Review: Grimmtastic Girls #2: Little Red Riding Hood Gets Lost by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Grimmtastic Girls #2: Little Red Riding Hood Gets Lost is the second book in the Grimmtastic Girls series from Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams. This new middle grade series was published by Scholastic in April 2014.

Summary: Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia... Red Riding Hood is thrilled to try out for the school play. Acting is her dream, and she's great at it — too bad she has stage fright! After a grimmiserable audition, Red decides to focus on helping her friends save Grimm Academy from the E.V.I.L. Society. But when Red gets lost in Neverwood forest and runs into Prince Wolfgang, who might be part of E.V.I.L., she'll need her magical basket and a grimmazingly dramatic performance to figure out what's going on!

Cinderella is the narrator of book one, but it's Red (Little Red Riding Hood) who narrates the sequel. The reader is given enough back story so that anyone can easily step into this series. The plot moves quickly and is full of humour, fairy tale fun, a little mystery, and a lot of relatable social issues that readers can identify with. Red Riding Hood Gets Lost explores mild anxiety, irrational fears about embarrassing yourself or about losing the respect of others, and learning to be yourself.

Along with the social issues and school drama, the book hints at a coming showdown of good vs. evil. While every book appears to be about a different character and a different problem, the series is tied together by the E.V.I.L. society's plan to purge all of Grimmlandia into darkness. Not only will young readers love relating to their favourite fairy tale character, but an epic crossover battle of villains vs. heroes is coming! And after the success of ABC's Once Upon a Time, you know that there's promise in seeing a clash of fairy tale characters.

The books read for the targeted age range of 8-12, though the "cutesy" covers make the books seem like they're aimed at a younger audience. I appreciate the fact that both books in the series feature fairy tale characters of different ethnicities. But more than a series that celebrates diversity, I appreciate the educational value. These books often refer to the original authors of fairy tales and folklore, and there is certainly educational value in comparing and contrasting the many versions of the fairy tales.

The Grimmtastic Girls series is a fantastic addition to home, school, and public libraries. The books are fun, charming, and are sure to be loved by all little girl readers who love princesses, magic, and happily-ever-afters!

Review: Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Since this title was announced on Scholastic's 2014 summer list, I have been anxious to get my hands on an ARC. I minored in Classical Studies, with emphasis on Etruscan and Roman civilizations, so this book is basically literary gold for me. I am obsessed with anything to do with Roman history; it's fascinating, and this book did not disappoint me!

Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter will be published on May 27, 2014 by Arthur A. Levine Books (a division of Scholastic Inc). It is a YA novel centred on the forbidden love affair of a young aristocratic girl and a slave, who works as a healer at her father's gladiatorial school. Their love affair, a scandalous relationship, escalates up to climax of the novel: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD.

For those of you who aren't as embarrassingly nerdy as I am, Pompeii and Herculaneum are two fascinating ancient sites. Unlike other Roman archaeological sites, these two cities tell us so much about the way people lived. The eruption covered everything--people, houses, animals, jewelry, household items--in ash and molten rock, preserving the city exactly as it was when the volcano erupted.

Images: Above: Pompeiian ruins. Below left: a dog, below right: multiple bodies found in the wreckage.






This novel is a great YA historical read, though it's not "historical" in the sense of accuracy (this isn't a Rick Riordan novel!). There are many inaccuracies and anachronisms, but I am forgiving in this instance. I think it's more important to get kids reading and to get them interested in learning more about history, than it is to accurate.

I do have an ARC, so I'm hoping the mistake of using the Greek name Poseidon won't show up in the finished copy. Furthermore, the language is very modern and there is minimal use of cultural terminology or Latin words. You don't need knowledge of Roman history to be able to enjoy the book.

