Altered, Book 2 in the Crewel Series

Altered by Gennifer Albin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely brilliant.

The sequel to Crewel, this continues the struggle for Adelice to defeat the Guild, make allies on Earth and figure out her relationship with Jost. After landing on Earth, they find that they've been told lies about its desolation (or lack thereof). They encounter Kincaid, a sort of mob boss with his own goon squad. Erik, Jost's brother, figures prominently in a love triangle that is resolved within the scope of the book.

The world building in this story is flat out amazing. The way that Albin has taken the idea of space, time and matter and framed it in a setting where it is woven together like a tapestry is just brilliant. The science on which this premise is built is complicated and fascinating. Add to that the politics of the world, power plays, and a bit of romance and you have one amazing read.

Adelice was annoying at times; her angst over the romance got a bit tedious. That said, it was a good look at the way outlying issues can damage a relationship from the inside out. Jost got to be a bit of a boor and Erik was the trickster who really proved himself. There were some interesting reveals in terms of characters early on, which played into the whole world-building thing. The allies that Adelice, Jost and Erik found were solid - but then alliances with others were up for debate.

There is no suffering of "middle book syndrome" here. Altered has taken the world of Crewel and expanded it greatly. The ending held a twist that may have been expected on some fronts but completely took me by surprise. It is an interesting ride from beginning to end, and I can't wait to see how she winds up the series in the last book. It cannot come soon enough.

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Saga, Volume 1

Saga, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one interesting book. It's an adult comic. Key word there: adult. This book isn't for young kids.

Narrated from a child's perspective, it is the story of her life from the day she's born through about the first couple of weeks of her life. It is the first in a series, so the story of her life will continue in succeeding volumes.

It involves her parents Alana and Marko, each from warring factions from which they are attempting to flee. There are robot people, assassins and bounty hunters, lots of blood and gore, a brothel planet, lots of politics, and creepy ghost children that are really kind of nice people overall.

The best part for me was the relationship between Alana, a total badass, and Marko, a reformed badass who's now a pacifist. Or struggling to be one, until you threaten his daughter or wife (in which case he reverts to total badass status).

I only gave it 3 stars, but that's simply because I am not the intended audience. I think for an adult who loves comics and sci-fi graphic novels, this would be perfect. It was just a little too out there for me.

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The Art of Wishing

The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a great little book!

This is a clever story about a girl who meets a genie and then discovers what is really important in life.

Margo is the main character; she's really into theater and the book begins with her audition for the lead in her high school's production of Sweeney Todd. Unfortunately, the lead part goes to another girl whose talent is passable at best. But oddly, everyone thinks she's fabulous. Margo is given a lesser part (as a boy, no less), and when she gets over her disappointment decides to throw herself into the role.

While in the school bathroom one day, she spies a ring sitting on the windowsill. She picks it up to examine it, and suddenly a somewhat irritated boy appears. The boy is Oliver, the new kid at school who's been tasked with taking photos for the yearbook. Turns out the girl who got the lead in the play is the former owner of the ring and apparently she doesn't want it anymore.

With the ring in her possession, Margo gets three wishes. The fun part of this book is watching her figure out what to wish for; Oliver, although on the run from a bad guy, decides to help Margo with her choice of wishes. As things move along, various things become important to Margo at the time - but does she really want to spend a wish on them?

The characters in this novel are multi-dimensional and well-developed. There's a romance, but it's more of a backdrop for the whole genie thing. Ribar takes the time to give us Oliver's whole backstory interwoven with the genie mythology. We learn not just who Oliver was before he became a genie, but what a genie's life entails and how one becomes (and unbecomes) a genie. And best of all, questions are raised as to whether it's really worth it.

There were a few laugh-out-loud moments for me in the book. Hearing Oliver be frustrated by being trapped in a 16-year old body was pretty funny. The ending came somewhat as a surprise to me; I didn't expect for it to go exactly as it did. While it might have seemed abrupt to some, I thought it both concluded and left room for the imagination of the reader.

This book is a solid 4 stars for me. It's a nice departure from the standard vampires, angels, demons, shadowhunters, mermaids, werewolves and/or other supernatural creatures. It's lighthearted, a very quick read and perfect for winter since it's set in the winter season. I found it delightful.

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Gift

Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this from NetGalley for review, and boy am I glad I did! What a pleasure.

This was a fun read. It took awhile for me to really figure out what it was about. Was it reincarnation? Special powers? Ghosts? Turns out, it's a combination of all of those, nicely rounded out by an evil villain who's a psychopath.

