Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

 In the Shadow of Blackbirds
Cat Winters

Genre: YA Historical Thriller
Publication date: April 2nd 2013
by Amulet Books

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

-A copy was provided by Amulet Books for review-

It excites me so when I come across a novel that shows me there can still be books that thoroughly stand out from any other in its originality and outstanding story-telling. I can not even believe that In the Shadow of Blackbirds is Cat's debut novel!

What I love most from this book is how, through impressive research, Cat achieves an exceptionally poignant historical atmosphere from a time that saw through so much death and horror. The fall of 1918 had not only the highest death toll from the Spanish Flu which killed over 50 million people (some sources even say up to 100 million), but it was also in the throes of the first World War. Having been fascinated by an epidemic flu that, even to this day, is seen as unusual without a known origin, I have fell upon surprisingly few books on the matter, so I was instantly drawn to this novel. And I'm highly impressed with the level of realism and drive it endorsed in showing us exactly what people were going through in those god-awful days. From frantic - but in a way necessary - beliefs in thrifty home remedies; to face masks that hides you from the world - and you to it; to the number of bodies being picked up like garbage every evening. We're brought into a time that was, in the best of descriptions, gray.

Not only do we see the horrors of this invisible killer, we're also in the midst of Word War I. This, too, is full of unbelievable sadness. Cat is not afraid to show us the real ugly truths. Through the eyes of Mary Shelley - an innocent 16 year old girl - we experience the longing that comes from having a loved one at war, and we see the grim consequences of this war during her visits to the recovering veterans' ward when we meet soldiers who have been irreversibly damaged; not just physically, but mentally. And that is what In the Shadow of Blackbirds is really about: the fragility of the mind. Even while reading, you're forever questioning what is real, and what isn't.

Throughout, Mary becomes such a compelling character that I found myself easily lost in the ways she's seeing this bitter world. She despises the masks that she sees as the face of an unflinching villain. She digresses, at least to herself, from the new "patriotic" ways, believing what her father was saying about doing what is right instead of what's safe. She finds bravery when she has nothing else. Furthermore, I loved the side characters who, no matter how small the role, had great impact in the story, insuring their memorability.

When Mary Shelley's sweetheart starts haunting her, this turns an already bleak story into one that is positively eerie. There could not have been a better atmosphere set for a plot such as this. Along with hair-raising scenes that range from cryptic to horrific, the book includes several grim photographs that make its eeriness even moreso. Plus, when you think about the real surge of spirit photography from a desperate time with desperate mourners, the book doesn't stray very far from reality. Cat simply takes history and turns beliefs into actuality.

Cat Winters was immediately added on my "auto-buy" list upon finishing the last page. Her talent is proven undeniable in this unique, well-researched, and evocative novel that is In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

Also, isn't it odd that I was reading this book while sick with the flu? *looks around warily*

5 Hot Espressos

Review: Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell

 Undercurrent
Paul Blackwell

Genre: YA Sci-Fi Thriller
Publication date: July 23rd 2013
by Doubleday Canada

In Undercurrent, Paul Blackwell’s fast-paced YA thriller, sixteen-year-old Callum Harris survives a plummet over a waterfall, but wakes to find himself in a life that’s totally different from the one he knew.

His parents were separated. Now they’re together. His brother Cole was a sports star. Now he’s paralyzed. And Callum, who used to be quiet and sort of unpopular, is suddenly a jock with two hot girls after him.

But there’s one difference that matters more than all the others combined: His former best friend wants Callum dead. And he isn’t the only one.

-A copy was provided by Random House Canada for review-

When I heard someone say this was reminiscent of The Butterfly Effect, which is one of my favorite movies ever, I jumped on the chance to read this book. It does have that neat butterfly effect factor, but I did find the book itself had no real… point. It's for entertainment only! When I finished the book I was stunned at where it left off, especially when no sign of a sequel can be found. It wasn't a cliffhanger per se, but it was a very odd ending that didn't feel like much of a conclusion.

