The Flame in the Mist

The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff
3/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2013
449 pages
MG/YA Fantasy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Allow me a moment of digression to open this review. This weekend I happened to catch the beginning of "Brave" and my response to that film is rather similar to my response to this book. I'm pleased as punch to see a spunky red-headed female protagonist navigating a fantastical world, don't get me wrong. Yet unlike "Finding Nemo" and "Up" and despite my very high expectations, "Brave" failed to fully engage my emotions. Similarly, I read this book more dutifully than excitedly hoping to fall in love but never succeeding. I'm not really sure why I had this response but there you go.

It didn't even matter that this book had a lot of cool stuff like the fact that it seems to be a standalone although the world could probably be expanded into a series. Or there is the prophecy and magic swirling around the story that should have been enough to enthrall me. But it didn't.

Perhaps it was the length? I think this page amount is consistent with other fantasies but it felt so long to me. Maybe it's the darkness? As you can see in the title, there is mist all around and it is an evil presence that hurts most of the people in the book. Another possibility is the timing-I got very confused about what day it was and what day we wanted it to be. Some events took both more and less time than I anticipated. And sometimes the way circumstances turned out was just a little too pat for me, just a little too easy. Whatever the reason, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to but I would certainly not try to dissuade you from reading it. I think it was partly my mood which did not want a fantasy but did want to finish this book for review.

Overall: Appropriate for older MG as it's a bit on the long side and there are some darker moments and young YA as well as older readers-hope this works better for you than it did for me.

ARC Review: Dare You To

Dare You To by Katie McGarry
4/5 stars
HarlequinTeen, 2013
479 pages
YA Contemporary Issues
Scheduled to release May 28

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In my review of the companion novel Pushing the Limits, I mentioned how much I enjoyed the snippet of Dare You To included with the e-ARC I reviewed-it was one of my favorite parts of the reading experience. Something about Beth's toughness clashing with Ryan's cockiness drew me in and primed me to fall for this novel.

And in fact I did. I would have to say that I preferred this to Pushing the Limits despite its many similarities especially its incredible melodramatic chockful-of-issues plot. I thought Echo and Noah had problems; Beth and Ryan have just as many and all different. But this time I found that Beth and Ryan fit somewhat into my beloved tough girl/sweet guy archetype (although Ryan ain't that sweet ;) and thus their romance worked better for me.

Another bonus for me was that Ryan plays baseball, which brought me back to my real life playing recreational softball, and just gave me happy feelings especially as he wrestled with the opportunity to potentially go to the majors or follow his passion of writing to college and gain more skills there. I loved how important his future was to him even if he didn't always handle the situation to the best of his ability.

Meanwhile Beth exhibits tremendous loyalty even to those who do not seem to deserve it like her junkie mother in some truly heartbreaking scenes-I just wanted to protect her and raise her up in a better environment surrounded by people who would not betray her love and trust.

Like I said, this plot is very melodramatic but if you've already read the first book, you knew that and should be prepared. As last time, the teaser at the end for the next book in the series was one of my favorite parts. I can't wait to spend more time with Isaiah, his new girl, and the world of automobiles.

Other Opinions:
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Novels on the Run
Realm of Fiction
The Midnight Garden

Cover: This isn't ordinarily the kind of cover I like but it is really working for me in this context. Dang, Ryan looks hot!

Ramblings and the Week to Come 19MAY13

Comment of the Week:
I am so lucky to get to read your thoughts every day (also I am all caught up on replying to comments!) and I really appreciate every one who takes the time to stop by and say hi to me. This week, I got this insightful comment from the ladies at We Heart YA on my review of the much-discussed novel September Girls by Bennett Madison:

This book... is an interesting case study, we think. As you say, it's more literary than commercial, but the marketing hasn't really explained it well, so readers go in with different expectations. Furthermore, what is the target audience for a book like this? Not the typical YA readers, it would seem. And yet so many YA authors have praised it, so... where's the disconnect? We don't necessarily have the answers, but we feel like someone should. And perhaps the fact that no one seems to be really clear on it is the reason it's such a polarizing read.

