Review: Only Ever Always by Penni Russon

     

Only Ever Always by Penni Russon
______________________________

Pages: 180
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: August 2011
IBSN: 9781741750447

Claire lives in an ordinary world where she is broken with grief. The silvery notes of her music box allow her to escape into the dream-world of Clara. In Clara’s world, powerful people are pulling the strings. She finds broken things to swap at the markets and walks treacherous routes. Claire’s and Clara’s paths are set to collide but which world is real?
 

Claire and Clara are one and the same, but of two very different worlds. Dire circumstances and eerie parallel music boxes will lead them to the other, but there's no balance to be found with them where they don't belong. Eventually, the question becomes, which is the dream and which is the dreamer? How much is real?

A lesser question: how little justice will I do this magical book?

Only Ever Always has the atmosphere of a fairy tale -- not the Disney kind, but of the original you find out years later to be vastly different. It was eerie and vivid and oddly hypnotic, the setting reminiscent of that of This Is Shyness. Clara's world is just a decayed parallel of Claire's, but it has this intoxicating otherworldly vibe to it that feels separate.

The prose was effortlessly descriptive and gave a vivid picture of the unique world Russon built. She has a definite talent for writing, invoking so much emotion and weaving spare phrases that resonated. Her partial second person narration was pulled off brilliantly and helped us to feel deeply involved.

It would have been difficult to not become invested in the characters of Only Ever Always. Clara and Claire had this connection before they even met, united by their oddly poignant music box and like wistful voices. The relationships they held with others defined them as well. The story opens with Clara and Andrew talking of adventures, before we knew anything about them, and as their dynamic shifted, I was always thinking back to that initial place.

Penni Russon did so much in so little pages. Reading the author's note afterwards in which she tells about what led her to write Only Ever Always gave us insight into how much the initial idea developed since conception. By the end I was just holding the tiny book amazed at how much I was affected by it. Russon is a master storyteller.

Reading Only Ever Always felt like an effort, in a best way. It isn't a smooth, soft read, but rather dark and difficult, and beautifully touching.

I give Only Ever Always a 6 out of 5.

Review: Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor

     

Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor
______________________________

Series: (#1)
Pages: 440
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: October, 2011
IBSN: 9781444722635

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.   In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

When Brimstone calls for an errand, Karou always comes. This is how it's always been. Brimstone is her family, and his store, her home. She is of both his world and of earth, but neither, truly, given that she doesn't even know who she is. But the door between the worlds is closing, and finding where she belongs is becoming all the more urgent.


"...they cupped their wings around their happiness and called it a world."

So I understand that not all quotes are created equally, but this one is just unfair. Laini Taylor's writing talent was clearly contrived from a wish on a gavriel.

The prose was lyrical and simply lovely. I was hanging off each word, even going back to bounce the occasional phrase around in my head and admire it. So many arresting, beautiful images were vividly created, and the story was so easily pictured. I was won over by the writing alone, and all the other amazing components -- the characters, the plot, the atmosphere, the emotion -- were added perks. Laini Taylor is the wonderful wordsmith she's esteemed to be and then some.

Taylor pulled off the best omniscient third person narration that I've ever read. She flitted between different perspectives, even in wonderful moments stepping out into an objective point of view. Changes in points of view were smooth and fluid, and each perspective gave something to the story.

Distance between us and the characters inherent in third person was kept minimal, giving us clear images of our characters. Karou and Akiva were brilliantly characterised, and they had strong, distinct voices. Their emotions were so arresting that there was an instant attachment to them. Each twist and devastating development felt like a weight on me as well.

The fantastical world was astoundingly imaginative. The world building was thorough and each element unique. Combined with the poetic prose, the effect was an eerie, alluring mood. Even in a human environment, in the romantic city of Prague, this tone is maintained. The atmosphere was compelling in its almost tangible feel, and in breaks I had to reacclimate to the real world.

The ending left me literally taken aback. Surprised (can you say that you saw that coming?) and devasted (can you believe that?). It concluded on a stunning note that left me wondering, "so what can...what do I do about this?". Apparently the answer to that is to impatiently wait for the next installment to wrap me up again in the incredible and heartbreaking world Laini Taylor built.