Alas, I'm getting ahead of myself. And probably giving the impression that I disliked the book which is not the case. Undercurrent is honestly a fun, entertaining book that never let my attention falter. The whole alternate life deal had me fascinated from the start. You're always left wondering, questioning, pondering. Imagine waking up from an accident and your whole life has changed! Your friends are your enemies, your enemies are your friends, the friendly person you were is now known as a bully. I was captivated by this premise. I loved seeing Callum's reaction to all the changes; he was fighting hard to mend the wrongs while refusing to believe his memory of everything was false. It was both sad and exciting to see him try to figure it all out. Some things were changed for what people would consider "the better" seeing as he was now a popular jock with everyone hanging at his every word (or threat), but a lot of other things, the things that matter, were definitely not better. The girl he loves doesn't know him, his brother is paralyzed, and people hate him for the trouble maker he is. There is a reason why I love psychological thrillers and while this is more of a sci-fi thriller, you do find yourself wondering what if. What if you had made a different decision that one time? How much would be different if you hadn't…? These are just things I personally get so curious and intrigued about, so I had a fun time with this book.

With such a neat premise, though, I wish it would have been more intricate in a lot of ways. The main character, even though he was well developed enough, was a little slow to figure things out at times. I had guessed almost right away who the guy in the Crocodile's jacket was. I was also hoping for much more progress as far as the plot itself. The whole book consists of Callum figuring out why everything is so different. We don't learn much about the actual "science" or world building behind it - what's so special about the Crystal Falls to make it tear realities? How do others (like the teacher) know about the alternate existence? I mean, we all kind of wonder but we don't see people jump off cliffs to test the theory off of hope. And what did he throw off of that waterfall with a light? A machine to send a message to another reality, yeah, but what is it? O_o Why was Cal brought to this particular reality (and there was only mention of that 1 other reality)? If you're going to introduce alternate realities based on the butterfly effect then there has to be countless realities for every single decision made in a life, no? Then when all is said and done we never do learn any details on what happened in Cal's old reality, nor what's going to happen to him and his other self, now? And why was the whole bit about Neil even included? SO MANY QUESTIONS!! Basically, this plot was done for those who like the idea but don't want to really think about it much. I'm not one of those readers.

Undercurrent offers an intriguing but simple view into the world of alternate realities. It's always fun to see how different things would be with only one changed decision. I wish the book would have been more fleshed out, but it was an entertaining read, nonetheless.

Edit: The author did tell me there was a sequel in the works that's waiting on the green light. So that does help lessen some of my dissatisfaction regarding the unanswered questions. Yay!

3 Hot Espressos

Review: Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Truly, Madly, Deadly
Hannah Jayne

Genre: YA Thriller
Publication date: July 2nd 2013
by Sourcebooks Fire

Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by "an admirer" and printed with two simple words: "You're welcome."

-A copy was provided by Sourcebooks for review-

A fun and creepy thriller, Truly, Madly, Deadly is a perfectly entertaining read. It does take some suspension of disbelief in certain aspects of the story, but I can see it being a hit by fans of the genre nonetheless.

Sawyer's boyfriend's death was only the beginning, it seems. Since the accident, Sawyer seems to have taken on a stalker who's set on framing her for all the accidents-ruled-murders that have been happening in her town. Aside from the aforementioned, we also have the topics of bullying and abusive relationship that Sawyer has to learn to fight through. What I liked the most about Sawyer's character was her voice; how she dealt with what was happening felt very real and emotionally gripping. The flashbacks to her past had my heart breaking for her. However, I do prefer my characters strong and feisty, and Sawyer vomited and passed out a little too much for my taste. It's understandable in her situation, but still. The side characters were just average, and I did feel like some were included to serve the lone purpose of having extra suspects to try to derail us. It did work to a certain extent as I suspected most of them at least once, but it becomes apparent who the true culprit is if you put your mind to it. The author uses a familiar (to me) angle that makes it easy to pinpoint when you've read as many murder mysteries as I have.

As I mentioned, the plot is very entertaining with a lot of creepy instances that you can expect from your run-of-the-mill stalker mystery. It's also a quick read with a steady pacing that makes it easy to fly through. There were a few things from the plot that stood out as a bit unrealistic to me, though. For instance, Sawyer wants to know more about a few of the crimes so, at the police station after falsely claiming an interview (homework) was left for her, she is given the OK by an office to rummage freely through another cop's work desk, after which she finds and takes confidential case files and other personal police papers that were laid-out on it. No way would an officer allow a teenage girl to "look for her homework" on a detective's desk by herself like that. Yes I know this is very specific but I watch a lot of cop shows and it annoyed me. Another thing I have difficulty believing is how the killer could have achieved one of the killings. It would take some serious ability to put a dead body in such a position by oneself. I'm not saying it's impossible with adrenaline and careful planning, but it's still a stretch - in this case especially but I can't argue this further without spoilers.

Truly Madly Deadly did have its problems for me, but in the end I can honestly say that I had fun reading it. It's definitely a decent thriller that amounted to a few chills and thrills along the way.

