ve read in the past few weeks have been disappointing.  But not this time! (Maybe my luck is finally changing!)

This was a FUN book (despite its darker elements).  Fast paced and exciting- it was intense! And that plot twist? OH MY GOODNESS.  IT WAS SO UNEXPECTED! But, of course, only a good plot not maketh a book (is that even a saying? LOL), but the characters need to be on par too.  And the book DELIVERED.  No cardboard characters here!  I absolutely loved Meg and her Fabulous Five (five including her) made up of superhero spies: the mysteriously cute Sophia, the assassin girl Jane (whose really a big ol’ softie), the gorgeous and flirtatious Beatrice, and the quietly quirky Anna.  I loved getting to know each and every girl through Meg’s eyes, and by the end of the story, I felt like they were my crazy, dangerous sisters!  The bonds between the girls from the beginning of the book to the end grew and strengthened, and it was super sweet to see all their interactions (esp. Beatrice’s! She will NEVER in a million years admit she cares about Meg as a friend, but EVERYONE could see it. There are few things sweeter than grudging acceptance! LOL xD).  

Meg was an AWESOME character.  She was very witty, a little snarky in a funny and not clichéd/mean way, and super intelligent (she wasn't one of those characters who couldn't put 2 and 2 together when said 2 and 2 smacked them in the face; she was the type of girl who went seeking for that 2 and 2 and put them together before they even had a chance to realize they WERE the 2 and 2- pretty cool, if you ask me ;)), and I enjoyed getting to know her and getting to BE her.  I’ve always loved the theater (never performed in a play, but I’m a techie!), and it was really interesting peering into the mind of an actress who used her skills for thieving.  She convinced herself that she WAS this certain character, and the author did a great job of portraying that so naturally that it made me wonder if Meg was pulling a Hannah Montana on us. 

And the details! Oh my goodness all those details! The gowns, the town, the castle, the dances, Elizabeth herself (and not to mention the cute guys ;))- everything was described in such great detail that I felt like I was transported there.  (That is truly a great feeling indeed- and something that hasn’t happened to me in a long time. ) Even though we do see the coarser side of England, the amazing details the author used to describe everything made me wanderlust (is it possible to wanderlust for a time period?) for Elizabethan England, with all its bustling villages, majestic royalty, and gorgeous gowns.  

And, of course, the cute guys (saving the best for last! ;-).  Can I just say I actually approved of this (sorta) love triangle?  (I call it a sorta love triangle because the other guy shows up in the beginning and then disappears until much later, but it’s still a love triangle).  It was sooo well done!  First off, NO INSTALOVE! Secondly, I loved how Meg stuck to her morals.  I mean, she’s made it pretty clear throughout the book that she doesn’t want to get married.  So when she meets Count Rafe de Martine (actually even before this with Master James- the other love interest), there’s this internal struggle within her; she likes the guy, but at the same time, she resents herself for liking the guy and resists her feelings for him.

And she doesn’t just suddenly go, “Oh I like him. I'm going to focus my entire life on getting him to be my boyfriend."

Me: Um, didn't you just say you were swearing off guys forever?

Heroine:When did I EVER say that??? You’re being ridiculous!  

Me: Literally like 3 pages ago.

Heroine: That was 3 pages ago! Get with the times!

.... and proceeds to fall for the guy(s) like so many YA heroines do these days (even if they had sworn up and down that they weren't going to EVER fall in love).  But Meg doesn’t do that; she struggles with herself, and by the end, we too are left wondering at her choice (so I guess this could be considered a love rectangle? Her love for the two guys plus her love for her freedom- which would be gone if she married).  Throw in a teeny little complication that Rafe might actually be her enemy, and there’s the romance for ya!:)

Happy readings!:D

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Burning Sky

Author: Sherry Thomas

Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre(s): YA High Fantasy 
Pages: 464
*1st book in series*
(Sorry this post was so late! I meant to have it up on Thursday, but Blogger was acting a little funky, and it wouldn’t let me post until now >.<.)