I'm not going to recommend this to certain kinds of people. This is an EVERYONE book. Everybody's life would be better for having read this book.

I give Daughter Of Smoke And Bone a 6 out of 5!

Review: The Opposite Of Amber by Gillian Philip

The Opposite Of Amber by Gillian Philip

Pages: 320
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: April 4th, 2011
IBSN: 9780747599920

'They found the fifth girl right after the snow melted...'

Ruby and her older sister Jinn live together on their own, just about making ends meet. Jinn is beautiful, with glittering blonde hair, and makes it her business to look after Ruby. They are horrified by, but try to ignore, the local newspaper stories of prostitutes who are murdered, their bodies eventually discovered underwater. Then the no-good Nathan Baird turns up on the scene - again - and Jinn starts to change. First Nathan moves in with Jinn and Ruby, making Ruby feel an outsider, and then Jinn and Nathan move out, leaving Ruby alone. Jinn no longer has time to look after Ruby. And it seems to Ruby that Jinn herself needs looking after. Her beautiful glittering hair starts to lose its shine.

And then Jinn disappears.

This book begins with what I later find out to be a regular interlude - Counting Games, it's called - where the main focus is on the serial killer and the found victims. The first three pages did an amazing job of mysteriously yet descriptively setting the chilling tone and the scene from an omniscient perspective. I was impressed to the point of shoving the book at anyone who had the patience to humour me and read the first three pages.

I was hooked from the very start, and stayed hooked except for a few bumps along the way at colloquial Scottish phrases (I know a few Scottish people and am pretty okay with their slang most of the time. It might be a bit much at times for people who aren't familiar with it, though). It wasn't packed with action or drama but the foreshadowing tone completely ensnared me and had me feeling like at any moment something was about to tip the characters' worlds on their heads.

The writing style was amazing. I found myself at times just admiring the way the words were strung together and not taking in what they meant (but I was more than happy to reread).The way the author weaved in figurative language and recurring symbols and metaphors was superb. See the quotes I've collected below for what I mean, because my inferior writing can't do it justice.

I really liked Ruby. The book comes from her first-person perspective after the first chapter. She doesn't waste words -- to the extent where several characters remark "It talks!" when she speaks -- and is devoted to her sister, Jinn. She has flaws to add a realness and third dimension to her personality. She's stubborn, jealous, 'gauche' (in her own words). She had the feel of a real person, and even as she gets into problems that she causes herself, she's easy to feel sympathetic for her.

The Opposite Of Amber was more character-driven than plot-driven, highlighting relationship dynamics and character development. A lot of the book focuses on the relationship between Ruby and Jinn - strong initially, slowly but surely weakening as Nathan's presence plays catalyst. All of the characters were thoroughly fleshed out, to the point where you can understand and feel for characters like Nathan who you're predisposed to dislike.

Although that isn't to say that the plot wasn't compelling. It was. Suspense that the opening chapter created held and grew until the tension at the climax had my hands shaking as I hastily turned the page. The build-up was superbly written and the wind-down settled the suspense and gave hope that Ruby would get her life back on track.

The Opposite Of Amber was an emotional, chilling, and quietly intense story of the bonds between sisters and how they break.

I give The Opposite Of Amber a 6 out of 5. A new favourite of mine.

Have some of my favourite quotes from this to go:

"And to keep it right, to make it the same, he put her in the water too. Not the same water, that's true; but it's a good idea, if you don't want to leave traces, to put a girl in water. It's the opposite of amber."

 (I'm sad that I read this after my post about great titles. The Opposite of Amber is a great one.)

"Her blonde hair was full of ice and it glittered when they pulled her out into the sun; and quite honestly, the man who found her looked so pale and drained and shocked to stillness, she looked almost better than he did."

Review: Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

Pages: 269
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: April 19th, 2011
IBSN: 9781442407510

Noah's happier than I've seen him in months. So I'd be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It's not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah's happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family's beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive.... 

I'd read enough about this book to know it wasn't a 'typical beach read' but apparently I didn't fully believe that, given how blown away I was by how completely and crazily emotional and decidedly non-beachy Invincible Summer was.

