Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Summary:

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
--from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game.

Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind.

Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it. (from GoodReads)

Review:

Oh, Nevemore. What are we going to do with you? You started off so strong but then something happened and I didn't enjoy you as much as I thought - and hoped - I would. Kelly Creagh has an excellent premise but her plotting and writing could be a little tighter, which was my main problem with the book.

I haven't read too much Edgar Allan Poe, but I love horror and thrillers so his work is right up my alley. And I love when contemporary books pay homage to other classic works - it's kind of like a a neat literature lesson right in your favorite novel. So Nevermore seemed like it would be the perfect blend of fantasy, literature, romance, and horror. The novel also serves to answer the question of Poe's death, which is somewhat mysterious as he was found lying unconscious in a gutter.

Like I said before, Nevermore starts off strong. The reader is introduced to Isobel, who besides being blonde, popular, and a cheerleader, is also a pretty nice and brave person. Once Isobel starts to get to know Varen, she drops her friends right away when they start bullying him. I thought that was a very nice gesture and Isobel is clearly a person who knows right from wrong. Slowly throughout the story weird things start happening, which Isobel writes off as her imagination. But soon she discovers that Varen has a part in all this, and things start getting really creepy.

I liked Nevermore for most the book. Honestly, though, it was a slow-moving novel with a lot more exposition than needed. But once I got to the 400 page mark, I couldn't believe that I still had almost 150 more pages to go. Yes, that is when the book got exciting, but it was entirely too long. By that point, I was so bored that I didn't care about all the excitement at the end. Nevemore could have probably been shorted by a good 100 pages or more. Hopefully in the sequel Creagh will have tightened her writing and edited a bit more so it isn't as long.

That being said, I loved the originality of Poe and Isobel as a character. Though I didn't really see the romance between her and Varen, hopefully that will be furthered developed in the next novel. If you don't mind really long books, I would recommend this to fans of Poe's work and paranormal novels in general.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

FTC: Ebook on Pulse It.

2010/Atheneum/543 pages.

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Summary:

Ari Mitchell feels she is extraordinarily average - especially in comparison to her beautiful friend Summer who attends a prestigious private school in Manhattan. But when Ari receives an unexpected inheritance that allows her to attend Hollister Prep, it gives her hope that she will someday get into Parsons School of Design and become an artist. While at Hollister, Ari becomes friends with Leigh, who introduces her to her cousin Blake. Blake is older, attractive and wealthy - and Ari has never had a boyfriend before. Soon enough, Ari and Blake's relationship becomes serious. But when tragedy befalls Blake's family and he becomes distant, Ari has to deal with the subsequent break-up and the hard feelings that come after losing your first love.

Review:
I really enjoyed Other Words For Love. I loved that it was an historical novel in that in took place in 1985, however, it just seemed like a simpler twenty-first century. Everything was pretty much the same as now, except there were no computers, cell phones or iPods. It made the love story simpler in that there wasn't facebook or text messages complicating everything. It was also fun reading about a time period that I missed living in by only a few years.

Besides the setting, the characters in Other Words for Love were really strong. From Ari to her parents to her sister to Blake, everyone is well-developed and dynamic. Ari is the responsible one, the daughter who will get a good education and have a career before she gets caught up in boy drama, unlike her sister Evelyn who was pregnant when she was seventeen. But when Ari meets and falls in love with Blake, everything changes. Even though Ari's life starts going downhill towards the end of the novel, she still manages to fix everything in the end. Ari is at a low point which is sad to see, but watching her eventually bounce back and turn herself around was really rewarding. Even though she has experienced heartbreak, Ari is able to go on with her life and hopefully become a successful artist.

I also loved reading the romance between Ari and Blake because they seemed like a real couple. Blake was a pretty nice guy until the end, where I think he just got caught up in his own family drama. You could tell he meant well, so he wasn't a total creep, but still hurt Ari pretty badly. I thought that Rosenthal did a great job of writing all of the feelings that come along with love: excitement, elation, sadness, longing. She really has a great voice and was able to capture Ari's emotions really well.

Overall, Other Words for Love was a very well-written and sincere love story that girls of all ages will enjoy.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

FTC: reviewed for Flamingnet.

2011/ Delacorte Press/368 pages.

Waiting on Wednesday - 22

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine for bloggers to get excited about upcoming books.

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Ryan dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss. The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Ryan, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think... (from GoodReads)

I love contemporary fiction and haven't been reading a lot of it lately. This story seems simple yet I hope it turns out to be really good! Look for it on July 12, 2011.

College Courses on Young Adult Literature

So I was looking through the course catalog for the university that I attend and I saw that my school offers a course in Young Adult Literature. I thought this was so cool, so I've decided to share with you the course description:

"A critical study of literature, including nonprint media, for young adults, focusing on helping prospective teachers develop familarity with young adult literature and how it may be used in the middle school and high school classroom, stressing gender roles and multi-cultural issues."

And for anyone who's curious, there are three prerequisites to taking this course: Conventions of Reading and Writing; Histories and Texts; and Theory, Meaning and Value.

I would love to take this course, but even if I stay in the English program I have no idea if I will even be able to take the prerequisites, let alone the actual course. But I just thought it was awesome that my school offered a course on something that I read everyday. Do any of your schools offer similar classes?

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Summary:

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia knows her role in life. But everything changes when she learns, just after her sixteenth birthday, that is a false princess - a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city, her best friend Kiernan, and the only life she's ever known.

While struggling with her new peasant life, Sinda discovers that magic runs in her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control. Returning to the city to seek answers, she instead uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history forever.

