Review: Leonardo the Florentine by Catherine McGrew Jaime

Leonardo the Florentine

Author: Catherine McGrew Jaime

Publisher: Self-published

Series: N/A

Pages: 158

Genre: Historical fiction

Release Date: October 18, 2010

How Received: Author

Summary: Who are the Medici brothers? And who is trying to assassinate them? Why was the Pitti Palace never completed? And what part did Leonardo play in all of this? Leonardo da Vinci is remembered as an artist and inventory. But who was he before anyone knew his name? This family-friendly novel explores the history and the legends of his early years in Florence. It also weaves a mystery of politics and power.

My Thoughts:

This story felt more like a biography in the way that it was written. The voice felt distant, as if we were just reading about Leonardo. There were hardly any feelings involved and I just didn’t connect with the characters on any level. Compared to other historical fiction I’ve read, this just felt like a slightly altered biography. The history, naturally, was my favorite part of the novel.

Reading about Leonardo, however, was absolutely riveting. Not that he did much that exciting, but to see his (historically correct) upbringing was fascinating to me. I enjoy reading stories about where people have come from – especially ones where a person goes from rags to riches (well, so to speak). The story goes from when Leonardo is first apprenticed to when he heads to Milan. There wasn’t much that drove the story forward, to be honest, so that also reinforced my feeling of how this felt more like a biography. Some events were created, but most of it was historically correct. But nevertheless, I loved the descriptions of Florence and the history behind the Medici family.

The one thing that bothered me about this novel, however, was the passage of time. There was almost a reiteration of “Leonardo learned a lot during those months; he was enthralled with learning and absorbed anything he could be taught like a sponge. He was kept busy with a lot of projects. Months later...”. That’s a huge paraphrase, but a variation of passing the time like this was used at least 4 or 5 times.

One thing I thought was cool, however, was the incorporation of actual drawings and sketches Leonardo made inside the book. The chapters would open up with a sketch of Leonardo’s landscape drawing around Florence, and there was a map of Florence at the time Leonardo lived there. And lastly, there was also a timeline for Leonardo’s early life located at the back of the book that was awesome to reference.

Cover Musings: It’s not very eye-catching as a cover. But as a drawing? Amazing. I’ve seen this prospective study drawing for the Adoration of the Magi before (in a humanities class) and loved it.

Memorable Quotes:

As he swam among the others, his thoughts took him back to his favorite swimming place in Vinci – the pond behind Grandpa’s house. There he had been able to take in the lovely country surroundings when he was done. He had spent much time during those summer months studying the plants and the animals that flourished among his grandfather’s fields and vineyards.

Here in Florence, he had something new, something better. He had friends. (pg. 42)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: All in all, this story was more like a retelling of history (with some variations) than anything else. The most interesting part about the novel was that it was historically correct. However, there wasn’t much that drove the story forward, which made it seem like a retelling of someone’s life, and the middle got a bit slow. Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially if you love history. I can't wait to see where Catherine takes the story in her future novels. 

If this were required reading for an English or History class, I’d totally love it.

Rating: 3/5

**This book was provided for review by the author in exchange of an honest review.

Review: Solid by Shelley Workinger

Solid

Author: Shelley Workinger

Publisher: Self-pubbed

Series: Solid #1

Pages: 222

Genre: Paranormal

Release Date: July 9, 2010

How Received: Author

Summary: Eighteen years ago, a rogue Army doctor secretly experimented with a chromosomal drug on unknowing pregnant women. When he was killed not long after the children were born, any knowledge and evidence seemed to die with him – except the living, breathing, human products of his work.

Almost two decades later, the newly self-proclaimed “open-book” military unearths the truth about the experiment, bringing Clio Kaid and the other affected teens to a state-of-the-art, isolated campus where they soon discover that C9x did indeed alter their chromosomes – its mutations presenting as super-human abilities. The military kids, who come from across the nation and all walks of life, come into their own as light-than-air “athletes”; “indies” as solid as stone walls; teens who can make themselves invisible and others who can blind with their brilliance.

While exploring her own special ability, forging new friendships and embarking on first love, Clio also stumbles onto information indicating that the military may not have been entirely forthcoming with them and that all may not be as it seems...

My Thoughts:

The premise for this novel was very interesting. Teenagers with superhuman abilities? Sounds pretty awesome. While there wasn’t too much development with that premise – the book is essentially about finding out what the adults weren’t telling them – I’d truly love to explore the quirks to these abilities the teenagers have. We know so far that Clio and Miranda have disappearing abilities, Bliss can shine like a blinding light, Garrett has high athletic talent, and Jack is... well, we don’t know what Jack can do. But I’d really like to see these areas be explored more in the next novel.

There was a connection that was lacking with the characters. The main character, Clio, had a somewhat indistinct voice – we hardly ever heard her opinions or feelings in things. Since Solid was presented in first person, I would have expected more connection between the reader and main character, but it truly just felt like Clio retelling a story she was observing.

