Reviews of the Week 5/22

I've got some extra special tidbits included with today's reviews: Shannon Hale, the author of the now bestselling and highly-acclaimed Real Friends, is local and I was able to go to her book talk just this weekend. So, not only do you get to hear my thoughts on her newest book (woo! right?), but learn some extra special background info (the fascinating tidbits she shared). Plus some other awesome book highlights, in the board book and picture book categories.

Reviews of the Week 3/13

Anyone else celebrate Pi Day? I've got pi on the brain. Okay, mostly pie. Especially with pie making a repeated appearance in a reviewed book this week: The Warden's Daughter. Unfortunately, the pie references might've been the only part I really like in that book...

Reviews of the Week 3/6

Hello and happy Monday! My reviews this week have quite the spread between topic and rating. That's all I have to say, really, because...it's Monday. 

Reviews of the Week 2/6

Bears, oxen, and horses, oh my! It's an animal-book-heavy week, people! There's some interesting reads, yes, but I'm not gonna lie, I had some issues. Not every book is perfect after all...

Wonder Woman at Super Hero High

Wonder Woman at Super Hero High
(DC Super Hero Girls)
Lisa Yee

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-1101940594
Publisher: Random House
Date of publication: March 1, 2016
Age: Grades 4 - 7
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: library book

Themes: DC Superheroes, friendship, school, competition,

Wonder Woman has only ever known life on Paradise Island, but she wants fulfill her full potential as a superhero. Despite her mother's misgivings, Wonder Woman enrolls at the elite Super Hero High and eagerly studies hard to ace classes, embraces new friends, and juggles a variety of clubs and training. What she doesn't anticipate is a roommate documenting her every move on social media, anonymous threatening notes telling her to leave, and the ever never-before-seen boys. High school might be harder than she thought.

Kick-butt female superheroes and villains kicking back in high school? Sounds like an awesome idea! And...then I read the book. While it's a book that fills a void in the male-heavy superhero world, it could've been executed so much better. The story line was very repetitive and dragged quite a bit. The characters, while beloved, were pretty ditsy. Wonder Woman is, indeed, insatiably optimistic, slightly ignorant (life on a secluded island with only women might do that to you), and dedicated to justice—but in this book, that all came together to make her seem like an airhead. Especially when she earned the nickname "Wondy." Oh, Wondy...

I did enjoy some aspects, like the antics of Harley Quinn and Wondy's reaction to the dorky-but-cute Steve Trevor. Also, the research that went into it is impressive—every single character comes from the DC universe. So while I may not have loved the story, I still appreciate its helping girls to delve into the nerd culture.

Readalikes would include books like Goddess Girls or Grimmtastic Girls.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

The Extincts

The Extincts
Written by Veronica Cossanteli, illustrations by Roman Muradov

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-1627794039
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Date of publication: February 9, 2016
Age: Grades 4 - 7
Genre: Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

Themes: extinct animals, mythological creatures, friendship, taxidermy, jobs

George is looking for a job in order to raise money for a new bike, so when he sees a help wanted ad for Wormestall Farm, he goes for it. Before long, he's embroiled in a madcap adventure involving creatures both (supposedly) extinct and (previously thought to be) mythological, a new friend (a girl!), and a maniacal taxidermist who wants the animals of Wormestall Farm in her own private collection...stuffed, of course.

This was one of those I spot on the library shelf and was curious. But...I wanted it to be so much more fun than it was. In the end, it was pretty flat and cliché. Or perhaps I should say Flat and Cliché (yes, be prepared for the Random Capitalization writing style). There's some pretty snarky and dark humor with some things gross and other things violent. Perhaps I was hoping for something like Fablehaven, but got a twisted 101 Dalmatians instead. There's not much to be said of the characters--they are quirky, fun, and pretty much what you'd expect (e.g. the villain is quite villainous, with no redeeming qualities). The extra half star, though, for an exciting ending and for Lo (best character, easily).

