Review: The Sweetest Spell

 Title: The Sweetest Spell
Author: Suzanne Selfors
Publication Date: August 21, 2012
Publisher: Walker Childrens
*I received a copy of the book via Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Emmeline Thistle, a dirt-scratcher's daughter, has escaped death twice-first, on the night she was born, and second, on the day her entire village was swept away by flood. Left with nothing and no one, Emmeline discovers her rare and mysterious ability-she can churn milk into chocolate, a delicacy more precious than gold.

Suddenly, the most unwanted girl in Anglund finds herself desired by all. But Emmeline only wants one-Owen Oak, a dairyman's son, whose slow smiles and lingering glances once tempted her to believe she might someday be loved for herself. But others will stop at nothing to use her gift for their own gains-no matter what the cost to Emmeline. 

Magic and romance entwine in this fantastical world where true love and chocolate conquer all.

I'm just going to be honest here, for having such a whimsical, maybe even comedic, story line, I really didn't expect this story to as good as it was! To have the ability to make chocolate is cool, and I'd definitely want it, but for that to be the central point around which the story revolved? I was skeptical. But kudos Suzanne Selfors, kudos for taking this strange idea and spinning it into an amazing story with fantastic world-building, great characters, and touched on rather serious topics.

Emmeline Thistle, who is born with a deformed foot, is looked down upon by everyone in her village, and by everyone in all other villages for being born a "dirt-scratcher." This girl was absolutely amazing. Emmeline was such a selfless and caring character and in her journey of fighting for her people, you could not help but root for her success. She goes through so much in this story, yet never loses her strength and faith.

This book is written in dual POVs switching between Emmeline and Owen Oak, a boy who saves her life, and I normally don't like switching POVs, but I think it worked so well in this book! Not only did it give me a glimpse into both Emmeline and Owen's thoughts, it also allowed me as a reader to see much more of this fictional world that Selfors has created.

Selfors creates such a vivid setting in Anglund, I had no problems picturing each place the characters visited. There's an old-timey, fairy-tale-esque feel of this land ruled by a royal family, and the magic of being able to create chocolate adds to that. Yes, the concept is kind of silly, but it's very well incorporated into the novel and Selfors made it very believable. I loved the back story of  how this magical ability came to be.

One of the biggest surprises for me was the group of characters in this novel. Emmeline and Owen were great, but I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the secondary characters. Even the ones who were first portrayed as villains had some back story that gave them some possibility for redemption and made me empathize with what they did. The one thing I wasn't crazy about in the novel was that the romance was a little of the insta-love variety. I feel like Emmeline and Owen's feelings progressed way to fast, it was just too unrealistic. However, as the novel progressed, I really did like them together. I don't consider the romance to be an overwhelming part of the novel, because there's SO much more to the plot than hey-I-just-met-you-and-this-is-crazy-but-let's-live-happily-ever-after.

Rating: 4 stars

All in all: The Sweetest Spell is a delightful and magical story about self-discovery and strength. This novel definitely exceeded all of my expectations and I highly recommend it!

Review: Shadow Bound

Shadow Bound (Unbound #2)

by Rachel Vincent

Published May 22, 2012 by Mira

"Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she's ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if it means taking it from someone else.... 

The job? Recruit Ian Holt-or kill him. 

Ian's ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he's on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower's top Binder: Kori's little sister. 

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they'll have to choose between love and liberty...."
-goodreads

 “If you live in the dark long enough, you start to forget what light looks like.”

Rachel Vincent is one of those authors that really does get better with each novel she writes. I read somewhere that she found writing multiple POVS to be a difficulty for her. To deal with this, she decided to tackle this problem in her Unbound series, which alternates POVs which each chapter.

She also said she liked to use “old flames” when writing a romance because it was so much easier to pull backstory and rekindle the relationship, as opposed to constructing a brand new connection. As you might know, she did indeed use this old-flames-rekindling-their-fire technique in the first book, Blood Bound with Cam and Olivia.

