Short & Sweet: The Silence of Bones

The Silence of Bones by June Hur

1800s Korea and the persecution of Catholics was an entirely new setting/topic for me, and I appreciated learning about it through the eyes of Seol, who was an engaging narrator. I did find it hard to keep track of all the characters and their connections throughout the story (I wish there'd been a character list provided!). There was a long section in the middle of this book that dragged, but the ending made up for it, pulling things together and feeling finished without being overly happy or artificial. While the middle lulled, the intensity ratcheted up in the last several chapters, making it hard to put down at that point. 

All in all, a different sort of historical murder mystery from most of the offerings in YA, and well worth the read as long as you are willing to be patient.

4 shooting stars.

Grave Mercy: A Panoramic Review

"Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?" (from Goodreads)

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
 
My reaction: 

I ended up getting really, really into this book. It took me a few chapters, but partway through I was totally sucked into it. While I didn't like Ismae very much at the beginning (I was all, "I don't know if I'm really going to like this girl who just wants to kill men all the time"), she definitely grew on me. At first I couldn't get into the assassin side of things — Ismae was basically a killing machine for the convent, more or less — but she grows a will of her own, which was important to win me over to her side. She's pretty rigid, hard, and untrusting at the start, but as the book progresses she develops a softer side. I liked Ismae's spirited determination and her protective, almost sisterly nature towards the duchess. We also see an interesting conflict in Ismae between loyalty to the convent, loyalty to the religion itself, and loyalty to her own instincts and her heart. She's obviously getting torn in at least two (possibly more) directions about what her purpose is and how she should act.

I really liked the duchess as well; she's one of those pure characters you can't help but root for. She's quite young, and scared in some ways, but still determined to face up to all the threats being made. I had to feel bad for the poor girl because she's between a rock and a hard place, and basically her best option to save her country is to marry someone without any guarantee of love. The duchess' younger sister isn't really fleshed out much, but I think she has the potential to be an interesting character, so maybe we'll see more of her in the next book?

There is a large cast of characters here, but Robin LaFevers handles the characterization fabulously. It's tough to keep track of who's who, yes, but not as difficult as one might expect, because LaFevers gives the characters distinctive features and personalities. There's also a character list at the beginning you can flip to if you're having trouble. What's more challenging is trying to picture geographically what's going on; while there is a map provided, I didn't find it very helpful (in fact, I still can't figure out why the label "France" is in the middle of the ocean?)

I found the idea of Ismae's calling/religion and her devotion to the convent quite interesting, and for the most part well-executed (pardon the pun!). It's something that's not very tangible, and yet LaFevers doesn't take it into the really supernatural zone. The fantasy elements don't scream "paranormal" but are instead kept to a minimum, just a part of Ismae's gifts and ability. There was one plot point relating to the fantasy/religion aspect that I was of two minds about (spoiler, highlight to read: Death appearing to Ismae on the battlefield). I thought it was rather convenient and a little cliched, but it worked to give Ismae's powers and the magic system more validity as well as help Ismae make an important resolution, so I saw the point of it.

LaFevers demonstrates ambiguity in the religious system, and how interpretations can differ; I appreciated that this wasn't portrayed in a clear-cut manner (although I hope we get some more answers as the series continues!). Spoilers: I liked that we're shown the convent is fallible — the abbess ends up being pretty vicious! I always thought Ismae placed too much trust in the convent anyway, so I'm glad she finally realizes it (although it takes her a long time...she's quite dense in some ways).

Best aspect: the Ismae/Duval relationship, especially all the simmering, stretched-out tension before they end up getting together (the tension is often the best part of a romance!). They just can't help themselves, they're drawn to each other and there's this attraction and chemistry there that they both keep fighting. The progression of their relationship plays a significant role in Ismae's character development as well. She puts up a wall for so long, coming up with all these excuses and denying to herself that she cares about Duval, but then it finally breaks down as she lets herself love him. I always find that very rewarding to see as a reader, when characters slowly begin to trust others (although frustrating at times, too! I wanted to conk Ismae over the head and say, "You're in love! Admit it already!")