3 Hot Espressos

Review: SYLO by D.J. MacHale

 SYLO
 D.J. MacHale

Series: SYLO #1
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Publication date: July 2nd 2013
by Razorbill

Does Tucker Pierce have what it takes to be a hero when the U.S. military quarantines his island?

Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it,” he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come.

It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late.  

-A copy was provided by Penguin Canada for review-

Almost a 4 star, SYLO starts off as your run of the mill YA sci-fi mystery but it ends up being much more complex than expected. I did really enjoy it, but I found that 1) we didn't get enough answers even for a first book in a series and 2) it could have done with 50 or so less pages - which is likely linked to 1).

A strong aspect of this novel is how the beginning chapters really pull you into the story. Being engaged from the start is a wanted feat that is not often achieved. MacHale does this by getting right into the sudden deaths happening on Tucker's island. He then keeps it up by introducing small chapter cliffhangers every so often throughout the book, which I'm personally a sucker for. Barring that, however, I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. Some of it simply felt off for supposedly being the voice of a 14 year old. And some of it felt cliché; for instance, the frequent use of "suspenseful" sentences like:

""Thirty yards!" Kent called out.
...as the machine gun behind us opened fire.
We were about to cross the stern of the flaming destroyer when...
"Now!" Tori called."

"I eased the wheel to port, made the gentle turn and...
...my moment of peace instantly vanished."

I know this critique is more of a personal preference but there were a lot of these suspension points throughout that I found cheesy. Another small quirk is how, during normal conversations, a character was said to "scream" or "shout". Either the author was hoping for a heightened tone effect, or these islanders are really freaking intense (and loud)!

"I think we're making a big mistake." Quinn said.
"Seriously?" I shouted. "Now you're having second thoughts?"
-Sounds like a shouting match, don't it? (It's not.)

Our male protagonist, Tucker, is your average teenager who likes his simple island living, so when it gets quarantined and people start dying, he gets a little restless. Tucker is an average character; he's not someone who's especially memorable long term, but I didn't dislike him. Same goes for the secondary characters. While most were charismatic, I didn't get emotionally attached to them - which is proven by my lack of reaction when one of them dies. I did grow the most connected to Tori, one of the main secondary characters. I loved that she's a tough girl who's able to fend for herself; her intelligence, strength, and bravery shine through.

The plot itself is what's truly entertaining in SYLO, and does make up for the aforementioned qualms, some. There is a ton of mystery from the get go, the sudden deaths being the first of many. There are unexplained aircraft hovering about - one of which explodes right in from of Tucker, never to appear in the news. Bizarre drugs that turn people into temporary supermen. Then there's how insanely far the military is going to make sure no one leaves escapes. With an abundance of secrets on this island, it's unfortunate that we become privy to very few answers by the end, though. I wish we'd gotten further into the bottom of it all; we barely scratched the surface. For that reason, I think the book could have been shortened 50 pages or so to stop the non-answers from dragging at times - it was not excessively so, but it did feel lengthy. At least the ending does show us how deep this bottom goes, and I really liked where the author went with it.

SYLO is what I would consider a boy book; a male protagonist, a lot of football talk, missiles, explosions, plenty of death, fighter planes, warships, and a kick-ass climactic battle at sea. Everything a boy-book loving girl like myself could ask for!

3 Hot Espressos

Review: This is W.A.R. by Lisa Roecker

This is W.A.R.
Lisa Roecker

Genre: YA Mystery
Publication date: July 2nd 2013
by Soho Teen

This is W.A.R. begins with a victim who can no longer speak for herself, and whose murder blossoms into a call-to-arms. Enter four very different girls, four very different motives to avenge Willa Ames-Rowan, and only one rule to start: Destroy James Gregory and his family at any cost. Willa's initials spell the secret rallying cry that spurs the foursome to pool their considerable resources and deliver their particular brand of vigilante justice. Innocence is lost, battles are won—and the pursuit of the truth ultimately threatens to destroy them all.

-A copy was provided by Soho Press for review-

There are so many things I disliked about this book that I decided to review via bullet point, make of it as you wish:

♦ The premise: Rich family gets away with anything - murder in this case - because you know.. they're rich! Duh! But then these friends of the dead girl and daughters of other rich neighbors (though not AS rich) decide to be vigilantes and bring the family down. *queue intense music* To do that, they first have to all give 25,000$ each (O_o) as their vigilante club fund (yes- a club! Like when I was 7! THIS IS SO EXCITING!) to use for buying information and other important vigilante tasks. Where can this plot go wrong? *snort*

♦ If you like bad daytime soap operas, then maybe I would tell you to read this book (but probably not).