Spoilers are hidden! Highlight the page to see them:) 


Summary(Goodreads):
Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

Review:

The action, the characters, the world! Oh my! ;)

The action:
Overall the action in this book is very engaging. There are a few slow bits, but they further the plot, develop the character(s), and/or strengthen the chemistry.  I like how this book solves a part of the problem, but not everything.  There are few things worse than a novel dragging out a plot device or solving things too quickly that there’s not enough stuff for the next book.  This book balances that out perfectly, and it builds anticipation for the next book to boot.

The characters:
The thing that makes this book so great are its characters. The chemistry between the characters is absolutely AMAZING.

 From reading the back cover, I expected a Mary Sue, but that totally isn’t the case.  Yea, Iolanthe is the One.  Okay, she has special magical powers. And alright, she might have a tendency to have just the right skill at just the right time (i.e. she fits in well as a boy because she used to observe these boys who always passed by her window).  So fine, she is a Mary Sue in some aspects. 

 BUT 

What sets her apart is her attitude and overall character (not just the nit-picky parts). She has all this great power and this supposedly great destiny, but she doesn’t want it.   All she wants is to rescue her mentor and go back to her old life.  She doesn’t want to be some great hero; even if the fate of the world rests on her hands, yea, she sort of cares, but she really doesn’t want anything to do with it.  After all, saving the world would almost guarantee her death.  And who wants to die? Even if it’s for the greater good, wouldn’t you hesitate?  She doesn’t blindly accept things just because it seems like the right thing or because she’s the One.  Iolanthe questions and struggles with things (and her internal conflict is very present throughout the novel), she doesn’t think sometimes before she acts, and, most of all, she’s just human.  She gets jealous, she can be a little selfish and petty (not soo much that we want to slap her, but in moderation), and she doesn’t always follow the rules.  That doesn’t sound like a Mary Sue to me.  

And Titus.  Oh, Titus, you little complicated prince, you.   He can, at first, come off as a little too perfect, but he sooo isn’t. Far from it.  On the outside, he’s Mr. Cool, but that image slowly breaks down as the book progresses. He messes up, he lies, he’s manipulative, he’s afraid of failure, and he won’t let anything get in the way of his destiny/fate.  Many of these characteristics do change as the novel goes on, and he is the character that grows the most from beginning to end, from a cold-hearted jerk whose burdened by life to someone who understands that hope is real, and in this aspect, we see exactly how perfect Iolanthe is for him (see below).  

I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll mention it again: this author is a master at chemistry- particularly the chemistry between Iolanthe and Titus.  They are friends (frenemies?) foremost before anything else. Their relationship is so dynamic. They’ve both never truly had a friend where they could just be themselves and confide everything to.  They help each other grow tremendously, and they also bring out the true personalities of each other.  

Their chemistry can’t really be classified solely as a romance because it’s so much deeper and more complicated than that.  Their relationship is romantic, but not until much later does it actually become truly romantic.  (It doesn’t make any sense now, but it will when you read the book. ;) ) It’s actually really complicated- but in a good way.  It gives so much depth to their relationship (and you guys all know how much I love depth!).  It starts off with attraction (it is a bit of an insta-love, but it’s also not- mainly because of the resentment stage), then resentment and attraction, and then finally, a slow build up to the actual confession.   So in a nutshell, they like each other, and they hate each other, but eventually they learn to just really like each other.  (Confusing, right?)

The World:
I love it! The author did a great job of showing us the world rather than bombing us with information.  Even though there are a couple things that were vague, I’m pretty sure it will all be clarified in the next books.   For the first time in a long time, I was actually sucked into this magical world instead of just watching it from the side lines (which is NO FUN).   I especially loved all those Latin spells because I’m taking Latin right now, and some of the words the author used were very poetic.  

Any complaints?  It’s hard to really get into the book in the beginning.  It’s very cryptic, vague, and confusing, but as the book progresses, most (not all) things get clarified.  There are also some events that happen in the book that are way too convenient.  Like the book of prophecies.  The prophecies given to Titus by his mother kind of ruined some parts of the novel because it told us how they were going to react or if this character was going to die, etc.  It takes away the shock of some of the events.   I also have mixed feelings about that Crucible.  It’s very whimsical (I know, I know. A fairytale book where you can battle monsters and die? Well, when you say it like that….), but it also is way too convenient.  The Crucible is basically a walking Wikipedia (I say Wikipedia because it can be revised by people) about EVERYTHING.  But honestly, these are all minor complaints, and the chemistry between Iolanthe and Titus totally makes up for all complaints (and the fact that we’ll be getting a second book!).