Oh yeah, and the illustrations...well, they're there. Not much to celebrate or complain about. Anyways, I'm not in a rush to recommend it, but if this sounds like your cup of tea, then go for it.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions

The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions
Written by Tracey Hecht, illustrated by Kate Liebman

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-1944020002
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Date of publication: April 19, 2016
Age: Grades 2 - 6
Genre: Mystery

Themes: nocturnal animals, abductions, friendship, sports

Dawn, a serious fox, Tobin, a sweet pangolin, and Bismark, a loud-mouthed, pint-sized sugar glider—three unlikely friends who form a brigade of the night after a random encounter with a blood-thirsty snake. It's just in time because something is threatening their night realm. Animals are disappearing without a trace. Together with the help of a wombat, a band of coyotes and many others, Dawn, Tobin and Bismark journey to the depths of the earth in a wacky, high stakes game that will determine all of their survival. (see the book trailer here)

Points for creativity, that's for sure. I will say that I have never read a book where the main characters include a pangolin and sugar glider. Actually, there's all sorts of fascinating creatures that the reader is introduced to and little tidbits of actual animal facts. It's quite informational, actually...up to a point. The food chain seems to be a bit ignored, among several other fictional elements created to make the story work. I wouldn't normally mind a kiwi bird being used as a hockey stick in a story, but the juxtaposition with actual facts make the whole story come off a bit farfetched. This is furthered by a lot of convenient plot points to make the story work. For instance, the way the three main animals become friends in the first place happens all in about one page with little concern for depth or believability. The characters themselves are quite flat, but characters indeed. Tobin is delightfully sweet, which is a nice balance to the rather annoying Bismark (I wish he'd stick with the random vocabulary just one foreign language). Altogether, it's just...cute.

So while there are a lot of liberties taken, I was still engrossed with the climax (even though it was not at all what I would've expected). The mystery itself was fun and unpredictable. It's definitely targeted towards the juvenile audience because it is, itself, rather juvenile. It's cutesy. Which, I don't mind recommending, but I don't know that I'll be anxious to read the sequels. If you are interested in a fun, random story featuring animals that don't usually get the spotlight, give this a try.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

(I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review)

Moonpenny Island

Moonpenny Island
Tricia Springstubb

My rating: ★★

ISBN: 978-0062112934
Publisher: Balzar + Bray
Date of publication: February 10, 2015
Age: Grades 5 - 7
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: family relationships, best friends, secrets, fossils & geology, change

Moonpenny is a tiny island in a great lake. When the summer people leave and the ferries stop running, just the tried-and-true islanders are left behind. Flor and her best, her perfect friend, Sylvie, are the only eleven-year-olds there—and Flor couldn’t be happier. But come the end of summer, Sylvie is suddenly, mysteriously, whisked away to school on the mainland. Flor's mother leaves to take care of Flor's sick grandmother and doesn’t come back. Her big sister has a secret, and Flor fears it's a dangerous one. Meanwhile, a geologist and his peculiar daughter arrive to excavate prehistoric trilobites, one of the first creatures to develop sight. Soon Flor is helping them. As her own ability to see her life on this little lump of limestone evolves, she faces truths about those she loves—and about herself—she never imagined.

So depressing. And not in one of those good ways. Because the ending was just terrible (though I'll admit I was skimming the last couple chapters—I was hoping there would be some great resolve...and there wasn't). The characters were frustrating; I didn't understand or appreciate them. Does the dad really have to be that ignorant? Was the whole geologist-and-daughter aspect really necessary? And the writing. So flowery and poetic. Too flowery and poetic. I wanted Springstubb to get to the point.

Okay, I apologize for that rant. What did I like? The issues Flor faces are real, and change is hard. Flor does a lot of growing up that many readers will appreciate. Overall? There will be plenty of adults who will enjoy the beauty in this tale, but I, sadly, am not one. And I really don't believe many grade-schoolers will like it either.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Imaginary Fred

Imaginary Fred
Written by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-0062379559
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of publication: September 29, 2015
Age: 4 - 8 years

Themes: imaginary friends, friendship,

Did you know that sometimes, with a little electricity, or luck, or even magic, an imaginary friend might appear when you need one? An imaginary friend like Fred. Fred floated like a feather in the wind until Sam, a lonely little boy, wished for him and, together, they found a friendship like no other. But Fred knows what happens when Sam grows up and is no longer lonely. How long will their friendship last?