A perfectly plotted and completely satisfying palace fantasy, The False Princess is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale, and Catherine Murdock. (from back cover)

Review:

I really enjoyed The False Princess. Like the summary states, if you've ever read anything by Shannon Hale than you will see that this book is very similar to her fantasy novels, in a good way. These novels aren't usually my cup of tea, but The False Princess was well-written, with a fast plot and likable characters.

I loved that The False Princess took place in a royal court. And this isn't just any royal court. It is one set in the early 12th century and there's magic, too, which is pretty awesome. The setting is perfect for intrigue and scandal to abound. And that it did. In the book, Nalia finds out just after she turns sixteen that she is only a stand-in for the real princess and is subsequently sent from the castle. It seems as though the novel should end here, but Nalia (or Sinda, as she becomes) learns that she is magical and returns to the city to learn how to control her magic. While there, she learns a deep dark secret that is the main plot twist of The False Princess.

The plot is well-done and moves quickly, not leaving a dull moment for the reader. I was surprised at the twist because I was not expecting it, but once you discover it, everything pretty much falls into place after that. The characters, especially Sinda and Kiernan were fleshed-out and developed, even though Sinda's extreme klutziness was starting to grate on me (I'm sorry but no one is that clumsy in real life, Sinda and Bella). Kiernan was also a great character as he's obviously the love interest, but he is also very sweet and a prankster as well. Speaking of characters, I loved Philantha, the wizard that takes Sinda in. She was a little eccentric but an interesting person, nonetheless.

Overall, I really enjoyed The False Princess. It wasn't the best novel I've ever read, but definitely a commendable debut for Eilis O'Neal. Once again, if you like palace fantasies, you should make sure to check this out.

Release Date: January 25, 2011

Rating: 8 out of 10.

FTC: ARC provided by publisher.

2011/Egmont USA/336 pages.

Drought by Pam Bachorz

Summary:

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.

So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known? (from GoodReads)

Review:

I wanted to love Drought, I really did. I thought that it was extremely interesting and I was able to get sucked into the story. But the world-building was a bit confusing and not as seamless as I would have liked, which prevented me from absolutely loving the story.

Let's start with the good: Pam Bachorz has created a very engaging world. It's a world that takes place in our time, but it is the world of a small cult in New England. The members of the cult, called Congregants, are forced to collect sacred water in the forest for hours on end every day, with little food and less freedom. They are under the thumb of the evil Darwin West and his Overseers who keep everyone in line. But what everyone doesn't know is that the water isn't actually sacred, it's Ruby's blood that she adds to it that has incredible healing powers and grants eternal life to its drinkers. This blood has allowed the Congregants to live for over 200 years while they wait for their messiah, Otto, to return. I thought this whole aspect was very interesting, even though it wasn't that well explained. I also loved the relationship between Ruby and Ford. I was surprised that he was the first Overseer with a heart, but he geniunely cared about Ruby and wanted to help her to escape her terrible life.

And now the bad: as I said before, I thought the world-building was a little weak. In the beginning, I was so confused. I wasn't sure why the Congregants had to walk around in the forest collecting drops of water with spoons and cups and I wasn't sure if they had actually been living for 200 years. I also didn't understand any of the character motivations. The people could have risen up and attacked Darwin and the Overseers at any point in their 200 year enslavement but no one does because they are awaiting the return of Otto. Their blind faith seemed to me almost ridiculous, since they were waiting in extremely unhumane conditions. Ruby's mother and the Elders are almost comical in their heartlessness; once you read the book you will see what I mean.

Besides the less than stellar world-building, I still enjoyed Drought and was pulled into the story. I liked Ruby, even though she could be annoying, and she seemed to be a more level-headed character. I liked the book, but I would be warn readers that you might be confused in the beginning.

Release Date: January 25, 2011

Rating: 8 out of 10.

FTC: ARC from publisher.

2011/Egmont USA/400 pages.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Summary:
The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the bright young things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star...

Cordelia is seraching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined - and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for... and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blinding stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall - together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age. (from book jacket)

Review:
I loved The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen (though I still haven't read the last book, Splendor) so when I heard that she wrote another book set in the 1920s, I really wanted to read it. I love the Twenties and books that take place in that loose and frivolous era (especially The Great Gatsby). Bright Young Things follows three girls, Cordelia, Letty, and Astrid, and their experiences living in New York City at the end of the Twenties. I would love to live in this time period but the whole Great Depression happening right after kind of puts a damper on everything.

Anna Godbersen is a good writer in that she is really detailed and her facts seem historically accurate. Her writing is what I would call luxurious: kind of slow and silky so it makes you feel like you are living in New York City with the Cordelia, Astrid and Letty. However, since it is so slow, it sometimes translates to the story and plot. A lot happens in Bright Young Things, but it happens pretty slowly. If you are looking for something fast and exciting, this is probaby not the book for you.

Also, the fact that the novel is written in third person really distances the reader from the characters. While I liked them all, I didn't actually feel a connection with any of the girls. While, these things prevented me from loving Bright Young Things, I still enjoyed reading it a lot and would definitely read the sequel when it is published.

I liked the references to The Great Gatsby. Cordelia's father, Darius Grey, is a bootlegger and is known for his wild parties just like Jay Gatsby. They were actually pretty similar characters but I can't go into detail because it's spoilery.

So all in all, I loved the setting of Bright Young Things and the storyline in general, though the slow-moving plot and distant characterizations prevented me from loving it. If you enjoyed Godbersen's other series, I would definitely recommend this.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2010/Harper Teen/389 pages.