Final thoughts:  A fun plot+ a great chemistry= VERY happy reader.

Thanks for reading!:)

Rating: 3 out of 5

  

Touch of Power

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Release Date: December 20th, 2011
Publisher: Mira
Genre(s): YA Fantasy
Pages: 390
*1st of series*

~Spoilers are hidden! Highlight the page to see them:)~ 

Summary (Goodreads):

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Review: 

This book was interesting, certainly.  I love Maria Snyder (Poison Study was awesome!), but that ending (among other things, but mainly the ending) was what made this just a 3 star read.  

Let’s start with the characters.

 I felt Kerrick and Avry could be synonymous for Valek and Yelena (as well as Janco/Ari and the Monkey twins, but to be honest, I didn’t realize this until my friend pointed it out) .  Maybe it was just me, but I saw a lot of parallels (character-wise and relationship-wise) between them (like the age thing and the I-didn’t-really-give-you-hints-that-I-liked-you-but-I-suddenly-do thing).  At times I felt like Yelena could be narrating this because she and Avery were SO similar.  

Romance-wise the book was eh (it’s similar to Poison Study), but that wasn’t the point of the book, so it didn’t really bother me.  The world building’s a little shaky (we don’t get much description about the other types of magicians), but I’m sure the author will clarify all that up in the following books.   

Romance aside, what I really loved about this entire book was Avry and her boys (I need to think of a cute name for them.  Avry and her puppies? It’s lame, but I think it works lol).  Her relationship with them and the relationships among the puppies (xD) was the adorabliest thing ever!  From Poppa Bear to the Twin Monkey to Flea (</3), they slowly broke down Avry’s defenses and eventually became one big family. (Of course, until the author decided to FOR NO GOOD REASON SLAUGHTER SWEETIE PIE FLEA. But ya know, it’s all good …)  It was so sweet to see the bonds they formed and all their interactions, and you really feel for these people who’ve lost so much and yet remain so optimistic (except for Kerrick. I don’t think that guy has an optimistic bone in his body-which of course makes him the perfect foil for Belen. XD) 

I’m not going to spend much time on the villains, except to say I love the depth Snyder gave them.  They all had their motives, their good sides and bad, and it was satisfying to see villains who were portrayed as people with multiple sides.  (Yes, even creepy-psychotic Tohon.)

Okay now onto the bad bits. (I use the term “bad” loosely because the only “bad” was really the ending.  Everything else was just a little annoying, but not necessarily bad.  Just minor qualms.)

Though I admired Avry’s compassion for the people, I thought it was weird that she didn’t once complain about having to take on the diseases.  Scars as a symbol of pride were not weird at all, but the way she willingly took on the diseases without having even one selfish thought was really weird.  I mean, it was nice and all that she was so compassionate about people, and I get it would be annoying if she complained about it every single time, but I felt if she had been even a teensy bit resentful, it would have added more depth to her character.  Another qualm (I love that word!) was how deals/ contracts were made so easily and so peacefully. Avry agreed to the terms readily, it seems, and those deals ended with her staying with the villain (!). 

And finally that ending. 

I hate Deus ex Machinas (my list of pet peeves when it comes to books just keeps growing lol).  No matter how dire a situation is, no matter how much I want the ending to be happy, I believe it’s always  best to end the story in a realistic manner (as realistic it gets in a fantasy world) and keep the flow, rather than pull a Deus ex Machina.  Besides the non-realistic thing (which is usually really flexible in fantasy, but still), it was too neat, too convenient.  It made the book anti-climatic, and ultimately, this turned me off from reading the rest of the series.  I’m just not really anticipating the next books in this series anymore.  (I will, of course, still read Snyder's other books, and maybe in the future I might pick this series up again, but for now...)  

Final thoughts?  It was a good read, but the ending fell flat, as well as a few qualms about similar characters. 

Thanks for reading!