Once they do become involved, it thankfully doesn't get very sappy between them (a common pitfall of romances, I find. I actually could have used more emotional declaration from both of them!). Still, it's very much implied in everything they do for each other.

If I could change something... I would make the climactic scenes more dramatic and eventful. I thought this was the weakest aspect of Grave Mercy — there's a lot of build-up in terms of intrigue, deaths, and political maneuvring, but then not that much pay-off at the finale. The villain (who wasn't a big surprise — I began to suspect this character was up to no good partway through) was overcome rather easily, the confrontation being disappointingly anti-climactic. (Although it should be noted that thankfully, the villain was motivated by something other than a desire for power, giving the character very good reasoning for their traitorous actions.) I thought all the political maneuvring would tie together somehow, but some of the big-picture storylines are left unresolved; hopefully, they'll be tackled in the next book(s) in the series. Still, I'd have liked to have seen more of a complete internal plot arc within Grave Mercy itself.

And while I liked the idea of a battle — most of the book involved intrigue around the palace, so it was good that we got a bigger-scale event — it wasn't epic enough. They're saved rather easily and I thought the threat to the duchess' life could have been greater. I just wish there'd been more kick at the end; it seemed to lose that gripping quality that most of the book had. There wasn't one heart-pounding, everything-hanging-on-a-string, incredible moment where you wonder if everyone is going to make it.

If you haven't read it: and you'd like to check out an absorbing, stay-up-late-at-night-reading YA fantasy in the vein of Mistwood by Leah Cypess, Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn, Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith, and Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (I've seen Grave Mercy likened to that one in particular, and it is a good comparison), then I strongly suggest you pick this book up!

If you have read it: what are your hopes/expectations for the next in the series? (I know the next doesn't focus on Ismae, but I'm hoping she at least gets a cameo appearance!)

Just one more thing I want to mention: I really enjoyed the initial stages of the Ismae-Duval relationship, but I thought the last part of the book didn't handle it as well. There was one scene in particular that had me going, "Okay, that's kinda...weird...just how does that work, exactly?" Spoilers: Ismae has sex with Duval to take away the effects of the poison on him. This seemed to come out of nowhere and I felt like perhaps the author was just using the poison-removal as an excuse for them to have sex. (Plus, I have to wonder, is Ismae going to have to do that every time she wants to save someone who's been poisoned? Could get awkward...).

Quote: 

Feeling miserable, although not sure why, I wrap my arms around myself. "I am sorry, my lord. I did not wish to harm you." The truth of my words surprises me, for it seems as if I have done naught but long to be rid of him.

His smile flashes, quick and surprising in the darkness. "When one consorts with assassins, one must expect to dance along the edge of a knife once or twice. I bid you good night." 

 

Final verdict: 4.5 shooting stars. The first 3/4s were fantastic, but the ending didn't quite live up to the rest of it. However, it was an awesome read in terms of the reading experience, and I'm definitely going to be picking up the next one!

Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the publisher.

Note: This book contains some mature (violent and sexual) content.

Embrace: A Snapshot

 

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

"It starts with a whisper: "It’s time for you to know who you are…"

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…" (from Goodreads)

The subject: a girl coming into her own as a paranormal being.

The setting: present-day, generic urban location. I'm not sure if we're actually told the specific city, but probably somewhere in the US. 

Shutter speed: fairly steady. It's not all action, all the time — there's a fair bit of information-sharing, flirtation, and teenage angsting — but there are significant events sprinkled throughout. All the same, though, I wasn't on the edge of my seat, tearing through the pages or anything.

What's in the background? An interesting take on religion. Embrace ends up getting into some pretty detailed angel mythology, based on texts outside of the Bible. For those who are traditionally Christian and take their faith quite seriously, Shirvington's portrayal of the angelic might cause some friction.

Zoom in on: the paranormal system. I was confused at times about the roles of each level of supernatural creatures and how the hierarchy in heaven worked. While the history was explained pretty clearly, the language defining angels of "dark" and "light" was vague. I did think the activation of certain Grigori senses in the presence of exiles was neat, and I liked the concept of the test Violet has to undergo (though I think it should have challenged her more), but a lot of the rest of it seemed similar to other angel books. More specifics about the angel powers and "magic" side of things might have made it stand out.

