The Beginning of After: A Snapshot

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

From Goodreads: "Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways."

The subject: a girl struggling to recover from the deaths of her parents and brother. Laurel's voice is enjoyable and her character relatable, and I felt a lot of sympathy for her, especially right at the beginning after the accident.

The setting: the New York suburbs.

Shutter speed: fairly slow-moving, but smooth. It's character-driven, so there isn't a lot of action, but at the same time it reads really easily. However, it does lose momentum/direction in parts (especially the second half) and some of it feels repetitive. 

What's in the background? Oh, the unresolved tension between Laurel and David... which got dragged out longer than I felt was really necessary. But I was rooting for them to get together! 

Zoom in on: Laurel's relationship with her brother and parents. They die at the beginning so we don't get to know them that well, and I think a few more memories/flashbacks might have helped make them feel more real.

Anything out of focus? There's an almost-sex scene that I thought happened awfully suddenly in the progression of the relationship.

Also, Laurel seems to move on from her grief a bit more quickly than I might have expected.

Ready? Say... "Loss."

Click! 4 shooting stars. This book hasn't stuck with me and isn't particularly memorable, but I actually really enjoyed reading it at the time. I liked being in Laurel's head; she makes mistakes but learns from them, and her relationship with David is believably rocky as it changes and takes on different tones throughout. Overall, it's an easy read that feels very realistic.

Note: there is a bit of mature sexual content.

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

Popular and Tighter: Snapshots (and Giveaway!)

 

Both of these books have mental health aspects, but I can't say too much about them for fear of majorly spoiling! So instead of the regular Psychtember review format, I'm going to use my quick "snapshot" instead.

Popular by Alissa Grosso

"Meet the clique that rules Fidelity High: Olivia, Zelda, Nordica, and Shelly, each one handpicked by über-popular Hamilton Best. You know you're "in" when you make the guest list for one of Hamilton's parties. And in the thralls of senior year, everyone wants to get noticed by Hamilton.

But Hamilton's elite entourage is coming apart at the seams. Olivia fantasizes about finally having a boyfriend, Zelda dreams of ditching high school, Nordica wants to be alone with her photography, and Shelly's plotting to dethrone Hamilton. Lies and secrets are ripping away the careful ties that have kept them together for years. But Hamilton has the biggest secret of all, one that only her boyfriend Alex knows. If the truth got out, it would shock everyone and destroy Hamilton's fragile world—and she'll do anything to protect her secret and keep her clique together." (from Goodreads)

The subject: a one-of-a-kind high school clique...trust me, you've never seen one quite like this before.

Shutter speed: pretty snappy, as the social scene is ripe with drama — although it does become repetitive after a little while, as Part 1 is drawn out a bit more than I thought was really necessary.

What's in the background? Alex, the apparently perfect boyfriend...but he comes more into the foreground in Part 2, and we get to see what's really going through his mind. Getting Alex's perspective adds such a necessary layer to what's going on.

Zoom in on: Jasmine, or really any outsider to the clique. I'd like to see a little more of what everyone else thinks of Hamilton.

Anything out of focus? I had some trouble remembering which perspective I was reading, since Part 1 flips between five.

The mental health issue is fascinating, and the way the storyline is crafted around it is stupendous. I had a few niggling questions about the accuracy of how a certain disorder is portrayed, but overall it's handled well.

Ready? Say... "Secrets!"

Click! 4.5 shooting stars.

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

Tighter by Adele Griffin 

"When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead." (from Goodreads) 

The subject: an au pair struggling to understand the clues she sees about the previous au pair's death...

The setting: the island of Little Bly, a seemingly perfect holiday spot

Shutter speed: fairly slow-moving, I thought. It's not showy in suspense or horror, but the mystery is confusing and keeps you guessing, distrusting everyone. Something about it made me feel uneasy and apprehensive as I read. And the final reveal is mind-boggling.

What's in the background? a cast of distinct, well-depicted characters that you can't quite pin down in terms of "good" or "bad." Sebastian's relationship with Jamie added an easy, sweet and stable element to her rocky existence on Little Bly. Plus, he was one of the few characters I actually liked (many of them aren't intended to be particularly sympathetic, I think...Jamie herself is not exactly likeable).