 Rating: 3 out of 5

Hattie Big Sky

Author: Kirby Larson

Release Date: September 26th, 2006

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers 

Genre(s): Middle grade, Historical
Pages: 289 pages

*1st book of a series*

~Spoilers are hidden! Just highlight the page to see them:)~

Summary (Goodreads):

Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle's homesteading claim.
For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie's been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing her adventures with her friends--especially Charlie, fighting in France--through letters and articles for her hometown paper.

Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a "Loyal" American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything, Hattie's determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of home.

Review:

There are few books that have made me cry . In fact only two books had managed to accomplish that deed. Until Hattie Big Sky came along.

Hattie Big Sky is a beautiful book about friendship, surviving, hope, and love. I absolutely love it! Her adventures and harsh, but truthful, ending left me feeling nostalgic for the countryside. 

I love love Hattie! She's kind of sassy but really kind hearted and super smart. Her interactions with the kids are so sweet, and it's really heartwarming to see how much she cares for them.

I love all the neighbors, from Rooster Jim to Leafie. The strength they give to Hattie and the bonds she forms with them is really sweet. And yes, I kind of like Traft Martin too. Even if he is a bit of a scoundral. After all, he is human too. 

The kids of Perilee are so cute. I love Magpie Mattie, Courageous Chase, and Little Fern.  It's absolutely heartbreaking when Mattie dies; be prepared for a salty waterfall of tears. 

The best thing I love about this book, and the reason it merits that 5, is because it's heart driven, not plot driven. There isn't really a big plot, more of like Hattie's adventures in Montana and the lessons she learns through Experience and love. Heart driven books are the best because they're the most touching and the most meaningful, in my opinion.

I totally recommend this book. It really doesn't matter whether you're a teen or an adult or a small kid; I guarantee you, this story will touch your heart.

Thanks for reading~!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Pretty Crooked

Author: Elisa Ludwig
Release Date: March 13th, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books 
Genre(s): YA Contemporary Chick Lit 
Pages: 368
*1st book of a series*


~Spoilers are hidden! Highlight the page to see them!:)~

Summary (Goodreads):
Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

Review: 

The entire book was very light and fluffy, a general chick- lit book.   Nothing special or particularly squeal inducing. It took a while for Willa to start stealing and doing her Robin Hood-esque routine.  Her logic in becoming Robin Hood was very random.  I mean, wouldn’t it be easier to, ya know, just give them money instead of stealing stuff for them?  I understand there was a revenge aspect to stealing and giving, but because she wasn’t doing all this from the goodness of her heart,  I wasn’t entirely rooting for her every time she “helped” the poorer students out.  I also thought it was weird- and creepy- how Willa was able to find the addresses of the students by Googling it.  That was a tad unrealistic and way too easy.  (I know you can find ANYTHING on the Internet these days- so that MIGHT pass- but googling a person and looking up their address? It has a creep factor of a sparkly vampire secretly watching over you while you sleep.)  Willa is an okay character- nothing amazing.  She’s no Mary Sue, but she’s very… general and not really engaging or interesting. 

The plot was very predictable too.  It was pretty obvious from the beginning who was writing the Buzz, a gossip site for the school, and whether or not Willa was going to get caught. (She does.  The girl was taking lessons from a former “criminal”…) But I didn’t mind that the entire story was very farfetched because it IS chick lit after all.  (It was just that Googling thing that made me raise an eyebrow.)  The villains in the story- the Glitterati- were very shallow and one dimensional.  They weren’t developed at all, just side characters to get the story moving.  If there was anything resembling an actual personality among the Glitterati, it was Cherise.   She was very wishy- washy- but, when the truth was exposed, she turned on Willa, ultimately choosing popularity over friendship (WHAT?)-  but hey, at least she had a character, shallow (Pun totally intended) as it might be.   

It was very obvious that this book was a part of series, as a lot of questions- who was that mysterious man that her mother met? How did Aiden get kicked out?- were unanswered.  But frankly, I don’t think I’ll stick around for the next book.   

Oh! I almost forgot the romance- if you can call it that.  About two-thirds of the book was Aiden chasing Willa and Willa saying, “Noooo I’m totes not in love with you, but you’re so adorable and kinda hot!”, and then the last one-third of the book was made up of Willa and Aiden kissing once and hanging out while volunteering for their crimes (I guess they’re dating now?).  That was pretty much it in a nutshell.  From the VERY misleading summary, I thought Aiden would have more to do with the story (I totally think Tre was wronged for not being included in the description; not because he seems like a potential love interest sorta maybe, but because he did more stuff in the book than Aiden), but he was just a love interest added into the story just because.  (I also sense a potential love triangle coming up…. But eh.  Not interested enough to pick up the second book.)