The main protagonist and hero of the story is Daisy Jones, a typical high school sophomore. She's pretty average other than the fact that she short-circuits electronics around her, meaning she can't have a cell phone or tv or computer. This makes her guarded, which makes her a bit awkward around friends and boys in particular. She has some maturity, though, probably because of the way her "power" has caused some problems in her life. Being normal is important to her. She held a lot of interest because of the way she behaved in the story; she fell prey to some selfish thinking and had to find her way out. This is typical of most people and not surprising in a person her age. It enhanced both her character and the story, and made me cheer for her all the more when the really bad stuff started happening. She was entirely likable.

Danielle, Daisy's best friend, absolutely stole the show. She was smart but hilariously funny in a "valley girl" kind of way. Reading her dialogue had me laughing out loud. She was the perfect outspoken skeptic, always speaking aloud what everyone else (and me as a reader) was thinking.

But the best part about Danielle was that while she was initially drawn as the stock sidekick, Buchanan chose to develop her character and give her some real dimension. She wasn't just funny; she was scared, withdrawn, boisterous, frustrated. I cared about her as much as I did Daisy.

Vivi and Kevin, the other secondary characters, were also well-developed. Buchanan gave Kevin a maturity that was consistent with his age difference as a high school senior. Vivi was the brooding introvert and Mr. Perry was a lot of fun with the California surfing references.

The plot was generally entertaining, maintaining some suspense while still moving along at a good pace. The climax and plot twist at the end was not predictable and took me by surprise. And the dialogue, oh, the dialogue! The best part of Buchanan's writing was her ability to capture a California high school teenager. Also notable is the way Buchanan brought epilepsy in, framing it as a relatively common, non-threatening condition that is sometimes stigmatised.

I read this as an ebook, although it is available on audio. Listening to a sample indicated that it would be well-narrated by a competent voice actor. In addition, it is really impressive that included with the book are a short story from Danielle's perspective, a graphic short story from artist Vivi's perspective and two songs from Kevin (YouTube links were provided) that he wrote for Daisy. An author who can write songs and draw? Apparently the genetics in Buchanan's family favoured her in terms of artistic ability!

I'm giving this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. It's a quick read and altogether an absolute pleasure. I highly recommend it.

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Wrecked

Wrecked by Priscilla West
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for review.

Any published author deserves some praise simply for the effort it takes to write and publish a story. That said, some people just shouldn't be authors. It takes far more than a reader of romance novels to simply say "That looks easy! I bet I could write a romance novel" to tell a decent story.

Such is the case here. This book has so many problems it's hard to know where to begin.

First off, this author needs a good editor. There were punctuation mistakes, grammar mistakes and simple mistakes with regard to the way the dialogue was written. A good editor should have been able to clearly see the cliches in the plot and steer the author clear of them. A good editor would have told this author the truth.

Secondly, the characters. More than anything, they simply annoyed me. Lorrie, the main character, is an emotionally damaged girl who falls into a lake by mistake and is rescued by "the perfect guy." And then things go downhill from there. Lorrie is contrary, contradictory, deluded and at times just plain stupid. Her logic makes no sense. The dialogue she has with Hunter, the love interest, is unlike any I have ever heard (or had) and seemed uncharacteristic for your average college student. Her past experiences seemed to be painted on for effect. It is a stretch to call her one-dimensional.

Hunter, the love interest, didn't make any more sense than Lorrie did. The behaviour of these two characters was unbelievable and unrealistic, immature and silly. Their interactions were cliche and annoying. They were poorly drawn and flat, without depth or interest. For a character-driven story, it was a failure.

The plot (or lack thereof) was pretty much a joke. The passage of time was noted with info-dumps. At times the descriptions were surface observations and totally unnecessary. What could have been significant plot twists near the end were just sad attempts at making the characters more sympathetic. It was predictable and badly written; even gratuitous. I felt like I was reading a sappy story written by a starry-eyed high school sophomore girl.

I do hope this author does keep writing. But I sincerely hope that her next published work has the benefit of a great editor. I would venture a guess that she will need many, many more failed manuscripts before she has a successful story. Had I not agreed to review this book, I would have tossed it aside after I'd read about 25%. There was just no reason to care about cardboard characters in a pointless story.

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book. I'm rating it at one half star rounded up to one star for effort alone. I am not interested in reading the sequel. What a mess! Regretfully, this book's title is apt - it is indeed a Wreck.



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Third Degree

Third Degree by Julie Cross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a pleasant surprise! Who knew Julie Cross could write NA? This again proves that a good writer is a good writer regardless of the genre.

I had the absolute pleasure of beta reading this book. It had me up all night, mostly laughing. The banter and general dialogue in this story is hilarious. This is mostly due to the social ineptitude of the main character, but the quick-witted replies by the love interest certainly don't hurt.

