My first DNF of the year. I simply cannot make myself care about the characters but I think more than that, I will not like a main character who sellsMy first DNF of the year. I simply cannot make myself care about the characters but I think more than that, I will not like a main character who sells out her dad. I mean, she cannot have been stupid enough not to realize that her going to another adult and telling that adult her father has had a mental breakdown would be good news? And not believing a word in anything your dad tells you? I mean, children will believe their parents over anyone else. And trust them more than anyone else. Ugh. I dislike her something terrible. Anyway, gave it a fair chance. Didn't happen. Moving on....more
While the writing in the novel could use a lot more work, I felt that the story it narrated was substantial. I am very particular about the technical While the writing in the novel could use a lot more work, I felt that the story it narrated was substantial. I am very particular about the technical aspects of the writing in a novel so I immediately felt that the novel could do with a lot more showing than the telling it did. The characterizations were weak and Indigo, when we meet her is a brat with, seemingly, no irredeemable qualities. She is abrasive as a character and her interactions with people cast her in a poor light.
Indigo has entitlement issues and while it is fairly obvious that her characterization is intentional to create a definite arc of her growth throughout the novel, there is a danger that many readers will be too turned off by her to continue to want reading. However, while the style and the writing are definitely weak points of the novel, I do think that the story has value.
Indigo’s fascination with the new boy (surprise surprise) and her trouble with her friend � what responsibility does knowing what’s going to happen to her friend give her? � are both interesting aspects of the novel. While the fascination with the new boy is in no way new ground, how it plays out and the culmination that particular arc gets is rather different. The novel seeks to educate girls about valuing themselves and their own persons over any perceived romantic entanglements. It teaches self-respect and that’s substantial stuff, guys.
I thought the ending was rather surprising, in a good way. I just wish that the writing in the earlier part of the novel had been worked on a bit more. And the book does veer too close sometimes into didactic territory but it does have a strong point to it....more
I didn’t think it was possible but it actually is as this book showed me. This collection of short epic fantasy stories � which are admittedly longer I didn’t think it was possible but it actually is as this book showed me. This collection of short epic fantasy stories � which are admittedly longer than most short stories � present a particular subgenre of fantasy that has always intrigued me. I like fantasy a lot. Epic fantasy with a strong female protagonist is also one of my favourite type of books so I jumped at the chance to review this one. And come on now, look at the line up of authors � most of them are award winning so double win, eh? Yes. It is a hefty book at over 600 pages but it contains in it some gems that make it worthwhile. My favourite story remains the first one by Robin Hobb. It is a journey of a woman, a rather cosseted woman who has lived her life as a pampered wife and daughter, into a wild and strange place. Her husband was exiled for treasonous behavior and they were sent with several other nobles to this strange land. The main character’s growth from the beginning of the story to its denouement is amazing and authentic. I love how she came into her own, discovered her strengths and made peace with her weaknesses. It definitely put Robin Hobb on my radar and I look forward to discovering more of her writing.
Another story that I really liked was by Brandon Sanderson. Despite owning a trilogy of his, I have yet to read anything by him. However, this very short story was enough to whet my appetite for more of his writing. Kate Elliott’s tale about a girl’s desire for more than what her father and society will give her is intriguing as is Kowal’s tale about a woman warrior pulled out of her time and into the future. Jemisin’s return to the world her most recent duology was set in was a pleasure to read.
There was only one story that I did not like. I did not like it a lot and it was by Moorcock. I dislike how he treated the female in his story. “Dumbly� and “mutely� were two adjectives used a lot on her and she was often stripped off her name as well and simply called “the girl.� Being a feminist and sensitive to these issues in literature, this raised my hackles. I recommend skipping his story. I wasn’t too impressed with Rothdfuss’s story either as the main character seemed like the male version of a Mary Sue.