The forbidden love story is a great angle from which to tell the story. Aside from what the eruption was like, there is a lot of historical information that readers will gain from reading. Property ownership, slavery and the treatment of slaves, women's rights, gladiator schools, medical practices, class division, and true Roman practices such as exposure (discarding unwanted newborn infants) and marriage are all important tropes. Also, the author incorporates a fabulous comparison of pregnancy/birth with the eruption of the volcano. They are the same; the birth of a baby is a violent and potentially fatal moment, as is the eruption of a volcano, which is the violent and lethal birthing of nature.

There are two major twists at the end that had me turning the pages as fast as I could. This, combined with the excitement of the volcano raining down on the city, makes this book a huge success for me.
This is a heart-stopping story of survival, of forbidden love, and of a terrifying natural disaster.

Shecter does an exceptional job of balancing history with fiction, presenting both in such a way that is appealing to YA readers. There isn't any gore and the book isn't frightening; it is subtly educational and certainly exciting!

Curses and Smoke gets 4 stars from me. I appreciate the hell out of an author who will get the younger generations interested in ancient civilizations! I also appreciate that there is a YA alternative to the hype around Pompeii in 2014 with Pompeii the movie, and the subsequent attention on the book from which it was adapted: Richard Harris' Pompeii.

Series Recommendation: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Series: Abandon by Meg Cabot (Scholastic Inc.)
Number of books: 3
Age range: 14 & up
Genre: Fantasy / Drama / Romance
Will be enjoyed by fans of: Twilight, Beautiful Creatures, The Raven Boys.

Series synopsis: The Abandon series is a modern retelling and twist on the Persephone and Hades myth. Pierce is only fifteen when she dies and is swept away by the powerful, mysterious, yet undeniably handsome John Hayden. But even after escaping the underworld, Pierce realizes she will never be able to escape the dark forces that threaten her — or John himself. Readers will fall in love with one of the most famous Greek myths, darkly re-imagined, and now more charming and powerful than ever.

My thoughts on the series: The first time I read the summary for these books, I admit I immediately dismissed them as being another cheesy teen romance series. The cover art, though appealing for preteen readers who want to progress to adult romance novels, may be a little off-putting to readers who avoid mass-market, formulaic romance novels. I've read the series multiple times now, and every time I come back to it, I appreciate it Meg Cabot's undeniable talent a little more. 

Cabot is one of the few authors who has managed to use Greek mythology to produce a well-written, unique, and intelligent story. The characters often refer to Hades and Persephone, comparing their situation to the original myth, and thereby teaching the reader something in the process. There are, of course, differences in Cabot's story. John is not Hades, he's not a god, and he didn't kidnap Pierce per se. The "underworld" in which he lives is not the underworld, and Pierce is your average teenage girl. Lastly, it is also interesting to note that each chapter begins with a quote from Dante's Inferno, again offering readers another subtle glimpse into the fascinating subject of classical history.

Readers who loved Edward Cullen for his physical power, for his devotion and love for Bella, and for all the reasons that makes him the perfect man, will fall instantly in love with John Hayden. Much like Edward, before he meets Pierce, John is a bit of a "wild thing."But Pierce is his perfect match, and he is hers. It is a charming and addictive love story of two young people who fall in love, in spite of all their differences. 

I find Pierce to be a much more appealing protagonist than other heroines. She isn't fragile or awkward or dull. Her life isn't easy, she had a near-death experience, and even though she leads a privileged life, she has a lot of the same insecurities, uncertainty, and problems that every teenage girl has. She's determined, stubborn, and she's a fighter. She isn't a damsel-in-distress and she doesn't let John get away with his over-protective attitude and his mood swings. 

Aside from the supernatural elements, the series also addresses adult subjects such as pre-marital sex, drugs, bullying, violence, and death. All of these mature subjects have a purpose, are handled well, and are never graphic. There is also a nice balance of typical high school drama, the supernatural, and romance. 

The books are fairly short and are easy to lose yourself in. This series is a fantastic choice for summer reading. Meg Cabot's talents as an author are revealed in her storytelling and in her construction of a world in which the afterlife is a believable place. I highly recommend this series for young teen readers who enjoy YA fantasy/romance novels.