Zoom in on: Jamie's charge, Isa. Even when everything was revealed, I still had questions about that odd little girl.

Anything out of focus? I found the backstory of Jamie and her teacher to be a bit much. I know Tighter is based on The Turn of the Screw, which I have not read, so perhaps this goes back to the original...but in any case, I did not find the cause of Jamie's angst — being rejected by her teacher — to be very convincing.

In terms of the psychology, by and large it is done well, demonstrating several key facts about a particular issue. Overall I think one needs to suspend some disbelief; there are a few places I'm not so sure the explanation behind events is entirely plausible, but at any rate, it's a clever ending Adele Griffin presents the reader with.

Ready? Say... "Woah..."

Click! 4 shooting stars.

Take two? Yes. This is the kind of book that you'll want to re-read from the beginning once you reach the end, because the revelation is so spectacular it completely changes the meaning of the rest of the novel. 

 
And lucky for you guys, I'm giving away a copy of Popular!

The rules:

- US/Canada only

- Entrants must be 13 years or older.

- One entry per person.

- Following and tweeting are not required, but always much appreciated.

- Winner will be selected randomly and contacted by e-mail for their address.

- Ends Oct. 20 at 11:59 pm EST. 

To enter, please fill in THIS FORM. Comments, while wonderful, do NOT count as entries.

 

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.

Forgotten: Review

Goodreads' description:

"Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies."

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Premise:

The concept behind Forgotten really intrigued me from the synopsis. However, in its execution I feel like it was just too bizarre to be handled the way it was. I think if London's memory had erased at 4:33 am every morning, and that was the only issue, I could have bought it much more easily. There have been case studies of individuals who have short-term memory loss, after all. But combine that with "remembering" the future and you open a whole other can of worms. First of all, if she can see the future and change the future...um, exactly how does that work? Why doesn't she see herself changing the future? Or see glimpses of a variety of possible futures, that depend on the choices she makes? We don't really know how she sees it, or what her limitations are, and the future "memories" are lacking in description; we are told what will happen rather than getting a peek at them along with London.

Secondly, nitty-gritty of her future-seeing aside...basically, she possesses a supernatural ability in an otherwise magic-less story. I'm pretty sure before I read Forgotten I saw some other reviews criticize it for having no explanation for this ability of London's, and I'm very much inclined to agree with them. The unbelievability quotient is simply over the top. Yes, we are given some revelations about her past that provide an explanation (albeit far-fetched and probably not scientifically viable) for the memory loss. But I don't see how that can be stretched to explain her future-seeing as well.

Characters:

Honestly, I had a very difficult time connecting with any of the characters in this book, even the narrator London. I think this was partly due to the writing style, which I found rather dry and distancing, and also to the fact that we don't learn a lot about the characters' interests, hobbies or personality quirks. I'm not sure I could name one activity London enjoys doing in her spare time if I had to (I'm not counting hanging out with her friend or boyfriend). Her unusual memory problems define her and largely define her relationships and the storyline. Her whole life is basically just trying to get through each day, and at the beginning I did feel the frustration that anyone with a memory loss like hers must feel. After a while, however, it just became tiring to read about.

London's friend Jamie feels the most "alive" of any of them, yet even she is pretty much the required best friend sidekick. Sure, she and London have a fight partway through, but you know they will patch things up by the end. How can you be so sure? Well, a) that's usually how BFF arguments end up getting resolved, and b) London "remembers" the future in any case.

Luke is introduced as the perfect guy: attractive, charming, considerate — and unfortunately lacking much depth. He doesn't seem to have any flaws; at one point I remember wondering if I could trust him. Thankfully we do find out a bit more about him through a revelation that explains his interest in London and gives their relationship at least some dimension, but I still wasn't crazy about him by the end. (But he does have an obsession with ears that makes him a bit more distinctive...even if it does weird me out.) I did feel kind of sorry for him though, because he has a girlfriend who wakes up every single day and doesn't remember him; frankly I didn't really get why he stuck with her.