So this collection is like a fruit salad. There are some sweet bits, some sour ones but over all, it has some brilliant stories. It is difficult to condense the world building and detailing necessary in an epic fantasy tale into the number of words dictated by short story standards but most of these authors succeeded. I recommend this collection if you like epic fantasy already. It is not a good introduction to the genre as the stories assume some sort of familiarity with the tropes of the genre being read but it is definitely worthwhile checking out....more
I did not expect to like Copperhead when I first started reading it because I was peeved. I had been expecting a continuation of Jane’s story from herI did not expect to like Copperhead when I first started reading it because I was peeved. I had been expecting a continuation of Jane’s story from her perspective. Instead I got Helen and her flighty voice which was not my favourite to start off with but I have to admit that she grew on me. I liked the trajectory of her growth in the novel. She starts off scared and ends up more actualized and assertive. True, she does make some rather questionable decisions before and during the course of this novel but it turns out well in the end.
Copperhead continues the story of the conflict between the fae and the humans. While the power was mostly with the fae in the first novel (them having fae magic that functioned in place of human technology and allowed them to gain leverage by withholding this magic), the power shifts to humans in this novel. Wow, sorry, unnecessarily convoluted sentence. Helen is married to a man more worried about what his buddies think than his wife. He is extremely conscious of what society thinks about him and treats his wife, Helen, badly. Thankfully, Helen is not the timid kind which is what makes the book readable for me. She understands why she married Alistair and she is not in denial over her failing relationship. The society of the Copperhead is made of men who treat women like they were born without brains, like they are hothouse flowers meant to be petted and coddled but never given liberty. It’s all a bit nauseating so the feminist themes in the novel are wonderfully welcome. Then there are the scary implications of the hatred being fostered between the dwarven folk and the humans. There are also questions of physical perfection � what is beauty and how does it affect a person’s sense of self-worth. I loved that.
The ending was a bit too rushed and a bit convoluted and, I have to say it, too neat but it did complete the arc quite story. I’m not sure how this novel will progress or if there will be a third book but I hope there is. Connolly has a wonderful way with words that is charming and engaging. If you haven’t checked out Ironskin, I urge you to do so.
I rather liked Burt’s middle grade debut and wanting to see how the story ended, requested this one from the publisher. Perhaps it is because it was tI rather liked Burt’s middle grade debut and wanting to see how the story ended, requested this one from the publisher. Perhaps it is because it was the ARC and the finished copy are somewhat different; perhaps the finished copy has been edited and is revised far more, but the story I read, while it retained an echo of the charm present in the first one, felt rather choppy and more cobbled together than a novel being sent out to reviewers should feel.
First there was that instance when you begin reading and you don’t recognize the characters, the plot or anything. A year has passed since the release of the first novel and usually the author spends some time recapping the events of the past book in whatever manner they choose to do so but I usually appreciate that they do because I, more often than not, forget what happened in it. I don’t foresee that being a problem for anyone reading the books after both of them are released but for anyone who read the first book a year ago, it may be better to go back and reread it before you read this one. I didn’t have time to do that so I was discombobulated for a good third of this book.
Then, too, there are the choppy bits. The perspective switches felt abrupt and I think a lot more could have been done with the fantastic world that was created than was done ultimately. The relationship between Snow and her mother was fascinating. I was convinced that Snow was adopted or something like that because of something her mother said but nothing came of it. In which case, the cryptic comment was unnecessary and frustrating. The villains were strangely flat and had no deeper motive than just greed � this affected Una’s character too as her inception from these characters though presenting intriguing discourses on nurture vs. nature again felt rather unfinished and undeveloped. The ending, too, felt sort of anticlimactic. It felt rushed and there was no proper resolution reached.
There was a lot of potential to this novel and I did enjoy it to a certain extent. At the same time, I felt the potential was not fully explored. The world is rich and populated by such interesting characters. So much could have been done; there were so many directions the narrative could have gone in but alas. Ultimately, even though the novel isn’t bad, it just wasn’t the awesome I expected....more
If you have read the synopsis for this novel, you will understand exactly why it is so intriguing. The mystery it promises reeled me in and I began wiIf you have read the synopsis for this novel, you will understand exactly why it is so intriguing. The mystery it promises reeled me in and I began with the intention of reading a few pages but about two and a half hours later, turned the last page. Lo knows how to tell a story. She knows how to reel a reader in and while Adaptation had some flaws, you have to give credit where it is due.
