The Corinthian - Georgette Heyer

Summary:  Penelope Creed will do anything to avoid marrying her repulsive cousin.  Dressed in boy's clothing, she's fleeing from London when she's discovered by Sir Richard Wyndham, himself on the verge of the most momentous decision of his life. 

When Sir Richard encounters the lovely young fugitive, he knows he can't allow her to travel to the countryside all alone, so he offers himself as her protector.  As it happens, at that very moment Sir Richard could use an escape of his own...  (Summary from book - Image from sourcebooks.com)

My Review:  Someone – I can’t remember who – raved about Georgette Heyer’s regency romance novels and how similar they were to Jane Austen novels. On that recommendation, I decided to try The Corinthian. Now, I wish I could remember who it was so that I could smack them upside the head with this book. Okay, perhaps it wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t that good either.

The beginning and end of this book were tolerable, I suppose, but not entertaining enough to make up for the tedium that fell in between (and yes, I'm blatantly ripping off Austen). While Heyer's particular brand of mad cap humor was amusing, her writing was dialog heavy and concerned primarily with circumstance rather than character depth or setting. Perhaps, if there had been an inkling of romantic tension between the two main characters, I might have stayed interested, but the story focused on their various escapades, with little regard for genuine emotional development. The "romance" only appeared when the characters admitted their feelings in the last 50 pages and, even then, it was lukewarm and hardly worth 261 pages of chatter.

Overall, I am entirely underwhelmed by this book. While it does adopt the setting, language, and customs of many Austen novels, it falls far short of the mark.  The Corinthian's best quality is its humor, but humor alone isn't enough to tempt me (to pick up another).  Oh there I go again...

Click here to read an excerpt of The Corinthian.

My Rating: 2.75 Stars

For the sensitive reader: As long as you are familiar with the old-fashioned definition of the word “ejaculated,” you should be fine. Otherwise, this book takes on an entirely different and exceptionally disturbing tone.

Sum it up: An occasionally amusing, frequently tedious, entirely unromantic romance.

Branded - Keary Taylor

Summary:   Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.   (Summary and image from www.kearytaylor.com - Book given free for an honest review)

My Review:  Branded is a fairly clean YA paranormal romance with interesting premise surrounding a young woman who, for as long as she can remember, is condemned to torturous nightmares every time she falls asleep. I liked that the author deviated from the stereotypical harp-strumming, halo-wearing angels and threw in some seriously evil ones. However, while the plot showed creativity and had good “bones” (my term for liking the core aspects of a story), I had a hard time with the rest of it.

Branded did not feel like a fully fleshed out novel and my impression was that it was written by a relatively inexperienced writer. In addition to the handful of typos missed by an editor, parts of the plot felt melodramatic or contrived while others felt either undeveloped or laden with detail. The characters lacked dimension beyond their assigned roles as sexy bad guy, troubled best friend, and super hot perfect boyfriend. Yes, Alex was perfect, with his delightfully chiseled abs, mad guitar skills, and unshakable love for Jessica, but since I’ve decided to be completely honest I’m going to let you in on a little secret…come close so I can whisper it to you… I am so over perfect. Give me a few flaws, just so I can pretend a guy like that could actually exist.  Alex was very much a case of too good to be true.

While a younger reader might not notice some of this book’s less than subtle foreshadowing, I could not ignore the story’s predictability. It didn’t take more than a chapter to figure out Cole’s big secret, and this transparency extended to the rest of the book. I always knew what was going to happen next…with the exception of the last two chapters. I will say that the conclusion was probably my favorite part of the book. I’m not saying that to be mean, so don’t start sending me hate mail. I’m serious. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I liked how she wrapped things up, leaving certain loose ends untied.

I guess the most that I can say about this book was that the creative storyline shows the author has potential as a writer. While this one didn’t end up being my cup of tea, I think that her upcoming dystopian novel, Eden, looks both gorgeous and promising. Don’t believe me? Click here to visit Keary Taylor’s website.

SIDENOTE:  Since receiving this book for review, Keary has released a new and improved second edition of Branded.  While I didn't want to scrap this review entirely, I did want mention some of the changes that were made in the new edition.  According to the author, all of the typos have been fixed, weaker points in the writing have been shored up, and we learn more about Jessica's past than in the first edition, like why she is the way she is and reacts to things the way she does.  I hope that gives a clearer picture of the Branded that is currently available. 

My Rating: 2.75 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Like I said, this book is mostly clean. While there are a few close calls (those crazy kids) things stay pretty PG on a fairly regular basis.

Sum it up: An interesting story, but not likely to be her best work.

Cinderella : Ninja Warrior - Maureen McGowan

Cinderella: Ninja Warrior is part of the Twisted Tales series by Maureen McGowan. Also in the series? Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer.

Summary:  In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince -- she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge in a dangerous situation.  Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after.  In a special twist, you will have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next -- but no matter the choice, the result is unlike any fairy tale you've ever read.  (Summary from book - Image from amazon.com)

My Review: The second I saw the title of this book I knew my daughters would love it. Like most young girls ages five and seven, they enjoy dressing as princesses, but mine like to roam around the house as pirates, jedis, and ninjas, as well.

