Sunday, May 30, 2010

Review by Lauren - Perchance to Dream

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev

The stuff that dreams are made on.

Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

Once again, LISA MANTCHEV has spun a tale like no other—full of romance, magic, adventure, and fairies, too—that readers won’t want to put down, even after the curtain has closed.

First Impressions: With a storyline as creative as Eyes Like Stars, I was really excited to find out where Bertie's story was going to go.

What I really liked about Perchance to Dream - along with Eyes Like Stars - is the creativity behind the storyline. Almost all the characters come from famous plays. The story is full of theatre references. I'm not ridiculously in love with the book, but it was so much fun with the fairies, the adventure, and the tormenting love triangle. Oh my goodness Nate or Ariel? I was so torn for most of the book and it absolutely tore me apart, although deep down, I think I'm on Ariel's side. Perchance to Dream definitely showed a completely different side of him than Eyes Like Stars.

Final Impressions: Lots of fun, great story, and I can't wait for the third book :)


Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday (27)

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev

Release Date: May 25, 2010
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Goodreads
Description:
The stuff that dreams are made on.

Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

Once again, LISA MANTCHEV has spun a tale like no other—full of romance, magic, adventure, and fairies, too—that readers won’t want to put down, even after the curtain has closed.


I can't believe this is the first time for me learning of Perchance to Dream, the sequel to Eyes Like Stars! There isn't really much that needs to be said about Perchance to Dream. It's the sequel to Eyes Like Stars.

However, I'm a little torn on the cover. Do I like it? Yes. Though I like the cover of Eyes Like Stars more. This one seems so... New Moon poster-esque. But the artwork is beautiful. It's just the poses... And it comes out so soon! :D

So what are you all waiting on this Wednesday?

- Alex

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Review by Lauren: The Uninvited

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father, Marc, offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she’s glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north.

The house is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so she’s shocked to fi nd someone already living there — Jay, a young musician, who is equally startled to meet Mimi and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside: a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket sound track embedded in his latest composition.

But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want?

Part gripping thriller, part family drama, this fast-paced novel plays out in alternating viewpoints, in a pastoral setting that is evocative and eerie — a mysterious character in its own right.

First Impressions: Not too thrilled, to be honest. I bought it on a whim after seeing a "Staff Picks" sticker on it at the book store, and it's been sitting in my closet since November.

The Uninvited definitely exceeded my expectations :) I wouldn't exactly refer to it as a thriller, but it did have a lot of different components -mystery, action, a somewhat romance, drama. I read it in a day, completely unable to put it down, and although I did find the writing to be a little awkward at first, I quickly bypassed it and just let myself get into the story.

I really liked the characters and how Tim Wynne-Jones managed to connect you to even the creepiest of them... I found myself shipping characters I definitely should not have been shipping... But no matter what I tried to tell myself, I still saw the humanity and reasoning in every one of them, and couldn't help siding with the bad guys :p The book switches between 3 different perspectives, which I also liked because I got a little extra insight into everything. Two sides (or three I guess at some points) to the story.

Final Impressions: Great book, interesting, well written, and, as a little side note, it's a canadian read, taking place about an hour from where I live :)

Check out Alex's review of The Uninvited here.
This is also our 100th review! :D :D



Saturday, May 8, 2010

Review by Lauren: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

First Impressions: Alright. So I was looking forward to reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson (let's just call it WG, WG because let's face it, that's a long title), but I'm going to be honest here, neither John Green nor David Levithan have blown me away in the past. Alex is a huge fan of John Green, but I've never really gotten hooked on any of his stuff. As for David Levithan, I definitely enjoyed Nick & Nora and Naomi & Eli but once again, never a huge fan. So yes, I was looking forward to reading WG, WG, but I haven't been counting down the days to it's release.