It is inevitable that I will end up discussing the romance in this novel because of two reasons: one, it is a large portion of the novel and two, it is the weakest part of the novel in my opinion. The love triangle here is inevitable but it is an interesting one because one of the players for our heroine’s affections is a girl. I couldn’t connect to Reese at all and I felt that someone who has such overwhelmingly strong feelings for the boy in her life, falling almost immediately for the next person (regardless of their gender) was a bit unbelievable. The hurricane fast progression of Amber and Reese’s relationship is a bit baffling especially considering that Reese has not even considered liking girls before she met Amber. A bit more caution, a bit more hesitancy on Reese’s part would have made the whole thing a lot more realistic than it ends up being.
The only way I can make myself accept the hurried pace of their relationship is by a bit of theorizing and this will take place under the spoiler tags. (view spoiler)[ Amber is an alien and comes neatly packaged with these supernatural talents which perhaps also includes persuasion. So their relationship may have had genuine seeds but Amber may have used her talents to get the ball rolling and keep Reese entangled, manipulating her emotionally to keep her pliant. This, of course, is supremely icky and I hope I am wrong but well, it makes sense in my head. (hide spoiler)]
David is portrayed a bit too ideally for my taste and he is way too understanding and accepting for it to be realistic. Moving on to the actual narrative, the premise that is unsurprisingly overshadowed by the romance, things are interesting though the entire secret that the book is built on is not really as surprising as I was hoping it would be. And I was surprised how the reason for the plane crash is added in almost as an afterthought.
Despite all my complaints however, I did enjoy the book. It is very readable and Lo shows with eerie precision how helpless ordinary citizens can be when the enemy is the government. When people who are supposed to be working for your good turn around and decide you are expendable, now that is real terror and Lo is uncannily adept at narrating the fear, the terror associated with these instances. I can’t tell you whether to read this book or not, but I can encourage you to make up your own mind about it....more
My attention was immediately captivated by the synopsis of the novel. I mean, how could I or anyone resist an outspoken and plain princess, her best fMy attention was immediately captivated by the synopsis of the novel. I mean, how could I or anyone resist an outspoken and plain princess, her best friend and a mean dragon?
Iron Hearted Violet was a different book than I had imagined it would be. Oh it had all the elements I expected it to but it had something more, something that I hadn’t thought it would concern itself with. Substance. I thought it would be an adventure story that would leave me delighted, and it was, but there are heavier themes in the novel that kept me thinking long after I had turned the last page.
The way the novel is framed distinguishes it from the rest of its coterie. The narrator of Iron Hearted Violet is an old man, the Court Storyteller (some might call him the historian, if you will) so you are always at a distance from the main characters of the novel and usually this would be vexing but Barnhill very cleverly uses this distance to draw attention to aspects of the main characters that the reader would not be privy to were we present in the main characters� heads. We are with Violet and Demetrius from when they are born to their teens and through the storyteller’s eyes, we see Violet grow, devour stories, make up stories and make a friend: Demetrius. We see her parents who are actually properly present (some of the times and not throughout) and we see her growing up and beyond what everyone hoped her to be.
The world building is solid and the characterizations are well done. The reader gets a sense of who Violet and Demetrius are even through the storyteller’s eyes. The fae folk are also fun and appropriate to the story. The setting works amazingly.
Violet is born a princess in a world that has some very fixed expectations about what a princess should look like. Violet is not beautiful. In fact, there are those who would say that Violet is ugly and others who would argue that she is beautiful in her own way. Either ways, Violet does not feel beautiful and the villain of the piece preys on that insecurity of hers to manipulate her into a position that will facilitate her breaking out of the prison she has been held captive in for generations. There is this poignant scene when Violet realizes that she is not beautiful and this made the novel so much better and put it in context of the superficial society we live in. I loved the way the issue of her looks is resolved. Violet finds out that there is more to life than the way you look and really, there is something to be said for feet that actually do what they are supposed to instead of just looking pretty and small.