Stories about family bonds aren't usually my thing but this book was totally my thing.

The family dynamic set out in Invincible Summer -- two ever-arguing parents, a deaf younger brother, an outspoken pre-teen sister, another sister on the way, an older brother who runs more than he stays, and our protagonist, Chase -- was incredibly well-developed and realistic. While it was heartwrenching to watch the bonds between them be tested, I so wanted to be a part of the McGill family to feel the intense love the share first-hand (though I doubt in that position I could feel much more strongly for the characters than I did through reading).

The emotions in Invincible Summer were raw and complex; they didn't just affect the characters, but they reached out and latched onto me. I experienced the character's roller coaster of emotions alongside them.

The characters were all incredibly well fleshed-out and realistic. They felt so real that turning the final page, I felt like I was losing friends. Chase's voice was so poignant and sad that I just wanted to give him a hug. Gideon was adorable and easy to love. I identified a lot with Noah, my favourite character in the novel.

The best thing about Invincible Summer, though, is the quasi-love triangle between Chase and Noah and Melinda. It wasn't sweet and built on raw, instant attraction but on need. It wasn't about making the reader swoon, but about making the reader understand the characters and what they've been through and what that means now.

An incredibly emotional story of family told in raw prose. A must-read for contemporary fans.


I give Invincible Summer at 6 out of 5!

Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Pages: 239
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: October 28th, 2010
IBSN: 9780099549345

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

Warm Bodies was definitely not your average book about zombies. Rather than a undead protagonist whose internal monologue was the word "brainss" on repeat, R is an existentially tormented romantic.

Warm Bodies made a habit of taking every expectation I had in a novel of its genre and turning it on it's head.

The prose was beautiful and poetic, and had a literary quality that I was surprised to find in a zombie apocalypse novel. The tone was wry in a way that reminded me of John Green's novels.

The characters were fleshed out and realistic, developing over the course of the novel. Perry might have been my favourite character - his story is second hand but there was so much depth to him and I always found myself skipping forward to the parts where he featured.

The plot wasn't action-packed or uber fast, but it was unpredictable and interesting. So much of what happens in their futuristic world made me stop and think about our own.

Overall, the story was funny, sad, and touching. I give Warm Bodies a 6 out of 5!

Review: The Dust Of 100 Dogs by A. S. King

The Dust Of 100 Dogs by A. S. King

Pages: 320
Publisher: Flux
Published: February 1st, 2009
IBSN: 9780738714264

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with "the dust of one hundred dogs," dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body - with her memories intact.

Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

I think I read the blurb of The Dust Of 100 Dogs a year or so ago, and promptly decided against reading it. But then I read and loved Please Ignore Vera Dietz, so I bought The Dust Of 100 Dogs having forgotten the blurb and not rereading it.

I'm really glad I read this despite the blurb that put me off. I finished the first chapter with the word "wow" on my lips, and the rest just got better.

Emer was an average 17th century Irish girl, until her family was killed in war and she's sent to live with her abusive uncle. He soon sold her off to a Frenchman, but before she could even look at him twice, she ran away to the Carribean and became a pirate (which makes more sense than I make it sound). But just before she can settle down, she's cursed to live 100 lifetimes as a dog. Dog Facts are placed at random intervals through the story, recounting things that Emer learnt as a dog. Through being a dog for so long, she learnt how to really be a human.

The perspective switches every few chapters or so (I like how it didn't seem to have a pattern), and is done skilfully and smoothly. All of the characters who at some point narrate are vital to the story, though that isn't immediately clear.

The plot and the events that lead to Emer's curse aren't revealed until the end, with her flashbacks finally catching up to the curse just as Saffron's reunited with what's left of Emer's legacy. Twists were found around every corner, and made the book completely captivating.

The story was incredibly unique and enthralling, and the way it was told highly emotively: from funny, to happy, to heart-breaking, the tone jumped around a lot, all of the emotions conveyed such that it was easy to relate to the characters.

The ending was extremely satisfying. I didn't think of that turn of events coming, but as soon as it happened, I knew (1) that it was a perfect conclusion, and (2) that I really should have thought of that sooner!