Overall? It was a very forgettable book and an okay filler to read if you were/are recovering from a VERY light book hangover.  For more intense book hangovers, I recommend a Janette Rallison or Stephanie Perkins book. 
Happy readings!:)

Rating: 2 out of 5

The Demon King

Author: Cinda Williams Chima 

Release Date:  October 6th, 2009

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Genre(s): YA Fantasy   

Pages: 506

*1st book of a series*

Summary (from Goodreads):
One day Han Alister catches three young wizard setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won’t use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna has her own battle to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father’s family. Raisa aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her—plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.


The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning page-turner from best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima.

~Spoilers are hidden- just highlight the page to see them!:)~

Review:
I actually really liked this book... until I started noticing the Harry Potter similarities. Like Han and Harry, Micah and Malfoy. The 2 ginger cousins of Micah. The (almost) magical showdown between the two I think this one was actually in the second book, the Exiled Queen). Han not discovering his powers until a certain age and then sent to school to learn about his magic. And instead of wands, we have amulets.

I was never a great fan of Harry Potter (*cowers in corner from glares of Harry Potter Fans*)simply because I didn't like JK rowling's style. (Don't get me wrong: she's a brilliant writer- just not my type of writer I guess lol.) But still, the Harry Potter parallels were striking, even to a non Harry Potter reader. (I just read the first book and then watched the movies.)

My only MAJOR complaint would be Raisa. I just didn't get her. It seemed to me she fell in love with a lot of guys really fast. It doesn't help her case that she can be really irritating at times.  

The rest of the characters, Amon, Han, Firedancer, were all okay but I didn't really connect with any of them. I don't mean to sound like a soul less monster, but when Han's family died, I didn't feel any pang I usually do when anyone dies in a book. It was more of like, "Ok, they died, now what?" (And I'm pretty sure a lot of us knew they were going to die sooner or later- which kind of blunted the blow. But still.)

The plot was intriguing, but the nonstop action and the drama was really tiring at times.  

Overall, I found myself skipping over some parts in the book without regret because, to be honest, some parts were kind of dull. The parts I didn't skip over, I enjoyed a lot.

Simple as that. 

Thanks for reading!~

Rating: 3 out of 5

Princess of the Midnight Ball

 

Author: Jessica Day George

Release Date:  January 20th, 2009

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Genre(s): YA Fantasy (Retelling of a Fairy Tale)  

Pages: 280

*Part of a series: 1st book*

Summary (Goodreads):

Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. 


Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.

Review:

 Eeeee! I'm such a sucker for fairy tales.  Galen is so swoon worthy;)

     I really like this book; it's so pretty, both the content and writing style.  It's simple, yet it feels like a gentle waltz to read-which is really appropriate, considering this book is about dancing.  Galen is pretty sweet, with his values of respecting girls and elders, and treating each princess, even the younger set, with a lot of care and compassion.  He's a total prince charming, even if he is a soldier.  I might complain about his perfectness, but, hey, this IS a fairytale.

     I LOVE how this book didn't focus on the romance; it w's more focused on the girls and Galen finding out the truth about the girls.  It may seem odd, considering this is a retelling of a fairy tale, but it worked lovely. The romance part is the growing attraction between Galen and Rose; however, it's addressed in spurts throughout the book (the moments are small enough that they feel sweet and discrete, but big enough you know they like each other).

     All the little quirks and relationships with each sister Rose has is very sweet.  They really care for each other, and all their interactions add to that.

    It's hard to connect with the characters because this book does read like a fairytale, obviously (you love them, but you leave them after they live happily ever after).  Otherwise, I really don't have other complaints. (The only reason this book doesn't merit a higher rating, is because this book wasn't very memorable.  It's one of those books I read and forget the title, but not the gist of the story.)

Definitely recommended to fans of Gail Carson Levine!!

Thanks for reading~:)

Rating: 2.5 out of 5