This is Eoin Colfer's first picture book and it is super long. Cute, but long. Perhaps he's just a bit too used to making chapter books? Because this just goes on and on. The story could have been trimmed down a bit; the length would make for a tough readaloud. So, while not a storytime pick, it'd still be fun for kids to read on their own. Sam and Fred are adorable, and the friendship(s) they build do teach a good lesson. Some dashes of humor also keeps it light. Good story, just...long.

The illustrations? Normally I love Jeffers' work, but this time, it didn't quite float my boat. It's composed of simple pen-line drawings with some digitally added dots of blue and yellow for the imaginary friends. It's a bit too simple and the dots actually made it a bit hard on the eyes. I appreciate that he did something different for the imaginary characters, to help delineate, but he's done better work on other books.

So do I recommend it? With how much I love The Adventures of Beekle, this will not be topping my list of great imaginary friends books. But with such a well-known, popular author and illustrator, I'm sure many people will still enjoy it. Not so much my taste, but you can try it out if you want.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak
Robert Beatty

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-1484709016
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date of publication: July 14, 2015
Age: Grades 4 - 7
Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Themes: identity, paranormality, friendship, family, Biltmore Estate, missing children

When children at the Biltmore estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore's corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of Biltmore's owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak's true identity before all of the children vanish one by one.

While the story line was suspenseful and the tale rather creepy, the book felt too random and disjointed for me to fully enjoy it. There's the demonic nature of the cloaked man, and then the bleeding forest (were the leaves really bleeding? I'm still confused at the part). And then there's a catamount... There seemed to be too many things going on at once. The mystery of disappearing children, the mysterious identity of the cloaked man, the mysterious origin of Serafina...it was too much for me to create a fluid story.

As for the characters: Serafina, when we are first introduced to her, is hard for me to imagine—she's repeatedly referred to as strange in appearance and actions. I couldn't connect with her, but her "huntress" persona did drive the story along. Braeden seemed way too friendly to someone who is supposed to be strange and shunned by everyone else. He came off pretty flat, as the overly kind hero of the story.

I appreciated the look into the workings of the Biltmore Estate and the history of the area. I enjoyed the scary parts. Overall, I might recommend it to a certain few, especially those that enjoyed The Night Gardener (Jonathan Auxier) or Boys of Blur (N.D. Wilson).

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Ninja Bunny

Ninja Bunny
Written and illustrated by Jennifer Gray Olson

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-0385754934
Publisher: Knopf Books
Date of publication: June 9, 2015
Age: 3 - 6 years

Themes: ninja, rules, friendship, bunnies

Our little bunny is ready to embark on his path to becoming a super awesome ninja! His how-to book tells him he must work alone, be super sneaky, and possess all sorts of ninja traits. But is he cut out for the ninja life? Especially if it means leaving his friends behind?

The story is told solely through a list of rules and some pretty adorable illustrations. However, I was really hoping that it would be another totally awesome ninja book—one that I could add to my ninja-storytime-repertoire. I mean, it's cute, but that's about it. The whole book is about the irony between what the rules say the bunny should be doing, and what the illustrations actually depict (which is usually failure). And that's a bit hard to communicate to a group of kids in a storytime. It'd be better for one-on-one reading, but still not my favorite. Maybe you could try it out and see what you think.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

What Pet Should I Get?

What Pet Should I Get?
Written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss

My rating: ★★

ISBN: 978-0553524260
Publisher: Random House
Date of publication: July 28, 2015
Age: 3 - 7 years

Themes: decision making, rhymes, siblings, animals

What happens when a brother and sister visit a pet store to pick a pet? Well of course it's too hard to choose just one! Both find all sorts of animals to love. But in the end, a decision on one pet must be made. What will they choose?

Well, prepare for some disappointment. Okay, maybe that is a little harsh, but I do wonder if Dr. Seuss is rolling a bit in his grave now that this long-lost manuscript is published. Maybe it was lost for a reason.

Basically, while the text still had Seuss' famous rhymes and an odd animal thrown into the mix, it wasn't particularly well done. There were a few hop and skips in the rhyming scheme that would make it a tad difficult to read aloud without some practice. The vocabulary isn't necessarily the best for beginning readers (again, a made up animal or two, plus some longer words). Actually, the story overall is hardly engaging or interesting; the brother and sister are looking at pets. And more pets. And yet some more pets.

