Review of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary per Amazon:

Some race to win. Others race to survive. It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Review:

I know that it's been awhile since I've blogged, but I felt called to review this book. I loved the Shiver Trilogy as you all know, but The Scorpio Races just solidified Maggie Stiefvater as one of my top five favorite authors. This book was unlike anything that I have ever read before; it was imaginative, fanciful, believable, violent, and romantic all at once. Like with Shiver, Stiefvater does a wonderful job of creating distinctive voices for her narrators and makes the alternating narration work for the story. The characters were well rounded and Puck's character is a testament to how well the author balances tenderness and harshness in the story. Similarly, Sean's Kendrick's character is handsome and brooding, but with an intelligence that is well-crafted and serves to elevate him beyond the status of pretty boy. What's more, the water horses themselves become characters that we as readers grow to know and to love just as Sean and Puck do.

The Scorpio Races offers a glimpse into a world that is at once grounded in reality and human emotion while still being magical. If this novel is a hint of things to come, I will certainly be keeping my eye on Maggie Stiefvater. Who knows, maybe she just wrote Robert Pattinson's next role!

Rating:

Review of Divergent by Veronica Roth

Summary as Per Amazon:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Review:

Let me say that I loved this book! Divergent was not simply a retelling of the wildly popular The Hunger Games nor was it another cookie cutter dystopian; this was a story unique unto itself. Roth does an amazing job of bringing each of the factions to life and building the neccessary background without overwhelming or boring the reader. Instead, Roth gives the reader page after page of beautiful writing and heart stopping action. For those of you familiar with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Graceling by Kristin Cashore, you'll understand when I say that Tris ranks up there with Katniss and Katsa. Tris is truly an intelligent, thoughtful, caring, and strong femalcharacter whose actions show a wonderful balance between bravery and vulnerabililty. And if the action in this one doesn't leave you breathless, the romance most certainly will as Tris's relationship with the steamy and mysterious Four unfolds. All in all, this is a not-to-be-missed debut from an author to be watched! Congratulations Miss Roth on a remarkable read.

Grade:

Review of Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Summary Per Amazon:
Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams. As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Review:

While I'm always a fan of paranormal romance as opposed to the regular old romance novel, I found myself having a really hard time getting into this particular book. With such beautiful cover art gracing the front of the book, I wanted to love it, but just couldn't. Theia is a nice character, especially with her English roots and her love of books, and I especially love that Ms. Hayes takes jabs at Twilight and the general genre in which she is writing, but the storyline didn't really come together for me until almost 3/4 of the way through. Yet, I have to be honest and say that I was willing to stick with it and I'm hoping for better things from the coming sequel.

Grade: B-

Review of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary Per Amazon:
Forever is a fitting finale to the lovely Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater (after last year's Linger). This time, the stakes are higher than ever: while Isabel’s father plots to wipe out the wolves once and for all, Sam and Isabel search for ways to save the pack, and Cole races to find a cure for Grace. But the real centerpiece of the series is the romance--between Sam and Grace, of course, and between Cole and Isabel--and Stiefvater’s luminous, poignant writing does not disappoint. Sam and Grace steal breathtakingly sweet moments together between Grace’s unpredictable transformations, and Cole and Isabel struggle to melt each others’ icy exteriors. Readers will melt, too, and find a satisfying, but not too-perfect, ending to this bestselling saga.

Review:

As always, Maggie Stiefvater's writing is lovely and just a bit lyrical, the perfect complement to the beautiful characters and story that she has developed throughout the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. In Forever, Grace and Sam are once again torn apart, this time by the wolf inside Grace, yet each finds a way to fight back against fate and to accept the wounded and torn parts of themselves and each other, strengthening their devotion to one another. And Isabel, with her ferocious wit and biting sarcasm, even manages to a few moments of actual feelings. Cole St. Clair also takes a prominent place in this story and actually became one of my favorites, with a tender heart masked by bad-boy swagger. Stiefvater manages to wrap the story up in a way that seems realistic and happy all at once, leaving the reader with the feeling that there is always hope and that true love does indeed triumph! Thanks, Ms. Stiefvater for a great read... and just so you know, I'm eagerly awaiting the Scorpio Races, so if you have any ARC's laying around, feel free to send one my way!