The dynamics between the characters didn’t seem all too realistic. There was no real depth to the relationship Clio and Jack had. I didn’t even see what Clio liked about Jack, other than he was good looking, he could juggle, and he made a constellation out of lights for her in his room. I expected more development and quite frankly, there didn’t feel like there was any. Clio and Bliss were best friends within a week, but there were hardly any scenes of them talking together. Miranda especially befuddled me. She’s a very blunt and outspoken character, but I don’t see why she would suddenly make friends with Clio’s group.

I think this novel could have been a lot longer. It’s only around 200 pages, and the events that transpire only occur in a week (or two). Maybe it’s just me with my trust issues, but I don’t make friends, with hardly any mishaps, or best friends that easily. This book has a lot of great potential – it was absolutely fascinating reading about the chromosomal experiments (science degree, hello =)). If there were more development (with the abilities, characters, and relationships), this would have been even better than it was. It was, however, a good start to the series, and I’m eagerly anticipating what will happen in Settled!

Cover Musings: If I wasn’t pursuing a science degree, I probably would have thought the cover was bacteria or that the book was about a virus. But that’s chromosome 9 (I believe, if I recount one of Shelley’s interviews correctly). It doesn’t stand out, but it isn’t bad, either.

Memorable Quotes:

The one thing in the room surely not mine was the black plastic monstrosity on the side of my roll-top desk. I had to do a double-take to confirm that yes, indeed, it was a retro dial-up phone, tethered down by a curly cord. (pg. 42)

“I’m just missing you sweetheart. It’s hard to let go, like waiting out your first sleepover all over again.”

“Yeah, the one where you dug some night-vision goggles out of Dad’s old gear and paid the guy next door to watch the house I was staying at? I wouldn’t call that letting go.” It was pretty funny in retrospect, although it hadn’t been to the mortified eleven-year-old-me. (pg. 44)

Speaking of Miranda, the girl was quick to prove she could get us out of a bad situation like nobody’s business. “This party is phat, Colonel C – we’ve gotta get in there ASAP or we’ll miss something.” She flashed him her pageant-sweet smile as she pulled Bliss and I away with her. She really was starting to grow on me – in a fungal kind of way, but not poisonous at least. (pg. 87)

His kiss was powerful, confident with feelings and want, but without the intent to capture my mouth, to claim it. All I felt was the pull of him – a call to my heart to come out and join him at a mutual center. (pg. 123)

“Failure is not an option,” Garrett admonished her in his most ominous tone. “Come on!” He addressed the table when he didn’t get the desired reaction. “Apollo 13?” Guys, you gotta work with me here. I swear it’s like I’m all alone half the time...” (pg. 159)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: Solid was a very quick, fun read. The premise was interesting and was able to draw me in to want more. However, it was short. That was probably its downfall. I feel a lot of things could have been described and expanded more – explanations, character development, relationships, etc. There was tons of potential, though. The end left off on a somewhat happy/hopeful note, so I’m intrigued by where Shelley plans to go on with Settled!

Rating: 3/5

**I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Candidates by Inara Scott

The Candidates

Author: Inara Scott

Publisher: Hyperion

Series: Delcroix Academy #1

Pages: 293

Genre: Paranormal

Release Date: August 24, 2010

How Received: Won

Summary: Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that’s not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia’s mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just... happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, believing this way she can suppress her powers and keep them hidden.

But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dacnia’s days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats’ kids and child geniuses—not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies. So why are the treating Dancia like she’s special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome.

And then there’s her mysterious new friend Jack, who can’t stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn’t convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her “gift” than they’re letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it... But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

My Thoughts:

The Candidates starts off very slowly, despite the fact that it starts at the beginning of all the “action”. The very first chapter involves Dancia’s recruitment into Delcroix Academy, but it spreads off into five more chapters and sort of dragged on. That’s sort of how the entire novel played out, actually. There was no real action, besides the end, and the book mostly involved Dancia dealing with the way Cam makes her feel. In fact, the summary says that Delcroix involves humans with supernatural abilities but... it isn’t really like that, at all. The supernatural side doesn’t even get a chance to come out and play until the end. We didn’t even read about the classes – I think there were like, two genuine classroom scenes. It was all just about Dancia stressing over romance.

For the first half of the book, we’re left in total suspense. We have no idea what’s going on, and besides Jack’s suspicions, Inara gives us no bones – we’re just left guessing. Nothing’s explained. But then, at the end, we receive this onslaught of information all at once and it becomes overwhelming. I suppose that’s what irked me, too: why would all of this information be revealed to Dancia? Even if she was going to join them, I’d expect more resistance on the groups’ part. Or more secrecy. But nope, once “the cat was out of the bag”, everything just spilled out all at once.

I started out being indifferent to Dancia. She’s just average – average grades, looks, thoughts, etc. She blends into the background, and it worked so well that she didn’t stand out for me, either. She self-isolates her from her peers from fear of hurting someone and has no thoughts of her own. While that was great and all, her self-isolation made her making friends hardly believable. So yeah, I was indifferent to Dancia at first.

