Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Source: Goodreads

Title: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Series: no
Published: 2012 by Orion Books
Source of book: the library
 

Synopsis from Goodreads

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.




MY REVIEW   

Sometimes I fail to recall how strongly a really good novel can affect a person. How it can dazzle, make you sizzle, break your heart, melt your brains, gently make you forget where you are and what the time is. Eleanor and Park reminded me. This is the love story of the decade, maybe even the century, a new Romeo and Juliet. I would like to thrust this book into any romance-lover’s hands immediately… or anyone’s hands, really… For me this novel was as close to flawless as any novel can be.

Eleanor

She is quirky, with her mismatched outfits, ribbons tied around her wrists and a shocking tangle of crimson hair. She is strong, facing her everyday life of poverty and a fear of abuse. And yet she is lonely, a new girl at school, friendless and hiding her life that is full of misery and anxiety.

All of these and more are the reasons I love Eleanor and truly felt for her situation. Her worries concerning her weight, her stepfather and her home balanced by her love of books and music, and her growing feelings for the boy next to her on the school bus make her appealing to the reader and a very much realistic, fully three-dimensional character.

 

Park

Park starts off as an average guy – never messing with the school bully, reading comics and listening to his Walkman. Maybe the reason I found Park such an amazing character was that he definitely isn’t perfect. He cares about his reputation in the eyes of his classmates and doesn’t think positively or kindly about everyone at all times.

All in all, Park feels like a real, normal guy, not some Edward Cullenish supernatural freak, and that honest portrayal of him makes him exceedingly likeable – maybe because I relate to having faults like his. However, he develops as a person, and that makes him admirable as well, and the progress happens at a realistic pace.

 

The story
Rainbow Rowell’s talent in telling the story of Eleanor and Park has without a doubt woken my interests in becoming acquainted with the rest of her works. The pacing of the story is wonderful and unrushed and the profound thoughts throughout the novel resonated with me strongly. Due to the characters’ convincing backgrounds, personalities and conversations I truly felt like I was reading a true story about true people. Nothing felt exaggerated, overly polished or improbable and I delighted in that.

Perhaps the very best aspect of this incredibly well-written story was the web of relationships between characters – and the best of all was the slowly growing romance between Eleanor and Park. I can safely say that this pair is one of my top five favourites in literature and that their tale will stay in my heart for years. I beg those readers who have not yet had the chance to fall in love with this couple to give them a chance – I am certain many of you will be enchanted, like I was, by the very first page.

5/5 The best book I have read all summer – sweet, almost bittersweet contemporary romance that touched my heart and made me cry!

 

-Eve

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Source: Goodreads

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern
Series: no
Published: 2011 by Vintage Books (Random House)
Source of book: I bought it

Synopsis from Goodreads

 

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

 

 

My review

 

The Night Circus dumbfounded me. I imagined it would be something quite different – more normal, or predictable, or such – but it snatched my expectations away and shook them until they fell into pieces at my feet. And then it enchanted them into a flock of pure white doves…

 

The plot

The beginning piqued my curiosity immediately by its uniqueness and somehow, vagueness (as though it places key hints but reveals, in fact, nothing) – a magician and a curious grey-suited man meet and make a magically binding deal involving the magician’s daughter and another, not yet chosen child.

From that moment on Morgenstern starts to spin a fantastical tale which feels slow at first, introducing the reader to people and their stories at a gradual pace. After a while I grew used to this style of writing and it felt natural concerning the storyline and the era. I became invested in practically all the characters’ little intertwining stories, and was hungrily curious to what it would all add up to in the end.

It has to be said that this novel has a complex, convoluted, sometimes nearly confusingly immense and multifaceted plot, involving thousands of little twists, hints and details. Sometimes this felt unnecessary, like there was too much information and detail to digest, but sometimes, as the storylines gradually twisted themselves together, it felt just right. In many ways it suits the circus because it is, as well, convoluted and complicated, and yet an entity.

 

The world-building

And oh, how I love the circus… I dream to experience such magic. The main setting to The Night Circus is of course Le Cirque de Rêves, and I applaud Morgenstern for this astounding, simply spellbinding venue. The circus is quite other, and I love its strangeness, the tangible magic that can be sensed inside its perimeter, all the different performers and tents. The imagination behind it all strikes me silent.