"Saying "no" to the Gregorys meant her job would be mysteriously downsized; a gas leak or a termite infestation would leave the tiny apartment she'd rented for the summer uninhabitable. Type-written threats, sent via envelopes with no return address, would ensure that she left town quickly and quietly.""

...*snort*

♦ This one guy is offering date rape drugs to girls regularly, and they take them willingly! But they're not dumb, nope, I mean, why worry about taking an unidentified pill that "will only relax you"? How about this one girl who actually did know what it was, and, smart girl that she is, fakes taking it because… well because she wanted to get raped (duh!). Unfortunately, though, she got saved by one of the vigilantes (How dare she?).

"I never take his stupid pills. I never do anything I don't want to do. And I sure as hell don't need to be saved. I had him right where I wanted him the entire time."
“But, you were drugged; you were attacked.”
“I was acting. The Gregorys are so easy.”

Great self respect, there!

♦ Meet Sloane: "Sloane knew she was dumb. She said dumb things all the time, did dumb things. She’d learned to compensate for being an idiot by shutting up and agreeing with whatever everyone else said or did."

"It didn’t happen often and she could never be sure when it was coming, but she was sometimes struck out of the blue with an idea."

"It was like playing rock, paper, scissors. Sloane hated that game because she could never remember what was supposed to beat what so she always ended up playing rock. Rocks were hard. Rocks could smash. Rocks should always win."

But really it's not her fault…

Sloane's parents: "When Sloane missed curfew because she passed out behind the boathouse at the Club’s Summer Swing, they were sure Sloane must have narcolepsy. She didn’t, but that hadn’t stopped her parents from putting her on some crazy drug."

At one of four POVs in this novel, Sloane is at least the most memorable. Stupid is harder to forget?

♦ Foolproof plans to bring the killers down:

Putting photoshopped scandalous pictures of the boys on t-shirts and selling them at the gift shop.

Selling the family's antique watches. "“ON EBAY!” Lina shouted. “We sell them on eBay.” She laughed maniacally, and everyone couldn’t help but join in. Sloane laughed the loudest for once. Turned out being a dumbass had its moments."

And my personal favorite: slipping hormone pills in the boys' drinks until they grow manboobs.

These girls, like, OMG, like they have the bestestest ideas!

___

Do I really need to point out more? This is not W.A.R., this is B.A.D. (that was too easy!)!

I'm done here.

*Quotes in this review were taken from the uncorrected proof*

1 Cold Espresso

Review: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Another Little Piece
Kate Karyus Quinn

Series: Stand-alone
Genre: YA Mystery
Publication date: June 11th 2013
by Harper Teen

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

-A copy was provided by HarperCollins for review-

Whoa! This book has to be one of the strangest reads I've come across. I can see how its eccentric nature will not be for everyone, but for me the beautiful, often disturbing, writing style captivated me and never let go. It's not the type of story that just anyone could pull off, the author definitely did some thinking outside the box for this one, and Quinn has my two thumbs up.

Calling this book Another Little Piece is quite fitting, as it felt like with every turn of a page, another piece of this mind-boggling puzzle was put in place - or at least moved a tiny bit closer. And this review is especially hard, because in almost every piece lies a spoiler. The first of these spoilers comes at the 15% mark, thus I'm not able to go into the plot itself, but let me just promise you that you will not have read anything quite like this before! I was shocked by what I was taking in at regular intervals in this book - and from someone who reads as much as I do, shock is a good thing! My advice: be very careful what reviews you read beforehand.

Annaliese has no recollection of the past year of her life, the year she disappeared. The character growth in this novel is substantial; we see Annaliese go through a complete remodeling from who we first meet. The girl at the start is timid and confused, yet she surprises you with the strength of character she possesses even then. As she finds out what happened to her, she transforms into the tough person she needs to be to weather this information, even refusing part of who she is. Because she gets to know her old self through flashbacks, and she's learning who she is now, all the while fighting her inner demon, it makes it difficult to connect with this type of disjointed character. I wouldn't have changed anything about her, however; this strangeness makes her character. Due to the nature of the plot, the secondary characters can take some situating, but they all become important players in this mystery. I especially liked Dex who has an oddity of his own to add even more complexity to this bizarre plot.

