Review: Between The Sea And Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

     

Between The Sea And Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
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Pages: 240
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: October 25th, 2011
IBSN: 9781599904344

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

Esmerine is excited to finally be a siren with her sister, Dosinia, protecting the seas together. But on the first day, Dosinia disappears. The two of them always shared a small fascination with the land, but Esmerine would have never guessed her sister would leave her for it. She ventures on land herself in search of her, with the help of the winged boy from her childhood that stopped visiting without warning so many years ago.

Jaclyn Dolamore writes a story reminiscent of a fairy tale, a romance with a soft plot, set in a magical world of mermaids and flying people and the space between.

Dolamore's writing style remains charming, and the tone still perfectly appropriate to the setting. The language had an ethereal, fantasy quality to it; a fairy tale-esque softness and simplicity. But beyond the fantasy aspect, the setting was also historical, and that was clear as well. The setting may have been the most appealing aspect of the story. I was completely taken with the human town that served as a buffer between the two worlds, and the interesting way their lifestyles intertwined.

The romance was sweet, in way childhood friends reuniting, but not with any striking magnitude of chemistry. There was a certain amount of distance between placed between us the characters, but their emotions were still clear, and though becoming truly invested in Esmerine's journey was difficult, she was always a pleasant enough person to read about.

Though, the book-loving theme was inconsequential and a very see-through attempt at increasing relatability. Protagonists who love reading are common, and each time I snort a little in response (I mean, great authors can make me relate to anyone, no matter our differences), but never has it felt as contrived as this time.

Between the Sea and Sky was a very light-hearted romantic fantasy, and though it certainly didn't live up to Magic Under Glass, it was enjoyable and has not taken any excitement away from the upcoming release of Magic Under Stone.

I'd recommend this specifically to fans of YA that also read MG, given the youthful tone and the very simple plot that YA readers accustomed to high-suspense stories may find boring.

Review: Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen


Series: Bright Young Things (#2)
Pages: 360
Publisher: Penguin
Published: August 29th, 2011
IBSN: 9780141335551

T'S THE LAST SUMMER OF THE JAZZ AGE AND THE BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS OT NEW YORK ARE REVELLING IN BEAUTIFUL DAYS AND GLITTERING NIGHTS.

LETTY LARKSPUR has shaken off her smalltown origins and is set to chase her Broadway dream no matter what the cost.

CORDELLA GREY is reeling from the tragedy that's befallen her new-found family but she won't let it hold her back.

ASTRID DONAL is leading a dazzling life but her liaison with a gangster could threaten everything she holds dear.

Beautiful Days revisits the roaring twenties and our beloved characters from Bright Young Things, Cordelia, Astrid, and Letty. Cordelia's is still reeling from her ordeal, Astrid still struggling with her pseudo-engagement to a brash bootlegger, and Letty still seeking performance fame. Some time has past since the first installment, Bright Young Things, but slipping back into the characters' lives is like stepping into a cool pool on a warm day.

Anna Godbersen writes in a very setting-appropriate style, giving the feel of a book written in the jazz age as well as set in it. The atmosphere of the 1920s was so vividly created and described in its smoky speakeasies and silky fashion. I understand the shortcomings of this time, but I loved the way she romanticised it.

Her prose is a brillant example of third person narration that keeps the distance between us and the characters minimal. It's easier to connect with Astrid, Letty and Cordelia than it is in some first person perspectives. Their emotions were clearly portrayed and relateable, and it was easy to forget that you're not part of their group but just an outsider reading about them.

The romantic pursuits of the characters were so true to the characters, their relationships definitely lending something to their three-dimensional personalities. Pragmatic Cordelia was initially standoffish towards her eventual love interest and hesitant to let him in. Naive Letty took her beau for granted and regretted it. Vibrant and social Astrid worried about sacrificing a part of who she was to her relationship.

While Beautiful Days felt lacking in some of the drama of Bright Young Things, there are so many threads of plot that promise to be addressed in further installments and bring more tension. This series is one I'm sure will continue to keep me entertained.

