Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)

by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

There were no surprises in GatlinCounty.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My Review:

This book is great, though a little slow for most of it. It wasn't dreadfully dull, but it was no thriller - great for when you don't have a huge list of books to be read and you're bored. Don't get me wrong with all this talk of how slow it was, I really did enjoy it and think that these two authors have a bright career ahead of them in writing, I just couldn't get into it for a little while.

The end, however, was really exciting, but I was a little disappointed by the ending. It wasn't exactly a cliff hanger, but it did make me shout "WHAT?!" in the middle of my class ... :) , so it caused a bit of a reaction from me and earned my disapproval ;) .

Its written from a male's perspective which I thought was a nice change from all of the other teen books out there, maybe this will be a hit with guys as well as girls .... I found the characters to be realistic, though they seemed to leave most of the physical appearance to the reader's imagination.

The setting is in Gatlin, a small town in the middle of nowhere. Nothing really changes there and everything is predictable and boring. Ethan Wate (the main character) is desperate to leave the town that seems as if its suffocating him, until Lena Duchanes, Old man Ravenwood's niece, moves to town and throws him into a different Gatlin (not literally), a Gatlin where there are magical beings and creepy books that burn mortals when they try to touch them and cursed lockets that transport you to a different time through visions. Suddenly Gatlin doesn't seem so boring and predictable.

Basically, its an awesome book and i love it, but it can be a little slow at times. I really enjoyed the magical vibe it gave off and the thought that there are Casters and other magic creatures out there just waiting to be discovered. I'm not sure if I'll read it again though. The male perspective was nice, but at times reaching (he seemed more feminine than a guy's brain should be, but I wouldn't really know since I've never been in a guy's head). I liked the characters and how they brought out my emotions (I got P.O.ed at Emily and Mrs. Lincoln ;) and sad at the end when ... stuff happened), they seemed pretty real to me. It was a good story, I enjoyed reading it and I recommend that you read it too. :)

My Rating of This Book:

Profanity: Mild (like, one swear word, if that)

Sexuality: Mild (Some kissing)

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Violence: Mild

Gimme A Call

Gimme A Call

By: Sarah Mlynowski

Book received from RandomBuzzers.com

Synopsis (From Goodreads):  A new life is just a phone call away!

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left. 

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago! 

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self? 

Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious new novel with a high-concept premise.

Julie's Review:

To be honest, this book had a rough start for me. The first few pages felt quite heavy with play-by-play description of actions and the writing was just a little clunky. The dialogue also seemed to be trying too hard to sound like teenagers. I prepared myself for a read that would be manageable and just okay. Much  to my surprise, after the first 10 pages or so, I was sucked into a premise so delightful and full of opportunity for 'newness' that I didn't even notice when the writing became smooth because I was so enjoying the story of Devi and her froshie self.

The concept could easily have gone wrong but Mlynowski did a great job of keeping it fresh and reliably  connected. Devi is able to call her freshman self and get her to change all of the things Devi thinks she's done wrong over the years. Devi is careful not to give too much away because she doesn't want the butterfly effect to kick in, but she wants to use this opportunity to change her own life and that of her friends. Mlynowski was very clear in explaining the rules of the situation and the effects of freshman Devi's actions in Senior Devi's life. She also gives the characters realistic reactions to the situation and time to adjust. (One thing I despise is when characters too easily believe that some new, previously impossible thing is now perfectly normal!) There are some interesting scenarios where, of course, young Devi's actions don't have the intended effects. Also, senior Devi sometimes chooses to lie to her younger self, thinking she knows better. But what happens when your younger self refuses to listen to you and is tired of taking your directions?

Mlynowski refrained from going over the top with morals and lessons about choosing your path and finding what is most important, etc., but still managed to give readers some food for thought. I wouldn't say that this book was one of my recent favorites, but with it's high-concept plot, interesting characters, and cleverly written back-and-forth between freshman and senior Devi, this book is definitely a fun and enjoyable read

Julie's Rating:

Profanity: Mild

Sexuality: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Violence: None

Book-a-likes:

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Sarah's Website

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus: Review

Shadow Hills

By: Anastasia Hopcus

ARC received from EgmontUSA

Synopsis (From Goodreads):  
His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her.

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

My Review:  When I first read the synopsis of the book, I thought, "Oh great, ANOTHER paranormal romance." Is anyone getting a little burned out by this recent trend? Anyway, I am happy to report that there are no vampires, werewolves, or faeries in this story. Everyone is human.

The setting of this book was really beautifully done. Private school, creepy graveyards and mysterious secrets all made for a very good beginning. Time after time I was so happy to read that Persephone was just so normal. She studies, has friends that are girls, likes to listen to music, and is a generally likable person.  Actually, from what I've read and seen of Anastasia Hopcus, she and Phe are very much alike.  Anastasia, if you're reading this, would you agree?