Whether you like this book or not will probably depend on your age. From an early tween or YA perspective, this book will likely register as a fast paced, unique, and innocently romantic story of a much more assertive Cinderella. As an adult, I found it all a bit melodramatic, disconnected, and silly, but enjoyed the choose-your-own adventure aspect and think most twelve-year-old girls will eat it up.

My girls certainly loved the addition of Cinderella’s spectacularly acquired ninja skills and magical abilities. That having been said, I quit reading it (to them) because I felt that the romantic aspect of the story was a bit over their heads – nothing inappropriate mind you – just more gushy and wistful than I’m ready for them to be reading. They threw a fit. Perhaps I should have paid closer attention to the 12 and up recommendation.

While this book wasn’t necessarily to my tastes, I applaud the author’s attempt to infuse traditional fairytale with an inventive plot and an empowering heroine. I love that the reader can choose how Cinderella will act without cutting the story short, and I do plan to save this book for my girls to read when they are a bit older.

My Rating: 3 Stars for an adult, 3.5 for an older tween or YA reader.

For the sensitive reader: One use of “breasts” when “chest” would have worked just fine. Other than that, you’re home free.

Sum it up: An interesting twist on a well-known fairytale.

Across the Universe - Beth Revis

Summary:  Amy is a cryogenically  frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed.  She has left her boyfriend, friends -- and planet -- behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship.

Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future.  But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside a tiny world where nothing makes sense.  Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader.  And Elder, Eldest's rebellion teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder.  But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls?  All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill her again.  (Summary from book - Image from bethrevis.com)

My Review:  Let's clear something up right away - this book is in no way based on Beatles lyrics or on the 2007 movie of the same title.  If that's why you're reading this review, you can stop right now.

Anyone left?

Okay.  This Almost the Universe is a fresh and fascinating YA sci-fi romance with a little mystery thrown in.  I loved the unique setting and I read the whole book rather quickly, considering the distractions that three kids can offer, but was not left without some concerns.  From an adult perspective, the writing was fairly basic and nearly every twist was easy to see coming.  A younger reader might not care about those things, but certain aspects of this book (namely the Season which causes everyone but the main characters to exhibit the rutting instincts of animals) left me questioning it's suitability for the YA audience. 

That said, the grown-up in me still enjoyed the afternoon.

My Rating:  3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Some sexual language, plenty of "mating" during the Season, and one mildly graphic attempted rape.  Only one use of actual profanity, but several uses of made-up words like frexing, chutz, and shite, that convey a similar message.

Sum it up:  Fun but predictable.

Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

Summary:  A modern tale of star-crossed lovers with a fresh urban twist. At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago , everyone knows that south-siders mixing with north-siders can be explosive. So when Brittany Ellis and Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, this human experiment leads to unexpected revelations – that Brittany ’s flawless reputation is a cover for her troubled home life, that Alex’s bad-boy persona hides his desire to break free from gang ties, and that when they’re together, life somehow makes more sense. Breaking through the stereotypes and expectations that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart, Perfect Chemistry takes readers to both sides of the tracks in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface. (Summary and image from http://www.simoneelkeles.net/)

My Review:  Pride and Prejudice meets She's All That and West Side Story in this gritty, urban romance by Simone Elkeles.  Alex and Brittany have nothing in common.  He's a hardened member of the Latino Blood street gang and she's Ms. Perfect, with her perfect grades, perfect hair, and perfect life.   When the two are thrown together in chemistry class, they couldn't be more unhappy about it and emotions run high.  But things change, as they often do in books like this, and it isn't long before the tension between them is of an entirely different nature.   Neither Alex or Brittany are what they seem and as they get to know each other, the truth comes out in unexpected ways. 

No doubt about it, this book is a YA romance novel and not much else.  It had a great deal of profanity, sexual comments, sexual situations, and substance abuse -- far more than I feel is necessary or appropriate in a YA novel.  It might have been a little less offensive if I didn't speak Spanish, because then I would have missed certain words and innuendo, but there were plenty of English ones to go around.  That having been said, I read this 357 page novel from cover to cover in four hours.  And not just any four hours.  I looked at the clock at 2am when I was crazy enough to think "I'll just read a chapter" and I didn't look at it again until I finished at 6am.  Yes, I realize this makes me crazy.  Obviously, I was a wee bit invested in their relationship, okay?

I was disappointed by this book's romanticized view of gang membership, because I felt most of the time their behavior was toned down to be more "attractive bad boy" than "lethal killer" (with exceptions made towards the end).  Simone Elkeles has written several other YA novels in this same genre that usually revolve around teens working through problems of fitting in, or dealing with difficult situations at home.  She has written two more books that follow Alex's brothers, Carlos and Luis: Rules of Attraction (2010) and Chain Reaction (releasing Aug. 16th, 2001). While I wouldn't recommend this book to young adults, I think that an older adult, who is not bothered by sex, profanity, etc. might enjoy this YA romance. 