And then there's the ending. Which, I won't spoil for you, but it was a bit of a let down. Really, I won't be in a huge rush to recommend this book. I was pretty disappointed, as a Dr. Seuss fan. Sure, there's the novelty of it being "the long-lost manuscript!" but that's about it.

If you want, find it at your library or on Amazon

Rude Cakes

Rude Cakes
Written and illustrated by Rowboat Watkins

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-1452138510
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Date of publication: June 2, 2015
Age: 3 -5 years

Themes: manners, bullying, cakes, politeness vs. rudeness

A not-so-sweet cake is pushing the little cakes around—never saying "please," "thank you," or "sorry." It takes what it wants without asking and is never wrong. But what happens if a giant cyclops comes around? Will the little rude cake get its just desserts? Even the rudest cake can learn to change its ways.

Yes, I said giant cyclops. Because why not. And why wouldn't multi-tiered, fully iced cakes play on the playground and take baths.

...Okay I'm being a little sardonic. It came off really random and strange to me, but that may be humorous for others, like children (it is a pretty childish sort of humor). The illustrations are cute, and I do appreciate the little asides and speech bubbles adding to the story. But man, it's kind of weird.

Also, that little cake is really mean. And its parents (parents? I think so...) are pretty idiotic (look for the dad on the monkey bars). So I don't fully appreciate that the way this rude cake learned its lesson was through the threat of giant cyclops. Not through its (completely inept) parents. I did like the cyclops' manners—which provided a nice lesson—but, yeah. I don't think I'd ever use it in storytime and won't be in a huge rush to recommend it. Unless I find that children are loving it. Hard to say.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

The Night World

The Night World
Written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

My rating: ★★

ISBN: 978-0316188227
Publisher: Little, Brown
Date of publication: June 16, 2015
Age: 3 - 6 years

Themes: night, sunrise, light, color, exploration

Everyone in the house is sleeping, but outside, the night world is wide-awake. It's a wonderful night to explore! Sylvie the cat wakes up her boy and takes him into the night where the flowers have lost their color and the animals eagerly await the arrival of...what? What's coming? It's almost here!

This has been on some Caldecott watch lists, which is why I originally picked it up. However, I am not a fan. Neither the illustrations nor the story impressed me. In fact, in came off a bit creepy and weird. The animals—which are only dark silhouettes, since it is nighttime—gather outside, each murmuring and whispering "it's coming!" white the cat leads the boy to who knows where (see where the creepy element comes in?). I didn't appreciate the talking animals. The ending (don't worry, it's not actually scary) was satisfying, but didn't make up for the rest of the weird story.

The illustrations are...unique. It is reminiscent of Flashlight, which was on the mock Caldecott lists last year, with the world in the black silhouettes of night. But at least Flashlight looked like the illustrator tried. Gerstein's illustrations just feel lazy and rushed. It's sloppy in a non-artistic sort of way. Especially when compared to his previous Caldecott-winning book. Basically, I was not impressed in the least. Some may feel different, but to each their own.

If you really want to, find it at your library or on Amazon

Outstanding in the Rain

Outstanding in the Rain
Written and illustrated by Frank Viva

My rating: ★★

ISBN: 978-0316366274
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Date of publication: April 14, 2015
Age: 3 - 6 years

Themes: birthday, Coney Island, carnival, word play

With several plays on words, a young boy excitedly spends his birthday at Coney Island. He enjoys ice cream, rides, and time on the beach—eating sandwiches on the sand which is there. When the night rain falls and night train calls, the little boy goes home—but not before getting a special treat.

On the cover, you'll notice it also says "a whole story with holes," and I take that both literally and figuratively. What Viva has done is create a story with strategic die-cuts to reveal different illustrations and word-plays. But, in this attempt, the story itself is lacking. It's jumpy (with his stretches in word play) and overly simple. I'm still confused about the boy shouting in her ear, but then it's her rear... I don't know. It's just not the best script. The illustrations are appealing, following a specific color scheme to create a vintage vibe, but aren't enough to save the book overall. This is not a favorite, but perhaps you'll get a chance to peruse it at some point and make your own opinion.