The late nineteenth century was described well, in my opinion. Though I am no professional in this time period it felt to me like the historical setting burst from the pages. I liked to watch the circus move around, as well, through many different countries, though the different cultures of its destinations could have been brought to light more.

 

The characters

With a unique circus there have to be unique people. In that aspect, I wasn’t disappointed and found the personalities of the characters to be diverse and intriguing. Perhaps they weren’t all exactly likeable, but I was interested by their roles in the story and their relation to the circus. The main characters Celia and Marco were appealing to me, and I became fond of the twins, Bailey and the clockmaker Thiessen.

 

Though I had the impression that The Night Circus was a love story, I personally think after reading it that it isn’t, really. It’s true that there is a romance aspect but in my opinion the circus itself is the core of the story. This wasn’t a bad thing; I enjoyed reading about a non-living thing being so crucial to a novel.

4-/5 Though sometimes a bit long-winded, The Night Circus is a feat of awe-inspiring imagination and a novel that enchants!

 

-Eve

 

Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Source: Goodreads

Title: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns trilogy #1
Published: 2011 by Gollancz (Orion Publishing Group)
Where I got the book from: the library
Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis from Goodreads

 

 Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

My thoughts

 

There has been a lot of hype in the blogosphere about Rae Carson’s Girl of Fire and Thorns and I had my hopes very high for this first novel in a fantasy trilogy. I am so glad to say that Elisa’s story mesmerized me from the very first chapter and without doubt lived up to my expectations.

Being an overweight princess, outshined by a beautiful and wise sister and practically ignored by her father is not the easiest fate for Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza, and it is no less challenging for her to also be God’s chosen one, the Godstone bearer which is selected every one hundred years. When Elisa is abruptly married off to the king of a neighbouring land on her birthday, everything changes. Girl of Fire and Thorns is as much of a story of a young girl’s evolution from overshadowed into admired as a unique fantasy adventure with riveting characters.

 

I have a weak spot for fictional approaches to religion – not quite sure why I find it such an appealing aspect as I am not a particularly religious person myself – and this novel definitely aced that part. The Godstones, the rituals, the Scriptura Sancta and the Belleza Guerra are all so well thought out, original and convincing that I can only give praise to Carson’s imagination. The different sides to and interpretations of faith are also thought-provokingly written.

 

Moreover, Carson’s writing is fresh and appealing; I couldn’t get enough of it. While traditional high fantasy novels tend to have long and detailed descriptions, Girl of Fire and Thorns uses a more modern style with crisp, to-the-point prose with vibrant vocabulary that creates an engaging tale and a vivid series of images in the reader’s mind. The settings, tangible and constructed with skill, were amazing and definitely an aspect that is core to the novel. Orovalle, Brisadulce, the desert… It was all intoxicating, fascinating because the world-building is amazingly believable.

 

The cast of characters is diverse and their actions pleasantly unforeseeable. Though I never actually felt a bond with Lady Aneaxi, the rest of the characters have depth, interesting agendas and distinct personalities. I especially appreciate the way Ximena and Cosmé are gradually introduced and given well-fleshed personalities. Most of all I love Elisa herself – somehow I find her immensely relatable, likeable and admirable, and it was encouraging to witness how she changes as a person. The challenges she encounters, both within herself and physically, made her someone to sympathize with, especially as she succeeds in defeating fears, insecurities and difficult problems. The romantic interest – whose name I won’t mention in fear of spoiling – didn’t dazzle me, but I like the person and think that what eventually happens is a surprising and actually good turn of events - this hardly ever occurs in books. In the following instalments I want to find out more about Lord Hector because he seems so steadfast and intelligent. I'd love it if Ximena also got more action!

 

If I have to find some flaw, then it is that though I love the title, I can’t quite comprehend what it’s relation to the story is, meaning that it’s not obvious or anything. I suppose I have my own theory about what it could mean but usually I prefer titles that make clear sense after reading the book. Of course this is only my own opinion and somebody else could argue that the title is perfect for this novel. Another concern I do have is that what happened to a certain character in the very end was rather convenient in a way, perhaps a little too neat – I might have preferred that this would not have taken place at least not just yet. On the other hand, this could be another situation that matures Elisa and gives her new opportunities to prove herself. However, these two things that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with in no way changed my experience or overall opinion of The Girl of Fire and Thorns and I can say with confidence that it is one of my favourite fantasy reads this year.