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  If it wasn't for all the profanity, sexual comments, and sexual situations, I would probably have given this book a four star rating.  I definitely did not feel it was suitable for a YA audience (at least not my YA's), however "realistic" it might have been. 

Sum it up:  A very mature YA romance (that kept me up all night, literally)

Cloaked - Alex Flinn

Summary:  I'm not your average hero.  I actually wasn't your average anything.  Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop  to help his mom make ends meet.  But a little magic changed it all.

It started with a curse.  And a frognapping.  And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that.  And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairytale I've ever heard.  Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Keys.

Don't believe me?  I didn't believe it either.  But you'll see.  Because I knew it all was true, the second I got Cloaked.  (Summary from book - Image from www.harpercollins.com )

My Review:  I've read a few Alex Flinn books (A Kiss in Time and Beastly) and I have to say that I think that this is the last one I'll be reading.  There wasn't a great deal that was wrong with it, as far as YA fairytale retellings go, but I have better books to read (theoretically, anyway).  Like the other Flinn novels I've read, Cloaked offers a male perspective on a modern-day fairytale, but instead of just sticking to one fairytale, this book was a combination of seven.  That's a lot.  The characters bounced about quite a bit and everything just moved too quickly.  I felt like I was reading a book on speed (not me, the book).  While each scenario was a interesting on its own, taken as a whole -- well, I kind of got a headache. 

I will say that the Cloaked reminded me of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, with its combination of modern and mythological.  Each book had questing heroes with difficult tasks, but where Olympians had gods, monsters, demigods, and magic, Cloaked had witches, royalty, talking frogs, and enchanted swans. 

Overall, this book would probably be entertaining for a younger young adult, but I think it would leave the average adult mildly amused, but mostly dizzy and unsatisfied.

My Rating:  3 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  Not much to worry about here.  There's a bit of romance and talk of making out that elevates this from children's fiction to young adult, but it's all very tame.

Sum it up: A modern (and mildly entertaining) mish-mash of fairytales.

Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

Summary: Gone With the Wind is a sweeping, romantic story about the American Civil War from the point of view of the Confederacy. In particular it is the story of Scarlett O'Hara, a headstrong Southern belle who survives the hardships of the war and afterwards manages to establish a successful business by capitalizing on the struggle to rebuild the South. Throughout the book she is motivated by her unfulfilled love for Ashley Wilkes, an honorable man who is happily married. After a series of marriages and failed relationships with other men, notably the dashing Rhett Butler, she has a change of heart and determines to win Rhett back.    (Summary from amazon.com and image from casablancaauthors.blogspot.com)

My Review:  After reading this novel I feel like I've read four, maybe five, books.  It is LONG--1024 pages to be exact.  Bear that in mind if you decide to read it. 

I hardly know where to begin.  Should I start with the way I was wrapped up in the storyline?  Or, should I write about all the ways the book bothered me in both moral and personal levels?  I guess I'll start with Scarlett.  She drove me crazy.  No, not slightly annoyed, not irritated, not even disgusted, which was a how I felt constantly while reading her thoughts.  CRAZY.  Understandably, she was spoiled, very young, beyond wealthy, impetuous, selfish, and honestly cultivated to be such.  Still, I cannot let that excuse her behavior or thought process.  While Scarlett has a period of time in her life--the worst days according to her--where I can almost stomach her, almost pity her, and almost like her, she eventually goes right back to her amoral and selfish ways.  It's amazing to me that the men around her didn't loathe her as much as the women did.  I don't want to ruin the story, but will name a few events vaguely that I felt were beyond understanding: what she did to her sister, what she did to Melanie, how she tried to steal Ashley away, how she treated Rhett, and how she treated practically everyone in the book.  Scarlett's obvious lack of interpersonal intelligence was probably the aspect I could fathom least about her.  If she could have stepped outside of herself for even one moment, she wouldn't have been such a despicable character.  I just kept telling myself: she's onlysixteen, she's only eighteen, she's only....wait!  That line of thinking doesn't work any more when she's twenty-eight. 

Rhett was harder for me to distinctly like or dislike.  There were times where I sincerely didn't like him, and yet others where his motives and actions were very clear and, for his circumstance, understandable.  How he could adore Scarlett as he did, again, is beyond me.  How he turned the rejection from his family into a personal victory was fascinating; it was cloaked in a screw the world attitude, but was actually his way of saying, "You can't reject me because I've already rejected you."  At the end of the story, the event that crushes him would have crushed me as well.  There were many moments where I felt his actions were heroic and chivalrous and others downright deplorable.  He was a flawed, yet captivating, character.