But then she pissed me off. I can appreciate Dancia swooning over an older guy (even though it was sort of gag-worthy since I did not like Cam whatsoever) and even ditching her friends for that reason. I mean, a lot of teenage girls do it, right? A 14 year old won’t suddenly become immune to an older guy giving her attention. But when she starts ignoring, and even avoiding, the one true friend that she’s made at Delcroix, the one who has helped her since the beginning and makes her feel like she belongs and truly understands the way she feels about everything, just because of said older guy, then I get pissed off. Sure, she’s a teenager and I shouldn’t be so critical, but she treated Jack like absolute crap. He was always there for her and remained loyal to her, even if she kept treating him unjustly. When Jack needed Dancia, she would always back away; when Dancia needed Jack, he was always there for her. What crap.

Actually, I take that back. Dancia treats all of her friends like absolute crap. Jack just gets the most crap from her because Cam tells her to stay away from Jack. I mean, she bags on her two “best friends” whenever they do something she doesn’t like. She hates “Perfect Girl” Allie for no reason. I get that teenagers can be very judgmental, but hating people who try to help you and people who have absolutely no reason for you to hate them? Ugh. Jack had it right when he finally got mad at Dancia’s stupidity: she’s definitely “deaf, dumb, and blind.”

Cam rubbed me the wrong way. Seriously. While Dancia thought he was swoon-worthy and a great guy, I just thought he was slimy. I didn’t like him, nor did I trust him. Dancia has proved time and time again that she is freaking stupid, and for her to wholeheartedly trust Cam after he lied to her over and over just exemplifies Dancia’s stupidity. I don’t even think he truly likes her. He can say whatever he wants and smooth talk her over, or whatever, but I doubt I will ever trust Cam.

Jack was this novel’s saving point. He was such an interesting character that had so much depth in him. Not only has he been in a gang and has been homeless, but he was abandoned by his own parents. And he’s still going. I would have given up by that point. But Jack is strong, if only sad and lonely. He’s so sweet and caring, and he knows how to turn up the charm with Grandma! He’s also troubled with inner demons, has fears of being followed, and has suspicions galore. But he’s still a great friend, always there for Dancia whenever she needs him no matter how shitty she’s treated him. (Can you tell I’m “Team Jack”?)

Cover Musings: Pretty. :) Very eye catching in a bookstore. xP

Memorable Quotes:

At that moment, all I could think of were those cartoons where Goofy gets stuck in front of a snowball rolling down a hill, and the snowball hits him, and he’s smushed into the side of it, and you can see him spread-eagled on the snowball as it keeps rolling down the hill.

Because that’s exactly what I felt like. (pg. 17)

Life was changing. I wasn’t sure where it was taking me, but I had a feeling things would never be the same. (pg. 89)

I blinked and tried to focus on what he had just said. My heart slowed abruptly. Apparently he hadn’t pulled me aside to ask me to be his one true love. (pg. 96)

“Did you move up here with your mother?” Grandma asked.

I threw her a black look. Didn’t she know it was rude to bring up such personal issues in the Walmart checkout line?  (pg. 151)

Jack was powerful, even I could see that. He could be dangerous. There might even have been a little evil in him.

But isn’t that true of all of us? (pg. 292)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: I liked this book, but there were also a lot of things I didn’t like about this book (the main character being one of them). It was very slow-paced and dealt with Dancia’s feelings over Cam more than anything else, and didn’t really deal with “magical abilities” like the jacket said it would. Cam, the main love interest, rubbed me the wrong way – I totally thought he was slimy from the very moment he was introduced. Jack was the novel’s saving point and was one of the only characters that had more than one dimension to him. I do want to see where the story progresses, naturally, but the book wasn’t as addicting as I thought it would be.

Rating: 3.5/5


**This review was submitted in the 2010 Debut Author Challenge!

Review: Muscle Bound by David Marlow

Muscle Bound

Author: David Marlow

Publisher: iUniverse

Series: N/A

Pages: 350

Genre: Fiction

Release Date: January 30, 2008

How Received: Publisher

Summary: Unlike so many of his gay buddies, Chase Hyde had no plans to settle down. A self-acknowledged “roamosexual,” his foremost objection was that having a partner would take him off the market. So even if love was never in the air, lust was always just around the corner.

Chase expected to continue his carefree lifestyle until, through a correspondence in cyberspace, he met Hunter Row, an up-and-coming Madison Avenue advertising executive and fellow bodybuilder who, unlike Chase, pined for a monogamous, long-term relationship.

Driven by their shared passion for muscle, the two men form a powerful connection and jump into an intense, long-distance love affair. Neither Chase nor Hunter can imagine the twists of fate that await in Muscle Bound, a passionate tale set against the turbulent and perpetual pursuit of sexual conquest.

My Thoughts:

I think I should start off by mentioning that this book has a lot of erotica. A lot. In between the back story would be wedged numerous sexual encounters between Chase and his “love” interests. Normally, I wouldn’t mind a few scenes here and there, but the thing with the sex scenes in this book was that they were blunt and vulgar. None of that “fading to darkness” stuff or toned down stuff (like "manhood", etc) – it takes you for the entire ride, very matter-of-factly. I had no idea you could say... certain words in so many different ways.