Anything out of focus? I didn't like Violet all that much, which I think put a damper on my reaction to this book. She bugged me because she would be swept away by her emotions (and sometimes her hormones) and would make decisions without considering all the facts. She was overly trusting, swayed too easily by others, and sometimes slow on cluing into things.

Ready? Say... "Mediocre."

Click! 3 shooting stars. This is one of those books where I find it hard to pinpoint exactly what didn't work for me. Suffice it to say that, probably for several reasons, it just didn't hit the right note. Decent, but nothing exceptional.

Note: there is some mature content and language in this book.

Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC for review from Raincoast Books.

This book counts towards my goal for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge.

Dark of the Moon: A Panoramic Review

"Ariadne is destined to become a goddess of the moon. She leads a lonely life, filled with hours of rigorous training by stern priestesses. Her former friends no longer dare to look at her, much less speak to her. All that she has left are her mother and her beloved, misshapen brother Asterion, who must be held captive below the palace for his own safety.


So when a ship arrives one spring day, bearing a tribute of slaves from Athens, Ariadne sneaks out to meet it. These newcomers don’t know the ways of Krete; perhaps they won’t be afraid of a girl who will someday be a powerful goddess. And indeed she meets Theseus, the son of the king of Athens. Ariadne finds herself drawn to the newcomer, and soon they form a friendship—one that could perhaps become something more.

Yet Theseus is doomed to die as an offering to the Minotaur, that monster beneath the palace—unless he can kill the beast first. And that "monster" is Ariadne’s brother . . ." (from Goodreads)

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

My reaction: I found the first half more interesting, but it started to get repetitive and somewhat boring partway through. (I should note here that I've never studied the Theseus/Minotaur legend and so I'm not very familiar with it.) The story that the Cretan religious belief system is founded on (that of Velchanos and Goddess) is complex and difficult to follow in all its intricacies. While it keeps getting re-hashed and added to in detail, there isn't a lot of action or major plot points until the climactic scenes toward the end. The tone is rather dark and for much of the story the prospects of the main characters are bleak indeed, so don't go into it expecting a light or fun retelling.

The main characters Ariadne and Theseus are well-defined and multi-dimensional, but I didn't personally connect with either of them. Ariadne's acceptance of the religion and her role in the rituals irritated me at times; I'm sure it was realistic for the way she'd been brought up and the times she was living in, but I wanted to see her question and doubt the system more. However, her love for her brother was endearing; it was nice to see that she cared deeply for someone outside of herself. I can't really say the same for Theseus, who often acted out of selfish motives.

I did appreciate there is no black-and-white romance going on between Theseus and Ariadne. They share more of a tentative alliance, each by turns using the other, than anything else. While Ariadne briefly flirts with the possibility that she may have fallen for Theseus, their relationship never ventures beyond the merest beginning of a friendship.

As for other characters: Ariadne's mother Pasiphaë isn't really likable, but the relationship between Ariadne and her was quite interesting, the mother-daughter dynamic taking on an unusual tone as Pasiphaë also has the role of "mentor," so to speak, to She-Who-Will-Be-Goddess. The villains seemed a bit caricature-ish and could have been fleshed out more to make them less stereotypical.

Best aspect: I enjoyed seeing how fundamentally a belief system can affect everyday lives. The close connection between their religion and nature and the harvest made sense, and although we don't know a whole lot about ancient Cretan society, many societies in ancient times had a strong correlation between the farming schedule and their spiritual traditions (i.e. paganism). The atmosphere of ancient Greece was well-evoked, the writing painting a rich picture of life back then.

If I could change something... Well, for a book being touted as a retelling of the myth of the Minotaur...we don't actually *see* the "Minotaur" (Asterion) very much! This is unfortunate, as I thought his character had a lot to offer; the way Barrett has re-interpreted the Minotaur — as a mentally challenged and physically deformed young man, rather than the actual offspring of a bull and woman — brings into play the potential for many questions of morality and empathy. I think there's more that could have been explored with Asterion, but it's overshadowed by the complexities of the Goddess/Velchanos legend and the plot surrounding Theseus and Prokris.