The race and slavery thread was one of the most disturbing.  The descriptions of the black characters was offensive and awful most of the time.  Still, it amazed me how southern families felt such a strong attachment to the people they didn't even view as completely human.  Mammy's character was one of my favorites.  Her loyalty went to the point of charity.  So much of this book was hard for me to fathom, hard for me to swallow, yet was written so nonchalantly, as if writing and thinking this way about another race was acceptable and normal.  That disturbed me the most.  It also amazed me how you could view someone of a different race as less than human, but then allow them to nurse your child.  I just don't understand that.  It's a contradiction in my mind to allow such a personal and intimate action to be done by someone you don't even treat as an equal.  Blows my mind.

While the above characters and depictions disgusted and disturbed me, there were characters that were noble...from a southern, slave-owning view point.  Melanie was the embodiment of humble strength.  Her character, although somewhat unrealistic to some, was very real to me.  There are still people as good, genuine, and charitable as she, and it's nice to be reminded how important they are and how they hold together a society.  Mammy was an amazing caregiver and stabilizing force.  Dilcey was hard work epitomized.  There are many good people throughout the story, flawed though their perspective on slavery may be.

While I won't be reading this book again, I did learn a lot.  I loved learning about southern culture.  Most of my education of the civil war was union focused, so I loved learning the history of that time period from a different view point.  I was swept up by a storyline that drove its characters into a world where they had no idea how to function.  I was also intrigued by Scarlett's determination to survive and thrive.  The societal rules that restricted women at the time, reinforced how blessed I am to live in the USA today.

Despite its length, I finished this book much faster than I expected.  While I could write more -- there's so much to cover in 1024 pages -- I'll save my comments on the over-done details, and the shrewd and intelligent mind of Rhett, for my book club night.

This wasn't my favorite book, nor was it the easiest to get through, but I'm glad I read it.  I won't be recommending this to my students, as I believe it's for a more mature audience that would be able to recognize it as a depiction of a specific time period, and why the opinions, attitudes, and sayings are not acceptable today.  I don't think an impressionable mind should pick it up just yet. 

My Rating: 4 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  Racist depictions typical of the era in which the book is set.

Sum it up:  A period piece from a Southern/Confederate/Female perspective during the Civil war and after.

Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter

Summary:  After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she's had it with love.  She'd much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen's classic.  So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead.  Far from inspiring romance, though, the company aboard the tour bus consist of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargeaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest.  But that's exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself.  And suddenly, every woman's fantasy becomes one woman's reality...  (Summary from book - Image from shelfari.com)

My Review:  Honestly, why do I even try? Retellings never live up to the real thing.

Let's start with the likes, shall we? There is really just the one. Emily Albright is an awkward, sarcastic, and outspoken book lover. She’s me, but single (and childless). I loved her brash inner dialog, especially when she couldn’t contain it, and her stream-of-consciousness rambling created a voice that you will find either humorous or exceedingly irritating. I’d like to think you’ll land on humorous, but we can’t all have great taste. Don’t feel bad.

With names Spike and Ernie, it was hard to take this story's "Darcy" or the "Wickham" seriously. Since Ms. Potter’s knowledge of popular culture is clearly displayed throughout the book, she should have known that if she named a character Spike and gave him a British accent, I would picture this guy and that it would darn near ruin everything. And Ernie? Seriously?

Miss Potter also took so many liberties with both timeline and character presence that, aside from some obvious similarities, her book feels only loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. From time to time, she would drop in block quotes from the original novel that mirrored Emily’s current situation, as if I needed to have the parallels drawn for me. While some situations and emotions were overblown, I was surprised that there was only a lukewarm chemistry between Spike and Emily. Oh, their irritation was evident, but when things shifted to romance it felt insincere and baseless.

The last several pages of Me and Mr. Darcy were dedicated to somehow convincing me to overlook some pretty wobbly loose ends. Apparently, I am supposed to ignore the fact that Mr. Darcy’s magic act and Ms. Steane’s motives are never fully explained. Um. I don’t think so. Give Emily a brain tumor or something, but don’t tell me that I need to just “believe in something incredible” and expect that to stand.

I suppose the point to Miss Potter's remake, is that while real men can never measure up to Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy could never measure up to a real man. Likewise, this book cannot hope to compare with the real Pride and Prejudice. While the swearing and crass commentary was enough for me to check this book off the list of novels I’d recommend to my mother, it was the disappearing Darcy and the lack of genuine chemistry that had me chucking it off my recommend list altogether.

My Rating: 2.75 Stars.  And at least .5 of that is just because I liked seeing myself in print.
 
For the sensitive reader:   Plenty of four letter words, references to diety, and crass commentary.   

Sum it up:  A weak, and loosely-based, remake of a classic bestseller.

I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore

Summary:  Nine of us came here.  We look like you.  We talk like you.  We live among you.  But we are not  you.  We can do things you dream of doing.  We have powers you dream of having.  We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.  We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them.  But they found us and started hunting us first.  Now all of us are running.  Spending our lives in the shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in.  We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

(Summary from book - Image from barnesandnoble.com )

My Review:  I am Number Four is a romantic young adult sci-fi novel and an extremely easy read. It had an immediate hook, with a prologue that caught my attention and a premise that held it for most of the book. It took me about 295 pages before I even thought to write down more than a few sentences of notes (and the book is only 440 pages long).