So, apparently, to challenge herself, she changed tactics in Shadow Bound. And I’d have to say that it worked. REALLY worked.

I’d thought I loved Blood Bound, but Shadow Bound took my breath away. (No cheesiness intended).

“We haven’t met… I’m Kori Daniels. If you don’t get that gun out of my face, I’m gonna take it, then I’m gonna break your jaw so I can unhinge it and shove your pistol down your throat. That way the bullet goes through the long way.” 

I was really interested in Kori’s character from book 1, and I was delighted when I learned that this book was centering around her. But after suffering the consequences of what she let happen in Blood Bound, Kori is no longer the same woman. She’s still tough as ever, maybe even more so in this book, but at the same time, she’s much more vulnerable and broken—a side that she tries to keep hidden from everyone.. The things she suffered in the Tower basement were awful. Horrible. Inhuman. The fact that she emerged defiant as ever, still ready to spit fire at anyone challenging her, had me so impressed, so in awe of her strength.

And then we meet Ian Holt…

Excuse me for a moment while I swoon at the gloriousness that is Ian Holt.

*Ahem* OK. Back to business. Ian goes to the Tower syndicate with only one goal in mind: kill Kori’s sister. But then he meets Kori and suddenly, things aren’t so simple anymore.

I absolutely LOVED Ian’s character. He might even be one of my favorite male characters that Rachel Vincent has created! He’s funny and tough and caring and protective and sweet and just SUCH a nice guy. And incredibly swoon-worthy. Really. I’m quite jealous of Kori right now…

“I want you. I want only you. I want all of you. But I'll take whatever you're ready to give.”

His and Kori’s relationship actually only happened over a pretty darn short period of time, but their connection is very believable, and their chemistry undeniable. They complemented the other SO well, I can’t even describe it! (Kudos to you, Rachel Vincent).

In this book, we also get to learn more about Jake Tower and his syndicate—which, I think is safe to say, is even eviler than the Cavazos syndicate. Yeah. That’s saying something. Turns out the Tower syndicate Is full of deceit and secret agendas and just all sorts of general evilness.

My advice if you were ever faced with the choice to join the Tower or Cavazos syndicate: take Ruben Cavazos’s offer!

Considering how Blood Bound ended, Vincent, of course, had to have Cam and Liv make an appearance in this book! I loved that despite this book not being about them anymore, Vincent still gives us an answer as to what happened to them.

As always, the world-building is absolutely incredible. The power of blood and names in this urban fantasy is astounding and the implications of using them to hold power over someone are downright frightening. Vincent is so thorough in the little details of this world that she’s created, covering every base, making everything all the more believable.  Rachel Vincent has beautifully crafted a world where champagne and parties and luxury mask the stark ugliness of the Skilled world.

Rating: 5 stars

I have no complaints about this novel—except for the fact that the ending has left me craving the 3^rd (and *squeak* final) book in the series! I almost wish that it would continue Kori and Ian’s story because I loved them that much. But here's the cover reveal/synopsis of Oath Bound!

Darn you, 2013, for being so far away!

Review: Graffiti Moon

Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Published November 1st 2005 by Ellora's Cave

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

~goodreads


Rating: 5 shining stars
Review

I swear, Australia must be dubbed the Land of Lost Talented Authors.
HOW did I not discover Aussie authors before last year?!
Ever since reading Melina Marchetta's books, I have developed a new perspective about Aussie authors--that they are amazing!--and Cath Crowley has only further proved this!

I'll be honest, I did NOT have high expectations for this book when I first started. was actually quite  hesitant to start this novel because I thought I was going to be subjecting my brain to literary mediocrity. After reading the blurb, I  thought I knew what was going to happen. And because of that, I thought the book was going to be meh at best.

I am now eating those words.

This book was written in alternating the alternating POVs of Lucy and Ed--which I normally detest, but in this case, it made me like love adore fall in love with connect with each character so much more. It was made crystal clear from the very first chapter (I think) just who Shadow was. My initial thought was that this would make the book dreadfully dull because the big secret was already out in the open for readers, but DO NOT THINK THIS.