Speaking of characters I liked, I was really surprised by how much I liked Adrianne, the preppy, spoiled rich girl. I was so impressed that Anastasia Hopcus was able to write a character that is so fundamentally unlikable and really make her likable. Did that make any sense? Adrianne is a character that walks a thin line of being loyal while still looking out for her own interests. Surprisingly complex for such an on-the-surface shallow character.

Unfortunately, I didn't like Zach. He was really one-dimensional and really didn't hold me interest. I think part of the problem was one of the first things he says to Phe is how dangerous he is and she should stay away. Lines like that make my eyes roll into the back of my head. But, as it turns out, he really isn't dangerous at all. He's really quite nice. On the other hand, Trent, his cousin, is a total jerk and every one should stay far away from him.  In fact, a few times as I was reading I thought, "Gee, harassment much?" Phe needed to go to a teacher or counselor and talk about the way Trent was treating her.

The next part of this review is semi-spoilerish.

One other thing that bothered me a little was that the main question of the book wasn't answered.  We never do find out why she is drawn to Shadow Hills and what was behind the mysterious death of her sister. I understand there is going to be a sequel to this book, so it wasn't a huge deal. But, I would have liked to at least see some of the questions answered before starting up a whole round of new ones.

Anastasia Hopcus is a promising debut author. I will definitely pick up the next book in this series.

My Rating:
 

Profanity: Moderate

Sexuality: Moderate

Alcohol and Drugs: Moderate

Violence: Mild

Book-a-likes:

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Want to win an ARC of Shadow Hills? Enter at Emily's Reading Room!

I am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

I had the pleasure of meeting Dan Wells. Know this: He is not scary. He is not a serial killer. He is a great guy...albeit with telekinetic book-signing abilities. (More about that at the end of the post...)


First Sentence: Mrs. Anderson was Dead.


A Favorite Passage: The dark thoughts were still there, underneath, but my actions stayed clean. In other words, I was really good at pretending to be normal. If you met me on the street, you'd never guess how much I wanted to kill you.


A Brief Summary: Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means. 
Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love...if only he could.


What I Liked About This Book: I liked John Wayne Cleaver, the main character. A lot. He is brutally honest about who he is - and he knows himself well. Going into this book I thought it was pure contemporary, and when an element of "otherness" was mentioned I was not pleased. (Hang on - this turns into a thing I like!) When the, um, "other" element manifested itself, it was done so masterfully that I was literally rocked off my socks - and loving it! I also like that John's "disability" became the exact ability he needed to attempt to save his small town. And the ending - very touching!


What I Didn't Like About This Book: There was a lot of exposition (with a couple of dead bodies thrown in - nice!) for a pretty hefty chunk of the beginning of the book. The action didn't really start until page 98; the first major (and I mean major) plot twist happened two pages after that. For me, this was the "tipping point" - when I could not stop reading until I got to the end. But it would have been nice if some action had come sooner. Also there was a "major" plot twist that I figured out early on...and it bugged me that as smart as John Wayne Cleaver is, it took him forever to figure out.


Book-Alikes: Instead of comparing this to books (which will give too much of the plot away) I'm going to do an Author-Alike: J.D. Sallinger meets Stephen King


My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars


Profanity: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Sexuality: None
Violence: Oh Yeah! Not for the faint at heart.


About the telekinetic signing abilities. When I met Dan at a conference he was signing books - but I had bought his book the day before and left it home. When I told him, he said not to worry - he would sign it telekinetically. He closed his eyes, put fingers to brow, concentrated hard, then looked right into my eyes and assured me it was signed. When I got home, guess what? His signature was on the title page.


~Suzette~

P.S. This book was read as part of the 2010 Debut Author Challenge.

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

Storm Glass

by: Maria V. Snyder

Synopsis (from mariavsnyder.com) STORM GLASS (GLASS BOOK 1)
As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it’s time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan’s glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal’s unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she never knew she possessed... powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she’s ever known.

My Review:

First, let me say that it was Emily who first turned me to Maria Snyder. It was her review of Poison Study (a most excellent book) that led me to check out from the library it's sequel, Magic Study, and put on hold the third book in the Yelena series, Fire Study.

While I waited for the third of that series to become available, I also checked out both Storm Glass and its sequel, Sea Glass. These both feature Opal Cowen, a character we meet in the second of the Study series, and take place 5 years after the end of that series. While it's not necessary to have read the Study series first since Snyder does a good job of reviewing important information, it might be handy to read them first so that you don't get any spoilers.

One of the things that I love about Snyder's books is that she does a great job of creating realistic characters with a depth and complexity of emotions. Unlike fierce and determined Yelena, Opal Cowen is a young magician with some serious self-confidence issues. She's never totally sure of her abilities and doesn't put herself forth as a powerful person. She's certainly not a pushover, though. I don't think I could like a character like that. Opal's growth through the story is believable and interesting, and her sense of ironic humor adds a little sparkle to the narration.