My favorite part of this book was the emergence of John Smith/Number Four’s supernatural powers and his attempts to navigate a new school without revealing his identity. John’s efforts to control his powers, hone them, and hide them, provided quite a few situations that were interesting and, at times, humorous or surprising. I also liked the moments of initial attraction between John and Sarah and the problems that their relationship created both within the school and for John in general. This book will delight the less discerning YA reader and entertain older fans who don’t mind a little predictability, a few knight-in-shining-armor moments, and some occasionally cheesy dialog.

I am Number Four started out strong, but lost momentum towards the end. I could handle the moments of predictability, but once the Mogadorians emerged as an immediate threat my interest began to wane. They felt cartoonish with their pale skin, pointy teeth, trench coats, and low brimmed hats, and I had a hard time taking them seriously. Also, once John and Sarah’s romance progressed past the initial stages of attraction, I lost the connection between them. It just fizzled out. Oh, there was love professed, but it felt wooden and unrealistic. I think the final battle was my least favorite part of the book. While I loved the addition of another character, the rest was sloppy and rushed with some all out absurdity for good measure.  The ending does, however, provide closure with enough room for the sequel, The Power of Six, releasing August 23, 2011.

Despite its flaws, I can see why this book was chosen for the big screen. It was quite cinematic and held numerous possibilities for action, romance, and impressive special effects. If the Mogadorian’s manage to get their scare on and John and Sarah are well-cast, the movie has the potential to be better than the book. 

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Some scattered profanity and ever so slightly gory violence.

Sum it up: An exciting premise with less than satisfactory execution.

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

Summary:  Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. 

I wonder whether the procedure will hurt.  I want to get it over with.

It's hard to be patient.  It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet.

Still, I worry.  They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness.  The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.  (Teaser from book jacket)

------------

They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them.

Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

(Teaser from harperteen.com - Image from goodreads.com)

My Review:  I haven’t been able to get this book out of my mind for the last couple of days. It’s no secret (or it shouldn’t be by now) that I’m a fan of dystopian fiction and this one snagged my attention from the few teasers that I had read about it.

Lena can’t wait for the surgery will make her immune to the world’s deadliest disease, amor deliria nervosa, more commonly known as love. She wants to be happy again -- free from the constant threat of contamination and able to forget the pain she feels from her mother’s suicide. The cure is her chance to start over and she is counting the days until her procedure. That is, until she meets Alex and learns the truth.  Her world is not as perfect as it seems and the “cure” is not a gift.

Can I just step outside my reviewing persona for a second? You know, the one where I try to sound all uber-smart and professional. I can? Oh, thank heavens. Sometimes that persona is ex-haust-ing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun. It was romantic. It was interesting. I recommend it if you are a fan of light YA dystopian fiction, especially if you like some spicy-but-not-too-spicy romance thrown in. While Delirium does fall prey to the occasional cliché description of love (e.g. heat, floating, explosions of color), for the most part, I was too busy reading to roll my eyes. Lauren Oliver has written a book that is both emotionally charged, exhilarating, and captures the overwhelming intensity of first love. Lena’s story held my attention the entire time and occasionally made my heart race.  I finally had to make myself put it down around 3 AM so I wasn’t a complete ogre the next day.

To be clear, this book is not Fahrenheit 451 or The Giver. Few books are. Delirium has been compared to Matched, another recently released (and reviewed) young adult novel with a romantic theme, but is significantly more exciting and sophisticated. Both books focus on the romantic element more than any other part of the plot, but because Delirium treats love as a disease, it skillfully weaves together the lighter subject matter and the more horrific elements of society without taking away from either part of the experience.

One of my favorite features of the book was the the statements from experts on the deliria, and excerpts from The Book of Shhh, The Comprehensive Compilation of Dangerous Words and Ideas, and other sources, that headed each chapter.  These little tidbits, while completely fictional, were very interesting and gave more insight into the mentality of the Lena's world and added depth to the story. I was also glad that it took Lena a while to come to terms with her feelings and make certain decisions – that she didn’t chuck it all for love at the very first opportunity (ahem…Twilight). For some reason, that made her struggle, and the entire story, seem more real. Also, Alex only takes his shirt off in an actual emergency and, thankfully, Lena does not wax poetic about his abs (though it’s totally implied) which for YA novels, these days has got to be some kind of record.

Delirium ends at a frantic pace and with a gutsy finish that I loved, but not everyone will appreciate. Normally I check books out at the library, but I’m glad that I purchased this one and will not be selling it to any used bookstores. I will definitely be reading the sequel, Pandemonium, when it is released.

My Rating: 4.25 Stars

For the sensitive reader: A few widely-spread cases of profanity (including a couple f-words that came out of nowhere and in rapid succession) and a vaguely sexual scene where certain items of clothing come off.

Sum it up: A pure pleasure read.