You can check out the book trailer from This is Teen below.

Review: Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow

Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow is a fantastic Canadian YA novel. It is as beautifully written as the beautiful overarching metaphor of weaving/creating. This is a fantasy YA story for readers ages 12 & up.

Summary: In the world of Sorrow's Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry, something deadly. Most of the people of this world live on the sunlit, treeless prairies. But a few carve out an uneasy living in the forest towns, keeping the dead at bay with wards made from magically knotted cords. The women who tie these knots are called binders. And Otter's mother, Willow, is one of the greatest binders her people have ever known.

But Willow does not wish for her daughter to lead the lonely, heavy life of a binder, so she chooses another as her apprentice. Otter is devastated by this choice, and what's more, it leaves her untrained when the village falls under attack. In a moment of desperation, Otter casts her first ward, and the results are disastrous. But now Otter may be her people's only hope against the shadows that threaten them. Will the challenge be too great for her? Or will she find a way to put the dead to rest once and for all?

Along with the metaphor of weaving/creating/protecting, the art of storytelling also has great power and influence. I loved that the book contains two powerful metaphors. The power of a good storyteller, the power of words, the power of stories all have great effect on the world. This is a timeless idea and with the supernatural element, we see the power of stories intensified. A truth that the reader can see developed throughout the book.

Spirits and magic play a large role in this book, and the heroes are underdogs, fated to bring peace and balance to the world. Death is also prominent and threatens the characters with its violence and unpredictability. Ideas about the afterlife and the manifestation of spirits may upset parents/readers with strong religious values. However, the book doesn't push native (or any!) type of belief system. It's simply a fact of life; people die and their spirits linger and must be held at bay. No propaganda present. 

I enjoyed the beauty of the story, especially the writing. However, to be honest, I had difficulty getting invested in the story as I often found myself getting bored and distracted. There wasn't enough character development or enough background or explanation about this supernatural world to appease me. I also think it would have been better as a darker story; more detail, more violence in the supernatural area, more mystery, and more suspense. Then again, this book reads very "literary." It's certainly not teen-trash or a fluffy read, that's for sure!

Lastly, I dislike having a generalized evil to oppose the heroes. The antagonists are uneasy spirits and their touch is poison to a living person; a sign of doom. The other great evil is human error. I wanted someone to blame, to fear; the handprint of a spirit on a living person was too reminiscent of Treasure Island's black spot. Sorry-- this was a yawn moment for me. 

Overall, after reading this book, I can see why Sorrow's Knot is an award-winning book and I do recommend it. It is a fabulous piece of Canadian YA fiction. The content didn't interest me much, but the writing is wonderful, the plot is deep and filled with the supernatural. 

3 stars. 

Review: The Last Thirteen Book Two: 12 by James Phelan

The second book in the thrilling The Last Thirteen multi-platform series by James Phelan. This book takes us to Egypt and Rome in the race against evil. The Dreamers and the heroes from the Academy are often separated so there's a lot more going on than there was in Book One. The two biggest story arcs are the protagonist, Sam, recruiting another Dreamer and Alex's being kidnapped by the Enterprise, thereby sparking a brainwashing/betrayal story arc that is sure to pay off in future books. Unlike the first book, there's a little more violence as we see some real gunfire, more danger, and even some physical altercations.

We finally get a real showdown between Sam and Solaris, but Solaris' capabilities and his story are still shrouded in mystery. We've still got eleven books to go, so I'm guessing it'll be a while before we get the really juicy stuff about Solaris' powers and his past. Too bad.

The characters are flat, with most detail being left up to the reader's imagination. With a novel that will come to include so many important main characters, I think this works for the series. Book Two is a fast-paced read with lots of destruction and mayhem.

