Review: The Starless Sea

Review:

The Starless Sea

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publisher: Doubleday, 2019

Source: Personal Purchase

I am a big fan of Erin Morgenstern’s first novel, The Night Circus. So when I saw her next book in the store, I immediately picked it up and dove right in. Then I stopped – and tried diving in again. And then I tried again.

I loved the idea of “nested” stories, one building to another to another. I just didn’t like the stories. I especially didn’t like the main story about a character named Zachary Ezra Rawlins. Unlike The Night Circus, which I felt was magical, these stories are disturbing.

I also didn’t like the setting. Zachary’s story, at least, begins on a college campus. I just could not get connected to it and, perhaps for that same reason, I could never really care about Zachary.

So now you know why it has taken me so long for any sort of review. This book was a disappointment and finally I stopped trying to dive in. I rarely do that, even if I just force myself along. While it certainly has its wonderfully imaginative moments and is well-written, it just lacks the type of emotional connection I expected.

Review: Rosie Loves Jack

Review:

Rosie Loves Jack

Author: Mel Darbon

Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company, Inc., 2018

Ages: 12+

Rosie Loves Jack is an intriguing story. I will admit that right in the front of the book is a content advisory, but the story itself is so thought-provoking and authentic that I feel it’s unforgettable and more than worthwhile to read.

Rosie, who has Down syndrome, is remarkable character. She attends a college for students with special needs. She has lots of friends and interests. And she loves Jack. Jack has some anger management issues, but Rosie is good for Jack and helps him control those impulses.

However, one day Jack is unable to handle his anger and makes a terrible mistake. He is sent away and Rosie doesn’t know where he is. She is upset, too, because she never hears from him. Then she finds postcards from Jack, which her parents have concealed from her.

Using the postcards for information, Rosie begins a journey – from London to Brighton – to find Jack. Rosie plans her strategy, but unexpected issues crop up, making the trip even more dangerous. Yet Rosie is determined. She must go to find Jack, no matter what the consequences or difficulties.

Mel Darbon includes an author’s note right at the beginning of the story. It’s worth reading her background. It’s an important factor in this story. Yes, it is a fictional work, but it could be true.

I’d also like to share a link here for a writing challenge. Darbon admits that her story goes to some “dark places.” She shares some advice for readers which I feel is especially good during these difficult times. It may be a great way to wrap up reading Rosie Loves Jack.

*Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Review: City of Ghosts

Review:

City of Ghosts

Author: Victoria Schwab

Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2018

Source: Personal Purchase

Last week I offered blog readers a review on a fun little witch story (The Apprentice Witch). This week I have ghosts for you – and it’s a far more chilling (and thrilling) tale.

The main character, Cass, has had a near-death experience. Ever since that time, she has been able to cross the Veil and go from the world of the living to the world where ghosts exist. Additionally, since that moment, her best friend has been a ghost named Jacob. That isn’t creepy, not at all.

Cass’s parents are a couple of “ghost hunters.” That is to say, they host a television program that visits the most haunted places in the world. Which is kind of ironic, since neither of them can really see ghosts. However, this TV show of theirs brings Cass to Edinburgh, Scotland (The City of Ghosts) and also in contact with plenty of ghosts. Some of these characters are benign, but others are downright evil.

Take the Raven in Red, for instance. She is a ghost, a very, very powerful ghost. And when a ghost is strong enough, they can hurt you. They can take your life. The Raven in Red has been going around, making herself nearly invincible. It’s no wonder that Cass, who is a relative newbie when it comes to this ghost business, falls victim to Raven’s sinister plan.

Fortunately, there are a few characters to help Cass. Nevertheless, it’s pretty tense. Schwab keeps us on the hook right to the end. And even at the end of the story, she doesn’t really let us go. More adventures will await the reader (there are two other books in the series now) who are willing to accompany Cass and Jacob as they cross through the Veil.

Review: Sing Like No One’s Listening

Review:

Sing Like No One’s Listening

Author: Vanessa Jones

Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company Inc., 2020

Source: ARC

Nettie Delaney has been accepted at Duke’s Academy of Performing Arts. She has no idea why she was accepted. Her audition was a total failure. She had received a text message from her mother just before her audition was to begin. The problem is that her mother is dead. Totally freaked out, she really didn’t even audition. She ran away, which is how things have been going for her since her mother’s death. She simply couldn’t sing. Her throat went hard and the sounds just wouldn’t form. Even after the audition, she couldn’t speak. And yet, here she is – accepted into the very same prestigious school her superstar mother had attended.  

It is not easy for Nettie to overcome her sadness and fear. And other people at the school don’t always make it easier. Instructors can be harsh. Nettie is told that her mother only got to the top by sleeping her way there. It’s a very competitive place, and there are plenty of students willing to get ahead by any means possible. How is Nettie ever going to survive?

The story, though not what you would call a suspense story, still keeps the reader on edge until the end. We end up cheering with the audience as Nettie finally finds her way out from the shadows.

*Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: House of Salt and Sorrows

Review: 

House of Salt and Sorrows

Author: Erin A. Craig

Publisher: Delacourt Press, 2019

Source: Personal Purchase

I am going to handle this review as though it were a panel discussion. The panel consists of the Brothers Grimm (BG), Edgar Allan Poe (EAP), and Daphne du Maurier (DdM) (just because Rebecca is one of my favorite gothic romances – but others could have filled this place, too). I (BW) get to be the moderator, and we are discussing just what makes House of Salt and Sorrows, a wonderfully macabre retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” such a satisfying read.

BG: In our original story, the King issues a proclamation if anyone could discover the secret of why the princesses’ shoes were worn each morning, that person would be able to choose one as their wife and reign after his death.  However, if the person failed to discover the secret, their life would be forfeit. Plenty of men tried and were shown no mercy when they failed. They lost their heads. The princesses cleverly drugged each would-be King and then went off to an enchanted land where they danced each night away. Then along came an old soldier who received some excellent advice (don’t drink the wine) and was given an invisibility cloak. He only pretended to fall asleep, followed the princesses under the invisibility cloak, and discovered their secret. He even brought back proof for the King. He was allowed to marry one of the princesses and rule the kingdom.

BW:  This story also has twelve princesses, but it is actually quite different.

BG: Yes, that’s true. In this story, the princesses only think they are the clever ones. In truth, someone far more evil is in charge of their nightly attendance at the balls. And there is another significant difference. By the time their father actually announces his contest, four of the sisters have died and there are whispers that the Thaumas sisters are cursed. There is even the sense that at least the last death was not an accident.

EAP: Speaking of a truly evil characters, I don’t know if even I could have invented some of the horrors that Annaleigh (the princess from whose point of view the story is told) experiences. I mean, that final ball – punch that is actually hacked-up bits of fish floating in blood? Maggots spilling over a platter of a sea turtle and then flowing over Annaleigh’s body? Wow, this is really gory stuff!

BW: Erin A. Craig was obviously an admirer of your stories. She used the names of plenty of your most well-known characters: Morella, Ligeia, Lenore. There is even a character named after you. Edgar is the name of the murdered sister’s supposed suitor.

DdM: I like how Craig keeps you guessing about who is behind all this until the very end. Who can Annaleigh trust? Who can she go to about her suspicions? Her father is not at all sympathetic, but thinks she is causing trouble. Her stepmother just wants to ignore all the unpleasant deaths. Annaleigh isn’t able to go to her sisters – there is some really strange stuff going on with them and it’s obvious they can’t be taken into her confidence. The man, Edgar, who also believed her sister Eulalie was murdered, is also killed. It’s really hard for Annaleigh to know who to turn to. And then there is Cassius. Despite some very mysterious behavior on his part, Annaleigh longs to trust him. It’s really quite romantic.

BW: What about the ending? Did you find it satisfying?

DdM: Entirely so. To say more would be to give too much away.

EAP: It certainly has a more positive ending than my stories.

BG: The whole thing is more satisfying. There are far more details: the opulent balls, the beautiful dresses. Of course, there is more of the scary stuff, too: the ghostly visitations and, as Edgar mentioned, some real horror. We don’t shy away from harsh realities in our fairy tales, but these scenes are just so vivid.

BW: I think the panel and I would agree. This is a truly magical book, one you won’t want to miss (even if there are parts you wouldn’t want to be reading on a dark and stormy night).

Review: Deeplight

Review:

Deeplight

Author: Frances Hardinge

Publisher: Amulet Books, 2020

Hark, a fifteen-year old orphan, lives on Lady Crave island. His best friend, Jelt, is two years his senior and also an orphan. These two have grown up in a strange and harsh maritime world where years ago the gods turned on one another and are now all dead. Together the boys make a life by swindling and smuggling. It is the type of world, where, as Jelt says, “You take the world by the throat or you die” (19).

Jelt is involved in plenty of nefarious activities (not that Hark isn’t, but Jelt’s seem even more secret and dangerous). He involves Hark in a risky plan with a smuggler and her gang. The plan goes awry and Hark is caught and arrested. Sold as an indentured criminal, Hark is taken away from his home and brought to a place where he has an opportunity for a new, different life. His new master, Dr. Vyne,  has two rules: Hark is never to lie to her and she insists that he have no contact with his former cronies.

But of course, Jelt makes a reappearance, causing Hark to break both of Dr. Vyne’s rules. And naturally, he also has a plan that involves no good and he needs Hark’s help to pull it off. This new plan jeopardizes Hark’s future – one which, now that he might lose it, doesn’t look nearly as bad as some of the alternatives – but the result of which also causes changes to Jelt.

How long should Hark remain loyal to his friend? What will he have to do to save him? These questions keep the pages turning as readers race to find their way through an intricate maze of plot twists and turns, each bringing a deeper level of mystery and intrigue.