 

5/5 Exotic fantasy and an unconventional main character, along with vibrantly described scenery and a brilliant story itself!


-Eve 

Mini Review: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Source: Goodreads

Title: Virtuosity

Author: Jessica Martinez

Series: no

Published: 2011 by Simon Pulse (Simon and Schuster)

Where I got the book from: the library

Synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 3/5 

 

 

 

 

 

Carmen is estranged from the world of ordinary teenagers, stuck in a life full of music with her strict mother, kind stepfather and grumpy violin teacher being her only company. Not the most original premise for a book, perhaps, but honestly I haven’t read that many music-centred books (namely If I Stay, Where She Went) so I thought I’d give this one a try.

 

Carmen is working hard to achieve her greatest dream, winning the prestigious Guarneri music competition that would certainly guarantee her career as a violinist. Her mother, an ex-musician, has always pressed her to do more than her best. However, vying for victory is also another virtuoso, Jeremy King, an obnoxious guy of her age. Carmen’s emotional struggles were described well enough, and I absolutely loved the passion evoked into the passages about music, but the plot didn’t whirl me away in ecstasy. I also was a little sceptical towards the romance – it was definitely insta-love, basically changing in the space of a few hours from near hate into a complete crush. Despite the fact that Carmen has no previous experience of boys I find it unrealistic for her to fall head over heels a few hours after she meets a specimen of the opposite gender, especially if thirty pages before she's thinking of him as a "complete jackass".

 

Regardless of my issues with the romance plot, I found Virtuosity entertaining and worth reading. An interesting twist was Carmen’s stage fright and Inderal addiction, especially because it caused a contrast in what music was supposed to give her – passion and joy – and what kind of affect taking the Inderal actually had on her playing – an hollow, empty feeling.

 

In short, Virtuosity didn’t actually bore me, although for me it doesn’t stand out among contemporary YA novels. The importance of music was portrayed beautifully but the romance felt lacking and unrealistic with its insta-love qualities.

 

3/5 Though I don't love this novel, the music aspect is very well-written!

 

-Eve

 

Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Source: Goodreads

Title: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Series: no
Published: 2011 by Philomel Books and Puffin Books
Source of book: the library
Rating: 3.5/5

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS

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.

 

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

 

In my most recent history course at school we studied major turning points in Finnish history, and obviously the time of the World Wars was an important part of the course. Finland fought two separate wars against the Soviet Union during the Second World War, the Winter War (1939-1940) and the Continuation War (1941-1944), and though the country lost areas of land and obviously there were many casualties, the Soviet soldiers never occupied Finland. In fact, the capital Helsinki was one of the few European capitals that weren’t occupied in World War II. Due to political reasons such as the President Paasikivi’s diplomatic and friendly approach to the Soviet Union (a prime example is the YYA treaty which was not as constricting as the similar treaties the Soviet Union made with other Eastern European countries) and the defeat of the communist party (Finnish People’s Democratic League – SKDL, Suomen Kansan Demokraattinen Liitto) in elections in 1948 Finland did not become a communist people’s republic like many Eastern European countries. Therefore most Finns did not encounter such horrible fates as Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians did at Soviet prisons and forced labour camps. Between Shades of Gray tells the story of a group of Lituanians, deported from their homeland and made to suffer in squalid conditions at work camps in the Soviet Union.

 

MY THOUGHTS

Ruta Sepetys’ novel awoke emotions of horror, pity, sorrow and disgust in me. I was not surprised by the atrocities described – which are based on true accounts - that were committed in the 1940s. However, knowing that unbelievably cruel acts have been performed sometime in history is not the same as reading about them, especially when the victims are given voices and the foul treatment against all the innocent individuals builds up into a tidal wave of suffering, pain and trauma.