I was surprised and a little disappointed at Alex's willingness to forgive his parents and overlook their lies and the current situation, but the book moves fast so I guess we don't have time for his hesitation. Hopefully Alex's loyalty to Enterprise will be an exciting story arc that will be developing over the series. If you're looking for a book with great characterization, this series can't offer you that.

The book opens with a one page, bulleted summary of what happened in Book One: 13, which is a great feature. The books are short (about 200 pages), and include a few hand-drawn pictures to break up the text. Book Two:12 concludes with an exciting cliffhanger that will get readers anxious to pick up the next book.

I'm not sure how great the series will be by book thirteen, let alone book ten, since the books follow the same general story like clockwork: nightmare, travel to a new city, get pursued by the Enterprise/Solaris, track a powerful artefact, darts, gunfire, nightmares, cliffhanger. Hopefully Phelan has some plot twists up his sleeves that will keep readers interested and coming back for more.

3.5 stars

The Last Thirteen Book Two: 12 will be published February 1, 2014.
The Last Thirteen Book Three: 11 will be published March 1, 2014. 
Visit the official website

Review: The Last Thirteen Book One: 13 by James Phelan

The Last Thirteen Book One: 13 by James Phelan is the first book in a new multi-platform series for 10-14 year olds. The publisher compares this book to Inception and The Da Vinci Code, but I also see similarities with Divergent and with Rick Riordan novels. Essentially the plot is this: thirteen kids are prophesied to save the world from impending doom with their powers of true Sight and mysterious ability to dream things before they happen or to dream the answers they seek.

The series skews towards a male audience. The characters are fairly flat, but the lack of character development allows for more action, destruction, and suspense. The series features teen heroes with a lot of power and responsibility. These are characters to look up to, who make selfless and logical decisions based on the greater good of others. The adult characters in this book tend to be unreliable and suspicious, if not dangerous. Make of this what you will, but all the heroics are achieved by the younger characters.

There is violence, but it's fairly muted in the use dart guns and smoke grenades. No matter what potentially fatal situation occurs, the characters remain as resilient as cartoon characters. They walk away from explosions and helicopter crashes without as much as a broken bone. For readers who like this kind of excitement, parents can feel good that the kids are reading something they like, something with as much destruction as Allegiant, without the deaths and gore.

There was something that bothered me in the opening scene. The main character (Sam) is dreaming of Solaris (the enemy), who is telling him to surrender a mysterious and obviously important crystal that has appeared in his pocket. I'm a #Potterhead... this scene was a little TOO familiar to me. Really? A powerful magical item appearing in one's pocket and a villain creepily taunting a kid? For example, Harry Sam wouldn't surrender the stone crystal to Voldemort Solaris, even when he threatened to kill everyone he knows.

"So brave, right until the end…” Its voice rattles around inside my skull. “At the final battle, just like the prophecy says, you will lead me to my rightful power, thinking all the while that you are saving these foolish people.”

…

"I have no idea what it is talking about but then I sense a weight in my pocket. I have something important that this thing wants… this heavy, round object.”

Regardless, it didn't sway my enjoyment of the story. The book ends with a heart-stopping cliffhanger, which will definitely get readers excited to start reading Book Two: 12. I was lucky to have access to both books, so I closed book one and went right to book two! These books are short, fast-paced, and great for reluctant chapter book readers. The book is accessible, full of action, destruction, and suspense. There are thirteen books in all; Book Two will be released February 1st, and then one book a month after that!

3.5 Stars

 Thirteen books. Thirteen Nightmares. Are You One of Them?

Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

The name Maggie Stiefvater is enough to get me to pick up the book. Sadly, for me, The Dream Thieves didn't meet the high standard set by The Raven Boys. Many books suffer by what I call the "sequel syndrome," where the sequel can't hold a candle to the original, and unfortunately, I think The Dream Thieves fits this description.