The only other really central character is London's mom, and I had a hard time understanding how she could be so blasé about London's memory problems. I mean, yes, it's been years and they haven't found a medical explanation, but her mom really takes it all in stride and doesn't seem to be too concerned about it. If I had a daughter and she forgot each day but "remembered" the future, I'd be more than a little worried. The relationship dynamic between London and her mom is interesting, though; at some points they seem almost more like friends than mother/daughter, and London confides in her more closely than many teens we see in YA do.

Plot:

There didn't really seem to be one central storyline here, which meant the book lacked direction or much momentum. There's a plot revolving around London's relationship with Luke, another with her friend Jamie, and a third — the most mysterious and significant, I think — related to her unsettling visions of a funeral. Each of these seems to get resolved without too much work on London's part. Okay, she does take steps to get her friendship with Jamie back on track, but since she knew she'd be friends with her in the future...was that really necessary at all? And as for the funeral storyline, there appeared to be some build-up and a few revelations, but then no climactic scene. It was like the action was over before it even began, and London herself isn't really even involved in its resolution — she just finds out about it afterward. Spoilery details, highlight to read: once London's memory of her brother's kidnapping is conveniently triggered and she sees that in the future Luke will die, the police use her clues to discover the house with the stolen children and find out that London's brother's "body" was really a body stolen from the morgue.

And I'm assuming there's a sequel, because there's at least one plot thread completely left dangling. Spoiler: what about Luke dying in the future? Not resolved at all.

Also, given the unique premise, you'd think this would be a gripping read. But I found the opposite to be true — there were so many mundane minuscule details included that I kept losing interest. There were a few scenes that would pull me back into it — usually ones that played on London's memory problems, leading to unexpected situations (spoilery example: I really liked the scene where her memory resets while she's out with Luke and then she wakes up and has no idea where she is or who she's with). And I did like some of the unexpected twists, especially the one involving Luke. But then it would go back to recounting every little encounter that London has, however commonplace. She's constantly forgetting the same things and having similar kinds of conversations, so it gets repetitive. And you can have the most fascinating premise in the world, but if your book is lacking in plot it can only take you so far.

Writing style:

Like I mentioned before, I found the writing kind of dry and clinical, with more telling than showing happening for London's emotional reactions. There wasn't anything blatantly wrong with it, but it didn't sparkle, and some of the dialogue felt inauthentic and stilted. There's also a bit of a disconnect between London's POV and what the reader experiences. London is used to her memory problems and so she's not usually surprised or confused that she forgets the past, or conversely "remembers" something from the future. But to the reader, this is all new and it's frustrating to try to keep track of what London knows, since we can remember everything that's gone on and London can't. I'm not sure there would be any way to really make the reader "forget" along with London, but I just wasn't on the same page as her. Overall, it makes for a confusing reading experience.

Final verdict: 2 shooting stars. A premise with creative potential, but it just didn't happen for me in the execution. I didn't find myself caring about the characters and the whole story ended up feeling pretty pointless.

If you'd like to see a few other bloggers' takes on Forgotten, since I seem to be in the minority, check these more positive reviews out:

The Bookish Type
Poetry to Prose
Amaterasu Reads

Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC from Big Honcho Media for review.

Ruby Red: In A Nutshell

 Goodreads' description:

"Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era! Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon, the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust."

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

My reaction: It didn't take me long to get caught up in the fun that is this book! I noticed right away that it has a British touch to it which is handled quite nicely — I'm not sure if that's the translator's doing or the author's, but either way it managed to use enough British expressions to keep the reader grounded in the setting without overloading them with so much jargon as to make it incomprehensible. (Plus, I learned that skipping a class is called "bunking off," which just sounds so much more awesome.)

The tone of this novel is light and charming, and it's easy to breeze through (I read it in about a day's time). Generally the writing has a bit of an old-fashioned feel, even during the modern-day sections. The dialogue for the teens isn't always the most authentic (they're all very polite and well-behaved for the most part),  and yet — perhaps because of the London setting — this didn't really bother me much. (Maybe British teens really do talk like that, what do I know?) There is plenty of mystery, lots of hints at secrets and such, but it always maintains an entertaining vibe, never taking itself too seriously.