I left WG, WG with the same outlook on it as I had going in. No, it did not blow my socks off, but I think I did enjoy it more than prior novels. The book definitely started out on a bit of an uncertain note, but things all seemed to click about fifty pages in and everything took off from there. It's a feel-good novel, great for contemporary, with characters that face some really difficult issues. One thing I really did like was how average a lot of the characters were, and I think that's something John Green does really well in his novels - so kudos for that :)

The multiple characters were definitely a plus for the novel (which is something David Levithan seems to do really well) and each Will Grayson brought a completely different outlook to the story. Having one gay character and one straight was also really interesting, and honestly, I didn't really have any issues with the story - it just didn't blow me away is all.

Final Impressions: Like I mentioned, if you are a fan of either of these authors, you'll love WG, WG, but I'm not going to fawn over it, because it's just not something that I really connect with on a different level and love to death.

















Thursday, May 6, 2010

Review by Alex- Numbers

Numbers By Rachel Ward
Numbers that pop into her head when she looks into someone's eyes. They're dates, the numbers. Dates predicting with brute accuracy each person's death.

Burdened by such grim knowledge, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. Maybe they can find happiness together, if only in the brief time that remains before his expiration date.


But on a trip to London, Jem foresees a chilling chain of events:
The city's a target.
The clock's running out.
The countdown is on to a blowup.


First Impression: Really intruiging concept, interesting cover. I'd heard about it a little bit beforehand, but really didn't know the plot of the novel. I went in hoping for something good, but without any expectations.

The first chapter, originally meant as a short story, started off well, but I thought the middle dragged, not picking up until around the second half. There are sadly some loose ends- such as that terrorist attack they're running away from. As Jem foresees the deaths of people all in one place, she and Spider run out of the building, only to have the building blow up moments later and their escape caught on camera. They're wanted now by the police, and so their adventure starts with them running away.

The problem for me... was that it took forever to read. Granted, I've been crazy busy, but for a book to take me weeks to finish means that it's not exciting enough for me to not put down. However the end really did pick up, and so once you get into Numbers, it does go quickly.

I found the characters were interesting, and I really liked that they're unusual. Jem's not the typical spoiled girl, having grown up in foster homes all her life after her mom's OD and Spider's not the likely hero/love interest. However, they're not really relatable at times. They were just characters in a novel, one who could see death dates, one who was really awkwardly built and full of energy, but... not a whole lot more. Jem and Spider were fine, but at the same time, not spectacular. The relationship between the two of them would twist, quickly going from nothing to being each other's everything.

Something about the writing is also different. It can be choppy at times, and I don't know if it's the difference between North American and English writing, but it was certainly unusual at first. It's easy to adjust to it though, and soon the writing flows nicely and is easy to read, with only the occasional hiccup.

The plot of the novel is, of course, really interesting, though some parts are a little strange. I found the ending to be quite trite, but it was also fitting. The plot would go in leaps and bounds, sometimes an intense chase scene, sometimes a labourous hike, sometimes strange peaceful intervals.

Since Numbers has main characters who haven't grown up in a spoiled environment, and of course the plot has them on the run, the novel itself is very brutal and harsh at times. But it's also honest and true. It's not extremely uplifting, to say the least. But it can be inspiring.

Final Impressions: I did like it. I thought it was mostly good, though at times it lagged and didn't spark my interest until towards the end. Overall though, an interesting novel that readers who enjoy darker contemporary novels with a twist would enjoy.

Note this! It's set in England, so references like the London Eye and specific places come up, which makes it hard for me, as a Canadian, to follow, but also adds a lot to the setting.

Favourite Character: Probably Spider's grandma. She's quite the old lady.

Add to Shelf: That's up to you. If this sounds like your sort of novel that you'd reread over and over, I would say yes. But otherwise... perhaps not.








Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
Release date: March 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Description:
It's hard to find beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming. Fourteen-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances and pickup trucks adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild girl Mandarin Ramey: seventeen, shameless and utterly carefree.

Grace would give ANYTHING to be like Mandarin.

When the two misfits are united for a project, they embark on an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and constantly searching for someplace magic. Grace even plays along when Mandarin suggests they make a pact to run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds that plague their badlands town.

But all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, even the best friendships can't withstand betrayal.