If you really want to, find it at your library or on Amazon

Boys of Blur

Boys of Blur
N. D. Wilson

My rating: ★★

ISBN: 978-0449816738
Publisher: Random House
Date of publication: April 8, 2014
Age: Grades 5 - 7
Genre: Horror

Themes: football, folklore, family, courage

Charlie has just moved to Taper, Florida—a small town isolated by everglades and swamps, and covered in sugarcane. It breeds the fastest runners and football players in the state, boys that chase muck rabbits in the fields when the cane is being burned and harvested. But it also breeds a dark secret, growing under the ancient mounds and roaming the cane at night. Together with his cousin, Charlie will hunt the secret and try to save those he loves.

This book has popped up a few times as a possible Newbery nominee, which is why I read it. And I can see why: it combines the ancient epic of Beowulf with African American lore in an engaging way. But it also combines child abuse, race relations, the South's love of football, zombies, blended family relationships, and more. In 200 pages. Yeah. There's a lot of gaps, jumps, and confusing little twists. Not to mention I was just really blind-sided by the zombie aspect: nothing on the cover, summary, or elsewhere led me to believe it was a horror story.

The characters came off flat, probably because there just wasn't time to develop them. Charlie's tumultuous relationship with his birth father comes to a head quite suddenly and ends just as quick. His mother makes, like, two appearances, even though her son is running all over creation with zombies. There's just too much crammed into one little book. With a big dose of weird. I didn't much like it.

If you really want to, find it at your library or on Amazon

Half A Chance

Half A Chance
Cynthia Lord

My rating: ★★

ISBN: 978-0545035330
Publisher: Scholastic
Date of publication: February 25, 2014
Age: Grades 4 - 7
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: photography, family, memories,

Lucy and her family has just moved (again) to a cottage on the lake, and she's ready with her camera. She yearns to have her father be proud of her photos, himself being a famous photographer off on a job in Arizona. So when she learns he's judging a contest, she enters anonymously with the help of her new-found friend, Nate. But as they find shots, what Lucy thinks makes good, truthful art seems to Nate a sad realization: that his grandmother's memory is fading along with what he holds dear about his summers at the lake.

The premise of seeking truth through art seems deep and moving, but this story was slow and boring. Perhaps, if I had a passion for photography, I could have connected more. But as it stands, the characters were flat and never really evolved in the story. It is clear from the beginning that Lucy needs praise and attention from her father, to the point where it drives the majority of her thoughts and actions. But he never really gives it to her; it remains unresolved and Lucy still lacks real identity. It makes for a hollow climax. The other characters remain pretty flat, as well.

And the story? I can appreciate the scary and heartbreaking battle with Alzheimer's/dimensia (or whatever it is that Grandma is suffering from) that some families go through. But it gave this story a depressing undercurrent; it's never fully addressed and dealt with by the characters. Then, with the plot being mostly about this photography contest, there just isn't much (or any) excitement or drama. I'm just not wowed by it. Which is a bummer coming from Lord, since her other books are pretty amazing.

If you really want to, find it at your library or on Amazon

What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World

(Bonus book review today: we're talking about the Virtual Book Club book! We meet on Twitter and you can join in too! Just follow along with #vbcbooks!)

What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World
Henry Clark

My rating: ★★½

ISBN: 978-0316206662
Publisher: Little, Brown
Date of publication: July 2, 2013
Age: Grades 3 - 7
Genre: Science Fiction

Themes: gadgetry, interplanetary portals, alien invasion, adventure, mind control

The three of them found the sofa while they were waiting for the bus, just plopped down by the curb, probably waiting for a trash pickup. When searching the cushions, River, Freak, and Fiona discover a rare and (as eBay soon reveals) valuable zucchini-colored crayon. Upon marching up to the house of the sofa's owner to return the crayon, they are pulled into a zany plot hatched by their eccentric neighbor to stop an evil billionaire from enslaving the entire world. Because the crayon is the key.

The story is thoroughly inventive; it takes quite the imagination to hatch a plot to takeover the world based on something found in a sofa. The characters are endearing, each with their own challenges that shape their actions. And some (younger) kids may really go for this. It is, after all, a rather fantastical adventure. So stop here if you want to read it.