This book also deals with homosexuality. Chase, our MC, is a homosexual body builder and he enjoys hooking up with a lot of other muscular men. However, while the book has homosexuality in it, it doesn’t really deal with the emotions and uncertainty of homosexuality. The only time it did so was when one of Chase’s interests was questioning his sexuality – but Chase never dealt with it. He was certain of who he was and how he got there. Rather, the book focuses on the gay relationships revolving around the world of body building.

All of the characters were... interesting, to say the least. I couldn’t connect with most of them (most of them were obsessed with steroids and body building) on a basic level, but if you looked past their body building obsession, there are real emotions underneath. I enjoyed reading about Chase’s sexcapades and the diverse range of guys he chose to be involved with. Half of the time, the book almost felt like a drama or soap opera. (ex. Chase being involved, and loving, a married man who swore he was straight but loved Chase, also). There were so many issues and drama that could be applied to my own relationships, so I was able to connect with Chase through that outlet.

The book is divided into four different sections, named The Roamosexual Agenda, True Jock, Pumping Irony, and Muscle Bound. Each respective section deals with Chase in different areas of his life. The first is when he meets Hunter and starts a relationship with him. The second is with his sex partner turned close friend/brother, Kutchie. The third, and arguably largest section in the book, was with Christian, a married man who was Chase’s boyfriend. And the last is Chase and Hunter again. The way the book was cut up into sections was... I’ll leave it with the word “confusing”. Basically, the first book and the last book are about Chase’s relationship with Hunter. The second and third books are Chase’s backstory, giving an example of what or who shaped Chase to be the person he was today. While back stories are great, the third book was a huge chunk of the entire book. By the time we got back to Hunter and Chase in the fourth book, I had stopped being giddy about their romance and rather just felt sad about what happened between Chase and Christian.

But despite all that, the writing was superb. I loved the way David wrote. His prose wasn’t the best I’ve read, by far, but you could tell he had a handle on the English language and he used a lot of huge vocabulary that made my inner geek really happy. I wasn’t too crazy about the alternating POVs in the same chapter. Or, heck, I would have been fine with it if it had just been two central characters, but almost every supporting character had a few sentences for their own perspective.

Going beyond the erotica, homosexuality, and confusion, Muscle Bound is a book about love, really. Well, okay, not just about love, but rather about how many different events can shape you to be who you are. Chase’s love life was a predominant aspect in the entire book, making him hopeful, crushed, and even bitter. Deep down, he didn’t know how to love because he was always so guarded and refused to submit to the idea of love. But taking chances, opening yourself up to hurt, is what life is all about. At least, that’s what I got out of it before the fourth book. Once the fourth book rolled around, that message pretty much went out the window. To be honest, I’m a little pissed at the ending and how Chase handled Hunter and Christian. The ending is definitely not happy and ended quite abruptly.

Cover Musings: I don’t really like it at all. There are a lot of other muscle building images that could have been used – perhaps a body builder at Venice Beach, or at least in LA?

Memorable Quotes:

Okay, so, I normally do memorable quotes. However, when I went back through my notes for all the memorable quotes I wrote, they were all... er... Rated R. Or wouldn’t make sense out of context (like “the 51^st state”). So I decided to omit quotes for this review. Sorry guys! 

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: I surprisingly had a lot of fun reading this book. It almost felt like a drama, with all of the troubles Chase had to suffer with his relationships. The writing was awesome, and I loved David’s use of vocabulary! I kind of wish we had a more conclusive ending, because I absolutely hated the ending. I kind of wanted Chase to have a happily ever after, not a sad ending.

Rating: 3/5

**This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. (Thank you, Jason!)

Review: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Extraordinary

Author: Nancy Werlin

Publisher: Dial 

Series: N/A

Pages: 393

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: September 7, 2010

How Received: Library

Summary: Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters... until Mallory’s magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself.

Soon she’ll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Will she be strong enough to resist? Will she be special enough to save herself? 

My Thoughts:

The statement “Don’t judge a book by its cover” can definitely be applied here. While Extraordinary was a quick, nice read, it didn’t meet my expectations for it.

I do have to start out by applauding Werlin’s writing – it’s unbelievably gorgeous and elegant. I haven’t been that impressed by someone’s writing style for ages.

As for Extraordinary itself, it fell short for me. It started off great – we’re introduced to the faeries and Phoebe, and we’re intensely curious about this big plan the faeries need Phoebe for. But then the plan actually succeeds (sort of), and I just thought... They made a huge, huge deal about breaking someone’s spirit just for... well, pretty much nothing. I assumed, with all the fuss the faeries were making, that something monumental was going to happen. It doesn’t.

The faerie folklore in this novel was quite interesting, and I wish we had more of a chance to experience it. I found myself more interested in Mallory’s final role rather than Phoebe’s story. I also wanted to know what types of faeries there were, their “history”, rituals, etc. It was all so fascinating and aside from the glamour, it was also new (from other faerie stories I’ve read). But we never go deeper than touching the slightest basics of this books folklore.

The characters were well-written. Phoebe was... well, she was annoying at times, but she was glamoured so I couldn’t fault her. I just wished she could have used her wits more than just at the end. Mallory... now there’s a character I loved. Torn between her people/duty and her best friend. I enjoyed that she wasn’t completely heartless and that she eventually came to love Phoebe. Unlike Ryland, who was pretty much the definition of heartless. Even towards the end, I was holding on to the hope that he developed some sort of feelings (even brotherly) towards Phoebe but I was seriously stopped short.