If that was an enigmatic sentence, you should read the novel to find out what I’m talking about. Do I recommend it? Yes I do. The plot is intriguing, the characters likeable and the resolution believable. Villain slaying princesses, no matter what they look like, win the day. Read this. You won’t be disappointed....more
Linda Grimes is back in top form with the second instalment in her new fantasy series In a Fix that debuted last year. Like the first time around, theLinda Grimes is back in top form with the second instalment in her new fantasy series In a Fix that debuted last year. Like the first time around, there are loads of identity mishaps, sexual tension and brotherly interventions. I really love the
I have read Patricia Mckillip’s novels before, I am certain of that but for some reason, I did not remember just how fantastic her world weaving and wI have read Patricia Mckillip’s novels before, I am certain of that but for some reason, I did not remember just how fantastic her world weaving and wordsmithery really are. Wonders of the Invisible World satisfies on so many levels that had I the time, I would have reviewed each story in the anthology because each story deserves careful, individual attention. As it is, unfortunately, I do not have the time so I shall focus on a few favourites.
“Wonders of the Invisible World�
This story is a fantastic juxtaposition of the fantastical and science fiction. While the occasions referenced to in the story have a paranormal aspect, Mckillip gives it a much more benign framework when you realize that the main character is actually a time traveler and that the supernatural instances are carefully choreographed in part due to the new technology of the future. What I loved about this short story is how, even in the limited space present in a short story, Mckillip manages to infuse so much personality in all her characters. I would have happily read an entire book based on this premise and hopefully she will someday return to the world she creates in this story.
“The Kelpie�
McKillip portrays almost perfectly the languorous life of painters set in a time she does not explicitly state but one can infer that this could be during Renaissance or some similar time when art is flourishing. There is a sweetness to this story, a very real sense of danger in the mysterious and very sinister painter who is, despite all his unwelcome attention and unpleasant personality, very talented. Ned and Emma’s romance is so beautifully constructed without ever becoming too mushy, too romantic and melodramatic. And trust me, I am one of the most difficult people to convince where fictional romance is concerned. The paranormal aspects of this story neatly weaves in with the general atmosphere and the tone of the narrative as a whole. It satisfied me despite its shortness.
“Hunter’s Moon� and “Oak Hill�
These two stories are both short but pack a punch by their very pithy nature. None of the words, sentences in these two stories are wasted and it is only at the very end of them that you realize the weight of each sentence.
“Jack O’Lantern�
Perhaps my favourite in the entire collection, this story portrays the brief nature of childhood, the magic that is present even in children who straddle the fence between childhood and adulthood. The story manages to steal magic out of very ordinary circumstances and highlights the plight of women in a past England. It also very briefly, very sweetly shows us a lightning flash of romance. A lovely story that I will return to when I need some magic in my own life.
“Knight of the Well�
This one was delicious as well. It crafted a world where water is worshipped and infused it with life, vibrant characters and a story that could be narrated fully in the length of a short story. I loved this one as well.
“Naming Day�
This one was pithy, clever and an awesome juxtaposition of magic and the ordinary life.
As you can see by now, I loved all the stories in this collection and if I still have to tell you to try this out, well, you haven’t been reading my review. Honestly, if you like short stories, well, even if you don’t like them usually, give these a try. Patricia Mckillip is a master at what she does. Strongly recommended....more
The House of Silk reimagines the world Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson inhabited. It tries to bring to life the legendary figure ofThe House of Silk reimagines the world Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson inhabited. It tries to bring to life the legendary figure of Holmes and the beloved Watson. I haven’t read any of the original work so I will not be able to compare the two. However, I have watched the BBC adaptation and I must say that I could not help but compare the two even though I know that both have taken some liberties in their portrayals of the characters.