Because, oh my, I could barely finish it. And I only did so because it was a book club book. It was definitely not my style with the far-fetched plot and extremely convenient coincidences that make these kids capable of stopping a billionaire alien. So. Many. Literary shortcuts. (Which, if you remember, was pet-peeve #14.) It's cute, it really is. But I really couldn't enjoy it fully there as it got close to the ending.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

The Fire Artist

The Fire Artist
Daisy Whitney

My rating: ★★

ISBN: 9781619631328
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date of publication: October 14, 2014
Age: Grades 7 to 11
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: elemental powers, performances, family relationships, genies,

Aria has stolen her power to create fire. She has broken the law and stolen her power from lightening--but it is the only was she can get out and away from Florida. And so she does, by joining the most prestigious elemental performing group in the nation. But since it is stolen, the power cannot last. And now that she's away from the only friend who could help her steal her power, she becomes desperate. A Granter will be the only solution to save her powers, but at the chance of not only losing her career as a fire artist, but her family and her heart.

The characters are (for the most part) awesome and have some great emotional depth. The concept is imaginative and the story is engaging. Often, stories focused on elemental powers do not depict their characters as performers in modern-day America. But that might have been why I had trouble fully connecting to it. It was...weird. It combines a modern-day dysfunctional family/abusive father AND the fantastical elemental powers granted to a select few AND the mythological wish-granting genies. And some romance. It's a lot to fit in! Thus, the book isn't smooth. There's jumps and convenient loopholes and plot breaks that give it the right ending. So, in the end, I did not really enjoy it. But some may. Up to you.

If you want, you can pre-order it on Amazon 
...or wait for its release at your library


(Digital ARC provided through NetGalley)

The Grisha Trilogy

Three-for-one! What a deal! Okay, I thought I'd try something new and review an entire series at once.

ISBN: 9780805094596
Published: June 5, 2012

ISBN: 9780805094602
Published: June 4, 2013

ISBN: 9780805094619
Published: June 17, 2014

The Grisha Trilogy

Leigh Bardugo

My rating: ★★

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Age: Grades 9 and up

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Themes: dark vs. light, betrayal, uprisings, power, loss, heartbreak

Alina Starkov has just discovered her new power as a Sun Summoner. The only one of her kind, the country has begun to worship her because she alone may be able to finally banish the Shadow Fold, a completely dark void that cuts the country in half and is infested with monstrous creatures. Of course, the Darkling takes special interest in her. As the ruler of the second army and a darkness summoner, he may have finally found his equal. But instead of aligning herself with him, she flees, seeking to strengthen her power against him. And so the Darkling begins his uprising against the king, releasing untold evil into the land and reigning with darkness and terror.

It's hard to review these books. I'm conflicted. Obviously, the reason that I am reviewing all three at once is that it took me less than a week to read through all of them. So there was a part of me that had to find out what happened. Thus, it has the excitement/grip factor. But now that I've finished, I don't feel better about myself. I never want to read them again. So what does that say? Let's try going through this book by book...

In Shadow & Bone, I was pulled in. The characters that were introduced were intriguing--betrayal and lies, a deeper purpose to their actions. They weren't the best I've read (like, say, Throne of Glass, which had very similar characters and situations, and played it out in a way I liked more), but I still wanted to see what happened to them. I finished the book in a day or so.

And so I start the second, Siege & Storm, and it was. So. Hard. To read. I can't quite put my finger on it... The story was so depressing. Alina is soooo conflicted and troubled. It was hard to read. And SO so dark. Evil. And the ending! My gosh, blood and fury everywhere. So disturbing.

And so I read the third, Ruin & Rising, so that I could see the good triumph over the evil. Because that is how the story must end, right? And so it did. But HOLY COW it took a lot out of me to get there. Am I glad I read it? Probably not. My rating reflects my preference.

But would I tell someone not to read it? Really, as a librarian, if there was someone who preferred these types of stories, I would recommend it. The writing is good (enough) and enticing. You do get attached to characters. It draws out your emotions. Some people would really enjoy these books. So...to each their own!

Warning: Explicit Content
Sexuality

Find it at your library or on Amazon