Awareness of these things sometimes fills me with anguish and despair – how can humanity be so easily tossed away in favour of barbarism? – and yet, awareness is also empowering because it gives us knowledge that we can use to spread goodness, acceptance and tolerance. Sepetys writes: “These writings may shock or horrify you, but that is not my intention. It is my greatest hope that the pages in this jar stir your deepest well of human compassion. I hope they prompt you to do something, to tell someone. Only then can we ensure that this kind of evil is never allowed to repeat itself.” I couldn’t agree more.

I liked many of the traits of this novel, in particular the historical basis, some beautiful phrases and the realistic feel of the characters’ personalities and reactions to their fates. Unfortunately I can’t say I loved Between Shades of Gray because one of the most important characteristics for me in a book, the way it was written, felt a little disjointed and awkward. I didn’t become attached to Lina’s narrative properly and in my opinion the flashbacks weren’t necessary. To be honest, they really bothered me in the beginning, but some of the ideas behind them were lovely, especially toward the end. I do want to see what else Sepetys has written and will write in the future because I see potential for her style to evolve into something I can connect with better.

As I mentioned, Sepetys created a few pearls in her prose, and I'd like to share some of those favourite quotes with you:

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch."

 

“'Sometimes there is such beauty in awkwardness. There's love and emotion trying to express itself, but at the same time, it just ends up being awkward.'”

 

“We'd been trying to touch the sky from the bottom of the ocean.

 

 3½/5 A harrowing yet hope-filled historical novel about the horrors of forced labour camp!

 -Eve

 

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Source: Goodreads

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Published: 2011 by Simon and Schuster
Where I got the book from: the library

Synopsis from Goodreads

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

My thoughts

There are some books that just grab you, glue you to your seat and make you simply turn the pages like a whirlwind. Those are the books that I love the best – the ones that make you tremble and laugh, the ones that send thrills through you and have you hold your breath (metaphorically) in fearful anticipation. I am so glad that I re-read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer because I felt all that already for the second time.

I’m not even sure if I can describe this novel adequately enough. There were so many aspects that I LOVED and for me everything – yes, I’m fairly confident that everything – fit together into a perfect, intricate plot. Mara’s story unfolds steadily and with a fast pace, revealing shocking things one after another and making my eyes bulge out and my mouth drop open. This book literally sent shivers down my spine. Perhaps what makes it so deliciously creepy and captivating is Mara’s uncertainty about her sanity – I asked myself, as she asked herself, what EXACTLY was real and what was going on.
 
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was not only eerie – it was also funny. I loved the snarky dialogue between the main characters and the believable relationships. Especially Mara’s family was wonderful – Daniel and Joseph! Whee! - and I look forward to the relationships being developed even further in the next book. Of course Jamie was awesome and I need more of him – and I do have a feeling that his story isn’t over yet – and obviously I can’t leave out a mention of how much I am in love with Noah. He balances out Mara so well and they seem so equal in their banter – they can both stand up for each other and they have a connection that feels real. None of the characters in this novel felt at all shallow and I can’t wait to read more about them.
 
What more can I say? The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a beautifully, dangerously, powerfully captivating novel that I definitely recommend to people who want their head messed with by a book. Mystery, friendship, madness, grief, romance, fear, murder, uniqueness – this book has it all. So just, you know, get hold of it. Quick.
 
 
5/5 One of my favourites – an intense, unputdownable YA psychological thriller!

 

-Eve

Series Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Synopsis from Goodreads

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

  

#1 The Lightning Thief
#2 The Sea of Monsters
#3 The Titan's Curse
# 4 The Battle of the Labyrinth
# 5 The Last Olympian

My thoughts

 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is one of the many favourite series of my childhood – and with reason. I wanted to re-read these five fantasy books inspired by Ancient Greek mythology so that I could experience Percy and his friends’ fantastic adventures again, and I wasn’t at all let down or left feeling like I’d outgrown the series. The very opposite – Percy Jackson has now definitely got an eternal place in my heart and I will eagerly recommend his stories to young and young adult readers alike when they are searching for an exciting and hilarious take on ancient tales.

 

Riordan is a talented story-teller – each of the Percy Jackson books has a plot of its own, but they link together into a greater story arc. The writing zigzags expertly between heart-racing, action-packed fighting sequences and bursts of witty humour – such as chapter titles that I guarantee will make even the most serious reader’s facial muscles twitch and brain whir in anticipation. Examples of these are Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants, We Meet the Dragon of Eternal Bad Breath and I Put on a Few Million Extra Pounds.