The Peasant Queen - Cheri Chesley

Summary:  After running away from home, Krystal is transported to a faraway kingdom where an evil tyrant is bent on taking the crown--and Krystal's hand in marriage.  But when she falls in love with the rightful heir to the throne, she must make an impossible choice: sacrifice her one chance at happiness and agree to marry King Gregory, or face the destruction of an entire kingdom.

In her debut novel, Cheri Chesley delights readers of all ages with this epic tale of a simple farm girl who discovers that even the humblest of peasants has the potential to change the world.  (Summary from book - Image from goodreads.com  - Book given free for review)

My Review:  *Sigh*  I wanted so much more from this book.  At just under 250 pages, I hoped to escape into another world for an afternoon or two, but instead spent my time reading what I felt was an interesting, but unfinished manuscript. Oh, the punctuation, spelling, and grammar were perfection (I’m sure the author could teach me a thing or twelve), but the characters, setting, and storyline of the book felt thin and incomplete.

If I could ask Ms. Chesley for one thing, it would be for her to go back and insert some atmosphere and emotion into her story. I wanted to be able to visualize every page of this novel but could not because it rarely waxed descriptive on any level. Most of the book was comprised of he said/she said dialog, and he did/she did action, with little description of settings, characters’ emotions, or their motivations. I’m not asking for flowery mush, mind you, but rather subtle and evocative phrasing that would help me see (and sink into) the story.

If I could ask Ms. Chesley for one more thing. It would be friction. FRICTION. Quite simply, the story went too smoothly -- obstacles were easily overcome, danger skirted, and emotions developed quickly and with insufficient explanation. This perceived lack of genuine sentiment and lasting conflict between characters made the story feel convenient and contrived.

On the upside, this book is full of fighting, courtly intrigue, a dash of magic, a feisty (nigh combative) heroine, and is an always clean medieval romance. I think you will find that books like that aren’t easy to come by.  I feel like it fit well into the younger YA category (just above tween) in terms of plot and emotional complexity and could find a delighted reader in that audience.

Ultimately, this story was not my cup of tea (or cocoa).  However, I feel I should mention that there are quite a few people who would disagree wholeheartedly with my review.  They loved it.  I wanted more.

My Rating: 2.25 Stars

For the sensitive reader:  One of the characters gets a little friendly, but it's fairly mild. 

Sum it up: A story with a good heart that has unreached potential.

Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

Summary:  The year is 1945.  Claire Randall, a former combat nurse is back from the war and reunited with her hsuband on a second honeymoon -- when she innocently atouches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles.  Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander" -- in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies tha tmay threaten her life...and shatter her heart.  For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. (Summary from book - Image from randomhouse.com)

My Review:  Outlander is one of those books that has been on my “must read” list for a very long time. Until a week ago I’d never even read the back cover; I’d just heard how amazing it was and thrown it on the list right next to The Poisonwood Bible. When a close friend started singing its praises, I finally opened Outlander expecting to be blown away.

Outlander didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It is billed as a “spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages”, but I’d say that’s stretching it a bit. Although the binding simply reads “fiction” this book is not much more than a glorified romance novel. Sure, there is extensive historical detail and more plot and character development than in found in the average romance novel, but I didn’t find anything extraordinary, unless you consider the book’s whopping 850-page count (mass market).

The character of Claire was a bit of a conundrum. Most of the time she was a feisty, intelligent, and capable female character, but there were times when she seemed to give up the fight. I was bothered that she could dismiss her husband so easily. While I understand the “technicality” of her not being married, it still felt like a betrayal when she only made a token effort to return to her own time before deciding to get her flirt on.

My biggest problem with Outlander was the incredible amount of sex and sexual dialogue that was needlessly incorporated into the story. To be perfectly honest, it was completely unrealistic and took place with such frequency that any normal woman would start to chafe. I’m a huge fan of the whole Highland romance genre, but I prefer my reads with a little more romantic tension and a lot less, um, release. There were also a few sections that I found highly disturbing in terms of domestic violence, rape, and other sexually explicit and abusive scenes.

In the end, I forced myself to finish this book, simply to say that I had finished it. For most of the book I was interested in how everything would turn out for the characters (the story is left resolved but open to more books), but eventually ended up skimming because I was incredibly tired and just didn’t care anymore. The last few sections of the book became very dark and disturbing before taking on a strangely religious tone that was entirely unexpected. It was all a bit weird.

That having been said, I think that a person who likes romance novels of this variety (time travel) and isn’t bothered by the sexual content, will probably enjoy this book. Gabaldon definitely delivers a historical romance novel with an impressive page count but, ultimately, I expected something epic and got something only slightly more than ordinary. I’m glad I finished, if for no other reason that I can cross it (and the entire series) off my list.

My Rating: 2.75 Stars

For the sensitive reader: There was a LOT of sex and it was not the close-the-door-fade-to-black-wake-up-next-to-each-other-the-following-morning kind. There were also a quite a few f-words, moments of sexual dialogue, a disturbing amount of domestic violence, and a character with some fairly twisted and sadistic sexual proclivities.