This book was had surprising depth and emotion--mainly on Ed's part--and the story captivated me. The characters too. The story follows Ed and Lucy (obviously) but also as their respective friends Leo (who is "Poet"--another graffiti artist) and Jazz, as well as Dylan and Daisy. These characters were so.... fantabulously amazing in every. Single. Way.
Ed and Lucy were absolutely perfect for each other, despite how different they are, and I loved the fact that their love story happened despite the misunderstanding at their very first date (before the events of That Night take place) that resulted in a broken nose. I also LOVE the fact that they're both super funny. And no, I'm not talking about that dry sarcasm that most YA characters use to be Oh So Cool. Their humor was so real, not trying to be all obvious--it was kind of understated, but I thought some of the dialogue was absolutely hilarious.

Even the minor characters were amazing. They all had amazing depth and complexity and realness. Words cannot describe how much I adored them. Even though the story mainly focuses on Ed and Lucy, it actually ended up giving me three different stories about each couple--without taking away from the main protagonists of course.

Oh lordy, I could just gush about this book endlessly because it was literally all that and a chicken salad... but I'm afraid that if I continued, my words would just turn into incoherent babble punctuated by girlish squeals.
Yeah. It's THAT good.

If you haven't discovered Aussie authors yet or just haven't read this book.... what they FRAK are you still doing here?! Go and get this book!

Review: Crossed

Crossed (Matched #2)
by Ally Condie
Published November 1st 2011 by Dutton Juvenile

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
-goodreads



Rating: 3.... maybe 3.5 out of 5
Review:  
Meh. That's how I would sum up my entire reaction to the book. Meh. I mean, it's not that the book was bad or anything... when I first found out about the sequel, I was SO excited for it, especially to read from Ky's POV. I felt like the first book was good/okay, a kind of step-stool to launch the next books.... but unfortunately this sequel fell short of my expectations. 

I don't know about others people who've read this book, but it seemed as if, all of a sudden, Condie introduced this new unknown enemy entity called "The Enemy." I mean, what the heck?! I thought the two sides were the Resistance and the Society, but out of nowhere, Condie adds this third player who apparently bombs the outer provinces and is anti-Society. But they're not with the Resistance either??? I was beyond confused, and Condie didn't really give any explanation whatsoever.

As for the characters, I enjoyed the new people introduced, but I feel like I lost some of my love for Cassia. She was an okay character, but let's face it, the main character should not be just okay. Personally, I much preferred reading Ky's chapters. Ky was definitely the sustaining aspect of the novel for me. I really enjoyed getting to know more about his past, the experiences that made him who he is, and more depth to his character that I never knew in the first book.

Also, I found the chemistry between Cassia and Ky somewhat.... lacking. Maybe it was because it had been such a long time since I read the first book and I simply forgot, or whatever, but the point is: here was Cassia risking everything to find Ky in the Outer Provinces, and here was Ky rushing back into the dangerous capital to be with Cassia, and the whole time I'm wondering, what on earth warranted such extreme actions? I mean, I know they were in love, but I just didn't seem to remember that their connection was that strong, that it was worth doing all the super risky stuff they were doing. It was all Romeo-and-Juliet-esque in a way.....


Condie's writing is undoubtedly beautiful---poetic in a way. There are numerable quotable phrases (as you will see below).... but....I don't really know how to explain it, but I feel like all the flowery language took away from me really connecting to the characters... like it was too flowery and poetic all the time. 

Despite how this review sounds, I'm pretty sure I will be reading the next book. Mainly because I want to find out what happens...and also because I absolutely hate leaving a series unfinished. It's really not that the book is bad--in fact, one of my friends thinks highly of it--it's just that it wasn't that good, in my opinion. 



 “In the end you can't always choose what to keep. You can only choose how you let it go.”

“I love.
The most reckless thing of all.” 