While the plot was unique (this story is based off a real family, but the characters in the book are fictional), I thought it could have been better. I wasn’t too impressed with the plot. The only thing that kept me reading this novel was the constant question: what did the faeries want Phoebe for? I mean, sure, we get the gist of it through conversations with the Queen, but we don’t really know what is going on until the end.

Also, I have to mention... The conversations with the faerie queen are stunning. Why? On the pages where we have conversations with the faerie queen, there are vines coming down the pages. It’s really pretty. And the chapter titles? Such a pretty font. I’m a nut for aesthetics.

Cover Musings: Oh my goodness, this cover is gorgeous. I’m not exactly sure what but it just really appeals to me. The foliage, the girls’ dress and the way her hair sways, her calves, the fact she can run in heels. My list is endless – this is just a beautiful cover all around.

Memorable Quotes:

He opened his arms.
She never remembered going to him. She was simply there, standing before him, reaching out her own arms, moving—awkward, untried—onto his lap. His arms wrapped around her, a dragon whipping its muscular tail around a small prey—no, what a weird vision! Another stupid hallucination. Phoebe closed her eyes— (pg. 137)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: Extraordinary had a lot of promise, but it wasn’t exactly an extraordinary novel. While it was well-written and had some decent characters, the plot wasn’t all that interesting and the read was rather slow. Still, I liked it – it was a decent read. But I’d recommend checking this one out at a library rather than buying it.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Captivate by Carrie Jones

Captivate

Author: Carrie Jones

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Series: Need #2

Pages: 273

Genre: Paranormal

Release Date: January 5, 2010

How Received: Library

Summary: Zara and her friends knew they hadn’t solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king’s needs grow deeper every day he’s stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It’s made him vulnerable. And now there’s a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he’s one of the good guys. Nick isn’t buying it, though Zara isn’t as sure – despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it’s a lot more than her relationship that is at stake. It’s her life – and his. 

My Thoughts:

After reading this book, I was left wondering what the heck happened. The writing went down a notch, the characters morphed into one-dimensional fillers, and the romance was not that believable. There was a drastic change from Need to Captivate, one I absolutely didn’t like.

Captivate picks up a few months after where we’re left off with Need. Captivate didn’t transition well from its predecessor – we’re pretty much thrust back into the story without character descriptions or at least a little synopsis of what happened before. I couldn’t even remember how Zara’s, Devyn’s, or Issie’s appearances looked like.

The writing style was just atrocious. Sentences were short and fragmented, and there were barely any worthwhile descriptions. Sometimes even mundane aspects would be written into the book – do we really need to know that Devyn grabs a drink of water, or that Zara goes pee? What does that really bring to the storyline other than filler? All of the characters sounded the same – if there hadn’t been “Zara said” or “Issie said”, etc, I wouldn’t have even been able to tell who was talking. Even their personalities were inconsistent – Astley has a certain way of talking, and after a while Zara started talking the same way. Uhh, I was pretty sure she had never spoken the way Astley did throughout any of the novels.

I think Carrie was trying to portray “out-casts” and minorities in this novel. Everyone had dreadlocks or cornrow’s or hair dyed green in Mohawks. Okay, I get that she wants diversity in her town, but it was never like that in the previous novel. I had to roll my eyes after yet another person was introduced that had dreadlocks.

Zara pissed me off this time. Every time she spoke, I wanted to either strangle her or throw the book across the room. I mentioned this in my review of Need, but good GOD is she stupid. She gets so many warnings from the pixie kings but she ignores them. If she had only paid heed to them, none of the stuff that happened would have happened, and a bunch of people wouldn’t have gotten killed just because of her sheer stupidity. The best part? She has the gall to blame the pixies for what happened, but hot damn was it her fault. She’s so dang self-absorbed and whiny; if she could have sacrificed one person or herself, none of the innocents would have died. She’s all about protecting people from the pixies, but what she did endangered them. She never thinks about her actions. All she does is “research” that comes up inconclusive or just gets solved by Devyn. I couldn’t even feel sorry for her after what happened to Nick. And her reaction to losing Nick? Oh, I’ll just grab a sword and try to take out as many pixies as I can, but get swarmed in the process and only really inflict ONE minor injury and then have to get rescued. URGH.

The other characters pissed me off too. It was like Carrie had a list: Nick – protective, “macho”; Devyn – “nerdy guy who researches a lot”; Issie – “eccentric who loves bunnies but is clumsy and weak”. They were so one-dimensional this time. What happened to my vivacious Issie from Need? The only two characters I liked were new: Cassidy and Astley. I couldn’t not like Astley, but if I say why I might spoil something. Same with Cassidy. But in both cases, they were refreshing next to the gang of four.

I was definitely not emotionally connected to any of the characters this time around, aside from Astley.

The plot was okay, but sort of dull. Nothing too twisty this time – the only “twist” happened with Cassidy. Need was suspenseful – Captivate just wasn’t. Pacing was alright – not too action-packed, and only lagged in the beginning. I have to admit that the read got better after Zara finally agrees to Astley’s suggestions, so I’m still holding on to hope that the third novel will be better than this one.