The writing is what makes or breaks a book like this, and this one makes it, completely and thoroughly. Quinn's writing is at once terrifying and wonderfully addicting. I was haunted by some of the images that she produced, yet I was unable to stop imagining them, in greater detail each time. Suffice it to say, those who are easily queasy may have to skip a few passages in this one. Aside from her skill for the disturbing, Quinn is also a master at intricately layering her tale. It begins as what feels like a jumble of words and events, until, little by little, we begin the deciphering process. With her show rather than tell manner, we're left to our devices to bring this story together with what we're given, which I highly appreciate even though I was confused as all heck at the end. A re-reading of the last chapter and a discussion with a friend amended that, some, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Profoundly original and disturbingly odd, I think everyone should experience Another Little Piece. Not because I believe everyone will love it, but because I think everyone should experience the anomaly that it is.

Review: A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger

A Trick of the Light
Lois Metzger

Series: Stand-alone
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication date: June 18th 2013
by Harper Teen

Mike Welles had everything under control. But that was before. Now things are rough at home, and they’re getting confusing at school. He’s losing his sense of direction, and he feels like he’s a mess.

Then there’s a voice in his head. A friend, who’s trying to help him get control again. More than that—the voice can guide him to become faster and stronger than he was before, to rid his life of everything that’s holding him back. To figure out who he is again. If only Mike will listen.

Telling a story of a rarely recognized segment of eating disorder sufferers—young men—A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger is a book for fans of the complex characters and emotional truths in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.

-A copy was provided by FSB Associates for review-

What a strange little book this was. Narrated by anorexia, A Trick of the Light is a lightning fast story about a boy who's has a run-in with this illness. I felt it was a little like an afternoon special on fast forward, but I did enjoy the book nonetheless. It touches on a topic that is so often misunderstood, told in the unique voice of the illness itself. Because for someone with anorexia, it becomes exactly that: an entity that takes over your thoughts, your life.

This choice of narrator is excellent as it shows the aggressive nature of the disease. It puts in the forefront how brutally insistent it becomes and I appreciated the ugly truth of it all. Mike, like so many teenagers, has problems with his self image which quickly turns unhealthy when he meets a girl who tells him her secrets: how to eat as little as possible, and how to hide this habit from others. Finally, getting through to him at last, anorexia exclaims. As quickly as this book moves, the narrator makes it easy to understand how this illness can take over your thoughts so thoroughly and dangerously. It's incredibly sad to understand how someone can lose themselves to such a treacherous disease. I also liked that it was a boy dealing with it, as society can make it sound like it's only girls who have critically distorted self-images.

This plot goes from point A to Point B to resolution in under 200 pages, thus it doesn't go very in-depth in regards to the emotional and physical consequences the disease evokes. It's more a quick foray into the life of someone who briefly succumbed to it. While it's not unrealistic, it doesn't bring us into the abyss that Mike is trapped in. I instead felt like I was simply reading a recap.

A Trick of the Light does raise an important message, now more than ever in this Photoshopped media world we're living in. It's a moving, uniquely told story about a highly destructive disorder. 

3 Hot Espressos

Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta

In the After
Demitria Lunetta

Series: In the After #1
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic
Publication date: June 25th 2013
by Harper Teen

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

-A copy was provided by HarperCollins for review-

A stronger first half than the second, but overall this is a highly entertaining post apocalyptic book! I mean: zombie aliens!

The world in In the After has just been attacked by an alien species who are terrifyingly similar to zombies. These creatures eat humans, they're dumb, and they're relentless (they keep trying to get at you no matter how painful it may be to them). It is a tad reminiscent of The 5th Wave, although that book philosophizes more on what it means to be human and the consequences of such an event on humanity as a whole, whereas In the After concentrates on the main characters' direct survival story. It's fascinating to see the adaptive capacity of human beings. This book is Amy and Baby's story, and a great example of why I love this genre. 

Amy was just a little girl when the aliens came. We're initially introduced to her 3 years after, so her complete story is told with the help of flashbacks during her early days when she was clueless - she finds it a miracle she even survived. What I found the most interesting in those sequences were her discoveries regarding the aliens - their ways and habits. They're quite the fascinating creatures. Amy's past is also where we meet Baby, the other main character of the story. Baby, a fantastic addition to the story, was only a toddler when Amy found her. This child stole my heart from the first time we saw her stuffing her face with fruit, somehow still alive. Surviving in this world depends on stealth. If you can be quiet and blend in your surroundings, you've got a chance, and baby astounded me by how intelligent she was. This could easily have been unrealistic - being the mother of a hyper toddler and all - but I grew to believe in her instincts, and you also get an inkling that she's not just an ordinary child. These two quickly form a bond like no other, a bond that I could feel in the deepest pits of my heart. There is nothing like the relationship between two people living a catastrophe, I think Lunetta did a fabulous job at making this the essence of the story. While this bond grows, so do Amy and Baby. We see them develop their own language, learn how to get by with bare essentials, and mature - especially Amy - into strong, capable, and intelligent survivors.