It does take a bit to get going (the prologue will confuse you entirely, but it becomes clearer after you read some more) and the faster-paced sections were the parts where they traveled back in time. The modern scenes were a bit slower, as they mostly involved information being revealed (in fact, there was one chapter that I felt was a rather heavy "info-dump"). I did find it somewhat irritating that a lot of knowledge is withheld from Gwyneth, and thus from the reader, without a good explanation as to why. Secrets are kept from her (and then gradually revealed) by characters who appear to be on her side and really don't have a sound reason for not telling her sooner about matters that involve her.

Gwyneth's voice was a bit inconsistent for me, as I found that she sounded a little younger or a little older than sixteen at various times. I had a few problems with her character (discussed below) but her heart is in the right place, and she does have a good sense of humour. Indeed, I found myself laughing out loud at various lines throughout the novel. There are many side characters to swell out the cast, and while it might be a bit difficult to keep them straight at first, several of them are quite memorable and distinct. Great-aunt Maddy is particularly hilarious, and Madame Rossini is spot-on in her role as the almost caricature-ish French fashion designer.

I enjoyed the back-and-forth between Gideon and Gwyneth as they attempt to annoy each other. Gwyneth's attraction to Gideon is believable; he may be arrogant (okay, there's really no "may" about it) but he understands his responsibilities and does his best to keep Gwyneth safe. I was less convinced of the interest on his side, since for most of it he appears to think very little of her (more than once making it obvious he believes her to be shallow and a burden on the mission) and I think his opinion changed a bit too suddenly for my liking. Still, I did think they were awfully cute together and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing their relationship develop further in the next one.

Best aspect: I found the background created for the Guardians — things like the significance of the number 12 and the connection to the philosopher's stone — delightfully intriguing. I also really enjoyed the scenes where they traveled back in time; there was usually bound to be some action happening whenever they did! It was fun to imagine Gwyneth and Gideon in their old-fashioned costumes. Actually, the whole time-travel gene set-up was quite creative. Interestingly, the gene makes it necessary to travel back in time a certain amount (and if you don't time-travel under your own control, using a chronograph, then your body will make the decision for you — and then who knows where you might end up?!)

If I could change something... To be honest, certain aspects of Gwyneth's character annoyed me. Just about all of her relatives seem to think she's not very bright, and she appears to accept this as part of who she is. She doesn't seem to care about improving her knowledge, even of the time travel matters she's been caught up in, instead leaving the research (which mostly means Google searches) to her friend Lesley. It was this apparent apathy, more than her lack of book-learning prowess, that frustrated me. I did sometimes have to agree with her relatives, since Gwyneth was on a few occasions slow to catch on to things I'm sure the reader could follow just fine (and even worse, she has no qualms about pointing it out). She takes affront at Gideon's implications that she's ditzy/shallow/ignorant, and yet she doesn't try very hard to disprove them. However, I felt like at other times she was selling herself short in the intelligence department.  There seems to be a bit of character growth starting towards the end, so I'm hoping that continues in the sequel. I'd like to see her mature, becoming less self-focused and embracing her time-travel ability (she sometimes comes off as a bit whiny about it). I'm hoping she'll be more active in the next book, taking the initiative rather than letting things happen to her and others decide.

Also, a warning right now — the ending will leave you hanging completely! If you're like me you'll have a ton of questions that aren't answered. Unfortunately it does leave it feeling like an uncompleted story arc — it just sort of ends in the middle of all the build-up. But I suppose to a certain degree the tactic worked, because it also left me wanting to get my hands on the next one to find out what happens and how everything ties together.

In five words or less: a rollicking time-travel romp!

Quote:



"You'd think that would have been forgotten long ago. But no, no sooner has a little grass grown over it than some clumsy camel comes along and rakes it all up again."

Caroline giggled. She was probably imagining Aunt Glenda as a camel.

"This is not a TV series, Maddy," said Lady Arista sharply.

"Thank goodness, no, it isn't," said Great-aunt Maddy. "If it were, I'd have lost track of the plot ages ago."

Read if you liked: Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Final verdict: 4 shooting stars. Who doesn't want to imagine dressing in fancy gowns, traveling back in time, witnessing sword fights and talking to your now-dead relatives? Just be prepared for an abrupt ending that leaves you with plenty of questions.