Anna Godbersen wove an atmospheric story in Beautiful Days and held onto her place as my favourite historical author. This book won't disappoint fans.

I give Beautiful Days a 4 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: Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Pages: 338
Publisher: Philomel Books
Published: March 22nd, 2011
IBSN: 9780399254123

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. 

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

Between Shades Of Gray is a emotive and moving story about Lina and her family's fight for survival as Lithuanians relocated to a work camp by the Soviets during World War II. It is Ruta Sepetys debut novel.

Lina was a dynamic character. While you could see how she retained some of her character under the arduous conditions, the way she changed and developed was also clear. I found it particularly admirable how she and her family were generally kind and generous in spite of the setting.

Lina's personality in her voice was clear, and her tone varied between depressed, angry, and tormented. Her emotions were written so well that I couldn't help but feel for her.

The writing style was extremely emotive, figurative, and poetic. I can only describe its quality in how it made me feel reading it: like I was there, feeling the same things Lina was with her.

The ending was sad, and yet hopeful. A perfect, satisfying, and realistic conclusion to the story. I usually dislike epilogues, but the one in Between Shades Of Gray didn't feel tacked on, but gave the readers reassurance.

I give Between Shades Of Gray a 5 out of 5. It was touching and unique to anything else in the YA genre. I'll end this review with my favourite quote:

"I pictured a rug being lifted and a huge Soviet broom sweeping us under it." - page 23.

Recommend it for fans of: I haven't really read anything like this before, except for Night by Elie Wiesel. But that's not YA, and it's also a real memoir.

Review: Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Series: Magic Under (#1)
Pages: 240
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: December 22nd, 2009
IBSN: 9781599904306

When a wealthy sorcerer hires Nimira to sing with a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life. But at the sorcerer's estate, rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman, and fairies that are tortured for sport. When Nimira discovers-and falls for-the spirit of a fairy gentleman trapped in the automaton, she will also find the fate of the magical world in her hands.


[Synopsis by Goodreads]

I borrowed Magic Under Glass from the library because of its cover. It's totally adorable, and reminds me of Disney's Beauty And The Beast (and I love me some Disney classics).

Magic Under Glass is narrated by Nimira, a foreign "trouser girl" who's soon hired by Hollin Parry to perform with his newly-acquired clockwork automaton. She finds the automaton to actually be haunted by a fairy prince, and tries to free him.

I really liked Nimira. She was strong-willed and determined, and also was unique and stood out from the supporting cast of characters.

I felt a lot of chemistry between Nimira and Erris, and I liked how although Hollin loves her, that it didn't feel like a love triangle. Nimira knew who she wanted, and didn't spend time angsting about who to choose and luvv 4eva (I can't be the only one who thinks teenage protagonists acting like their love interest will be their love interest forever is unrealistic and naive, can I?).

The fantasy world the story was set in was vividly described and thoroughly built. I especially liked how magic and fairies weren't a secret. It was refreshing and different.

Jaclyn Dolamore's writing was fluid and descriptive, and almost impossible to put down. There wasn't any time wasn't on events irrelevant to the plot, making for a quick read.

The ending wasn't a cliffhanger, yet it still leaves room for the sequel (Magic Under Stone) to pick up without it feeling unnatural.


I give Magic Under Glass a 4 out of 5.

Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Pages: 481
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Published: October 12th, 2010
IBSN: 9780385737630

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break. 

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape. 

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present. 

[Synopsis by Goodreads]

I'm always hesitant to read historical fiction, for some reason. If you asked me if I was a fan of the genre, I'd probably tell you no, but every time I read a book that falls into that category, I end up loving it. Revolution was no different.

I immediately felt a connection with the depressed, brusque, wry protagonist, Andi. She's grieving her younger brother whose murder she blames on herself. Her mother's crazy with grief, too, spending all day everyday cooped up inside painting portraits of her late son. And her father? He's a workaholic and hasn't been around much since he cracked the human genome. He hears about Andi's poor grades and her mother's condition, and so checks his ex-wife into a mental hospital and brings Andi with him back to Paris where he can keep an eye on her.