“Love has different shades. Like the way I loved Cassia when I thought she'd never love me. The way I loved her on the Hill. The way I love her now that she came into the canyon for me. It's different. Deeper. I thought I loved her and wanted her before, but as we walk through the canyon together I realize this could be more than a new shade. A whole new color.”
(this is my favorite quotes!) 

“Cassia and I sit as near to each other as we can. She leans into me and I keep my arms around her. I don't fool myself that I hold her together- she does that on her own- but holding her keeps me from flying apart.”  

“No one knows anything," Vick says. "Except Ky. He thinks he's found the truth in a girl.”  

 

Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
By Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Published October 26th, 2010 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?                           

                                                                            -goodreads

Review

Thank goodness it’s winter! It might sound silly, but I actually purposefully made myself wait until the end of November to read this so it would tie into December, the holiday month! Unfortunately… my plan totally backfired and I finished the book in TWO days in NOVEMBER!

                This book was amazing! From the plot to the characters, everything was crafted so splendidly! I’m normally not a huge fan of alternating-POV books, but Rachel Cohn and David Levithan pulled it off sooo unbelievably well. There was absolutely no confusion as to who was narrating which chapter—Dash and Lily’s identities were so… clear.

                Words can’t even describe how much I loved Dash and Lily. (Funny how I’m always at a lost for words when I have a blog to talk about books…) Anyways, Dash and Lily were the perfect characters.

                Dash might possibly be one of my all-time favorite male characters—and yes, that is among the rankings of Percy Jackson, Etienne St. Clair, Dimitri Belikov/Adrian Ivashkov, Wes, etc. The thing is, he’s just so different from all the other male characters out there! I mean, come on, who out there knows of a guy, fictional or real who wants an OED (unabridged!) for Christmas and wishes to be “esoteric” and “confound people with their own language?” Also, he is absolutely freaking hilarious. There are so many quotes by him in this book that had me rereading over and over again and laughing eve single time. He is the King of Snark (but in a totally lovable way), yet is very thoughtful and deep and has great moments of gentlemanliness.

                And Lily! Oh my gosh, she is the quirkiest, most awesome female characters I have ever encountered! And she’s also pretty darn hilarious. She has this great view on life and I can’t help but wish I were friends with someone like here. And Dash of course too. These two characters are opposites in so many ways, but somehow they complement each other exceptionally well.

                All the supporting characters was great too—they were all incredibly unique and memorable—my favorites being Boomer and Mrs. Basil E. (gosh I would seriously love to have an aunt like her.)

                The one, only one, aspect of this book that I wasn’t so crazy about was the lack of action, of a climax. Yes, the dares between the two were hilarious and great, but there was no huge maraschino cherry and sprinkles to the Sunday to some sort of major climax, which was unfortunate, but overall I still really enjoyed the book.

                In fact… I’m highly tempted to go out and get my own copy! My bibliophilic ways are seriously taking a toll on my wallet!

4/5 stars

And now on to some of my favorite quotes (because to be honest, I’d like to quote the whole book to you guys so you know how awesome it!)

“You think fairy tales are only for girls? Here's a hint - ask yourself who wrote them. I assure you, it wasn't just the women. It's the great male fantasy - all it takes is one dance to know that she's the one. All it takes is the sound of her song from the tower, or a look at her sleeping face. And right away you know - this is the girl in your head, sleeping or dancing or singing in front of you. Yes, girls want their princes, but boys want their princesses just as much. And they don't want a very long courtships. They want to know immediately.”                -Sofia

“I was horribly bookish, to the point of coming right out and saying it, which I knew was not socially acceptable. I particularly loved the adjective bookish, which I found other people used about as often as ramrod or chum or teetotaler.”                           -Dash

“I mean, what if love isn't a yes-or-no question? It's not either you're in love or you're not. I mean, aren't there different levels? And maybe these things, like words and expectations and whatever, don't go on top of the love. Maybe it's like a map, and they all have their own place, and then when you see it from the sky - whoa.”                                 -Boomer


“Well sure, who doesn't need a boyfriend? but realistically, those exotic creatures are hard to come by. At least a quality one.”               -Lily

"You bookish little pervert."               -Mark