A blend of action, mystery, and romance, complete with a kick-ass protagonist and engaging writing style. A new favourite and a must-read, I give it a 6 out of 5.

Review: Nothing by Janne Teller

Nothing by Janne Teller

Pages: 227
Publisher: Atheneum
Published: February 9th, 2010
IBSN: 9781416985792

Pierre Anthon left school the day he found out that it was not worth doing anything as nothing mattered anyhow. The rest of us stayed behind. And even though the teachers carefully cleared up after Pierre Anthon in the class room as well as in our heads, a bit of Pierre Anthon remained within us. Perhaps this is why things later happened the way they did... 

Thus begins the story of Pierre Anthon, a thirteen year old boy, who leaves school to sit in a plum tree and train for becoming part of nothing. "Everything begins just in order to end. The moment you were born you began to die, and that goes for everything else as well." Pierre Anthon shouts and continues: "The whole thing is just one immense play which is about pretending and about being best at exactly that."

Scared at the prospects that Pierre Anthon throws at them together with the ripening plums, his seventh grade class mates set out on a desperate quest for the meaning of life. This involves a closed saw mill, green sandals, a yellow bicycle, a pair of boxing gloves, the Danish flag, the hamster Oscarlittle, a Jesus statue stolen from the church, little Ingrid’s crutches, six blue ponytails, a prayer rug, the coffin with Elise’s little brother, the head of the dog Cindarella, fame and a meaning found and lost.


[Synopsis by Goodreads]

Nothing is a twisted, insightful, and at times sickening ride of a novel. Translated from Danish, its premise is unique and thought-provoking. After Pierre-Anthon resolves that nothing matters and climbs up into a plum tree and stays there, his classmates set out to prove to him that there is meaning.

So his classmates start to compile a pile of things that mean something to them, with what each person puts in the pile dictated by the person before them. Soon, allocating things to the pile feels less related to meaning and more to revenge. "You want me to put my green sandals in the pile? Fine. Put your pet hamster in!"

Then the sacrifices become almost macabre, the last one especially. But even this felt realistic. The character's actions were believable and justified, and I liked how the author didn't try to make her characters unnaturally good. Let's face it: Bruno Mars won't catch a grenade for his girlfriend, and Edward wouldn't kill himself if he thought Bella was dead (you know, if they were real). People aren't inherently self-sacrificing and good. I really liked how this book happily demonstrated that.

The writing style was superb, the foreign-ness of it clear, even with the translation. I can't describe it and do it justice, so I'll just share with you my favorite quote from it:

"And although we'd sworn we'd never become like them, that was exactly what was happening. We weren't even fifteen yet.
Thirteen, fourteen, adult, dead."

It was told from first person perspective, but our narrator is more a background character than the main one. We know little more about her than her name. This book is definitely more plot-driven than character-driven. The plot is slow and suspenseful. I was constantly speed reading trying to figure out how this is going to end, because I knew it couldn't end well.

I can't tell you whether the ending was happy or sad, because even I don't know that, a day after finishing it. It's, like a lot of the book, open to interpretation. All I can really ascertain is that it was very deep and intense.

I give Nothing a 6 out of 5. A definite new favorite of mine.

Review: Entangled by Cat Clarke

Entangled by Cat Clarke

Pages: 374
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
Published: January 6th, 2011
IBSN: 9781849163941

The same questions whirl round and round in my head: 
What does he want from me? 
How could I have let this happen? 
AM I GOING TO DIE? 

17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with a table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got here.

As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see?

Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here? 

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

Entangled opens with our protagonist, Grace, in an eerily white room with nothing by way of entertainment sans pens and paper. Her would-be captor, Ethan, encourages her to write, and so she does. Her story is told partly through present tense as she struggles to remember how she got there and partly through her past tense writing.

Grace's voice is clear and confident. Though I kind of disliked her at times, I could always see where she was coming from. And besides, you aren't supposed to love the main character - you aren't supposed to want to be them. You're supposed to be interested in their story, and that I was.

From the blurb you could already tell that Grace was no longer friends with Sal or Nat's girlfriend prior to the beginning of the book, but why that is became very obvious very early into the retelling. I could understand why it took Grace so long to find out, but was still slightly annoyed by it.