The House of Silk moves a bit too slowly for my taste. As a reader, I am patient, however, I felt that the narrative was oddly stagnant and the pacing was deliberately delayed. I also am not a fan of the dire foreshadowing � no, I am okay with it once or twice but when it happens frequently in the novel, it makes me feel as if I ought to be on tenterhooks while expecting the worst to happen instead of being allowed to come upon the situation unprepared and discover for myself the richness of the emotions evoked by these unexpected happening � tragic though they may be.
The progression of the narrative aside, I also had trouble with the characterizations of Holmes and, to a lesser degree, Watson. As I said previously, I have watched the BBC adaptation of Holmes and constructed my expectations of his character from the show. Horowitz infuses his Holmes with a very explicit humanity that I felt was at odds with the character as I had imagined him. Maybe it is because the book is written by a contemporary author who can’t help but shape his Holmes in a way more pertinent to the times but I felt that the callousness that is companion to Holmes� superior intellect is far more fitting than the moral chaos this Holmes finds himself in after one of the homeless kids he has working for him winds up dead. In my mind, the original Holmes would have pragmatically denied any blame because he understood that he did not directly influence the boy’s actions that led to his murder.
Again, this may be due to the fact that to me, Holmes is personified as Benedict Cumberbatch plays him. I found that Holmes reflecting on his actions and being troubled by them sat ill with me. Dr. Watson does not have much of a personality in the novel. Instead, he becomes this vessel through which we view Holmes and perhaps it is because he is more in touch with his human side that he sees in Holmes the same thing. I guess perspective is very important.
The House of Silk has some really interesting writing, an example of which is this gem:
“It was a fairy dismal place with tattered curtains, a mouldering carpet and a bed that looked more exhausted than anyone who might have attempted to sleep in it.� (page 66)
In conclusion, I enjoyed the book to a degree. As a 21st century reader though, it definitely lacked the speed and sustained tension that I like in my mysteries. If you are looking for something similar to the BBC adaptation or the Robert Downey Junior adaptations, this may not the book for you....more
This book, oh this book. It starts off rather nicely. It certainly is very readable and the protagonist, Lexi, is initially rather relatable and more This book, oh this book. It starts off rather nicely. It certainly is very readable and the protagonist, Lexi, is initially rather relatable and more importantly, easy to empathize with. Her life falls apart completely and she has no choice but to hare across the country (ish?) to find her mother who, according to her sources, is working at a circus. Only the circus comes along without her mother in it.
The trouble I had with this book is the lack of realism in the characters and the events occurring and the decidedly Mary Sue-ishness of the protagonist. I am totally cynical so I did not believe that Louie, the owner of the circus, accepts Lexi into the circus out of the goodness of his heart. Just like that. I do not believe that he would concern himself with the details of what she’s doing as long as she was doing something. I do not believe that Lexi would remain unscathed living with men in a small trailer as she does and that she has no problem abandoning a fellow girl to her fate when Louie’s daughter suddenly asks her to move in. I don’t believe anyone would be so nice as to share to limited space with a sudden friend.
Also, Lexi had the potential to be a substantial character but because things happen for her so smoothly, she just never develops into anything. At all. And apparently she’s irresistible to boys because there’s the best friend she fooled around with in New York, the ride attendant dude at the circus and this seemingly divine creature called Nick who, for reasons I cannot even begin to comprehend, falls for Lexi but out of the goodness of his heart and very noble attentions, decides to back off and let Lexi go free…yeah, I don’t get it. It’s like something out of the 18th century. And they barely knew each other, Nick and Lexi, and she’s hurting and so in love with Nick and I’m throwing up in my mouth, yeah.
I thought this would be a mother/daughter book. I was wrong. The mother does appear for all of 45 seconds because Nick being handsome, rich and noble, finds her for Lexi (out of the goodness of his heart, remember that, the man has a heart of premium gold) and somehow, Lexi’s dad turns into a bad guy DESPITE the fact that the mother CHEATED on him. And he’s the bad guy. Why yes, I barfed again a bit.