Don't get me wrong, though. This isn't just a funny book. It's about growing up and the discovery (and acceptance) of one's limitations despite obvious gifts. It's also about how overachieving and a positive attitude just won't fix everything.

The characters in this novel are surprisingly multi-dimensional. Isabel, the main character, is especially interesting. She goes from being a child prodigy to a self-aware young adult through the course of the story. She meets disappointment, anger at her situations, frustration with real life and a first love that knocks her down all with realistic bumbling. Observing her observe herself was great fun.

Isabel's love interest, RA Marshall Collins, is both wonderful and flawed. He is not what he seems, but Cross has departed from the usual bad-boy persona here. Mr. Collins has some serious issues going on; he's not a result of his own bad choices but rather an overachieving victim of circumstance. He behaves as would be expected for a person in his situation.

The secondary characters are equally entertaining. Marsh's family, Isabel's roommate and even "Shirtless Guy" and Isabel's fellow resident Justin all provide priceless hilarity. Isabel's parents are kind and caring. Even the bad guy is a nice person.

The plot is well-paced and comes to a nice conclusion. For a contemporary, I found it to be lighthearted even though it deals with some serious issues. This was refreshing when compared to much of the NA out there that attempts to tackle huge social issues. Here they weren't simple or glossed over; they were just placed into perspective as a backdrop for the romance. In addition, the writing reflects the first-person perspective and is clinical in its descriptions. Very fitting when you take Isabel's character into account.

I highly recommend this for lovers of NA fiction. It is a breath of fresh air.



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Shatter Me

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-read February 9, 2014:

Several dystopian series later, I re-read this in preparation for the last book in the series. I'm upping my rating from a previous 3.5 stars to 4.5, rounded up to 5.

On a sheer entertainment level, this book is amazing. The way Juliette manifests power, the relationship between she and Adam, the relationships and the reveal at the end all work well together to form a cohesive story.

The writing is beautiful, but not as over-the-top as I initially thought. It works well with Juliette as a person, given her struggle to avoid insanity and the fact that she is a desperate dreamer.

For someone reading this the first time, I would advise reading each of the books with the novellas in succession. It will make a lot more sense that way. There are some complicated relationships going on in this book, and having read especially the novellas sheds a whole new light on things. I'm glad I read all of them through, because coming back and re-reading this book made me see the characters and their actions in an entirely new light.


FROM JANUARY 2013:

My impression? "Out of balance."

I'd give this 3.5 stars, not just 3. This isn't dystopia, it's flat out romance. I'm starting to understand that there's an entirely new genre of young adult fiction that echoes those trashy paperback romances - "dystopian romance." Now don't get me wrong, I love me a good romance. And young adult romance in particular is very sweet, rather than trashy. But this isn't dystopia, so if you're looking for that, look elsewhere. It's simply a romance set in a dystopian future.

I loved the beginning of the book. Mafi at least jumps right in with the romance and the general setting was very intriguing. The whole numbers thing fell right into step with insanity, so she did set us up for a wild adventure. But she quickly descended into a rather tedious series of events that either weren't that interesting or didn't move fast enough or weren't told well, I'm not sure which. The story lost momentum right after it got interesting. So as far as the plot goes, adjust your expectations appropriately going in.

On the subject of the writing - the thing I noticed first? A lot of alliteration. Good grief, every sentence is full of it! And the similes, and the endless ethereal descriptions of feelings - clearly this author is very young as a writer and she bodes great potential.

It is also important to mention that I listened to this book rather than read it. While other reviewers were put off by the word repetition and endless crossing out of lines, that didn't bother me. When a voice actor does it, it makes sense. In fact, it took me a little while to realize that the sound of a pen going across a page was the "sound" of the character crossing out lines in a journal. You get the effect without having to be annoyed by the way it looks on paper.

As for the story in general, I found that the balance of plot and characters to be off. By this I mean that the plot could have been stronger if the characters had been stronger. I would have cared more about the action if I'd known the people better - all that describing could have been put to much better use by giving us more about Warner's background, Adam's background, even Juliette's background. To simply say that her family had to move a lot doesn't really give us any idea about how she came to be the way she is. If Mafi was going for the young adult version of the trashy romance novel, she succeeded. But if she had taken a more mature approach and focused on the background of the story, she would have had a great dystopian plot enhanced by the romance between the characters.

I have great hopes for Mafi. I think she's going to grow into herself as an author. I'm looking forward to more from her. And I did enjoy the book overall, despite its problems.

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The Earth Girl and Queen Eliza

The Earth Girl and Queen Eliza by C.C. Alma
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received this book from the author for review. With apologies to her and respect for her work, I have to say -

DNF - just couldn't do it. I'm not one to keep going if a story doesn't grab me within the first 50 pages. It reads like a newspaper article reporting an event. Not for me.

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