Also, I was a bit iffy on how the religion is handled. Through most of it, the religion is portrayed merely as a belief system without concrete evidence — which is fine. But there's one part where this shifts and the presence of a deity is implied, though granted it is told from Ariadne's perspective. I found it difficult to accept Ariadne's belief in Goddess and her presence given that we don't really get to know Goddess' character at all. However, towards the end Ariadne herself acknowledges her uncertainty about this scene, which helps to remind the reader that this is all being filtered through Ariadne's point of view. In a way, it gives it a bit more mystery to not have the question resolved one way or another.

Read if: you like Greek legends, ethics, and characters with questionable motives. 

Final verdict: 3.5 shooting stars. I like the more realistic interpretation Barrett has taken of this legend, but I didn't really empathize that much with either of the leads and thought the complexities of the religious belief system swamped the storyline in a way. 

Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the publisher.

The Sharp Time: Review

Patient: The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell

Presentation:  

Sandinista Jones is a high school senior with a punk rock name and a broken heart. The death of her single mother has left Sandinista alone in the world, subject to the random vulnerability of everyday life. When the school system lets her down, her grief and instability intensify, and she ponders a violent act of revenge.

Still, in the midst of her crisis, she gets a job at The Pale Circus, a funky vintage clothing shop, and finds friendship and camaraderie with her coworker, a boy struggling with his own secrets.

Even as Sandinista sees the failures of those with power and authority, she's offered the chance to survive through the redemptive power of friendship. Now she must choose between faith and forgiveness or violence and vengeance. (from Goodreads)

Assessment:

Axis 1. Characters

Sandinista's a one-of-a-kind protagonist: quirky, dark, edgy, cynical, with a sardonic-verging-on-bitter sense of humour. She and I are very different in personality, so while her voice is powerful and present, I had a difficult time relating to her. Her way of looking at the world is not one I can identify with, but it's one that raises lots of questions. She's got a hard shell of protection around herself; her voice projects a "tough" image, her words continually loaded with sarcasm. It's clear that she had a close bond with her mother, and her death has left Sandinista feeling alone and desperate. You get a very strong sense of her personality, and it seems like she herself also has that strong sense of self; she sees things a certain way, and is not easily swayed by others to change her viewpoint.

Given the trouble I had connecting to Sandinista's perspective, her reaction to her teacher Mrs. Bennett's cruelty seemed extreme. Certainly the teacher was way out of line, both in terms of her continual verbal harassment of Sandinista and Alecia (her treatment of Alecia was particularly vicious, I thought), and her physical kicking of Sandinista's desk. But I wasn't feeling the venomous hatred that Sandinista was, and her obsession with revenge on the teacher — rather than a more rational course of action such as taking this to the principal or school board — didn't click with me. I had difficulty sympathizing with Sandinista's complaints about how no one from the school was getting in touch with her, when she personally had not voiced how she was treated to someone of authority. Admittedly there were plenty of witnesses, and Mrs. Bennett was undeniably in the wrong; but this inaction on Sandinista's part, followed by the festering desire to see Mrs. Bennett taken down, did not make it easier to relate to her.

Bradley is a very atypical teenager as well. He waxes philosophical on occasion, and like Sandinista has an extensive vocabulary. I must admit, while I could swallow Sandinista being so intellectual, I had a bit more difficulty believing that she would happen to find someone her age of a similar bent of mind working at the Pale Circus. 


Axis 2. Premise/plot

I found the pace of this one quite sluggish, weighed down by a bit too much description for my taste (albeit well-written description). The 'revenge on Mrs. Bennett' storyline occasionally brought up the tempo a little, but then towards the end that plot sort of died, in a way I thought robbed Sandinista of making her own decision. (Spoiler, highlight to read: Bradley throws her gun away, and this seems to dissolve her nebulous revenge plans, rendering Sandinista's role very passive. I also wanted to see a confrontation with Mrs. Bennett, and we don't get that.) This resulted in the story losing its 'point,' so to speak, outside of Sandinista coming to some realizations.