It seems as though Stiefvater wrote The Raven Boys without realizing how much character development or details were needed to create this world. Maybe she wrote The Raven Boys without knowing just how big the series would be and so she left much of the characterization up to reader's imagination. Whatever the season, a sequel shouldn't carry THIS much detail and weight in comparison to the first book; it should be more evenly spread out over the series. The sheer volume of detail was exhausting and diminished my overall enjoyment of the book. I felt like we were finding out traits and quirks about the main characters that should have appeared in the first book.

The Dream Thieves does have an intriguing premise, so it IS worth the wait to get to the exciting bits at the end. The book's plot is darker and more complex, and the exciting end battle submerges the reader in the realm of the fantastic. It ends with a to-the-death match that will have you anxiously turning the pages to see what happens next.

Readers beware that this is a TEEN book (not YA). There's [many] F-bombs, drugs, violence, and other subject matter that is considered inappropriate for younger audiences. The supernatural takes on a larger role in this book, with Ronan able to dream things into existence and with the ley lines feeding powerful and dark events. It's not just the continuation of the Cabeswater/Glendower plot; there are several story arcs interwoven throughout the book, including romances, betrayal, and murder.

Despite my qualms with its length and the distribution of content, The Dream Thieves is a great book for teens and the series is definitely a must-read. Maggie Stiefvater is one of the top teen writers today. The book ends on another cliffhanger, guaranteeing that I will return for the next book. Ultimately, this is an exciting story that makes for a thrilling read.

3 Stars.

Review: Rip Tide (Dark Life #2) by Kat Falls

Rip Tide is the second book in Kat Falls’ Dark Life series. This sci-fi/dystopian YA novel is set in a world made up of land-dwellers, ocean-dwellers, and uncivilized "barbaric" people who are suspicious of everyone else. The division of people adds an interesting quality to the book and seems to comment on how we as humans fear and thereby cause conflict with people who are different from us. The book is accessible to both male and female readers and is full of suspense, excitement, and dangers found deep in the ocean (drowning, monsters, hypothermia, etc). Who doesn't love a good scene where the character almost gets eaten by a murderous squid? 

If you enjoyed Rick Riordan’s son-of-Poseidon type of mythology), you’ll enjoy this series. Some people possess “dark gifts” which are supernatural talents that make them slightly more than human. The main character, for instance, possesses an ability to use sonar. Technology is now capable of providing humans with a substance that when inhaled, allows a person to breathe underwater. 

There’s sea monsters, mystery, kidnapping, and murder. There’s also a light teen love story accompanying this action/adventure story, but it’s definitely secondary to the storyline. When Ty and Gemma accidentally uncover an entire settlement that was trapped and sunk to the bottom of the ocean (a chilling scene involving frozen corpses found chained inside the homes of their sunken township), they find themselves part of a dangerous plot as they attempt to rescue Ty's kidnapped parents. 

I jumped into this series with Rip Tide, but the book is fairly accessible for new readers. The plot is slightly complex, despite the length of these novels. The conspiracy aspect and the different types of people in this aquatic world require a slightly more advanced reader who can handle a multi-layered plot. 

An interesting book to say the least, full of colourful characters and featuring the dark and deadly side of the ocean-- without frightening young readers. I loved the setting and the world that Kat Falls created. She is a skillful writer and I look forward to reading her latest book, Inhuman.

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater is a must-read author for this generation. Not only is she charming and a down-to-earth in person, but she's a talented writer. Stiefvater's words flow across the pages, constructing an addictive story that will have you reading late into the night.

Although the subject matter isn't really my thing (witches, psychics, ghosts), The Raven Boys is a thrilling story and I enjoyed reading it very much. The premise of the story is this: the daughter of a psychic befriends attractive group of boys from elite prep school and follow clues on a supernatural treasure hunt of sorts. Murder, mystery, and danger surround a ghostly legend, along with the supernatural, tarot cards, psychic readings, and black magic rituals.

