Seraphina (Rachel Hartman)

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Publisher: Random House

Length: 451 pages

Rating: 5/5

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royals scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Seraphina is like Teen Wolf, and I mean this as the highest compliment. You think it's just going to be a stupid book about dragons and then you're addicted. I've read a lot of great books lately, but it's been a while since I've been thrown into a world so vivid and compelling that I couldn't stop reading, and when I did, all I wanted to do was pick the book back up.

It's part mystery, part fantasy, and a tiny bit of forbidden romance. I loved all the little details, from the garden in Seraphina's head to the fact that dragons can't have facial hair in human form. As readers, we don't only get to join Seraphina's journey of self-discovery, but we feel like we're on our own journey of world-discovery!

Occasionally I was a little confused as to why everyone loved Seraphina so much--she can be very prickly--but eventually came to love her, despite her flaws. 

I'm anxious for the second book to come out not only to find out what happens, but because I want an excuse to read this book again! Fans of high-fantasy, Tamora Pierce, and great books- this one is not to be missed!

City of Ember (Jeanne DuPrau)

Title: City of Ember

Author: Jeanne DuPrau

Publisher: Random House

Length: Audiobook, 6hrs 52min

Rating: 3/5

At age twelve, children in the City of Ember are given a job to contribute to the welfare of the city. Lina wants to be a messenger so she can travel to every part of the city. Doon wants a job underground, because that’s where the generator is, and he’s determined to find a way to fix it. In Ember, the darkness is only kept at bay by the generator, and lately, there have been many blackouts. Coupled with the dwindling lack of supplies, and Doon is sure the city is close to shutting down forever. When Lina finds a document that suggests there might be a way out of Ember, she teams up with Doon to find out if there is a way to escape the darkness and if so, if anything exists beyond the city of Ember.

Why is Ember the way it is? Lina and Doon know nothing but their city, where the only power is from a water-powered generator that produces electricity, but only to power lights plugged into the wall. There are no portable lights, and when the power goes out, all one can see is absolute darkness.

Doon and Lina are only twelve, but they take on the responsibility of saving the city when the adults can’t. While they grow a lot in this process, they also learn that they can’t do everything themselves, and that pride can be not only their downfall, but the downfall of the city as well. Will they figure out the puzzle and save their city?

I should include the disclaimer that I tend to like books I listen to on audiobook a little less than those I read because I’m impatient to find out what happens. That being said, I did enjoy the voices of the narrator, even though the slow pace and incredibly detailed descriptions frustrated me. This book centers around a word puzzle that Lina finds, and it’s hard as a reader to help Lina figure out the puzzle without being able to see it. But afterall, I suppose it is Lina and Doon’s puzzle to figure out, not mine, and the mystery was the best part of the book.

Masque of the Red Death (Bethany Griffin)

Title: Masque of the Red Death

Author: Bethany Griffin

Publisher: Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins)

Length: 319 pages

Rating: 3/5

A plague has destroyed most of the world, including Araby’s twin brother. Resolved to never experience anything her brother can’t, Araby attends glittery parties with other wealthy survivors in the hopes of finding oblivion. She finds her vow hard to keep after friending Will, the handsome proprietor of the Debauchery Club, and Elliot, a wealthy aristocrat determined to start a revolution.

I really wanted to like this book and there were several moments that I loved it. But mostly, I loved the idea but didn’t love the follow-through. This book had so much potential because it contained most the things I look for in a good book: a strong female character who is willing to take risks, handsome men vying for the lead’s attention, beautiful costumes, mystery, revolution, and it’s based on Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Mask of the Red Death.”

But it was just so messy. Character’s personalities weren’t clear or changed through the book, the dialogue was unbelievable, and the amount of times the author conveniently brought characters together but didn’t make the most of it was terribly frustrating. There was not enough continuity and I couldn’t get into the story like I wanted to. And then the book ended without a conclusion, only more problems- a bit like the story as a whole.