Cat Clarke's writing style was engaging and incredibly clever and she tackled intense subject matter unflinchingly. She's definitely an author to watch out for.

The ending of the book tied up the loose ends, albeit in a vague way. I had to reread the last few pages and then think some before I actually understood what happened. I love an ending that makes you think, especially long after you've finished reading.

I give Entangled a 6 out of 5.

Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Pages: 199
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Published: July 14th, 2009
IBSN: 9780385737425

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

I first heard about When I Reach You when an author mentioned it in a blog post. I borrowed it from my library soon after, read it, finished it, and wondered how I had only just heard of it.

I immediately felt a connection with our protagonist, Miranda. She's 12 years old, and keeps receiving weird, anonymous notes from someone who knows things that no one couldn't possibly know. She writes about her life around the time of receiving the notes from some time after she figures out what they mean, often addressing the sender in the prose.

The plot is clever and complicated, and even in the slow parts, never boring. The subplots are all interesting, and tie up together in the end, all related. For some parts, I had to sit and think for a bit, figure it all out, and I love books like that - ones you need to get your head around.

I liked how A Wrinkle In Time was tied into the novel, foreshadowing the time traveling themes. Without something like that, I think the time traveling aspect would have seemed really random.

The writing style is plain and simple, appropriate for the young protagonist. Her observations, thoughts and mannerisms are well-written, and they make her both a relatable and a likable character.

The ending was bittersweet, but still a satisfying and fitting conclusion to the story. Miranda didn't play a big role in the denouement, but was more a bystander, though I admired how when it was all over, she thought more about what this meant for other characters than what it meant for herself.

The short version: I adored this book. Go find a copy and read it. Already read it? Go find your copy - I think it's about time you read it again, don't you? I know I'll read it over and over again.

I give When You Reach Me a 6 out of 5 (a somewhat illogical rating I save for my favorite books).

Review of On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Pages: 300
Publisher: Penguin
Published: June 26th, 2007 (September 1st, 2008, in the US)
IBSN: 9780670070299

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More. 

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

I've read books by Melina Marchetta before. My school librarian recommended The Piper's Son when the class I had in the library got boring (guess how many times the teacher can re-explain quadratic factorisation to the class before Skye goes crazy?). Looking For Alibrandi was on our school's curriculum, but was replaced before I could study it. But I must have forgotten how amazing her writing really is in the few years since I've read her books. I was taken aback all over again by how lyrical her writing seems and by how vivid the insight she gives into the main character's head is.

On The Jellicoe Road (shortened to 'Jellicoe Road' in the US) was, put simply, amazing. One of my favorite books ever. The characters were amazing, the plot was amazing, everything about this book was amazing.

Taylor has a tragic past that has a clear affect on her present character. It's admirable that unlike most characters with grievous and confusing backgrounds, she doesn't want to move on, she wants to figure it out. But the problem with solving the mystery that is her past is that her only link to it - Hannah - has gone AWOL leaving  behind only her manuscript about five kids her age who grew up in Jellicoe, too.

The story of the five kids - Narnie, Tate, Fitz, Web, and Jude - is scattered unordered throughout the book. Their story is so absolutely happy and hopeful at its highs, and heartbreaking at its lows. The saddest part is where Hannah's manuscript doesn't turn out to be a manuscript, but a chronicle of the generation before Taylor's.

Taylor starts out as aloof and distant, but softens as she's given the responsibility of house leader. The way she looks at the people around her changes completely, and consequently, the way we readers think of all the characters warps. Take Jonah for instance, who at first seemed like a prick (I almost cried when I thought he was going to paint over the tree), but turns out to have so much more depth. Jonah was the perfect love interest, mainly because he wasn't perfect. 

The ending, where Taylor discovers the truth about her parents, is so heart-breaking I found myself wishing she never even tried to find out about them. But she's such a different and stronger person for knowing, even if it didn't end happily ever after.