Another thing that is wonderful about the book is the relationship between the characters, particularly Opal and the two men in her life, Ulrick and Kade. As you read in the synopsis, Kade is mysterious and 'mercurial'. As a Stormdancer with his share of tragedy in his past, he keeps himself distant and pushes himself away from Opal without seeming like, let's face it, just another emo hero that our YA heroine's keep falling for. As readers, we know we like him, but he isn't really available. Ulrick, however, is a fiercely protective and loyal friend who is willing to take it slow. It's fun to watch the development of these relationships and I loved that the book didn't have a totally straightforward romantic plot and that it wasn't all about 'does he like me or doesn't he?'.

Dialogue is also something Snyder does well in this book. Opal engages in some witty and playful banter that I imagine must have been fun for Snyder to write. And although there is a lot of travel back and forth between locations, the book doesn't seem like a travelogue, which is something that has bothered me with a few books I've read recently.

About the only thing I can think of that I didn't really like in the book is that Opal occasionally gets a little mopish, and I wish I could slap some sense into her, but I think that's the way good books are. You have to feel like the characters are real people, insecurities and all, and love the people anyway. And I most certainly do. I've gorged on 4 Snyder novels in the last two weeks and I'm having some serious adventure withdrawals waiting for the third in the series to be released.

Also, remember that this is not categorized as YA fiction. There is a fair amount of violence, although it is not necessarily gruesome, and there are allusions to some pretty tough things that characters have undergone in their pasts. Danger in the book is real, as are the consequences of being a female in some tough situations, but nothing of this sort is written in a graphic or descriptive manner.

My Rating:

4 Stars

Profanity: None
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Sexuality: Moderate
Violence: Moderate (no gore)

Related Links:

Storm Glass Trailer

Snyder's Website

The Body Finder By: Kimberly Derting

The Body Finder

By: Kimberly Derting

Synopsis (From Goodreads):

"A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him."

My Review:
I can't even tell you how excited I was to get a finished copy in my mailbox from HarperTeen. I did a happy dance all over my living room. I read the first few chapters on HarperTeen's website and I was hooked. 

Kimberly Derting did a lot of things right with this novel. It was engaging, suspenseful, and just a tad creepy.  I liked that Violet didn't have this secret that she was trying to cover up, like in other paranormal novels.  Her family knew about her ability, and so did her friend, Jay.  They were all there to support her and help her as she learned what she was supposed to do with her ability. Just like a normal family would act. Or at least I like to think so.

I especially loved reading from the point of view of the serial killer. It added a very interesting flavor to the book and certainly added to the suspense. I think for the most part Kimberly nailed the psyche of a killer. It was very believable. My only complaint is that I wanted to see more of his thoughts. I know, I must be really weird or morbid or something, but sometimes I thought the book went too long without checking in with the killer.

There were so many awesome and wonderfully crafted passages in this book. I wanted to share one of my favorites:

She reached in again, this time not to dig, but to sweep away the thin layer of dirt to get a better view of what lay beneath.  She had captured her father's interest, and he leaned over her, looking into the shallow hole.

Violet worked like an archeologist, carefully sifting and brushing across the top of her discovery, so as to not disturb what might be buried there.

She heard her father gasp at the same time she recognized what she had uncovered.  She felt his strong hands reaching for her from behind, pulling her firmly by the shoulders away from the fresh dirt and gathering her into his strong, safe arms... away from the sound that was calling to her...

And away from the girl's face staring up at her from beneath the soil.

Now, about Jay and Violet's relationship. Some aspects of it I could really sympathize with. One of my most significant crushes of high school was on my best friend. We liked each other on and off for most of high school, but couldn't ever quite connect and gave it up... Anyway, while the does-he-like-me-like-I-like-him was believable, it did get a little old. I found myself wanting a lot more of the suspense and drama of the murder and less of the suspense of who Violet was going to go to homecoming with.  And, I was really bothered by Violet and Jay using other people to make each other jealous. Even though the people they were using were not the nicest of people. Still, it seemed a little sleazy to me.

Also, I felt like there was a surprising amount of profanity in the book. Generally, I just overlook it, and it doesn't bother me. For the most part I was able to do that with this book, but there were a few times where it really interrupted the flow of the story for me and it would have seemed more natural just to leave it out.

This was a fantastic book. I saw on Goodreads that there is going to be a sequel. I'm definitely going to pick it up. I think there is a lot more than can be done with this story, and I'm anxious to see where Kimberly takes it.

Book-A-Likes: The Mark by Jen Nadol, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

My Rating:

 4 Stars!

Profanity: Moderate
Drugs and Alcohol: Moderate
Sexuality: Moderate
Violence: Moderate

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