 

*Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Review:

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2018

Source: Personal Purchase

I admit it: I am a little out of season with this review. This book debuted with the 200^th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and it would be a lovely addition to our October scare-fest book selections. However, it has been on my desk, just tempting me to crack it open for some time now and I simply didn’t want to wait any longer. Warning: it is a dark and disturbing reimagining of the original story.

Elizabeth Lavenza is a cast-off waif whom the Frankenstein family introduces to their son, Victor, in hopes that she will become his friend. Elizabeth sees this friendship as her opportunity to escape from cruelty and poverty. If the Frankenstein family likes her – if Victor likes her – she will move toward a better life. Elizabeth is successful. Not only is she Victor’s one friend, she makes herself indispensable to the family.

Victor is described as “an odd, intense young man” (42). Well, that’s one way to put it.  Here is another way – he is troubled and dangerous and creepily sinister. Elizabeth thinks she has control over the situation and can smooth over any problem created by his actions. But does she really?

Victor’s behavior turns darker with every flip of the page.  Victor has disappeared and it is imperative Elizabeth finds him (after all, if Victor isn’t there to present a problem, who needs you?) She finds him living in miserable and suspiciously scary circumstances. Too bad she wasn’t smart enough to run away!

If you think Frankenstein was a horror story, think again. This newer version will really have you pulling those bedsheets over your head!

Review: Release

Review:

Release

Author: Patrick Ness

Publisher: Harper Teen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017

Source: Personal Purchase

Adam Thorn has a lot of problems. He knows that his deeply religious family can never accept the fact that he is gay. His boss has made sexual advances, and when Adam rebuffs him and threatens to go to HR, Adam is fired. He can’t seem to get over his first love, though that young man has long since moved on, and Adam is with another boy.

There has been a lot of praise for this book and though I can understand why (it’s well-written), I am afraid my opinion is somewhat lower. In fact, this is one of those posts that should be tagged with a “mom alert.”  While this book is no Fifty Shades of Grey, it has way too much sex, and it is too explicit for me to be comfortable. Is it a realistic teen book? Absolutely. I actually this the dénouement is fresh and positive (at least the part that related to Adam), but I still don’t like all the sex. Sorry, I know it is just me, but I feel parents should know.

The other thing that bothered me was the other side of this story. Juxtaposed with Adam’s situation is the story of the spirit of young girl from Adam’s town that had been murdered by her drug-addicted boyfriend. Their stories intertwine, but only briefly and frankly, her side of the story is dark, very dark. So we have a mix of an unrequited love story and a horror show. The ending is more upbeat than you would suppose, but this extra layer doesn’t make the novel work for me any better.

 

 

Review: The Agony House

Review:

The Agony House

Author: Cherie Priest

Illustrator: Tara O’Connor

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., 2018

Source: Public Library

Many regular readers know that I am not typically a fan of graphic novels, so this next review may surprise you. However, The Agony House is not your typical graphic novel. It’s a wonderful kind of blend. Yes, it is a novel, but embedded are sections that are purely graphic. Those embedded sections are essential to the story and are added in such a way that they don’t detract from the plot, but instead help build the suspense in this book.

Denise Farber and her family (mom and stepdad) have recently moved back to New Orleans. Their plan is to open a bed and breakfast in a home that requires a lot of renovation before the business actually opens. As Denise discovers, the house has a mysterious past. She suspects that Joe Vaughn, a well-known comic book author from the 1930’s who is famous for the Lucinda Might character and stories, died in the house under suspicious circumstances. Clues to his death might be found in an old, unpublished comic that Denise has found in the attic. Additionally, there are some things about the house that are just a bit creepy. Could it be that there really are ghosts lurking about the old house? And if so, what could they tell Denise about a past that is full of sinister secrets?

The comic book character, Lucinda Might, may be a “kick-ass girl detective,” but Denise Farber isn’t so bad herself. She’s feisty, brave, and a totally authentic teen. There is a real mystery going on, one that keeps Denise on the move and the reader on the edge of their seats right up until the end. This book was a totally satisfying read.

Review: The Vanishing Act

Review:

The Vanishing Act

Author: Mette Jakobsen

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011

Source: Personal Purchase

Minou lives on a tiny island. The only other inhabitants are her philosopher father, a priest, a magician named Boxman, and a dog called No-Name. A year earlier, her mother walked out into the cold morning rain with a large black umbrella – and vanished.

One day Minou finds the body of a boy who has washed up on the shore. Her father decides to keep the boy in the room that once belonged to her mother until the delivery boat comes. (It’s cold outside, so they open the window in order for the room to remain cold, too.) Somehow Minou believes that the arrival of the boy will help explain her mother’s disappearance. Everyone except Minou believes her mother to be dead, but Minou must find the truth for herself.

This review may seem short. Don’t worry! There are discussion questions to follow! It’s a moody, brood-y book, with a gem hidden among the words on nearly every day. It’s the type of book you will want to savor slowly.