Of course, a series can hardly become one of my fond favourites if it doesn’t have a lovable and memorable cast of characters. Percy, Grover, Annabeth, Chiron, Tyson, the gods and everyone else are all amazing. I mean, of course I don’t like everyone’s personality (I’d have to be pretty insane to agree with some of the bad guys’ ideas) but as characters, I think they work well in the story and are all fascinating individuals.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is also fantastic because it has one of the most epic final battles I have read – simultaneously tense, thrilling, sad and funny. Not many authors can handle a combination like that, but Riordan succeeds.

To round this off, I’d like to share some of my favourite funny quotes from the series!

                                                                   

                “How did you die?"
                "We er....drowned in a bathtub."
                "All three of you?"
                "It was a big bathtub.”

                                                -The Lightning Thief

 

                                                ***

 

                “There will be deaths,” Chiron decided. “That much we know.”

                “Oh, goody!” Dionysus said.

                Everyone looked at him. He glanced up innocently from the pages of Wine            Connoisseur magazine. “Ah, pinot noir is making a comeback. Don’t mind me.”

                                                -The Curse of the Titans

 

                                                ***

 

                “He looks like a magician. I hate magicians. They usually have rabbits.”

                I stared at him. “You’re scared of bunnies?”

                “Blah-hah-hah! They’re big bullies. Always stealing celery from defenceless satyrs!”

                                                -The Last Olympian

 

 

5/5 A hilarious fantasy series full of action-packed adventures!

 

-Eve



Review: The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Source: Goodreads

Title: The Gray Wolf Throne

Author: Cinda Williams Chima

Series: The Seven Realms #3

Published: 2011 by Hyperion

Where I got the book from: the library

A synopsis can be found here on Goodreads (it has spoilers for the other books so I won't paste it on the blog).

 

THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS FOR BOOKS ONE AND TWO!

 

WHAT I LIKED:

Cinda Williams Chima’s third novel in the Seven Realms series did not, just like the first two books, lack in tension, secrets or romance. Emotions are described well – hurt and betrayal for example, which were inevitable when a certain revelation was made. Moreover, The Gray Wolf Throne focuses on court and politics, which I love reading about especially in the high fantasy genre.

Another aspect I was pleased with was the fact that I really don’t know the answers to the main mysteries! This one kept me on my toes, waiting to find out who was the bad guy and dying to know how things would finish up with Raisa and Han because truly, things could end in any way and the suspense of that makes me happy. The ending left me intrigued about what could happen next but I have a feeling the final book will leave me surprised.

..AND WHAT I DIDN’T:

Unfortunately, The Gray Wolf Throne disappointed me in a few ways. First of all, I wanted the Seven Realms to be a trilogy, but apparently it’s a four book series. The library doesn’t have the fourth book and I don’t want to buy it because I hate buying sequels if I don’t have the whole series, and additionally because I don’t PASSIONATELY love this series.

Another reason why I wasn’t stunned by The Gray Wolf Throne is Raisa’s complex and frustrating collection of relationships. I am sick of Micah and Nightwalker buzzing around her like flies attracted to a pot of honey, and her letting them. And Mellony – well, I think Mellony should have had a slightly bigger role in book one (I’m not sure if Raisa ever even had a conversation with her?) so that we could witness the apparent change in her. Mellony is just annoyingly easily swayed and so very naïve-seeming.

Furthermore, I was kind of tired of the danger element remaining only a threat. What I mean is there have been enough assassins and I want a real battle next.

Finally – and this is a really small issue, it hardly bothered me - the beginning had a predictable element, Crow’s identity. It was one of my guesses so I wasn’t surprised.

 

IN CONCLUSION:

The Gray Wolf Throne wasn’t a jaw-dropping, amazing novel but nonetheless a strong enough sequel to the Seven Realms series. I liked not knowing how things would end but would have wanted the series to wrap up already. Raisa’s “suitors” annoyed me but otherwise I enjoyed the plot, especially the political intrigue and the suspense.