Axis 3. Writing Style

O'Connell's writing style is very literary, her sentences peppered with unusual description and words you might find on the GREs (I consider my vocabulary to be quite broad, but I must admit she had me furrowing my brow a few times). There are artistic and cultural references throughout, many of which went right over my head, unfortunately. Indeed, I remember thinking that it could be read and analyzed in a classroom situation. 
  
I also think this is one that could fall into the elusive "new adult" category. Sandinista's 18 and spends most of the book out of school. This, coupled with the high language level, could make older YA readers more likely to pick it up.

 
Axis 4. Psychological Accuracy

The psychological elements of The Sharp Time are not as clear-cut as some of the other books I've reviewed for this event. Sandinista mentions ADD (attention deficit disorder) once or twice, but I'm not sure if she's officially been diagnosed with it, or simply been told about her poor attention span many times before. In any case, it's a sore spot for her, one that Mrs. Bennett attacks her about again and again. Sandinista's obsession with whether or not she is "paying attention" demonstrates that this is an area she feels defensive about, regardless of whether or not she actually meets the criteria for ADD.

Which, itself, is not so obvious. We're in her head a whole lot, and yes, her thoughts do cover an expanse of topics, but I don't know that her attention span is any shorter than the average teenager's. It's made abundantly apparent that Mrs. Bennett believes Sandinista needs to pay closer attention to the task at hand; whether Sandinista is actually having difficulty doing so is another question. One of the reactions to having ADD can, however, be violence/aggression, and Sandinista certainly displays impulses in that direction.

But I think Sandinista might show signs of an adjustment disorder as well. This is a response to a "life stress" — for instance, the death of a family member or problems in school, both of which Sandinista experiences — that is more extreme than one might expect. Symptoms Sandinista arguably demonstrates include: lack of enjoyment (her general outlook on life is dark and jaded, although she does seem happy when she's with Bradley), desperation, trouble sleeping, feeling overwhelmed, skipping school, vandalizing property, and avoiding family/friends (she avoids her previous friends, anyway, although she does make new ones). (There's also a scene with reckless driving, of a sort, but seeing as this is accidental on Sandinista's part, I don't think it counts!) At any rate, she certainly seems to have a dangerous amount of anger brewing into a stalker-ish, decidedly unhealthy obsession with Mrs. Bennett. 

A minor quibble: a couple of times the words "OCD" and "psychotic" are used incorrectly. It's true, these terms do pop up in daily conversations in a casual way, and they are generally not used properly. But nevertheless it irritates me. In particular: you cannot have a "psychotic smile." Psychotic refers to having hallucinations and/or delusions, and a smile cannot hallucinate much of anything.

Validity Score: How psychologically accurate was The Sharp Time?

Axis 5. Miscellaneous

Personally, I didn't enjoy the anti-Christian barbs made by some of the characters (including Sandinista) throughout. Other readers might not mind this at all, but it soured my own impressions. I can appreciate that a lot of teens do question, criticize, and make light of religion, so Sandinista's biting and satirical observations may well be realistic of that age, but regardless, I found myself feeling offended at times. Religion is a topic that I like to see handled with care, and that didn't happen here the way I might have wished.

I felt like there was some sort of message the author was trying to send, but frankly, by the end I still wasn't really getting it. I couldn't tell if it was intentionally anti-Christian, if it was just anti-organized-religion, or something else entirely. I think Sandinista gains a better understanding of spirituality and faith, but I'm not certain what that understanding is.

Diagnosis: 3 shooting stars. Don't get me wrong — the quality of writing is high, the themes and characters nuanced and complex, and begging to be analyzed. But I didn't like many of the characters (especially Sandinista), I had some issues with the religious aspects, and the plot was ultimately a letdown. 

Note: there is some mature language used in this book.

Disclaimer: I received this book for review for Psychtember from the author. 

For my interview with Mary O'Connell, go here.