Cover Musings: As with Need, I think this cover is gorgeous. That teardrop is definite foreshadow.

Memorable Quotes:

"My skin starts to feel like thousands of spiders are crawling on it, doing an Irish step dance." (pg. 55)

Pixie Tip

Pixies do not look like Tinker Bell. Although they occasionally wear tutus. Seriously, who doesn’t? (pg. 10)

Pixie Tip

A pixie’s true skin color is blue. Cookie Monster, Grover, and other lovable Muppets are also blue. Do not confuse the two. Muppets don’t kill you. Usually. (pg. 71)

Overall Thoughts/Final Musings: If I could describe this novel in one word, it would be “Bleh”. I’ve always heard people complain about sequels not living up to their predecessors – this book is definitely one of those sequels. Captivate definitely went downhill from Need. The characters were downright annoying, especially the main character (who did stupid and unnecessary things that just got her in trouble), and the romance was totally... unbelievable. I can safely say I’m more Team Astley, but in the sense that I want Zara to die and Astley to get his happily ever after. The read was so monotonous – I had to force myself to keep reading in hopes that it would get better, which it did the last third of the book. That was the book’s saving point, or I definitely would have rated this a 2. This book definitely had a lot more potential and just fell short.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Evermore by Alyson Noël

Evermore

Author: Alyson Noël

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Series: The Immortals #1

Pages: 356

Genre: Paranormal

Release Date: February 3, 2009

How Received: Library 

Summary: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school--but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she's thinking--and he's the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn't know who he really is--or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies. 

My Thoughts:

I debated about reviewing this one for a while. I’m still not even sure if I should. As many of you know, I was born and raised in Southern California. Where was the story set? Southern California. Now, I’ve never read a book set in So. Cal, so I got all excited and was pretty much fan-girling at the beginning. Then... I thought it might be better if I don’t read a book set in an area around me. Why? I review it more harshly and critically than intended. And it usually ends up ruining the book for me.

So before I even begin, I’m going to say I teeter on a like/dislike slate with this novel.

Let me start off with there were almost no descriptions whatsoever. At all. We’d get descriptions on clothes, and fleeting descriptions about their surroundings, but that’s it. If I wasn’t such a Laguna Beach junkie, I wouldn’t have been able to envision this area at all. We don’t even get a description about her school, or her house. This is where my So. Cali’an offense comes in. She never mentioned the mountains looming in the background, or the winding streets, or the ocean, or the beautiful Californian sunsets at the beach, or the crisp, salty scent of the ocean air. I’ve been to Laguna: it’s a crime to have the only thing you mention about it be about the MTV shows.

The second offense is one that hits close to home: the trip they took to Disneyland. There was just no description! She mentions Main Street, but never about what it looks like, the crowd, or the castle at the end. She mentions my two favorite rides, but nothing about what’s inside, or the Rivers of America, which is basically just outside the two rides. And mostly, she never mentions the atmosphere – that everyone is so happy and friendly, even if they really aren’t. Also, it’s just so weird imagining a paranormal occurrence happening at the happiest place on earth. Should I stake out the front gates in hopes of snagging a paranormal romance? :P

Like Need (which I’ve recently reviewed), Evermore is so reminiscent of Twilight, but with the roles reversed. Ever is the one who can read thoughts, not Damen. On page 81, Ever makes the observation that Damen talks funny, as if he’s not from this era. Sound familiar? Wuthering Heights, a central novel in Twilight, makes an appearance in Evermore, too. There were too many coincidental connections that I couldn’t help but compare it. Also, why does Ever never ask how Damen gets her number or her entire schedule? She sure never gave it to him (even off-screen, I’m pretty sure), so why does she never question why he suddenly has all of her personal information?

And while I’m on the topic of Ever, she annoyed the living daylights out of me. I get that she’s hurting, but ohmygod. I could have sworn Ever was bipolar half the time. She’s jealous, petty, paranoid, suspicious, and has no trust whatsoever. She’s so freaking... stupid. Constantly, she’s finding things about Damen that are strange but she never pauses once to consider it, to think about it, or to even ask him. Not very realistic. She says she won’t do something one moment, and the next she’s doing it again. I’m not sure, but I think I didn’t like her so much because she reminds me of me (less PMS-y though). Oh, and I forgot to mention... What in the WORLD is up with her unreasonable hatred towards Ava? The lady only wants to help you shield and send your sister to a better place, and Ever throws glares and witch-fits toward her as if Ava’s trying to kill her or something. Her anger towards Ava is totally unwarranted.   

The one character I could stand was Damen. I felt sorry for him for having to put up with Ever – she NEVER listened to him or let him explain anything. Ever heard benefit of the doubt? (haha, see what I did there? :D) I also loved Ever’s best friend, Miles. He’s gay, and totally awesome – his sense of humor totally lightened up all the drama with Ever and Haven and he always put a smile on my face whenever he was talking. I won’t even mention Haven because I have nothing good to say about her.