Stiefvater impresses me not only with her ability with words, but also with her ability to create very different stories. Lament sounds very different from the darker and more sophisticated-sounding The Scorpio Races. I liked The Raven Boys not only because it's not as pre-teen-ish sounding as Lament nor does it use overdone tropes like werewolves as she does in her Shiver trilogy. There's just more to this book than Lament or Shiver.

This story has a small romance component, but the story largely focuses on murder and the mystery. There's twists and turns, violence and social issues, ghosts and other spooky stuff. This is a great teen read for people who love a good supernatural story. I enjoyed it more than the supernatural drama in Beautiful Creatures and it's written much better than the ultimate teen supernatural book: Twilight. All in all, a great teen book and a good choice to get young people reading something of substance.

Once Upon a Time S03E11 "Going Home": The mind-blowing winter finale that will have you questioning if anyone cares at all

***Warning: This review contains spoilers***

Well, that was a stressful sixty minutes.

I'm not going to go over the whole episode, because this one was JAMMED packed full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and moments where I was totally shocked, smiling, or grumbling at the screen. This episode was possibly the best one of season three--and thank god it was only the winter finale, because the ending is absolutely heart-wrenching. My dad tells me that as terrible as the cliffhanger was, the episode was really good because "at least they're out of the goddamn jungle!" I have to agree with him there...

Here are just some of the bigger points on my mind after watching Once Upon a Time, Season 3, Episode 11.

Snow and Charming do NOT say any variation of "I will always find you."

Snow reassures her daughter that it will be okay and that the future is not always what we expect it will be, but that Emma will have a happy ending. Snow and Charming both insist that Emma should have hope, no matter what. Much of the episode dances around the importance of having hope. But apparently, as they stand at the town line to say goodbye, having hope does not include the hope of being with your family. 

Snow and Charming will always find each other, but they feel no need to find their daughter or their grandson. Have hope, dear daughter. We're going away to another land, we'll be separated all over again, you're not going to remember us, and we won't make any promises to see each other again. At all. Even though we've been making them all along.

REALLY?! No one thinks to offer this hopeful statement? Emma really needed to hear that this isn't goodbye.

Henry is oddly calm and quiet about the whole goodbye event.

I wonder if Henry is quiet on screen because the actor is obviously going through an exciting time in one's childhood where the voice is wonky and speaking is awkward. But...could he not pretend to cry? Could he not look a little sadder? Could he not have given Regina a more desperate, emotional goodbye hug? He watches Rumplestiltskin die, he says goodbye to his adopted mother, his family, and his friends, but everything is cool.

Henry seems to react more to the fact that Emma forgets the cinnamon on his hot chocolate, than to the idea of leaving everyone behind. What happened to your dreams of going to the Enchanted Forest and riding horses and sword-fighting?!

Get the hell off the ground, Belle, and pull your shit together

Poor Belle. She watched the love of her life die before her eyes, and worse, she was frozen and unable to stop it from happening. They're unfrozen and Belle, understandably, goes to pieces. Nobody asks if she's okay. No one comforts her or really even looks at her.

And even NEIL, Rumple's own SON is oddly uncaring about his father's death. His comment about Rumple's dying a noble death was a little too conversational. Essentially, his tone implied this twist on his words: My dad just died. Well, at least he died so that we could all live. Moving on... what's next, guys?

Belle is a sobbing, broken mess on the street, but--REGINA! You've been quiet these last ten seconds, are YOU okay?

Cursed life? Sure, I'll take it

Emma has spent three seasons bitter about the fact that a curse ripped her away from her family. She has witnessed how terrible it was not to remember who you are, even if not remembering was easier. Emma knew how important it was not to be under a curse. Her entire EXISTENCE is about being the saviour; about BREAKING the curse that made everyone forget. Not remembering who you are means no happy endings. But when Regina offers her a variation on the curse to forget her past, she's all on board. Henry, of course, stands contentedly next to her, also not objecting to forgetting who he is and his past.

