Blog News/Update

Hey everyone! So, in case you hadn't noticed, the blog's been having a bit of a mid-life crisis this past week. Lots of different colours, backgrounds, text - basically a lot of changes.

The first reason behind all this, as Alex mentioned in our last layout post, is to celebrate summer, aka our return to blogging. This past year was tough for our little blog, and we apologize a million times to you guys who have stuck by us through our months without posts!

The second reason is that we're changing our content slightly, mostly due to myself. I've realised recently that my desire to read YA has greatly diminished, and the number of regular fiction books I've enjoyed recently has risen greatly.

This fact had originally brought me to the conclusion that I was no longer going to be able to blog regularily, but of course Alex would have none of that. So A Flight of Minds will now include regular fiction reviews, written mostly by me (and possibly Alex on the rare occasion). A teen's view on the genre :)

So basically, we're expanding :) For the better :)

Review by Lauren - The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

First Impressions: I was very excited to read The Graveyard Book, mostly because of the high praise it has received. I didn't really have any idea what the book was going to be about, but I went in with high expectations.

Bod (short for Nobody) has spent almost his entire life in a graveyard, raised by ghosts instead of parents, and given all the same priviledges as the dead around him. He is kept hidden from the outside world to protect him from the people who want to hurt him, and spends his time learning to use his ghostly powers.

Because I read The Graveyard Book with such high expectations, it took me a while before I began to really enjoy it. You have to keep in mind that it is a children's book, with mature themes, but the story is still meant for younger children.

In the end, I did enjoy the book. It was endearing and imaginative, and I loved the illustrations that were included in every chapter such as the one off to the left. Every character was special, each ghost unique and entertaining. I loved how Neil Gaiman included each ghost's epitaph after their introduction, and how almost every chapter seemed to be a little story of its own.

Final Impressions: A great (mature) children's book about the joys of truling living. Oh, and can you see the face on the cover? :p Took me a couple days to figure that one out...

Memorable Quotes:

- "Name the different kinds of people,’ said Miss Lupescu. ‘Now.’

Bod thought for a moment. ‘The living,’ he said. ‘Er. The dead.’ He stopped. Then, ‘...Cats?’ he offered, uncertainly."

-"Bod quite liked crows. He thought they were funny and he liked the way they helped to keep the graveyard tidy."

- "Suppose we pick a name for him, eh?"
Caius Pompeius stepped over and eyed the child. "He looks a little like my proconsul, Marcus. We could call him Marcus."
Josiah Worthington said, "He looks more like my head gardener, Stebbins. Not that I'm suggesting Stebbins as a name. The man drank like a fish."
"He looks like my nephew Harry," said Mother Slaughter...
"He looks like nobody but himself," said Mrs.Owens, firmly. "He looks like nobody."
"Then Nobody it is," said Silas. "Nobody Owens."

Review by Alex- Prophecy of the Sisters

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans, and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies. The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her.

Debut novelist Michelle Zink takes readers on an unforgettable journey where one sister's fateful decision could have an impact of Biblical proportions. Prophecy of the Sisters is the first of three books.

First Impressions: I bought Prophecy of the Sisters ages ago, with high hopes and expectations after reading many praising reviews for it. And then... it just sat on my shelf for ages. (Actually, I lent it to Lauren, who read it and returned it. Then it sat on my shelf.) So when summer came, I finally pulled it back out.

Honestly not too sure why I left it unread for so long, but perhaps it's a good thing I did. Because there is nothing better than reading Prophecy of the Sisters while lying on a hammock in the shade, next to the beach. Prophecy of the Sisters has this dark atmosphere and is the perfect book to read all on your own, without distractions, in my opinion. Its writing is a little denser than other YA novels' writing, but much richer and poetic. Really beautiful, in other words. The fact that it's so different sets it apart from contemporary novels, or novels with settings in our time. Instead, the writing brings us to the past.

And what a past it is. Reminding me of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy (which is high praise- I adore that series, as Lauren and my youtube video should attest) Prophecy of the Sisters has girls with mysterious special powers, a strong and compelling plot, secrets that are to be uncovered, and friendships and love. What's not to find interesting in the novel?

That said, some of it is a little confusing, and a lot of it did seem like set-up. But this is the first novel in a trilogy, so that's to be unexpected and not much can be done about it.

Final Impressions: Prophecy of the Sisters is a great start that has a beautifully haunting atmosphere and tone and well done characters and relationships. Though I'm itching for more romance! All I can say, is I'm glad that I waited so long to read Prophecy of the Sisters so I don't have to wait long for Guardian of the Gates, book 2, coming out August 1, this year.