Grave Mercy (Robin LaFevers)

Title: Grave Mercy

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Length: 549 pages

Rating: 4/5

Narrowly saved from an awful arranged marriage and shuffled off to a mysterious convent in the night, seventeen year old Ismae finds her destiny lies with the god of death. At the convent, she is taught to be an assassin for Death and is trained in all matters of weaponry, poisons, and even the wily womanly arts. She will need all of her training and more to survive her most important mission: posing as the mistress to the handsome Gavrial Duval, she infiltrates the high court of Brittany to ferret out a traitor and save the duchess and the country from harm.

This book has everything that I love. It’s historical fiction, but written like the fantasy books I inhaled as a kid. It’s also got romance, intrigue, and great well-rounded characters. Plus a strong  main female character who kills…literally. I became quite fond of Ismae, who is just the right amount of confidence (when it comes to killing) and bumbling (when it comes to womanly charm).

Because it’s historically based on fifteen century Brittany, there are a lot of characters with remarkably similar names to keep track of, but the mystery and romance will keep you reading through the longest historical lessons. Plus, you can always count on Ismae to shoot someone with a crossbow to liven things up.

Overall, enjoyable read, and I’m very much looking forward to the other books in the series, which I’m excited to report, look like they’ll be about Ismae’s equally awesome killing friends. 

The Name of the Star (Maureen Johnson)

Title: The Name of the Star

Author: Maureen Johnson

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penquin)

Length: 372 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

Rory Deveaux is spending her senior year of high school in a London boarding school instead of her Louisiana hometown. She finds London a pretty great city until a Jack the Ripper copycat starts murdering people right near her school. The police are baffled until Rory spots the killer at the crime scene. But she’s the only one to see him, and he definitely sees her. Why can only Rory see this man? And can she survive his haunting threats?

Normally I don’t like “scary” books. But Maureen Johnson hyped the heck out of this book on Twitter (follow her, she’s hilarious: @maureenjohnson) and so I read it, and therefore loved it!

You’ll love this book if you love:

1.      London (or England in general). If you’ve ever spent time in London, this book will make you miss it like WOAH. If you ever want to go to London, you’ll want to go even more after reading.

2.      Mysteries/thrillers. Also, the idea of overcoming your own fear.

3.      Not being able to put a book down.

4.      Romance in the book, but not the main focus. Sure, Rory gets her snogging on, but it’s really about #5

5.      Ghost stories. I love that Rory is presented with the supernatural/impossible, and sure, she’s doubtful, but she accepts it soon thereafter. You know I hate books where the main character can’t accept the premise of the book.

6.      Strong female characters. Even better, a strong female, contemporary character. Rory is awesome- I want to be friends with her. 

If you want to read something different and awesome, this is the book for you!

PS There are still a few plot points I don’t understand. Sadly, I’m no Sherlock Holmes. (Mostly the book was brilliantly put together. I put this here so that if you’ve read it, you’ll write something in the comments so that we can discuss it. My question is about page 313…)

You Killed Wesley Payne (Sean Beaudoin)

Title: You Killed Wesley Payne

Author: Sean Beaudoin

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Length: 359 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Dalton Rev is a seventeen year old Private Dick (that’s detective in Beaudoin-ese). He transfers to the seedy Salt River High to find out who killed Wesley Payne. To solve the crime and get the cash, he must fight his way through killer cliques, questionable cops, corrupt authority and pretty (but can he trust them?) girls.

The set of Salt River High is like the cliques in Mean Girls on steroids. See chart below:

Understanding the cliques might be the key to solving the mystery, but it’s like learning a whole new language (there’s even a glossary at the back of the book). It was hard as a reader to plow through this crazy world at time, but really funny and insightful at others. Dalton is our perfect guide- hilarious, smart, not the world’s best detective (he gets his PI skills from his favorite literary detective, Lexington Cole), but ultimately, the guy you want to get the job done.

Everything in Dalton’s world comes with a price, and it’s usually a steep one. It’s capitalism at its greediest (for example, not having Calculus on every slot on your school schedule is $60 in the pocket of the school registrar). The reader gets to see Dalton unlike anyone else in the book, learning his real motive behind solving crimes. But as in any good detective novel, he keeps some facts from us readers, so it’s worth it to keep reading, and not just for the answer to the crime. 

(I did not!)

An enjoyable read if you're looking for something different than you've read before, or if you like mysteries.