The problem with this book was that nothing seemed organic. Things didn’t happen as a matter of course, naturally due to the narrative, no. Things seemed unnatural and cobbled together because there needed to be a plot and the author needed to get from A to be B. I get it. Writing is difficult and sometimes seems downright impossible but there’s a certain art to the craft that I found this novel to be lacking.
It’s not the worst book I have read but it is one of the most ridiculous. I can’t recommend it to you guys but hey, you may like it anyway....more
I always hesitate before I read the sequel of a novel I really loved. Because I am scared that the continuation will not only not move the story alongI always hesitate before I read the sequel of a novel I really loved. Because I am scared that the continuation will not only not move the story along in a way I can love but that the disappointment of the sequel will also colour the way I remember the first book. However, I worried needlessly where The Runaway King is concerned. I think I may have liked it better than I did The False Prince which is saying something since I liked that one a lot.
Jaron, as Sage is now known, is the King of Carthya. It is a tenuous position at most because his regents are murmuring about having him removed and installing a steward until he comes “of age.� And there is not a thing he can do about it (which I couldn’t understand since he is the king and one of the perks of that job is being able to do whatever you want to). And then there is the reappearance of his frenemy who promises to destroy Carthya if Jaron doesn’t surrender himself to the pirates. There is Imogen and Amarinda whom we don’t see too much of.
The novel is quick paced, the characters are well hewn and the world building is done well. This book will and should appeal to both boys and girls. Nielson does several things very successfully in this novel. She manages to balance the quick pace with introspective moments that add substance to the narrative. She avoids making a male Mary-Sue out of Jaron/Sage which would have been very easy to do. She also manages to insert humour into bleak situations which I appreciated a lot. What I liked the most though was that she approaches romance, what little there is of it, with less melodrama and more pragmatism. As much as YA novels will want you to believe that love is the be all and end all of teenagers� lives, no matter who or what they are, real life will tell you otherwise. I like that Jaron and Amarinda accept their situation because the events occurring around this world are already far too convoluted to introduce romantic drama into it. Also, though Jaron may have feelings for Imogen, non-verbalized ones, he is smart enough to understand and accept the reality of his situation and responsibilities that come with his position. I would have been really annoyed if in the midst of saving his country, he had decided to throw caution to the winds and asked Imogen to marry him.
It could still happen in the next book but I have full confidence that whatever romance the next novel holds will have its own portion and will not take over the entire narrative. What I didn’t like, however, was Jaron’s noble idiocy at the beginning where he sends Imogen away “for her own safety.� Barf. That’s a tired trick and I’m glad that someone actually confronted him with that. The ending, though, contained an unnecessary cliffhanger. I’m sure people who have read book two will read book three so there was no need to attach that little portion at the end.
All said and done, I enjoyed this one quite a lot. I can’t wait to see what the third, and presumably the last, book holds in store for Jaron and his kingdom. ...more
This book goes places that not many other YA novels have gone before. It is complex, emotionally rich and exquisitely detailed. It is not perfect but This book goes places that not many other YA novels have gone before. It is complex, emotionally rich and exquisitely detailed. It is not perfect but that will be discussed a bit later. For the meantime, let’s just savour the fact that this book exists.
The Summer Prince is a post-apocalyptic novel set in what used to be Brazil. Patriarchy has been replaced by matriarchy and a king is sacrificed every year. There are Aunties who are a bit like senators or MPs, a Queen and a sub-Queen. There is a sun king who gets to choose a new queen and a Summer King who is always young and his duty is not to choose a new queen but to reaffirm the ruling power of the current one. But no matter sun or summer, Kings always die in the world this novel is set in.
This novel engages in themes of art and artistry, politics of power, love, technology, social hierarchy, sexuality, humanity, death and trying to find common ground with parents. These are a lot for a book that is only 304 pages. First, let’s talk about the main character, June. She’s interesting. I know, that is not always a positive thing but this time, I really do mean it. She’s like a comet, burning hot, hot and hotter; passionate about the things she believes in and the people she loves. As passionate in her anger and hatred as she is about love. Her mother and her mother’s wife who is one of the “Aunties� present interesting venues for conflict. Her best friend Gil and her rival turned friend Bebel are also intriguing characters who add to the narrative. For such an important character, Gil doesn’t have much page time and I wonder about that. I think he should have been more present given his role.