Halfway through, this book turns from apocalyptic to a dystopia when they're brought to a survivor camp that soon has Amy unsettled with the controlling way it's governed - forced gestation for one. This is when the book becomes a little less… everything; less exciting, less chilling (though we still have our moments), less characterization, and we lose the intimate relationship we had with two lone characters that has now grown to include a full blown cast. Fortunately the main characters were already well developed and my connection with them formed; it's the characters we meet in the compound that don't particularly stand out. I was reluctant to let them in my Amy/Baby niche. I also wasn't a fan of the boring romance that blooms. I mostly found it distracting, as if it was maybe added to the book due to the annoying belief that every book needs romance. We do learn some interesting details, however, about the creatures and the current world situation. So while this second half didn't take away what I liked about the book as a whole, it prevented it from a possible 5-star.

Perfect for fans of zombie and apocalyptic novels, In the After is an engaging read that surrounds with the fear of the unknown, leads us to the beginnings of a dystopia, and ends with the promise of a thrilling sequel.

4 Hot Espressos

Review: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

Born of Illusion
Teri Brown

Series: Born of Illusion #1
Genre: YA Historical-Paranormal
Publication date: June 11th 2013
by Balzer & Bray

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

-A copy was provided by HarperCollins for review-

Magicians, mediums, old school theatre entertainment, and a historical New York setting; I absolutely loved the atmosphere in every aspect of this novel!

Anna Van Housen, the opening act of her mother's magic show, is the real deal: she's a medium, she has visions of the future, and she can feel others' emotions. Plus, she's rumored to be Houdini's illegitimate daughter. With a premise like that, how can I not be intrigued? Plus, just look at this amazing cover! I was excited to finally sink my teeth into this one and it was definitely worth it. Not only is our protagonist a wonderfully compelling character with a great personality, the book is set in 1920's New York City which is utterly fantastic in and of itself. I've always loved a New York City setting, but historical NYC is just so chic and luxurious, I felt transported to a time where everything seems exotic. It was perfect for a story like this! 

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

For more on the characters, like I said, Teri created a great character in Anna; one who is ambitious with flaws and weaknesses that make her real and relatable. We see her transform from a girl unsure of her identity, into a confident young woman who believes in her potential. What I loved even more are the relationships she's fostered with the supporting characters. She and her mom have a peculiar bond that becomes the backbone of the novel. It's an intricate mother/daughter relationship with hidden meanings and emotions; you think her mother just wants the spotlight all to herself but it's much more than that. Another relationship to note is between Anna and her cranky neighbor, Mr. Darby. How Anna stubbornly befriends him despite his grumpiness made me like her even more. She's just the kind of girl who everyone adores. Mr. Darby also surprises by how fun of a character he is.

As for the boys in this book, there are two of them and I enjoyed them both for different reasons. One is sweet and obviously the love interest of choice, the other is mysterious with obvious secrets. I don't know if it's the 1920s setting, or the fact that a lot of it is her mother's doing, but I actually liked the triangle-esque romance. It's more about Anna deciding who is a better match for her. She doesn't fall in love with both; it eventually becomes clear which boy she's meant to be with, and which one will never be more than a friend. While triangles normally irritate me, this one was done with finesse and realism.

What surrounds almost every aspect of this book is mystery. Is Houdini really her father? What is Owen hiding? And there's the fact of Anna's terrifying recurring vision. Some of it is pretty predictable, some I didn't see coming - although I was made to suspect everyone eventually, -  one part even surprised me by having no concrete conclusion but leaving me satisfied nonetheless. It's safe to say that there is no time to become bored in this novel. From the busy plot to the vibrant atmosphere to the charismatic cast, Born of Illusion is wonderfully and endlessly entertaining!

4 Hot Espressos

Review: Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey

Ashes on the Waves
Mary Lindsey

Genre: YA Gothic
Publication date: June 27th 2013
by Philomel/Penguin

Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make awager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling poem, "Annabel Lee," Mary Lindsey creates a frighteningly beautiful gothic novel that glorifies the power of true love

-A copy was provided by Penguin Canada for review-

"He's cursed. He's human flesh worn by a demon."