Okay, so this is mostly looking like a negative review, which isn’t what I thought overall. So I’ll go back to some positives. The storyline threw me for a loop for a while there, because I did think I was getting into a vampire story. I knew nothing of this series, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was definitely not a vampire story, let me tell you. There weren’t any plot twists (or if there were, I didn’t count them as plot twists) so nothing was too surprising. But when the storyline finally revealed what was going on, I figured that hey, maybe this is a bit unique. But since we didn’t get an elaboration of what happened yet, I’ll have to read the second book to confirm that.

Cover Musings: Nothing wow-tastic. I love the purple hue and the red tulip (and what it represents), but it wouldn’t make me want to pick it up in a bookstore.

Memorable Quotes:

[as much as the book lacked in description, it lacked in quotes, too.]

“I guess I never wonder: Why me?

Mostly I think: Why them and not me?” (pg. 19)

‘I was, but then—well, I kind of got cramps, and—”

‘Stop right there,’ Miles says. ‘Seriously, say no more.’

‘Did I miss anything?’ I ask, closing my eyes against the thoughts in his head , the words scrolling before me like a late-breaking news ribbon on CNN: Ew! Disgusting! Why do they insist on talking about that stuff?” (pg. 265)

Overall Thoughts/Comments: Even though this sounds like a mostly negative review, I really did actually like the book. After getting past Ever’s annoyingness and Haven’s stupid dramatic antics, I was able to enjoy the book overall – I wanted to see what in the world was going to happen. The plot and storyline aren’t quite original, but it’s heading that way. It was a quick read, and easily made me want to read the next book!

Rating: 3/5

Review: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Brightly Woven

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Publisher: Egmont USA

Series: N/A

Pages: 354

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: March 23, 2010

How Received: Library

Summary: The day the rains came was like any other, blistering air coating the canyon in a heavy stillness...

Just as the rains come after ten long, dry years, a young wizard, Wayland North, appears, to whisk Sydelle Mirabil away from her desert village. North needs an assistant, and Sydelle is eager to see the country—and to join him on his quest to stop the war that surely will destroy her home. But North has secrets—about himself, about why he chose Sydelle, about his real reasons for the journey. What does he want from her? And why does North’s sworn enemy seem fascinated by Sydelle himself?

My Thoughts:

This was one of the messiest fantasy novels I had read in... well, ever. The events are explained in such a confusing matter – I had to re-read a couple of them twice or three times to fully understand what transpired. I couldn’t even begin to fathom the whirlwind of jumbled words and thoughts at the beginning of the novel, but if you can get past the disjointed writing at the beginning, there is promise at the end. But even at the end I had a lot of clueless moments, so that isn’t saying much.

A lot of things in the book just didn’t make sense at all. It almost seemed like Bracken focused so much on making her major storylines flow and connect that she totally neglected the smaller, “insignificant” details. For example, North slipped out that a wizard poisoned the king. But Sydelle totally glazes over that fact. Instead, she asks about it 100 pages later. Another is when Sydelle cut her hair at the end. No one mentioned it, not even North. Her hair was a considerable length – there couldn’t have been no one to at least comment on it.

It was hard getting absorbed into Brightly Woven’s world. With fantasy, you have to have a knack with easing the reader into the world – I never got that with this novel. There was a lot of “transporting” – one moment they’re talking in the main room, the next they’re in Sydelle’s room, alone. Not enough was explained to us, and descriptions were almost non-existent.

The plot and pacing were okay, but I had figured out many of the plot twists before they were really revealed.

Sydelle, the main character, downright annoyed the living daylights out of me in the beginning. She was so obnoxious and whiny the entire first half of the book. I mean, come ON. She willingly went with North. She had the choice to go back. Actually, no I take back my first statement. She annoyed me all through the novel. She was just so dang stupid. She kept giving North attitude about him, when it was really her that was the problem. Half of the time, she’d get herself into situations where she refuses North’s help, but ends up needing it anyway because she fails. I despised her when she felt “betrayed” by North towards the end.

I really enjoyed North, though, although his character seemed off at times. He had no set personality until the end, really. I also loved Owain (and his ridiculous love for his horse, Vesta, haha). He made suffering through Sydelle’s whining bearable. The Queens character didn’t seem set, either. There was one moment when I was reading something the queen was saying and was like... “That so does not sound like the queen we met a chapter or two back...”

The romance was okay. I loved how it progressed, and there were a couple of times I found myself giggling. But it wasn’t something praise-worthy, though. Just so-so (I blame Sydelle). 

Cover Musings: I picked this book because of the cover. It is the epitome of gorgeous! I love the text and the brushes towards the bottom, and the model for this is gorgeousss.

Memorable Quotes:

"‘Thank you for bringing me back to the village,’ I said. ‘I don’t know that I’ve ever fainted before. I guess I was more overwhelmed than I thought.’

‘And here I thought you swooned at the sight of me.’ He gave me a crooked smile." (pg. 17)

"‘Well, have you ever thought of bathing?’ I asked, turning away. ‘No one wants to hire a wizard who smells worse than their outhouse. And who knows what creatures are living in that hair?’