Losing Faith: Review

They're sisters, but Brie feels like they couldn't be further apart. Faith's the good daughter with a passion for religion; Brie's the cynical one who sneaks off to parties with her boyfriend. And then Faith dies, and everything changes.

Her mom spirals into depression, her father refuses to talk about anything important, and Brie herself can't decide how she really feels. As she tries to make sense of it all, everything she finds out about Faith's life makes her question her sister's death. Was it really an accident? And will discovering the answer finally give Brie the peace she needs to let her sister go?

Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

Characters:

I really loved Brie's voice. She's got a bit of a chip on her shoulder when it comes to church and religion, she's sarcastic, and she's really hurting. She writes terrible poetry (don't worry, she admits it) and she's totally phobic about heights. Brie feels very real. She may paint herself as the "black sheep" of the family, but she's not so rebellious that she falls into the over-the-top, roll-your-eyes cliche. Brie's just not at all like Faith - and that's great.

Also, the emotional rollercoaster she's on after her sister dies is believable. They weren't close in life, and they're even further apart now that Faith is gone. Brie resents her for having died, resents her for being so "perfect" in life, misses her terribly but can't shed a tear. I do wish we'd been given a few more glimpses of Brie's memories of Faith; when Brie does recall times she shared with Faith, we see a hint of that long-ago bond between them. Also, it might have fleshed Faith out a bit more - as the book goes on we get a better understanding of Faith's religious beliefs, but not as much of her as a person.

Jaden's characterization as a whole is excellent. Brie's mom and dad are both well depicted, her mother having an emotional breakdown and barricading herself in her room, and her father burying himself in his job. She does a fabulous job of showing how differently people can react to tragedy, and how the grieving process naturally takes time. Brie's acquaintance who gradually grows into a friend, Tessa, is an extremely colorful character. She's defensive, opinionated, and difficult to understand through much of the book - I had a much easier time relating to Brie - but her past (and present) explains a lot of her behaviour.

Reena's another intriguing character...won't say too much here as to avoid spoilers, but she's very unstable and in need of some serious help. As is Nathan, although his motivations are a little less clear than Reena's (and we don't really find out what happens to him at the end.) These two were both incredibly interesting from a psychological perspective, and although we are given some idea what's going on in their minds, I would have welcomed a bit more insight into their beliefs and their behaviour.

I enjoyed seeing the slow relationship build between Brie and Reena's brother, Alis (although his nickname is unfortunate). It was nice to see a YA book that wasn't *all* about the romance. Yes, the mutual interest between them is there, but they start out wary of each other, then become friends, and that leads to something more. Brie has enough on her plate with fishing around for clues about Faith's death, and having a huge heated romance happening at the same time would have been a bit much to swallow. Alis always remained a bit of a mystery to me as a character, but I think he felt that way to Brie as well, and at the end of the book we're left with the sense that they now have time to get to know each other better.

The one character I felt was a little flat was Celeste, Faith's friend. I didn't have a clear picture of her in my mind, and for a long time she just seems really timid and scared. She proves herself later in a crisis situation, but we never learn too much about her life or even her memories of Faith.

Themes:

Jaden really manages to delve into the human psyche in this novel. Death, grief, depression, denial and OCD are all touched upon and handled well. It was great to see the psychological elements play an important role without taking center stage.

Religious beliefs are also discussed without coming across as preachy (this is a pet peeve of mine in books that handle religion, so I'm very happy that Jaden avoids that).

Spoilers here, highlight to read:

I'd heard that cults played a role in this book before I read it, so I could guess a good part of the mystery surrounding Faith's death. Nevertheless, I still found the religious fanaticism element of it intriguing, particularly in that it is tied in with Reena's OCD. Having majored in psychology, I knew this was a sub-type of OCD, but unlike depression or eating disorders, it's rare to come across it in YA books. The way the cult-like group was depicted - the morbid slogans, the levels of 'devotedness', the branding - was twisted but believable, especially given Reena's psychological problems.