This book had so many amazing quotes that I wanted to dog-ear pages and underline them so I could just come back and revisit them. But the book came from the library, and I refrained. My favorite quote from On The Jellicoe Road was:

"When it was over, she gathered him in her arms. And told him the terrible irony of her life. 
That she had wanted to be dead all those years while her brother had been alive. That had been her sin. 
And this was her penance. 
Wanting to live when everyone else seemed dead."

I give On The Jellicoe Road a 6 out of 5, and recommend it to you, your best friend, your neighbour, that kid down the road with the gap-toothed smile, your dog (if you could teach him to read). EVERYONE.

________________________________________

I read this book for the Aussie YA Reading Challenge.

Review of Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James

I heard of Beautiful Malice for the first time when my friend was looking for it in a bookstore and my penchant for staring into the distance proved helpful in finding it on a poorly-placed featured shelf. I never really paid it much mind until I saw it again on a Goodreads list for YA by Australian authors (that I was checking out for the Aussie YA Reading Challenge).
_________________________________________

Who is Katherine Patterson? It is a question she hopes no one can answer. To erase her past, Katherine has moved to a new city, enrolled in a new school, and even changed her name. She’s done the next best thing to disappearing altogether. Now, wary and alone, she seeks nothing more than anonymity. What she finds instead is the last thing she expected: a friend.

Even more unlikely, Katherine’s new friend is the most popular and magnetic girl in school. Extroverted, gorgeous, flirtatious, and unpredictable, she is everything that Katherine is not and doesn’t want to be: the center of attention. Yet Alice’s enthusiasm is infectious, her candor sometimes unsettling, and Katherine, in spite of her guarded caution, finds herself drawn into Alice’s private circle.

But Alice has secrets, too—darker than anyone can begin to imagine. And when she lets her guard down at last, Katherine discovers the darkest of them all. For there will be no escaping the past for Katherine Patterson—only a descent into a trap far more sinister . . . and infinitely more seductive.

                 
[Synopsis by Goodreads]


Beautiful Malice had me hooked from the very first line: "I didn't go to Alice's funeral." The narration jumped between Katherine on the night her sister died, her times as Alice's friend, and her life five years after that. Even with the story's outcome known from the very start, I was constantly wondering how plot X would turn into outcome Y.

The writing style was raw, intense, and suspenseful. As you were reading you can feel the weight of each word, and know that every little one was important. The writing alone could have you captivated, but the plot was compelling, too: I was wide-eyed while reading this book into the wee hours of the morning. It's impossible to put down.

The characters were superbly written. Katherine was a great protagonist with an interesting story to tell. Her constant turmoil over her sister's death made her feel read and also made a believable impact on all of her decisions. Alice was also a great character - or a bad one? She was, of course, the antagonist. Her rapid changes in demeanor and her spouts of unjustified cruelty made her a chilling character, but a compelling one nonetheless.

The romance between Mick and Katherine added sweet, soft scenes to the story in between the rest of the drama. Their relationship went quickly, but the attraction between them was obvious.

I was pleased that the book ended on a hopeful note. With all of the heart-wrenching drama intermittent throughout the book, it was nice that the ending hinted towards Katherine having a safe and happy life.

I give Beautiful Malice a 6 out of 5, and recommend it to everyone.

________________________________________

I read this book for the Aussie YA Reading Challenge.

Review of You by Charles Benoit.

I found You while browsing Goodreads lists, and the cover and title immediately drew me in. I usually don't go for vague, short, one-word titles, but 'You' is intriguing and personal as a title.







This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.

You're just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can't be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?

There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them? Maybe if you can figure out where it all went wrong, you can still make it right. Or is it already too late? Think fast, Kyle. Time's running out. How did this happen?

With an opening line like "You're surprised by all the blood" how could you ever put this down? The answer: you can't, and I sure didn't.

From square one, it was clear to me that You was different. It's written in the second person - something I haven't read in since Choose Your Own Adventure book in grade 3. It also begins with the books ending - the first few and last few pages identical - and then details what led to that conclusion.

You explores how the choices you make effect your future, even and especially the ones that at the time seem inconsequential at the time. Written in past tense from a narrator who knows where he's headed, You is full of foreshadowing of these ramifications.

The use of second person narration makes you feel in the character's shoes the way first person can not. Every line feels personal. You also perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being an outsider, and further makes Kyle a relatable character.