Grade: A+

Review of Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Summary Per Amazon:
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Review:

Myra McEntire has managed to take the concept of time travel, and all the scientic mumbo jumbo that goes along with it and transform it into a fascinating and fast paced read that left me wishing the sequel to this book was coming out a lot sooner than it actually is. Emerson is a very believeable character who has experienced tragic loss and terrible mental and emotional anguish which as understandably left her scarred, angry, and untrusting. Yet, Emerson is no shrinking violet, instead she is a kick-butt female who would just as soon roundhouse kick you into tomorrow as kiss you. This is no damsel in distress, but rather a smart, funny, and self-reliant young woman. And it is nice to see that she does have some solid adult caregivers who truly love her and watch out for her; these are "parents" who pay attention, people! The romance between Michael and Emerson is plausible and certainly not one-sided. And what's more, Emerson and Michael are surrounded by a cast of hotter than hot male and female sidekicks who don't steal the show, but add to the overall atmosphere of the novel. This book has one other thing going for it in my point of view... it reads like a teen version of The Time Traveler's Wife, and that's a good thing! So, ladies and gentlemen, keep this one until you're hungry, because you'll devour it!

Grade: A

Review of Die for Me by Amy Plum

Summary Per Amazon:
In the city of lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for all eternity. When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--- and memories--- behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent. Mysterious, charming, and devestatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant-- an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against an evil group of revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Review:
Could zombies be replacing vampires as the newest undead "it thing?" If Amy Plum's debut, Die for Me, is any indication, this teen librarian says that it is a almost certain. Edward and Bella have held our hearts for a long time, but Plum may have hit on something new with her Kate and Vincent. Like Twilight, there was a lot that I loved about this book. For instance, Kate and her sister have a typical, true-to-life sibling relationship filled with fights, drama, and that deep-down love that always overcomes sibling rivalry. What's more, Kate's grandparents are the ultimate guardians, trusting, open, and loving with Kate. Plum's writing is beautiful and she does a fantastic job of drawing a picture of the Parisian background that the story is set against. The setting and culture of France add a whole new level of gothic romance to the picture.

However, I do have to say that the story was a little quick for my taste. The romance was instantaneous, without that slow, tense buildup that makes so many great love stories worth the wait. Also, at times, Kate came off a little whiny and a little too "in her head." And Georgia, Kate's sister, was a just a tad too much of a party girl. Yet, everything combined, the story works to leave you wanting more, so I'll be awaiting number two in this new series. And, I hope that you will, too.

Grade: A-

Review of What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Summary Per Amazon:

After a scandal involving her mother and a famous college basketball coach rocked her family and her old hometown, McClean decided to live with her dad. His job as a restaurant consultant requires they pick up often, and at each new place she carefully selects who she’ll be—Eliza, Beth, or someone else with a new name and different interests. It’s easier this way for McClean, who is reluctant to form any true attachments. Then at their latest stop, McClean does something she’s not done in a long while—reveal her real name. But who is this McClean and is she ready to forgive her mother, fall for the boy next door, and finally stick around?

Review:

I'm a perennial fan of Sarah Dessen's work, and this novel did not disappoint. McClean's story, as always, is smartly done by Dessen, revealing a magnetic world that the reader wants to inhabit right along with the characters. The language of the novel is clean and sharp with pacing that moves the reader along while giving just the right amount of detail to help the reader feel as if he/she know McClean, Dave, and the rest in real life and not just on the page. The characters, especially McClean, are all well-rounded, with their strengths and weaknesses out there for everyone to see. The plot wraps up nicely as well, leaving the typical warmth that comes from reading one of Dessen's novels. All in all, it is another powerful story from Sarah Dessen about life, love, friendship, identity, and starting over. Oh, and it was really nice to see a few familiar faces from Along for the Ride (a personal favorite) pop up as well. Bravo, Ms. Dessen, on a flawless performance!

Grade: A+