The one thing I took issue with was the portrayal of hypnotism at the cliff edge. I didn't think enough of the necessary elements of hypnotism from real life (for instance, a soothing voice speaking for several minutes in a calming setting, coupled with an individual who wishes to succumb) were present for there to be any chance that one of the teens could be hypnotized. I did appreciate that it is later pointed out that the hypnotic trance can't be forced on anyone who doesn't want to be hypnotized. That's a little-known fact - many people believe that you can be made to do any number of things against your will - and so I was really pleased to see that myth blown wide open.

Plot:

While I didn't find it to be a grip-you-to-your-seat read, I always came back wanting to know how everything ended. Also, if you like character development (and I do), then you'll enjoy Losing Faith. Brie, of course, goes through a lot of realizations, but you can see changes in her mother and Tessa as well. There's one very sweet scene that occurs between Brie and her mom, and another between Brie and Tessa involving a poem of Brie's that is actually quite insightful!

I did find the ending to be a little anti-climactic. Don't get me wrong - a lot of it is heart-pounding stuff that, if you're like Brie (and me) and share a fear of heights, will make you quiver. The resolution does make sense, and I liked that it paid tribute to the power of both of Brie's friendships, but it felt a little safe. Perhaps I was just hoping for something a bit more dramatic.

Also, I have to mention this one scene: where Brie is giving her testament to Faith at the memorial service, in the form of a poem. I really felt for Brie in that scene and I was so embarrassed right along with her! I hate public speaking and I can just imagine how awful she must have felt as she realized how the words must be sounding as they came out.

Writing style: 

It's written from Brie's point of view, and since I enjoyed her character and voice it was quite easy to read. The pacing for Losing Faith was just about perfect, with the device of Brie's stated "plans" working well to remind the reader where they were in the scheme of things while subtly reflecting Brie's need for control over the situation. 

Final verdict: 4 shooting stars. This is a thought-provoking book about loss, grief, secrets, fears, and trust.

Disclaimer: I won this book in a giveaway.

The Dark Divine: Review

One night three years ago, Grace Divine's brother Jude staggered home dripping blood and refusing to tell Grace exactly what happened. All she knows is that his best friend Daniel -  the guy she's had a crush on for forever - was somehow involved.


Now Daniel's back, and he seems to need her help. He's homeless, jobless, just about penniless, and Grace feels more attracted to him than ever. But Daniel's hiding something, a secret that explains his seemingly superhuman abilities and volatile moods. A secret that has more than a little to do with a silver knife, a piece of moonstone, Jude's odd behaviour... and Grace's own fate.

I wasn't expecting that much from The Dark Divine, but I actually ended up really enjoying it. Despite the fact that I guessed Daniel's secret from quite early on, the twists and turns of the plot were exciting and Bree Despain had me doubting myself repeatedly as I tried to piece everything together.

Although some elements of the book are admittedly Twilight-esque (brooding, mysterious guy has superhuman strength and speed, and likes to tow girl along on really fast trips through the forest; said guy can't seem to be able to make up his mind whether he wants to be with girl or not) the protagonist is definitely a lot stronger than Bella Swan. Grace sticks up for herself, makes her own decisions, and learns from her mistakes. Perhaps she isn't always quite as self-aware as one would wish (for instance, she doesn't always seem to realize why she keeps trying to pry into Daniel's affairs), but that's fairly typical for teenagers.

Also, I was really happy to see that once she found out all the nitty gritty dangerous details of Daniel's secrets (more on this later in a spoiler zone), Grace wasted no time in making the decision to stay away from him. Yes! She somehow manages to! She tells him repeatedly that she doesn't want to see him anymore - partly out of loyalty to her brother, and partly because she is genuinely scared of Daniel. When she does eventually return to him, it is with a good deal more knowledge than she had before about his situation, and without any fear.

The book is written with a Christian slant, but I was pleased that it was woven well into the storyline and doesn't come across as heavy-handed or moralistic. Grace Divine is a pastor's daughter, so of course religion plays an important role in her life; that Despain also manages to connect it soundly to the more fantastical aspects of the novel makes it even more seamless.