And if you haven't seen the trailer, check it out:



Disclaimer: I received a copy of Ruby Red from the publisher for review.

Divergent: In A Nutshell (and Canadian Giveaway!)

From Goodreads:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

 During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

My reaction: Divergent is such an adrenaline rush of a read. It will get your heart pounding and your breath quickening as you experience the highs and lows along with the protagonist Tris. I liked the concept of a society divided into factions based on personality traits before I even started reading the book. Roth does a fantastic job of demonstrating how even qualities normally seen as positive – selflessness, for instance, or bravery – can be destructive when taken to extremes.

I do still have a lot of questions about how these factions developed over time, and why they seem to be set up as mutually exclusive. In our world, humans don't normally display only one of these five traits, but rather varying levels of several. So in Divergent, do they basically hone a particular trait through, for a lack of a better word, inbreeding within the faction? Has courage, for instance, eventually become genetically manifested in only those of the Dauntless group? I'd love to know more about how the aptitude test was designed and is supposed to function as well.

Tris is a complex, multi-layered character; often I found that I didn't agree with the course of action she was taking, but at the same time I found myself still cheering for her. There is an interesting internal battle of wills that Tris fights, with her instinct for self-preservation warring with her desire to be selfless. Still, the ruthless, occasionally bordering on sadistic, tendency that Tris shows sometimes is unsettling – but she's not the only one. Several of her peers display schadenfreude far more frequently, which adds to the readers' sense that the system is clearly not working.

After Tris, my next favourite character was probably Four, and for the most part I enjoyed the development of their relationship, which didn't overpower or slow down the plot but was still definitely central to the storyline. He's a bit of a mystery to Tris, and about the closest thing she's got to a protector in her situation. (Sidenote: I so totally guessed the revelation about Four long before we find out! I'm usually terrible at that.) But even Four has his flaws, and there were a couple instances that were troubling to me in his treatment of Tris. Spoilery bit, highlight to read: Okay, was it just me, or did the scene where he tells her his instinct is to push till she breaks give anyone else the 'this is not a healthy relationship' red flag? By the end, however, we see a greater level of trust and openness between the two of them.

There are a lot of side characters in this novel, and I had some trouble keeping track of all of them and which faction they were originally from. Since there are so many, they are not all equally dynamic and fleshed-out, although perhaps some of them will get more screen time in the sequels.

Best aspect: I really enjoyed that we get to see so much of Tris' daily life in training, with the focus being on her experience rather than pushing the dystopian aspects of the society at the reader. Instead, they are reflected in the worrisome behaviour of more than one faction, signaling that despite initial outward appearances, a society based on division that pits one group against another is dangerous. 

Also, the theme of fear is central to the story, and this really affects the reading experience: the journey we are taken on is intense, gripping, and anxiety-producing. If this book doesn't get your heart racing, blood pumping, and palms sweating, you might be clinically dead.

If I could change something... I didn't find one of the most important antagonists particularly frightening, frankly. Also, I had some qualms about the ending; the villainous threat seemed to happen with too little warning or lead-up. BIG spoilers: the serum is mentioned a couple times throughout, but the Erudite control of the majority of the Dauntless, essentially turning them into robots, just happened so suddenly and easily that it was a little unbelievable. I really wanted to know more about how both the regular serum and the special "Divergent" serum worked, because clearly they were different from the serum the Dauntless initiates were injected with to stimulate their fears.

Also, it probably won't come as a shock that some characters in this book die. Not going to spoil who, of course, but as a reader I found that for most of the deaths I wasn't strongly impacted emotionally, perhaps because we – along with Tris – aren't given much time to process them before the next action scene happens. I'm not sure that some of the deaths were really necessary for the storyline.

Hopes for the sequel? I am really hoping that we are introduced to the Amity and Candor areas of the city, and that we get to meet more characters from these two factions. I'm interested to see if there will be a 'dark side' displayed in these as well.

Read if you like: The Hunger Games, Uglies, Enclave, The Giver

Final verdict: 4.5 shooting stars.

Author's website: http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/

Note: Because there is a substantial amount of violence and brutality in this one, I'd recommend it more for the older set of YA readers.

Disclaimer: I received a Divergent ARC from the publisher for review for A Cornucopia of Dystopia.