It is the Summer King, Enki, however, who is the true sun of this book. All characters and events orbit around him, helplessly attracted by his looks, his personality and his magnetism. Homosexuality is not even mentioned in this book � it’s such an ingrained part of the culture that talking about it and making it distinct is not even necessary. Teenage sex is present in this novel as is masturbation and there is no prurience attached to the scenes. The characters in this novel exist very physically; moving, dancing, making love, creating art. So them physically expressing their love will trouble no one except those who like to get offended. And there are many of them out there. Hur.
As I said however, the book is not perfect. The novel is not clear about the direction in which it wants to go. There is talk about a revolution but the government doesn’t get enough coverage and I am not wholly persuaded that the so-called revolution is necessary. This is partly due to me reading The Hunger Games and seeing far crueler leaders than the Queen and partly due to the fact that not enough information is giving to delineate the social hierarchy. It is present but not as explicitly as I would have liked it to be. The resolution is a bit too neat and I’m bummed that the author didn’t show what would have been the most powerful scene in the book. I understand why she didn’t but I would have liked to see it.
Alaya Dawn Johnson’s books are always different. Well written, yes, but they always challenge the reader to think harder, open her mind, cast a wider net in order to encompass the entire narrative. The world of The Summer Prince is so rich and the characters are so complex and layered that I could have easily spent a thousand or more pages with them in that world. However, Johnson manages to tell a powerful story about the inevitability of greed where power is concerned, of the danger of love and the intricacies of art in just a bit over three hundred. Definitely recommend if you want something different, something more. I know that this book will not appeal to those who consume the standard YA fare. As I have said once and again, this is bold and different. There are the elements of a YA novel present, the skeleton of it but the book is almost feral. I can see it appealing a lot more to adults than teenagers and I think the publishers should consider the crossover appeal and market it accordingly. Either ways, I do urge you to read this. You may not like it but it is different and augurs a different path, an alternative path, for YA writers to consider and take....more
Gave it a 100 pages, couldn't get into it. Interesting premise but the execution was disappointing.Gave it a 100 pages, couldn't get into it. Interesting premise but the execution was disappointing....more
The Holders has two things going for it: Ireland and boarding schools. The former because this makes all the characters in my mind speak with Irish acThe Holders has two things going for it: Ireland and boarding schools. The former because this makes all the characters in my mind speak with Irish accents and that’s beautiful and music and the latter because I am a sucker for boarding school stories.
Becca is rather more self-contained and assertive than many other paranormal YA heroines. She is smart � genius smart � she finished high school at 15 and has been deferring college in order to protect the younger brother everyone seems to want to put away in a mental asylum. The mother is kind of useless as parents are wont to be in children’s literature. Useless or dead. Whichever you prefer.
Ryland, the love interest, is actually kind of sweet and their romance, though rather predictable, is kind of sweet and I like how it plays out. There is no stalking and no excessive intruding on personal space � nothing problematic about the romance and trust me, I would have picked up on it were it there. I hope. The two bickering characters were my favourite because they provided much needed comic relief. I thought the pacing was lagged a bit in places and I do not understand how Becca’s brother changed so quickly. I understand that a new environment would place some changes upon his personality but he seems to have done a 180 degree change that did not sit easy with me. A gradual change or perhaps some scenes that actually shows us how the brother adapts and thrives in the environment would have made it possible for the brother’s abrupt personality change to be more palatable.
The story itself is interesting and the twist is very obvious � in fact, they actually give it away in the synopsis if you read it closely enough. I thought the novel challenged gender biases and expectations quite interestingly. If you like superpowers, a fellowship of the ring that has adults and teenagers working together, a magical school and some very black villains, this is the book for you. It’s nothing wildly original but it does take some tried and true ingredients and mixes them together into a very readable and entertaining novel. Check it out....more
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