I originally requested the book because I saw that Maggie Stiefvater praised it. The book also got starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. But it has been largely eviscerated by the YA book blogging community. What is going on here? Personally this was a great lesson to me to trust my instincts and to wait on the opinions of people I trust more because the bloggers who did write about this are ones who I have a connection with and whose views on books I implicitly trust.

Received:
I've stopped requesting so many books as I'm trying to cut back on that but I do have two to mention this week. First up is The Sword Dancer by Jeannie Lin, received for review from the author actually a while ago but I forgot to spotlight it. Review is coming in June. I really enjoy Lin's writing so I have high expectations for this one.

The other is Tumble and Fall by Alexandra Coutts. I'm so surprised to have been approved for this on Netgalley! This is one I've seen on a ton of WOW posts and while I have serious love for the cover, I'm not entirely sure it matches the plot summary; we'll see. This is scheduled to release September 17 so a review will be posted closer to the release date.

Reading:
I hit a bit of a wall this week and responded by reading non-review books: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg (the facebook COO), Mr. Monk Gets Even by Lee Goldberg (the fifteenth and the last one he will write), and Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist. None of these books are YA and I don't feel like I have much to write about them but I can tell you that I enjoyed reading them immensely. I think I gave them all 5 stars and I've talked about them with people in real life actually. If you have any thoughts or would like to know more, leave me a comment. I have two more books I plan to read without necessarily reviewing: Quiet by Susan Cain about introverts and Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal, the third book in her fantasy series that draws a bit from Jane Austen but is also increasingly standing on its own. I believe I reviewed the first two books but I may or may not review this third.

Week to Come:
Dare You To by Katie McGarry-although Pushing the Limits wasn't a fave of mine, I was still invested enough to check out this second book; did I like it more?
The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff appears to be a standalone fantasy-worth checking out just for that!
The Tell-Tale Start by Gordon McAlpine is the first book in a new MG series featuring a brilliant set of twins
Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck features a killer concept about an ordinary American falling in love with a prince-how could I resist?
The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross is the third book in the Steampunk Chronicles-I have been eagerly anticipating it!
The S Word by Chelsea Pitcher or Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal-not sure which I'll have the motivation to read and blog about

ARC Review: Gameboard of the Gods

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
4/5 stars
Dutton Adult, 2013
460 pages
Adult Science-Fiction
Scheduled to release June 4

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although I've seen Richelle Mead's name around a lot, I've never been too tempted to pick up her popular YA vampire series-I'm just not that into vampires. However the mythology mentioned for this book really caught my eye so I decided this would be my introduction to her writing. If this is typical of Mead, it seems like I will need to read Vampire Academy sooner rather than later because I really enjoyed it!

It's totally in alternating third-person perspective switching between Mae, a fierce soldier, and Justin, a discredited servitor being brought back into the fold with Mae serving as bodyguard to discover the truth behind a series of mysterious murders. Justin was thrown out years ago and suffers from a god delusion (or is it?) while Mae is recovering from the death of her lover.

I really liked both of these characters who I found to be filled with personality and are still making me smile a week later. Both have their fair share of snarky comments with other characters getting to chime in as well. I especially liked meeting Justin's protege, Tessa, and the ravens in his head (no comment-the reasons behind this are elaborated on).

However I really struggled with the world-building. There are castals and I believe Mae is one of them but that it's not exactly a great thing to be? Also some of the information around how the world reached this point could have been expanded upon. I'm a reader who tends to like getting a lot of information especially in fantastical settings so that probably helps explain some of my disappointment. I am also using this confusion as the reason why I couldn't unravel the mystery behind the murders....definitely that and not the fact that I'm horrid at solving mysteries.

Overall: A very pleasing introduction to the writing style of Mead-I will certainly be back for the second book!

Other Opinions:
Books Glorious Books
Good Books and Good Wine
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics-with giveaway!

ARC Review: Twerp

Twerp by Mark Goldbatt
4/5 stars
Random House Books for Young Readers, 2013
288 pages
MG/YA Historical Realistic
Scheduled to release May 28

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is technically set in the 1960s but for the most part it feels very contemporary, lacking, for example, talk about the civil rights movement but also lacking mention of computers and cell phones. Apparently it is based on the author's own childhood and it feels like it comes from a very real place.