‘Why do I need to brush my hair, anyway?’ He lifted his arm and gave a few experimental whiffs. ‘And I smell wonderful. All manly and whatnot.’" (pg. 66)

"‘You know, lass, the reason I was surprised to see you was because I thought that a pretty, delicate thing like yourself couldn’t possibly be there with Wayland North. He doesn’t bring many girls round unless they’re part of a job—but also ‘cause his smell can sometimes kill kittens.’" (pg. 80)

"‘You know we’re supposed to be together; it’s the way it’s always been!’

But it was no longer the way it could be. How do you tell someone that he is a part of your past, and not your future?" (pg. 319-320)

"‘You’ll have to treat me with a little more respect. They consider me a goddess in some countries, you know.’

North laughed loudly, reaching for me again. ‘Yes, but I’ve always considered you a goddess, Sydelle Mirabil.’

I smiled, letting him pull me close. Wizards, honestly." (pg. 347)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: I had really high hopes for this novel, being a fantasy lover through and through. It was just too jumbled and disjointed for me to really, truly love it. If it hadn’t been so messy, I might have liked it more. Overall, it was a good read, but definitely not stunning.

Rating: 3/5


**This review was submitted in the 2010 Debut Author Challenge!

Review: Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Claire de Lune

Author: Christine Johnson
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Series: Claire de Lune #1

Pages: 336
Genre: Paranormal, fantasy, YA
Release Date: May 18, 2010
How Received: Library

Summary: Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?

My Thoughts:

This story isn’t your average werewolf story – you don’t get bitten to become one, people/the media know that werewolves exist and actively hunt them, and the pack is entirely matriarchal. The premise of the story confused me at times. I go into books without reading summaries. I like being “blind” about a story, lest something on the back sways my judgment while reading. So, with that said, I had no idea what the hell was going on besides Claire dealing with her three month change into a werewolf and being whiny about having to lie. There was no real action, and we didn’t even get a subplot, until the end.

I’ll start with Claire. After Claire’s rockin’ 16^th birthday part, she finds out she’s a werewolf. She spent a lot of time in denial – and I mean a freaking lot. I wanted to slap her at the beginning and tell her to just go with it, since you can’t change it. We’re constantly reminded that Claire HAS TO LIE and that she doesn’t like it. After the tenth or twentieth time, you’d think we knew by now that Claire hates lying and that she’s going to whine about it for a few paragraphs. I couldn’t connect with Claire. Not really. She’s your typical rebellious teenager who is too self-absorbed to notice the shit pile she’s walking into.

The other characters... eh. Emily was just there for annoying banter for a few paragraphs. Lisbeth was just... there, as well. We never got to experience or see who the wolf pack members were for ourselves. Again, they were just there.

The one thing I did like about this story was the progression of Matthew’s and Claire’s relationship. It wasn’t a look—then BAM, we’re in love. It was slow, it was sweet, it was romantic. Matthew was such a gentleman at times. I didn’t, however, like their awkwardness. I felt like screaming every time there were awkward silences.

The progression of the story was very dull. It was mostly Claire whining, and then trying to learn how to be a werewolf, and then we’re back to Claire whining. Repeat and rinse. It only picked up near the end (and it wasn’t much of a pick-up). I have to admit that I almost fell for the red herring Johnson threw at us. But then I realized the one she cast as suspicious couldn’t have been the culprit – the times never matched up.

One thing I despised about this story was the lack of description and detail. I never even knew what Claire looked like, other than a really vague description about her. Other characters got even more vague descriptions, which were limited to their hair colors. And the werewolves – people knew about them. But how did they know? How did this lycanthrophy research society set itself up? There was just too many “why’s” and not enough answers – I mean, I know it’s a fantasy novel, but at least throw us a bone, give us some vague idea.

I guess, however, the lack of description worked in a way – it made this a really fast read.

Cover Musings: Oh gosh, the one thing I absolutely loved about this novel! The cover is so pretty. The model, the moon, the sentence, and even the brush they used behind “Claire de Lune” is absolutely gorgeous!

Memorable Quotes: 

“The truth of who she was, what she was, hung over her like a lead umbrella. Her mother had told her over and over that it would get easier, that Claire would become like an oyster. ‘The truth, chérie, the secret—it is like a grain of sand. You must hold it inside the way an oyster does, smoothing it over and over until it becomes a jewel that makes you stronger, more valuable, even though no one can see it inside you. It will only hurt at first.’” (pg. 259)

“Claire sighed. ‘I wish I could, but I’ve got some, uh, girl stuff to do later. I think I’d better stick around here tonight.’

‘Girl stuff’? Is that what we’re calling it now?’” (pg. 321)

“Every part of her felt right—her silky fur that caught the wind, the pads of her feet against the soft dirt—it was perfect. The feeling of release was so great that Claire couldn’t hold back the cry that rose through her. She threw back her head and howled. Around her, she could hear the others join in, calling out to the moon above them, the ground below, and the forest that circled them tight.” (pg. 335-6)

Final Thoughts/Overall Comments: I wanted to like Claire de Lune more than I did, but I couldn’t. The book itself was okay; I liked it. But it wasn’t extraordinary, or something I’d fan about. It was just a good book, and I’ll probably read its sequel whenever it comes out.

Rating: 3/5