I also found the symbol of broken glass extremely powerful. I could see You as something I'd study in school - something I'd want to study in school. After finishing You I felt like finding someone else who'd read it just so I could discuss it, all the hidden meanings and themes.

An amazing young adult debut and without a doubt my new favorite book, I rate You 6 out of 5.

Review of Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson because of how amazing I found Speak. This'll be the first time I review something by the same author twice, which you'd understand, if you've ever read anything by Laurie.




Cassie and Lia were best friends ever since Cassie moved in next door, and Wintergirls for almost as long. They were never going to be the smartest, prettiest, or most popular girls at their school, but there's something they can be: the skinniest.

So while Lia's father's on business trips and her mother's saving other peoples' lives, Lia's wasting away. Strong and empty, is her mantra.

When Cassie decides she wants out, Lia doesn't have a choice but to talk her out of it. They start to grow apart. And then Lia gets 33 calls from her on the night she dies alone in a motel.

Cassie's death to Lia just means that she won - she's the skinniest now. But that's no reason to stop now. She's 95, but why not 90? And then why not 85? In fact, why rest until there's nothing left?

Wintergirls is written in the unflinching and lyrical prose that Anderson does so well. The writing style itself is so beautiful I didn't feel I was doing it justice reading it in my head; I had to read it all out loud. My favorite passage of Wintergirls is:

We held hands when we walked down the gingerbread path into the forest, blood dripping from our fingers. We danced with witches and kissed monsters. We turned us into wintergirls, and when she tried to leave, I pulled her back into the snow because I was afraid to be alone.

Laurie Halse Anderson is by far one of my favorite authors. She tackles the biggest issues plaguing young adults realistically and heart-wrenchingly. Wintergirls explores the facts of eating disorders without pointing fingers or sugar-coating. It transcends the barrier between young adult and adult literature, and is a must-read for anyone. I rate it 6 out of 5.

In the comments, tell me what you think of Wintergirls, if you've read it. Otherwise, tell me what you'd like to see reviewed next.

Review of Going Bovine by Libba Bray.

I stumbled upon Going Bovine while looking at past Printz award winners, marking off the ones I've read and adding the ones I haven't to my to-read list.
I decided to push it to the top of my to-read list when I saw Libba's take on it on the book's Amazon page. I really love books that are concurrently quirky and insightful.






All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most - Goodreads.


Cameron's just your average teenager. He hates high school, his parents expect too much from him, and he covets the cheerleader he'll never have. So, when he starts hallucinating, he think it must just be some bad pot. But then he goes to the hospital, tests are done, and it turns out he has Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease. Or rather, mad cow disease. He's dying, and going crazy along the way, and there's no cure.


One of his recurring hallucinations takes the form of Dulcie: an pink-haired angel clad in punk chic. She tells him one Dr. X found his way into other dimensions and through time and space, and in the process, opened a wormhole unleashed 'dark energies' on the world.

Cameron's ready to ignore this particular hallucination, until she tells him that Dr. X has the cure to his disease. He then throws caution to the wind, knowing he's going to die anyway, and sets out to find this Dr. X, with a hypochondriac dwarf and a lawn gnome possessed by a Norse God in tow.


What makes me love this book so much is just how...crazy it all is. Each obstacle on the way to Dr. X is hilarious and zany, though believable. I love the character's, too. Especially Gonzo and Balder (the aforementioned dwarf and God). 

More so than that, I love the way in amongst all the insanity and hilarity, there's still meaning to it. My favorite scene must be where Cameron and Dulcie are at the wishing tree, where everyone pins their handwritten wishes for them to come true. The way someone else's scrawled "I wish to live..." inspired Cameron to seek out the cure.


The ending is fairly love-hate, though. I've heard as many reviews loving it as I have hating it. Personally, I loved it. It fit. A spoiler, but this kind of story wasn't meant to finish happily ever after with all the loose ends all tied up neatly.

I give Going Bovine a 6 out 5.

In the comments, as always, tell me your thoughts on Going Bovine, if you've read it. If not, tell me how likely you are to consider reading it after this review. And for both categories, tell me what you'd like to see me review in the near future.