While checking out a guitar in her father's friend's collection, she discovers the diary of Alexandrina, written in the 18th century to a backdrop of the French Revolution. Her story runs parallel to Andi's told as Andi reads it. Andi's emotions are described vividly - I smiled through the happy scenes, and may or may not have shed tears during the sad ones.

Andi felt a real connection to Alex's story, just as I did, and it's both realistic and heart-breaking how invested in it she becomes. You can draw a lot of similarities between the two girls' stories.

All of the characters in Revolution are written so well. They're all dynamic and three-dimensional, and their personalities are all distinct and non-cliched.

Jennifer Donnelly's writing style is poetic and flows beautifully. I think she could write about anything and make in compelling (I wish she wrote my textbooks for school).

I liked the twist at the end, and how close it brought the two main characters, despite their 200 year difference. I especially liked the ambiguity surrounding it once it was over (it occurs to me that that sentence was, too, ambiguous, but hey, I'm trying not to spoil it).

I give Revolution a 5 out of 5. I recommend it to other reluctant historical fiction fans.

Review of Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Bright Young Things is the first in a new series by Anna Godbersen, the author of The Luxe series. I loved The Luxe series, and so that's what led to me to read Bright Young Things.

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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 searching 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 blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart.

[Synopsis by Goodreads]



Bright Young Things opens with a prologue which sets the scene, introduces the characters, and foreshadows their exploits. In those three beginning pages, I was reminded of why I loved her previous series so much. Anna's writing style is beautiful, lyrical, and feels like it's written in the 1920s rather than 2000s. The setting was vividly described, felt well researched and planned, and made me long to go back to the jazz age.

The main characters, Letty, Cordelia and Astrid, are each so different from one another and are all endearing for different reasons. Their personalities are clearly defined and make for an interesting read.
The way the characters' lives intertwined and how they forged new alliances between each other/broke off old ones made the story compelling.

The plot proved true to Anna Godbersen's usually plot style - she doesn't let anything good happen to the characters without something bad to even it out. It made for a captivating and suspenseful storyline.

I give Bright Young Things a 4 out of 5, and look forward to the sequel, Beautiful Days (September 20, 2011). I also hold out hope that since Anna's series are gradually being set later (The Luxe in 1899, and Bright Young Things in 1929) then eventually, we may get a contemporary novel from her.

Review of The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

I heard about The Vespertine after it's cover was revealed, due to the hype about it in the YA author community on Twitter. I have www.netgalley.com to thank for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.





The Vespertine is set in 1889 Baltimore, where our protagonist, Amelia, is sent by her brother, August, to find a suitable husband. There, she stays with the Stewards and quickly finds herself friends with Zora Steward.

There, she also develops her inexplicable power to foresee the future. Word of her skill spreads, and soon she's sought after to tell fortunes. But when one of her darkest premonitions comes to pass, people have to wonder, does Amelia see these events, or cause them?

There are also interludes in the story which detail Amelia's life back with her brother. This effectively foreshadows an event that will drive her from Baltimore, which compliments her own power of premonitions: though she never foresees her own future, the story does.

The first thing I noticed about The Vespertine was how the prose is written in the language one would have used in 1889. The setting felt extremely well researched and believable - what I love in historical fiction.

In The Vespertine, also, the paranormal aspect is subtle, and takes a backseat to the romantic aspect. The romance itself added to the believability of the setting, in that it followed the social rules of course of the time.

If there was anything about The Vespertine that I less than loved, it would have been how long it took to get to the complication. But with Saundra Mitchell's beautiful way of storytelling and world building I would be lying if I said the lead up to the complication was at all dull.

The ending, without spoiling it, really hit the spot. It left just enough loose ends to maintain its mystique and tied up just enough to not be open-ended.

I give The Vespertine 5 out of 5, and now go off to add The Springsweet, the upcoming companion, to my already long TBR list.