Sum it up: A glorified romance novel masquerading as historical fiction.

Matched - Ally Condie

Summary: In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices.  It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate.  So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.  Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow--between perfection and passion.  Matched is a story for right now and story-telling with the resonance of a classic.   (Summary from book - Image from www.allysoncondie.com )

My Review:  There used to be more than one hundred songs, one hundred works of art, and one hundred poems. That was before the Society destroyed the rest -- burned them all -- in an attempt to create a simple and egalitarian civilization. Cassia’s life is simple, perfect in fact, until a technological glitch in the Matching program, and the consequences that follow, cause her to doubt the government that keeps her safe. Soon she is forced to choose between the life she has always known and a life without guarantees…with someone she loves.

Matched probably won’t go down in history as an epic work of fiction, but it reminded me of a lighter version of some of my favorite (mostly YA) dystopian novels: The Hunger Games, The House of the Scorpion, The City of Ember, Uglies, and most especially 1984, The Giver, and Fahrenheit 451. While these books vary in their particulars, they all follow the journey of a character, content (or at least resigned) to conform until something happens that causes them to question their designated place and the power of the government that holds the reins. Most include mildly dark subject matter or controversial themes that speak to our fears for the future. In these areas, Matched is no different. The shared structure with all these novels led to a certain amount of predictability, but the details are what set this novel apart. Ally Condie’s spin on a standard plot was different enough to retain my interest and the addition of one of my favorite poems was icing on an already tasty cake.

Matched fit well into the young adult category (12+) and could slip easily into children’s fiction if it weren’t for a romantic element that isn’t usually found in that genre. The writing style was incredibly easy to read, perhaps a little too easy, but I was impressed with Condie’s ability to write a squeaky clean romance that was actually interesting*. If I had a glass box to sit in so that my children wouldn’t climb on me, I could easily have finished this book in an afternoon. Alas, I am fresh out of glass boxes, and it took me a week to read. Once I got some quiet time, I finished in one sitting.

I understand that Matched was created for the younger set of young adults, and is fairly perfect for them, but I wish it had been designed and written for an older audience. As a YYA novel, it lacked the richness of language and description that would have put it over the top (for me). I also had a horrible time with the name Xander and could not stop picturing Xander Harris from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (in his less attractive years). It killed the mood on so many occasions, which now that I think about it might have been the point.

Overall, I had fun with this book. It isn’t anywhere near the level of Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, or 1984, but those who like the Uglies Series or City of Ember, might find something to entertain. Personally, I am not happy that I have to wait until November 2011 to read its sequel, Crossed, and November 2012 for book three.

*Let’s admit it. Pride and Prejudice aside, sometimes they are just boooooring.

My Rating: 4 Stars

For even the most sensitive reader: Have at it.  There is some very mild thematic material that comes across much worse when I type it (e.g. euthenasia, genetic engineering, governmental tyranny) than it actually is in the book. 

Sum it up:  A futuristic tale of love, sacrifice, and a young girl who would not go gently into that good night.

Fallen - Lauren Kate

Summary:  There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at Sword & Cross boarding school in Savannah.  He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Except Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--he goes out of his way to make that very clear.  But she can't let it go.  Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret...even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story.  (Summary from book cover and image from http://www.shockya.com/news/)

My Review: There are many aspects to Fallen that intrigued me--a girl haunted by her bizarre past, one not brought on by anything she can fathom, and parents who have tried everything under the sun to help their troubled daughter.  Luce's confusion as to why she sees these strange shadows created a fantastic element of suspense for me as a reader.  It's the perfect crazy-girl set up--how does she explain the dark shadows that show up and hover around her evoking feelings of illness and dread?  How could she even begin to explain to her parents about how the shadows affect her daily life without sounding like she was already on drugs?  Fallen also touches on some religious pre-earth-life stories that I found interesting--to be more specific would ruin the story.  I wish it had delved deeper, and I am hoping the next book will address them more in depth.

All the positives aside, I'm afraid the summary leads the reader to believe there's a bit more to the book than what is delivered.  I wouldn't quite describe Fallen as a "page-turning thriller".  Admittedly, I did read Fallen rather quickly and was interested in the storyline.  It just isn't a thriller in my mind.  It had a slow and steady build up to the climax--it's 400+ pages--and then a rushed resolution that did not, in my mind, fit with the pace of the story.  Too many aspects at the end of the story seemed forced--characters that fit into this strange mold that, again, felt forced in order to resolve the conflict and yet still leave Fallen unfinished for a sequel.  I don't want to ruin the story for a potential reader, so I won't go into any more detail.  Suffice it to say, I'm curious to see how the religious elements play out in a second book, but I doubt I'll be highly recommending it to my students.

Rating: 3 Stars--for the sensitive reader: there is occasional swearing, a few brief exposures to teens and alcohol, and a handful of violent scenes.

Sum it up:  A 'emo-esque' Young Adult book with religious twists.