A fantastically atmospheric Gothic novel, Ashes on the Waves is based on an eerie Edgar Allan Poe poem - which is really all you need to know, right?

In a way, this novel reminded me a little of Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz. It's set on a secluded island where people live in the old ways without much as far as laws and structure goes. There is also paranormal presence that makes the island unique, and a little chilling. Like in Teeth, you will need to go into this with an open mind as the novel is not considered a paranormal, but a Gothic story. Meaning the paranormal aspects are not examined in detail as far as their history or any kind of explanation behind them. They're merely a part of the story, and you just have to accept it.

Unexpected because of the cover, we get a male protagonist for this story. Crippled with the use of only one arm and said to have a demon possessing him, Liam is, for good reason, a lost, lonely soul on this island. Having not had much as far as friends or any social contact, he's inexperienced and a little naive. When Anna, his childhood crush, comes back to the island he's feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Ashes on the Waves is a love story through and through. It's romantic and powerful, unmistakably classic true love. Though can their love survive the meddling of the paranormal? I thought this premise was fantastically imagined and does a number on our hearts, but I did find the meddling - creatures trying to sever their love - could have been executed better. I was hoping for more elaborate schemes that would make my heart pound with hopeless fear that they wouldn't get through it, instead the plans were mostly done without us really knowing what they were until after the fact. As they progressed I started feeling irritated that they were grasping at straws and going through such lengths without (known to me) reason. I think if I had understood the creatures better it would have helped; the poem talks of envy, but I still feel I didn't have a strong grasp on them and their motives. As for Anna and Liam, I'm not sure why they didn't scrutinize (and suspect) Ronan much more as well, but I excuse some of it because of Liam's pure innocence. Regardless, I did find the love story hauntingly beautiful.

The atmosphere is what I loved the most about Ashes on the Waves. The secluded antiquated island is extremely vivid and especially creepy. I could feel the isolation and mystical aura the island was exerting. I could picture everything so very clearly as if I was the one walking the woods, hearing the cries of the Bean Sidhe shrieking in my ears. This is a place where residents get away with murder, burn their dead on pyres, and seek revenge in the most inhumane of ways. I got chills only thinking of what could be in store for Liam who's hated, even feared, by most of them. Unsurprisingly, there are some great mysteries to go along with the already creepy setting. First there's the creepiest of all - Mrs Ronan. This woman makes me want to cower in a corner and cry. She's terrifying! And she obviously has something up her sleeve with her strange going abouts. The second is the mystery of Liam himself. After his birth, his mother was found not only dead but torn apart as if Liam clawed himself out of her. Yikes!

Ashes in the Waves is for fans of tragic love stories. It's heart-wrenchingly unjust, but also beautiful in its cruel perfection.

4 Hot Espressos

Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To
Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing the Limits #2
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication date: May 28th 2013
by Harlequin Teen

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

-A copy was provided by Harlequin Teen for review-

After Pushing the Limits became one of my favorite reads of last year, I went into this one with a lot of enthusiasm and high expectations. I'm sad that I didn't en up loving it as much, but I still quite enjoyed it and am happy that I read it. I also can see why so many are enamored by it, if I had read it at another time I might have enjoyed it much more as well. As it stands I've been reading a string of similarly plotted books lately so my patience for certain elements of the book has been worn thin.

Unlike with Pushing the Limits, I had a difficult time with the characters and romance in this sequel. I liked the characters okay, and the chemistry is definitely not missing between them, but the back and forth, hot and cold romance they develop went on a little too long for me until I became utterly exhausted with it. Beth is dealing with a drunk mother who has an abusive boyfriend, making her somewhat of a bitter person who blocks everyone out. She has a hard time opening up to anybody, let alone letting anyone get close enough for her to fall in love. Consequently, she's not an easy character to like, but she's meant to be that way. We're meant to sympathize with her situation, which I did, and like how she grows out of it through the story (like expected), but this did not happen until after she had me wanting to rip my hair out. The problem was more with how she dealt with Ryan than anything else. Athletic superstar, popular, rich, and with a bright future ahead of him, Ryan is Beth's polar opposite. It's, at the same time, the allure and the downfall of the romance. Beth being so cautious makes it extremely difficult for Ryan to get her to let him in. At first this was a great kind of frustration. The kind where you yearn for them to finally open up to each other and become rocks to lean on, however this fails to happen for what felt like an extremely long time, I began to lose my eagerness and gain some irritation. My patience for Beth to finally get a clue that the whole world wasn't out to get her ran out and I simply wanted to slap her silly for trying to ruin every good thing she had. I get that she's had a very very hard life, her crappy attitude was just making it worse for herself which made it hard for me to connect with her more than on the surface. Perhaps her keeping everyone at arm's length worked TOO well :) I also can't fail to mention the constant referral to Ryan's looks. She must have described his gorgeous godliness over a dozen times in the book. We get it, he's sculpted perfection, let's move on, shall we?