4-/5 A solid, intriguing sequel with a couple of disappointing details!

My review for The Demon King can be found here, and for the The Exiled Queen here.

 

-Eve

Review: Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Picture source: Goodreads

Title: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Series: no, but Dessen's characters appear sneakily in her other books! ;)
Published: 2008 by Viking (Penguin Group)
Where I got the book from: the library

Synopsis from Goodreads

"Ruby, where is your mother?"

 Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

THE PLOT

I can say with complete confidence – Sarah Dessen is one of the most gifted writers in YA contemporary literature. Honestly, anyone could write a book, but very few succeed in capturing thousands of readers’ hearts with each novel they create. Dessen is surely one of these.

Lock and Key is like any of Sarah Dessen’s other books – a story of growth, relationships and struggling to overcome personal challenges. The main character, Ruby, has had a difficult childhood filled with abandonment, uncertainty and premature independence. Her father left when she was a small child and so did her sister some years later. Ruby’s mother is an alcoholic and the two don’t have a close relationship. One day, her mother disappears and Ruby is forced to deal with her past when her sister Cora and his husband Jamie adopt her to live in their house and start a life which is as different to her old one as it could possibly be.

Ruby’s life and her problems touched me deeply. The entire story could have been true, it was so believable, and it saddens me that some people really have to go through all those things. Ruby is afraid of allowing people come close to her and letting go of the secrets she has covered up all those years, and it was a heart-warming journey to see her barriers coming gradually down. I loved the contrast between her past and present, which are polar opposites – going from trying to handle everything herself with no consistent show of love from her mother to being surrounded by safe and caring people who want the best for her.

THE CHARACTERS

The characters – like always in Dessen’s books – were as real as they come, well-developed and so very lovable. If only I could meet them! Jamie is perhaps my favourite, with his genuine encouragement, loving nature and boundless enthusiasm for all kinds of things. Flustered, anxious Harriet is one of the sweetest characters ever, and Gervais is such an annoying nerd but quite nice anyway.

Dessen’s talent lies within the creation of relationships (friendship, family, romance) between characters. They are never hasty nor unplanned, but they build up slowly, with bumps and hitches on the way, to an honest connection, all the while described with amazing skill. Ruby and Cora, Ruby and Roscoe, Ruby and Nate, Ruby and Olivia… All the interactions are from every-day life told in a way that kept me hooked. The disintegration of relationships is also masterfully depicted, showing clearly why they didn’t work out. Dessen is an expert on communication and contact between individuals.

IN CONCLUSION

In brief, there is simply nothing I can nit-pick in Lock and Key because in my opinion it is a compelling read with beautiful character development and interaction. Dessen’s writing is thought-provoking, steady and focused with nothing unnecessary at all. I would thrust this in the hands of anyone looking for a contemporary novel that really has meaning.

5/5 A compelling read by the amazing Sarah Dessen!

Similar books: anything else of Sarah Dessen’s, How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

 

-Eve

Review: The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

Picture source: Goodreads

Title: The Exiled Queen

Author: Cinda Williams Chima

Series: The Seven Realms Series #2

Published: 2010 by HarperCollins

Where I got the book from: the library

To read the synopsis - it has spoilers for book one - visit Goodreads. 

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS FOR BOOK ONE IN THE SERIES.

 

THE PLOT

The Exiled Queen follows the characters and the story from The Demon King smoothly. Naturally I was eager to see how Raisa, Han and Dancer managed on their way to and at Oden’s Ford, and hoped for more magic and mayhem to ensue. In that aspect I was not disappointed – the subplots of The Exiled Queen were various and yet linked together well, and both Raisa’s and Han’s stories kept me turning the pages.