The format of the novel is that the protagonist, Julian, is keeping a journal for his teacher after an undisclosed bullying incident (which is eventually revealed to us at the end). Along the way, we gain insight into his friendships, first romance, and a burgeoning talent for writing.

For me, the real standout of this book is the writing which felt sophisticated but not in an off-putting way. I imagine that very few sixth-graders write as well as Julian but just because they're not able to put it all in words, doesn't mean they're not thinking these things. I feel like this book could be very popular both with its target audience as well as crossover to an older audience due to the writing style. There's a great balance between comedy and drama and I loved how friendship and loyalty are at the core of Julian's life even when they lead him astray.

Overall, this is a title that I would definitely recommend to young and older readers alike who enjoy contemporary/realistic stories. This is also a great addition to the literature about bullying, being a compelling witness to its wrongness without veering into preachy territory.

ARC Review: Confederates Don't Wear Couture

Confederates Don't Wear Couture by Stephanie Kate Strohm
4.5/5 stars
Graphia, 2013
228 pages
YA Contemporary Comedy
Scheduled to release June 4

Source: Received an ARC for review through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Last year, I had the great delight of reading Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, about the summer adventures of a young girl named Libby who reminded me a lot of myself. She loves history, fashion, reading, Jane Austen, among other interests and I immediately clicked with her. Although that story was standalone, I was pleased and intrigued to find out there would be a sequel.

This one follows the summer after graduation with Libby and her best friend Dev embarking on a tour within a Confederate reenactment army to sell gorgeous and authentic gowns. Meanwhile her boyfriend is at his internship in New England and a new guy starts demonstrating interest in Libby. To add to the chaos, there is another ghost haunting them!

For the most part, I would say this book has the same kind of lighthearted tone and style as the first book. If you ate up that story, this will go down similarly. It is set over the course of a summer and follows a similar structure while also representing some growth on the part of Libby. A big change this time around is that Libby and Dev set off on their adventure together, which was a fantastic decision because Dev was such a highlight during his too brief appearances in the first go-around.

As a lover of history, I found the elements here even more enthralling. Is there a time period more beloved by American history buffs than the Civil War? I don't think so and this book did a great job of portraying the deep passion people still have. Personally I wish the Union had gotten a bit more attention as they fought for what was right and won but Dev made a good point that the contemporary Confederate side will pay more and you've got to follow the money.

Overall: A fun and flirty delight all the way through-highly recommended for fans of book one and this is a great (clean) beach read!

ARC Review: September Girls

September Girls by Bennett Madison
2/5 stars
HarperTeen, 2013
256 pages
YA Contemporary Magical Realism
Scheduled to release May 21

Source: Received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't really on my radar until I noticed that Maggie Stiefvater had praised it, which immediately got my attention and made me want to check this out. Then the negative reviews started pouring in and I got nervous. I felt like I owed the publisher and author a chance though so I picked the book up and tried to look for the "magical realism" aspects I had read about and find some redeeming features but I am going to have to go in the negative category for this book as well.

The publisher is HarperTeen, an imprint with which I have had much success, finding their offerings compulsively readable. This title is more literary than commercial in my opinion and to my dissatisfaction. I could barely get through its boring non-plot. Adding to my distaste is how it conforms to my reductive view of a lot of modern literary fiction: to wit, a white male is obsessed with his magical penis because that is weirdly at the heart of this story. Compounding the plot problems was the language, which is extremely profane.

I did find some parts of interest like the strands of the relationship between the main character's parents but it was so haphazardly woven in that it was easy to glide right past. There is a bit of a love story but it's unlikely to appeal to romantics-I find it spectacularly unengaging.

In conclusion, do not pick this book up expecting a fun summer beach read as it is nothing of the sort despite what the cover might suggest. I cannot in good conscience recommend this to anyone although I am sure there will be people who have the exact opposite taste of me and love it (to each her own!) Somehow I managed to finish reading this book, probably due to a doggedness that does not let me quit easily.

Other Opinions:
Novel Sounds-discussed the magical realism aspect
Finding Bliss in Books-excellent negative review (also links to other great pannings)
Blkosiner's Book Blog-managed to come up with some good things about the book