Lauren reviewed this one a while back, like when it actually came out, here, if you all want a second opinion, which of course, you do, right?

Layout change!

If anyone was up from 11 pm - 1 am today, you may have noticed some strange changes going around our blog. Meaning the layout may have been really bad while you were looking. I was attempting to change up the layout. A revamp, if you will.

Why? Well, Lauren and I decided (a while ago actually) that the blog needed a makeover. We were on a hiatus for most of the past school year, and now that summer has come, we thought a new layout was due. Summer = free time = time to read and review. Hopefully.

Well I've rambled enough I guess. What do you think of the layout? The pink colour too much? It'll probably be going through some more changes for the next little while, so I'll thank you in advance for putting up with it!

As usual, comments and construction critism are welcome. How does the background fit on all of your screens? I have a really wide screen, so what I see tends to be a lot different from most.

Review by Alex- 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: Having read Perfect Chemistry (actually, it was one of the first books I bought because of a blog’s review and I gave it as a present to Lauren) I knew what to expect from Rules of Attraction. It seemed like perfect car trip material, which is where I read a good portion of it.

While Rules of Attraction is pure cheesiness, it’s a cheese that’s done extremely well. It’s addicting and absorbing. A guilty read that’s utterly fantastic for what it is.

Kiera and Carlos’ relationship is interesting to see unfold and, while it’s ending is certainly not unexpected, it retains that perfect quality throughout. It’s never dull. It’s rocky at best at first, and goes through its ups and downs, at one point sweet, another hot, another in confusion. Their relationship is the base of the novel and makes Rules of Attraction what it is.

Kiera and Carlos tell the story in alternating perspectives, as like Perfect Chemistry. This lets us have two perspectives, which I love, and to get to know both personalities really well. Carlos is similar enough to Alex that readers get what they expected from the sequel to Perfect Chemistry, and Kiera is strong enough and well rounded to make an interesting female character.

Final Impressions: Much like Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction is a quick read that feels a little guilty, but extremely pleasurable. Time well spent.

Review by Lauren - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at he Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

In his wickedly brilliant first novel, Debut Dagger Award winner Alan Bradley introduces one of the most singular and engaging heroines in recent fiction: eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison.

It is the summer of 1950—and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw.

“I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

First Impressions: Initially, I had absolutely no desire whatsoever to read Sweetness, but after reading a little bit more about it, and hearing some great reviews from a couple people, my opinion completely changed.

Sweetness is the story of 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, a quirky girl who loves chemistry - and most of all poison. She is constantly tormented by her two older sisters - but with good reason. Incredibly witty and comical, Flavia is a wonderful storyteller, and creates a very entertaining narration for the story.

The book is a mystery, but it wasn't overdone. Sweetness was a light, fun read that made me smile, and that I was able to read fairly quickly. It was like a breath of fresh air, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All the characters had funny little quirks, and each one comical in their own way.

Final Impression: A fun, entertaining read that will put a smile on your face!

Review by Lauren - Linger

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being.

For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive into the future.


Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves...and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.


At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love--the light and the dark, the warm and the cold--in a way you will never forget

First Impressions: I was beyond excited. I love Maggie Stiefvater's novels, and have been waiting for Linger since Shiver first came out.

In Linger, Grace and Sam's roles seem to switch places. Grace grows continuously sicker as Sam tries to find her a cure while at the same time trying to take care of the new wolves that phase back into humans as the weather grows warmer. Two new perspectives are added to the mix; Isabel, who plays a bigger role in Linger than in Shiver, and Cole, one of the new wolves with a troubled past he's trying to escape in his wolf form.

As much as I enjoyed Linger, it doesn't quite have the same effect on me as Shiver did. I read some things about people getting confused over the added narratives by Isabel and Cole, but I actually really enjoyed their perspectives, especially Cole's. It helped me understand them a lot better as characters in a way that wouldn't have been possible had they only been seen through Grace and Sam's perspectives. Cole was probably my favorite in this story, and I loved his inner dilemna and personality.

One thing I really missed in Linger - and it is kindof embarrassing and I hate to admit it - were all the... uh... intimate moments between Sam and Grace. There were, of course, plenty of adorable moments between the two of them, but I still was looking for a bit more. There was intensity, but a slight lack in passion... Grace and Sam's relationship was still great in this book, and I still love how cute they are together, but I wanted a little bit of heat :p

Final Impressions: Linger was adorable, but it felt more like a filler novel to me with quite a few unresolved issues at the end of it. It wasn't too much of a disappointment for me though, seeing as it is a trilogy (right?) and the second book usually has that kind of format to it. Great writing once again by Maggie, who remains probably my favorite author at the moment, and I cannot wait for the final book!