Also, there are a couple of twists toward the end that I totally did not see coming, which set things up nicely for a sequel. Despite this, Despain manages to tie the great majority of loose ends together well (although I am still wondering about Gabriel. Why is he still alive?), and the reader finishes the book feeling satisfied. It's a major pet peeve of mine that some books leave off in the middle of the story arc, and you have to wait for the sequel to find out what happens, so I'm glad to say that's not the case with The Dark Divine. While the reader is left hoping for more, most of the mysteries of the book have been explained by the end.

If there's any one thing I would pick on, it would actually be Grace's father. He totally knows what's up with Daniel the whole time, he knows that it's potentially dangerous, and yet he doesn't let on to anyone what's going on - not even his daughter who happens to be hanging out with Daniel. Then, when Grace is finally told some of the many secrets involved, and decides she doesn't want to be with Daniel anymore, all Grace's father does is hand her some really old letters (giving further explanations) and tell her it's all up to her. Does this sound like a responsible father? It just didn't seem very realistic. Grace's father trusts Daniel, and so we're supposed to believe that he's not concerned about his daughter's safety with Daniel...but given Daniel's situation, it wouldn't hurt Grace's father to show a bit more caution! Also, we aren't shown how Daniel convinces Grace's father to help him, or why Grace's father believes all of the information he is given; his role in this whole scenario needs some more grounding before it can be entirely believable.

{Beware of Spoilers, All Ye Who Enter Here}

I do try to write my reviews without spoiling too much, but there's a large section of this one that can't really be talked about if I don't - namely, Daniel's secret and its implications. It didn't take me long to speculate that Daniel was a werewolf, and though Despain threw me off the scent (yep, there's a pun there) briefly with all this talk of the Urbat, eventually it turned out I was indeed right.


Werewolves are hardly unusual in the YA paranormal/fantasy genre; personally I like them better than vampires, but not as much as angels (the other two currently "hot" trends in YA paranormal). However, Despain does a great job of creating her own rich culture and history of werewolves. While her story incorporates many traditional folklore elements (aversion to silver, connection to the moon, strength and speed) it also branches off onto new paths. The use of moonstone in helping a wolf keep control makes perfect sense, and the connection to the soul she introduces works well with the religious setting. I appreciated that Despain's wolves were not tame; once they've changed form, they seem to discard most human emotions and go by primal instincts (though we do see some evidence of Daniel being able to control himself in wolf form, later on in the story). The idea that once someone is bitten, they have the potential to become a werewolf, but it is not a certainty unless they commit a 'predatory act' that will endanger their soul, is a really interesting take on the transformation. I'd like to see this fleshed out even more in the next book (and I think it likely will be!)


Daniel kind of annoyed me at the beginning of the book, but once we find out that a werewolf can only regain its soul if it is killed by the one who loves it the most, his behaviour makes a little more sense. I still wish he had told Grace about all of it sooner - or stopped acting so hot-and-cold with her at any rate - but hey, he was going through a lot (and it's true that he didn't know what the cure would entail until partway through, so perhaps he was hoping he could be cured without Grace finding out he was a werewolf at all). 


{End of Spoilers}

Read if you like YA paranormals with strong heroines, guys with dark secrets, and unexpected twists you can't predict. 4 out of 5 shooting stars.

In the Name of God review

Paula Jolin's In the Name of God is an interesting look into the pull of Muslim fundamental beliefs on a young girl living in Syria who is struggling to maintain her faith. Nadia has always been an excellent student and a strong follower of Islamic law. When the secular Syrian authorities arrest her cousin for blasphemous talk, Nadia feels she must fight back. A young man named Walid soon has her convinced that violence is the solution to preventing Western influence from taking over the Syria she desperately wants to protect.



While the topic of religious extremism is a touchy issue that is handled relatively well by Jolin, I really felt unable to connect with the main character at all. Her constant criticism of others being not "Islamic" enough grated on my nerves, frankly, and I was unable to relate to her tunnel-visioned focus on putting her religion (and what she believes it stands for) above all else, including her education and her family. The ending redeems the book somewhat (I won't spoil it), but it is a little too abrupt and I could have done with some more resolution to the story. The book did raise some interesting questions I hadn't really considered before then, but it isn't one I would read a second time.

Overall, I'd rate it a 3 out of 5 stars.