Also reviewed by Mindy.

Jane - April Lindner

Summary: Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love? An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers. (Image and summary from http://www.aprillindner.com/)

My Review: It’s been a while since I’ve read Jane Eyre, so I don’t remember much besides basic plot threads, but I do remember this: Charlotte Bronte's classic novel has atmosphere, depth, and a richly woven story with an almost palpable sense of foreboding. It is plain from the summary that I couldn’t expect the same kind of quality from Jane, but I hoped that Jane would be to Jane Eyre as the movie Clueless was to Emma -- superficial, yes, but modern, relateable, humorous, and something that fans of the original novel could at least appreciate.

Jane was definitely superficial and modern, but I’m fairly certain that Miss Bronte would spin in her grave if she ever read it. The story felt like it was written by an inexperienced writer and I was surprised to find out that the author was an English professor. It’s not as if she used poor grammar or incorrect punctuation (Hello Kettle, I’m Pot.) but she chose to emphasize physical appearance and expressions of love in lieu of descriptive settings, character development, plot depth, or conveying genuine human emotion. The story lacked the maturity that I would expect from someone who made a career of studying literature. It felt like a children’s book, where the plot and character motivations need to be painfully obvious so that young minds can follow along.  What was once a complex and deeply emotional novel was reduced to the mental equivalent of a pop-up book.

What bothered me most was that I didn’t like any of the characters or how they related to each other. Nearly every character felt two-dimensional and the main relationship felt contrived and emotionally disingenuous. When Jane leaves Thornfield Park, she is so consumed by her disappointed heart that she doesn’t say goodbye to her young charge, a girl she purportedly cares for, and the girl is barely mentioned for the duration of the book. This decision, among many others, made her seem shallow and selfish. Nico, as written, is a a self-absorbed idiot, a horrible parent, and a cardboard cut-out character. I feel that the author would have been better served by focusing on Jane’s increasing self-confidence and the transformation of Nico from reckless rock star to doting father and genuine human being. As it stands, Jane’s sense of worth was defined solely by Nico’s love and the only transformation I saw in Nico was that from intriguing boss to sugar daddy (a la Richard Gere in Pretty Woman, before he wised up), and even that lacked a discernible catalyst. The author made several attempts at creating romantic tension through dialogue between Nico and Jane, but nothing resonated and I remained unmoved by their trite declarations of love (unless you count being moved to roll my eyes).

While I appreciate the author’s attempt to entice a new generation of readers towards the experience of Jane Eyre with this modern retelling, I was surprised at the amount of sex in the book and felt the story would have been more romantic if the author had kept Nico and Jane from taking the relationship to that level. Nico Rathburn also utilizes the F-word rather more than you might expect of the re-done Rochester, especially in a YA novel and his crazy wife manages to get in a few crude digs as well.

According to the summary Jane is “an irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery.” While this book was an easy read that required the minimum amount of brain cells to read, I was neither engrossed by the mystery, nor swept away by the romance. I am fairly certain that true fans of Jane Eyre will be disappointed by this watered down and melodramatic retelling of the classic novel.

My Rating: 2.25 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Multiple use of the F-word and some other crude language. Also some descriptions of sexual encounters between the two main characters.

Sum it up:
To the person who likes this book: You will probably like Jane Eyre.
To the person who hates this book: You will probably like Jane Eyre.
To the person who loves Jane Eyre: You will probably hate this book.

The Dark Divine - Bree Despain

Summary:  Grace Divine -- daughter of the local pastor -- always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.

Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learned the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

My Review:  Bree Despain’s The Dark Divine is a clean and entertaining paranormal romance, with an ending that was better than I expected. Despite this semi-success, the basic plot—a young girl, torn between her love for two very different boys—is exceedingly overdone. I mean, how many teen vamp/wolf/witch/ fairy/dragon/wraith romances does a bookstore really need?  I can usually handle a cliché plot as long as something in the book surprises me enough to read into the wee hours of the morning. There were moments where a character channeled one of the Twilight Trinity, but towards the end, I caught an inkling of something interesting that grabbed my attention.  I did finish the book in record time and, for that reason, I’ll probably read the next one (The Lost Saint, releasing 12/28) if it ever falls into my lap.

Grace Divine is a faithful pastor’s daughter and, consequently, the story touches on topics of charity, forgiveness, selflessness, and grace. Over all, I thought Despain put forth a good effort, but has a long way to go to counter the increasingly affected world of modern YA fiction. Clean YA paranormal romances are no longer a dime a dozen, so if you aren’t terribly picky about plot originality or character depth, The Dark Divine would be a good one time read.  And try to ignore the last line.  It's an eye-roller.  I know.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars   For the sensitive reader: I was surprised by some swearing (mostly biblical, but not entirely) and an attempted, but ultimately unsuccessful, sexual assault.

Sum it up: An entertaining, but mostly ordinary YA paranormal romance. I’m not entirely opposed to reading the sequel, but I won’t be hunting it down.