Sadly, the release date is a long way's away, but still. I love small town settings, misfit characters, and themes that revolve around beauty, pain, and friendships. So doesn't Like Mandarin sound perfect? Except maybe for the name Mandarin... I haven't warmed up to the name yet.

What are you waiting on this week?

(meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.)

Monday, May 3, 2010

Books Can Inspire

Ignore the title. It's crap and I know it.

So, onto the point of this impromptu post: I find myself constantly inspired by YA novels- not only the writing aspect of it, and how it makes you want to write your own novel or steal any of those ideas (which of course, great YA novels inevitably do)- but just general things in the novel. I'm not explaining this very well, so I'll give some examples to attempt to make my point make sense.

Into The Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern:
It's inspired me to want to sew my own skirts. This hasn't actually happened yet, but it will. One day. How awesome would it be to sew all these skirts out of different fabrics and wear them every day? Also- audiobooks. Jessie listens to many contemporary audio books, like Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zavin, and it has inspired me to listen to audio books. (Currently Harry Potter et la Coupe de Feu, in preparation for an AP french exam.) Audiobooks, as I've discovered, are wonderful things.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley:
Geocaching. 'Nuff said. Lauren and I have been wanting to do this for AGES, ever since reading this book... way back when we first started this blog! I think we missed our first blogoversary... Whoops. Geocaching will happen. We're signing up for coordinates as we speak. So stay tuned for some potential videos of us attempting to geocache.

Those are examples are of novels that inspire to start something new. Those examples are all basic activities- fun things to do. YA novels have diverse characters with diverse interests, and so there's so much potential to be inspired to get a new hobby. Character quirks can become our own quirks.

Then, if you want to get cheesy and mushy, there's also the whole characters-are strong-and-follow-their-dreams, which can very well inspire you to take action of your own life. And I mean this in the very best way possible, because of course that's an amazing thing. Books that can actually inspire positive change are probably one of the greatest things possible.

So really, what I'm saying, if I haven't quite explained myself, is that there are so many diverse ideas in novels, specifically YA novels for the purpose of this post, that there are endless possibilites to be inspired. I don't know if I have met a book that didn't inspire me in some way, whatever that way is. Often it's just a small creative element, like the protagonist sews her own clothes. Or it's something huge and impactful, like a girl finally speaking up and identifying the boy who abused her.

Book inspire. Books provoke change.

What books have inspired you?


with a touch of Lauren

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Review by Lauren: Rules of Attraction

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Carlos Fuentes doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Boulder, Colorado. He wants to keep living on the edge, and carve his own path—just like Alex did. Unfortunately, his ties to a Mexican gang aren't easy to break, and he soon finds himself being set up by a drug lord.

When Alex arranges for Carlos to live with his former professor and his family to keep him from being sent to jail, Carlos feels completely out of place. He's even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor's daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he's usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.

As the danger grows for Carlos, he's shocked to discover that it's this seemingly All-American family who can save him. But is he willing to endanger their safety for a chance at the kind of life he's never even dreamed possible?


First Impressions: Rules of Attraction is the second book in the Perfect Chemistry Trilogy, following the second Fuentes brother, Carlos. I adored Perfect Chemistry, so I was definitely super excited to finally get my hands on Rules of Attraction.

Simone Elkeles is an amazing writer for what she writes - cheesy. And as cheesy as these novels are, I love them. Rules of Attraction definitely does not disappoint :) It follows a very similar structure to Perfect Chemistry, but it didn't take away from the novel at all. I found the plot slightly more plausible than Perfect Chemistry... not that either novel would actually happen - Carlos just seems a little more real than Alex was, and I liked Kiera slightly more than Brittany. Her and Carlos' relationship developed at a really nice pace, great ending with another super cheesy epilogue :)

Anyhow, although Rules of Attraction is part of the Trilogy, you don't have to read Perfect Chemistry first. It will give you insight into Alex and Brittany's relationship in the novel, but they're secondary characters and aren't incredibly crucial to the plot.

Final Impressions: I would call Rules of Attraction a refined guilty pleasure read. Loved it.

Oh, and the book trailer is really, really well done :)























 
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