Even if Emma accepts the cursed life because it's the easier choice...what about HOPE?! Hope that one day, your family will find you. She just made it a lot harder on herself.

Oh wait, I forgot: her family has no interest in finding you.

#WickedIsComing

This is a pretty awesome hashtag. I'm VERY excited about the newest villain: the wicked witch of the west! FINALLY! The merry old land of Oz!

At the same time... after the Evil Queen (evil, powerful, breasts all over the place), Cora (absolutely immoral, power-hungry, blood-thirsty woman), Pan (the most annoying and heartless child in the history of the world)...how bad can the Wicked Witch be?

Hopefully the enchanted forest has a good bucket of water somewhere...



Emma... please take a better look at the stranger at the door

Sure, the jerk grabbed you and kissed you. But... did you REALLY get a good look at him? He's got #GoodForm

Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot's novel Abandon is the first in the Abandon series, which is a modern/teen retelling of the Persephone myth. It was the lure of a book using Greek mythology that drew me into the series, though I was a tad weary by the cheesy "romance"-style cover art. I do love the colour schemes and the flowery patterns, and the book cover fits well with the story.

A far cry from how Rick Riordan uses his mythology to both entertain and to teach kids about Greek mythology, this book does offer small insights into the mythology of the underworld, Hades realm, dying, the Fates, and the Furies. The Persephone myth is actually mentioned right at the beginning and continually crops up as Pierce tries to understand what has happened to her/how she might feel about John and her current predicament. Pierce is able to both identify and see herself as different from Persephone in many ways, and the comparison/contrast lets us explore the myth to see it as both a love story, but also as a dark tale of abduction.

John Hayden was a mortal who was given the job of lord of the Underworld, due to some mysterious crime he committed years ago. He falls in love with Pierce as a young teenager and she accidentally becomes his "consort." The way Pierce is "kidnapped" sets him apart from Hades and allows the reader to see him as 'good.' Personally, I don't think we see enough of John in Abandon. Fortunately, there are two books that offer plenty more of this mysterious, dark, dangerous, and certainly handsome male hero.

Pierce is a fiery heroine who tries to do right in the world and her heart and her head are constantly at odds with each other over John, who has an amazing habit of suddenly showing up to save her from mortal peril.

This supernatural love story is interwoven with themes of death and dying, dysfunctional families, and dangerous creatures called Furies. As someone who LOVES all things Greek and Roman, I enjoyed the book--more than I thought I would. The Abandon series is my newest guilty pleasure. It's a riveting tale of family, love, death, right and wrong, and good versus evil. Meg Cabot re-imagines the Persephone myth into an oddly sweet and addictive tale full of the supernatural, suspense, and an unexpected love story between people from two very different worlds.

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater's second novel in the Shiver trilogy continues with the love story between Grace and Sam--human and werewolf. Starting out, it was pretty obvious the direction of the book was going--back into werewolf territory and I wasn't sure I wanted that to happen. For one thing, it made the book and its conclusion slightly predictable and for another, it was going to throw a wrench into Sam and Grace's already tortured relationship. Bah. Teen romances!

I have to say that I did like Shiver better than Linger. Shiver had me hooked onto every word. This book had a different kind of suspense that was more akin to dread than suspense. I dreaded what I knew was coming in the end and it was just a matter of pages before the inevitable happened (no spoilers here). I'm not really a fan of books like that. I like to suspect, but not KNOW. I never flip to the end or peek. I like to suspect or think that I know, and then I like to have the world ripped out from under me. Okay, that's a little dramatic, but I hate being right about a plot point that's painfully obvious to me. Especially when Shiver seemed like it was going to be obvious and then did a fantastic job with building up to a fantastic cliffhanger. Linger had fewer twists and turns and that was a slight disappointment. 