And now, I'll be giving away that ARC, so here are the guidelines...

• Open to Canadian mailing addresses only.
• Entrants must be 13 years or older.
• One entry per person (tweeting and following are not required, but are certainly appreciated)
• Ends April 30 at 11:59 pm EST
• Winner will be selected randomly and contacted by e-mail

This contest is now closed.

Enclave: In A Nutshell

Goodreads' description:

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

One sentence sum-up: a story of survival in a world where each day is a struggle to live another day.

My reaction: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Enclave. The main character Deuce is an appealing heroine to root for – one who is physically and mentally tough-as-nails, and one to match Katniss of The Hunger Games for determination. I loved that Deuce revels so much in the joy she receives from the actual physical experience of fighting. She is not without flaws, though. Seeing her grow emotionally, learning to welcome vulnerability and view her feelings as a strength rather than a weakness, was fabulous. Her companion Fade is a little more difficult to get to know, but that is part of his personality as well; he's not one to open up to just anybody, instead holding himself at a distance. I definitely enjoyed the progression of the relationship between them, as they start out wary of each other, and learn to trust one another as hunting partners before anything romantic happens.

The combination of the dystopian society of the underground enclave and the post-apocalyptic setting of the world above in Topside worked really well, and I was glad that we get a chance to see both. I do have quite a few lingering questions about both how the enclave functions and what happened to bring about the post-apocalyptic state of Topside, but this is only the first of a series so I'm betting I'll get some of those questions answered in the next novels.

While the stakes are certainly raised high at the climax, I did find that the resolution to it was a little too convenient for my taste. Spoilery bit, highlight to read: yes, Deuce does keep the fire going (although I'm not sure a dream/hallucination of Silk was really necessary for that), but Longshot stopping by and leading them to safety struck me as taking away some of the companions' independence in forging their own path, and making it rather easy for them all of a sudden.

Best aspect: Aguirre manages quite successfully to write a book that is the first in a series and yet maintains an internal story arc. So often books that start off a series, especially when world-building is key (as it is in dystopian books), spend most of the time setting things up for the next few books. This is not the case with Enclave – there is enough resolution to leave the reader feeling satisfied, but still plenty more questions to be explored in sequels. Plus, Aguirre doesn't compromise the speed of the plot in order to give us world-building. There is plenty of action happening here!

I also appreciated the importance that relics from the past play in Enclave, especially given that the past is our present. Books and other written materials are treasured in Deuce's community, so much so that the role of Wordkeeper comes with a lot of power. Indeed, "hoarding" ancient items is punishable by exile. Weaving the tale of The Day Boy and the Night Girl by George Macdonald (which I wasn't actually familiar with before) throughout was a particularly nice literary touch.

And one specific point: I thought Deuce's reaction to Topside after she'd been living underground her whole life was portrayed very accurately. Her fear and anxiety over the openness of the world and the vastness of the sky was extremely believable, especially since Deuce prefers to conquer fears with fighting, and this was one she could not simply punch or club or slash out of existence.

If I could change something... I wanted to see more of the other enclave, Nassau. We don't really get much description of it when Deuce and Fade peek in, and I thought they should have done a bit more reconnaissance. Perhaps there's a reason for this, and we'll find out more about what was happening there in the sequel, though?

Also, while I got a good feel for most of the characters, I couldn't really picture Tegan that well. Maybe it's because she didn't have a strong personality like Deuce, and so in comparison she felt a little diminished, but she just didn't quite come alive for me. Plus, there was one plot point involving her that stretched my credulity. Spoiler, highlight to read: if the Wolves don't trust Tegan, then why do they assign only her to guard Deuce? I didn't buy that they would be so thoughtless as to leave those two completely unattended.

Hopes for the sequel? More of the Fade-Deuce romance! They were constantly on the run in this one so I'll admit romantic interludes were not altogether that practical. But the ones we do see are adorable and I would welcome more in the next book.  


In ten words or less: an engrossing read that will keep you flipping the pages.

Final verdict: 4.5 shooting stars.

Author's website: www.annaguirre.com

Disclaimer: I received an Enclave ARC from the publisher for review for A Cornucopia of Dystopia.