No matter my complaints, the characters are still carved into real human beings. The character development doesn't miss its mark as Katie, again, creates realistic characters with hearts you can feel beating and breaking. Even though I was a little irritated, I still couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards both of them. Beth for her screwed up upbringing, and Ryan for the pressure he was brought up under. Another part of these books that I enjoy is how it's not JUST about the romance. Beth has to acclimate to a whole new life where she feels anything but welcome, while Ryan is looking at his family crumbling after his brother announced he was gay to a father who thinks the most important thing is perfect outward appearance.

As with any companion novel it's always fun to see old characters again. While I loved hearing from Echo and Noah in their brief cameos in this book, Isaiah stole my heart away. I love his character and my heart broke for him in more ways than one. His character has just as much soul and presence, getting his story line ready for the next book. The 3rd installment of this series will be his story, and I absolutely cannot wait for it as I have a very big feeling it will be my absolute favorite. I just hope he gets his happy ending or I may be found in a puddle of my own tears.

Dare You To may not have been as good to me as I had hoped, but I still found myself flipping the pages eagerly, waiting and hoping these two will finally give in to each other completely. The love and chemistry they share make all the hurt and frustration worth it.

3 Hot Espressos

Find my review of Pushing the Limits, here!

Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Confessions of an Angry Girl
Louise Rozett

Series: Confessions #1
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication date: August 28th 2012
by Harlequin Teen

Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…

1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)

-A copy was provided by Harlequin Teen for review-

If it wasn't for my friends' recommendations I don't think I would have read this book. The synopsis makes it sound like it involves an annoying, bratty main character who whines and complains about stupid high school stuff. Lucky for them, my friends didn't fail me and I found myself really enjoying it. The protagonist, Rose, is a little younger than I usually like my MCs - at only 14 and starting high school - but in a way it brought me back to how jarring it can be to go from one grade to the next where, suddenly, the rules are different, boyfriends and sex seem to be constant hot topics, and popularity seems to be what counts.

Rose is someone I think a lot of people could relate to. For many, starting high school was not an easy - or a welcome - change. Rose is the awkward, confused girl who's feeling like a clueless kid when all her friends seem to be miles ahead of her. On top of everything, she is also dealing with the recent death of her father. Her character could be fairly judgmental at times, even a little prudish, and while she's simply overwhelmed and confused, having been jarred by the sudden changes in her life, I can't say I particularly liked her from the start. Still, I found myself sympathizing with her for how she was made to feel so alone. I also admired her for sticking to what she believed in, and doing the right thing knowing the dire consequences it would bring. It's not everyone who can stay so true to themselves in high school with all the pressures it entails. Most of the book is Rose trying to find where she fits in this big world she was thrown in. Her not fitting in anymore has made her angry, and you could clearly feel her confusion throughout.

I'm not sure how I feel about the romance in the book. Jamie confused me as much as he did her. He has a girlfriend, or so it seems, yet he keeps running to Rose. Then when Rose gets in trouble with this girlfriend he does nothing to defend her. It irritated me in a way that I didn't find him worthy of Rose at all. It's hard to discern what about him had Rose so charmed. I was actually rooting for her friend Robert who is incredibly sweet and obviously in love with her, but for some reason she doesn't feel the same. The novel doesn't dwell on the romance completely, though; the plot keeps its focus on Rose figuring herself out.

Topics in this book range from bullying, to death, to friendship, and family. Her father's passing gives this story quite a bit of emotional depth - more than I was expecting in this type of book. I could easily feel Rose's grief overshadowing her. How her family is dealing with the pain is realistic as well as disheartening, having yet to heal from this sudden gaping hole in their lives. This, along with everything else that is happening at school, forced Rose to grow up. And she does. At the end of the book I found she was a much more determined and confident girl, showing some great character growth. One result of this growth made me especially satisfied at the end, and I can't wait to see its delightful unraveling in the sequel. *evil laugh*

Filled with sarcasm and loud opinions, Confession of an Angry Girl is perfect for when you're looking for your next high-school drama with a lot of heart.

4 Hot Espressos