I do appreciate Stiefvater's development of the adult characters in this book. At one point, Grace's parents catch Sam sleeping in their daughter's bed and they throw him out, ground her--do the whole parental thing. I couldn't help but applauding the parents in this teen romance novel. Thank you for finally being aware that your child is doing something wrong (no matter how sad we are that the sexy supernatural love interest has been booted out and we get less of the couple being together and adorable). This was a surprisingly refreshing decision on Stiefvater's part.

A new character, Cole St. Clair, is thrown into the mix, but do not despair, Stiefvater is not feeding us a a typical, boring love triangle! Cole is complicated, tortured, and not necessarily likeable. Even better, he does not harbour an all-consuming love for Sam's girl. He has his own role to play in the plot and his own set of problems to deal with.

Drugs, sex, psychological trauma, violence, illness, parental/family drama, and more are all woven into the plot. Stiefvater writes a refreshing amount of realism into her characters. The fact that this is a story about teens who turn into werewolves is only one aspect of a larger story. 

While I was a bit disappointed into the overall "WOW" factor of the book, Stiefvater's writing is a breath of fresh air in teen romance. She writes believable characters--with real problems like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and addiction, with a dash of the supernatural world that makes this series even more addictive.

I'd give this book 3.5/5, but Shiver gets a 4/5 from me. I do suspect that like most trilogies or short series, the middle book lays the ground work that will make Forever (the final book) finish off the series with a bang.

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

If you have not yet ever picked up a book by Maggie Stiefvater, shame on you. She is quickly becoming one of the biggest YA authors today and she has a talent for turning out one fantastic book after another. The Scorpio Races and The Raven Boys are two other popular titles by Stiefvater, if you've never heard her name. Shiver is the first book of her werewolves of Mercy Falls series. Who will like this book? Girls who have weaknesses for super sweet, sensitive, attractive boys with a dark side, Twihards who are Team Jacob, fans of supernatural romance, ...or people like me who misread "Mercy Falls" as "Mystic Falls" and did a double take, you will LOVE this book. Note to self: be wary of all towns that have "Falls" in the name.

Maggie Stiefvater adds her brilliance to the werewolf mythology and gives the world another supernatural heart throb to dream about. This tale of "doomed love" between a human and a werewolf was exhilarating, sweet, full of suspense, and of dangerous things that lurk in the woods.

The violence, adrenaline, and fear built around the werewolves is woven into this romantic and slightly tragic love story. There were some graphic scenes--and very dark subjects of abuse, psychological trauma, animal violence, etc., but they are so well-written and are crucial to the narrative. Stiefvater writes with a purpose, not for shock value. As I got to the last fifty pages or so, I couldn't put the book down. The story is captivating, thrilling, and beautiful, even in its darkest moments.

An interesting thing to note about the book is the changing colours of the text. The pages fade from a chilly dark blue to black, hinting at greater themes like transformation of something cold to something dark and dangerous. Or else, the transformation of the cold, blue, abnormal to normalcy, as black is the (normal). A very unique stylistic choice that was a little distracting at first, but as I quickly got hooked into the story, I barely noticed.

I'm excited to start the next book in the series, Linger. The ending of Shiver was intense and I was on edge, waiting for the ending to leave me hanging as each chapter at the end is very, very short and I was in despair of the ending just being dropped over my head. The final sentences did not let me down--in fact they ensured that I would be anxious to get my hands on a copy of Linger ASAP.

I'm not a huge fan of supernatural romance, though I recognize its prominence and its ability to sell books in the post-Twilight era. I did always like the vampire mythology better, though its more because the history of vampires in literature (not myths, real poems, stories that are studied by scholars) goes WAY back and its long history fascinates me. Shiver makes werewolf mythology more interesting to me.

What I'm say is do not judge or roll your eyes to hear that this book is about werewolves. Maggie Stiefvater is a powerful writer and she does not need the popularity of the vampire/werewolf mythology to sell books. She does it on pure talent. Stiefvater's Shiver will take your breath away.