However, I didn’t find the big picture of the plot, so to speak, very clear. Once at Oden’s Ford, Raisa and Han basically lived a boarding school-ish life (which is always fun, I don’t deny that), and more than once I thought that Micah Bayar and his friends were very much like Draco Malfoy with his cronies. Han gets tangled in a curious world and finds himself pledged to perhaps too many masters with dubious aims. Raisa, on the other hand, develops into a convincing speaker, though she even more uncertain where things stand between her and Amon Byrne, her commander. Despite all the happenings, I finished the book feeling like there wasn’t a proper story in it, as in there wasn’t one large plotline the subplots attached to and complemented. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book – I did, very much. Dancer was more fleshed out, like I had hoped, and there was a lot of excitement and plot twists. I did guess one of these twists very early on, though it still came unexpectedly along. The romance was great and left things hanging for the final book which I wait to read in anticipation. I only hope things work out in a satisfying way for Raisa, Han, Amon and Dancer. The fact that there is a love triangle of sorts didn’t bother me in the least, because it was executed very believably and there’s a chance it won’t work either way, which is intriguing.

THE CHARACTERS

I have to say that one of my favourite supporting characters is Cat. Her name is annoying because Cat is really not that original, but then again, it suits her fierce and independent nature perfectly. I love her unyielding street accent and tough shell and the changes she goes through, slowly letting go of her guilt. Though she has her flaws, she is unbelievably loyal and her passion for music shows that she has her softer parts.

There is one character that I genuinely hate, and that’s Crow. I won’t say much because that might spoil the book for those who haven’t read it, but he is frustratingly enigmatic, power-hungry and the one person I trust the least. I really want to figure out his motive because he has so many secrets and he might play a key part in the third book.

THE WRITING

Again, I loved Chima’s way to tell the story – simple, concise but accurately descriptive. Within the genre of high fantasy, there seems to be a tendency to write from third-person narrative, and while I generally prefer first-person, the narration in the Seven Realms Series is very likeable. Though I wasn’t as close to the characters’ immediate thoughts and feelings as I am in first-person, I felt that I really knew who Raisa and Han were and connected with their feelings.

IN CONCLUSION

I liked The Exiled Queen very much although I think the plot could have had a clearer purpose. The romance and the intrigue were portrayed well, and enough questions were left unanswered to leave me waiting in anticipation to begin the third book. All in all, The Exiled Queen was a well-written sequel to The Demon King and interesting because of the different setting and development of characters.

 

4/5 An exciting fantasy novel!

 
See my review for The Demon King, book one in the Seven Realms Series, here.

Similar books: The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan (Black Magician Trilogy #1)

-Eve

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Picture source: Goodreads

Title: Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley

Series: no

Published: 2010 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Where I got the book from: the library

 

Synopsis from Goodreads

 

"Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

 

My thoughts

 

This time I’m reviewing a little differently – I loved Graffiti Moon so much I’m going to make a list of reasons why you should read it!

 

1) The book takes place during a single night.

This is something that will always capture my attention in a book synopsis – there’s something really special about a story that focuses on one day/night that is unforgettable for the protagonist and changes her/him in some way. Graffiti Moon takes this concept and makes it really work! I could sense the development of the characters so well.

 

2) It radiates an amazing urban artistic-ness.

I swear, all of the three POVs (Lucy, Shadow, Poet) successfully give out a fresh, unique perspective on art and how it affects their lives. The graffiti, the glass-blowing, the poetry… It’s such an exotic and fascinating combination that really grabbed me as a reader.

 

3) The characters are compelling.

Graffiti Moon succeeds in characterization outstandingly. Through Lucy’s and Shadow’s POVs the reader is truly in their heads, faces their bared souls and comprehends who they are and how they became that. Poet’s POV, simply poems he has written and nothing else, is a unique way of showing what he is like, complemented by Shadow’s remarks and the way he views Poet. I enjoyed reading about the other characters too – Lucy’s wacky parents, Jazz, Ed’s boss Bert and the rest.

 

4) The emotions are tangible.

Crowley is skilled with layering each sentence with emotion – present are feelings of yearning for connection, fear of exposing your complete self and uncertainty about following dreams. Through the one night relationships slowly build or strengthen themselves. I especially loved Ed and Leo’s tight, brotherly friendship and the way Ed and Lucy slowly find out that they have a lot in common.

 

5) The dialogue is smart and fun.

Especially the interaction between Lucy and Ed is great – it’s feisty, arty and feels very authentic. The three girls also have good conversations that are humorous and speak volumes about them.

Is there anything I don’t like about Graffiti Moon? Um, no. In short, it is just perfect.

 

5/5 A new favourite contemporary novel!

 

Similar books: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

 

-Eve