Book Review: Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George

*This review contains some spoilers*

Turn-of-the-century Romania, dark family history, dashing gentleman, oh my! Society darlings Dacia Vreeholt and Louisa Neulander suddenly find themselves whisked away from New York City to Romania, promptly upon turning 17. The pair of cousins have been given no information about their lengthy trip besides the tight-lipped silence from Aunt Kate, their cold chaperone. Shrouded in mystery, the girls can't help but conjure up ideas of dashing, dark-lashed gentleman, European balls, and romantic carriage rides through the gorgeous streets of Bucharest. However, when their arrival is less than welcoming, Dacia and Louisa fear that their happy futures have all but disappeared. Their grandmother, Lady Ioana, informs them of a nefarious plot that involves treason against the crown, murder, and forced marriages. Without being given a choice in the matter, the cousins are swept into their families plan, all while discovering the dark, terrifying legacy that their ancestors have dropped into their laps. It's clear that monsters don't just live in fairy tales.

Dacia, usually strong and rebellious, grows terrified and sullen after learning her new destiny. While LouLou, normally reserved and soft-spoken, seems to find a new strength in her hidden gift. LouLou decides to use her family's plan against them to save the Romanian crown. Alongside two dashing gentlemen, both girls are led down a journey of self-discovery in order to gain control of their own destinies.

Book Review: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Some books require a reader that will truly listen to the words on the page, instead of a reader that breezes through because they want to good story. Some require a closer reader, willing to look between the lines and pages for clues and revelations. This is one of those books.

Bone Gap is a multifaceted tale of love, survival, and identity. Told from several different perspectives, the story follows Finn O'Sullivan and his quest to discover what happened to the beautiful, mysterious Roza, who was kidnapped right before his eyes. The problem is that he cannot recall the kidnapper's face. However, he distinctly remembers how the attacker moved, the tone of his voice, and how he seemed to emanate a controlling power that paralyzed everything around them.

Finn looks to the people of Bone Gap for clues. Someone has to know the identity of the man who took Roza. Maybe they had information about Roza that he didn't understand. But as Finn looks to Bone Gap for evidence, he realizes that he is not the only one who can't see people clearly. Everyone has a theory; everyone takes things for face value, even though they are way off. The closer that Finn gets to discovering they mystery surrounding him, the town begins to change and show its gaps- people who don't quite make sense, hazy memories left unexplained, and corn that supposedly speaks to you. He realizes that these gaps hold the key to finding Roza and restoring the joy that she brought to their lives.

***

One of the reasons why Bone Gap was so striking to me was the way that the mythical and the contemporary are pieced together so seamlessly. The novel reads like realistic fiction until a few chapters in, when you begin to see allusions to mythology and the Underworld. Magical-realism can be a distraction, but I found that it enhanced the mystery and suspense of the overall plot. Additionally, Bone Gap is told from multiple perspectives and reveals how each character has a completely different view of the world around them.

Even though Finn is determined to find Roza, he has his own personal issues to confront; his brother has barely said a word to him since Roza's disappearance, and worse yet, the boys' mother left them when they were younger to pursue a life outside of family duty. Sean and Finn have plenty of experience with abandonment. Finn grows closer to Priscilla "Petey" Willis, the daughter of a beekeeper who prefers to keep company with bees instead of her peers. Petey and Finn develop an unlikely relationship due to their common "weirdness" and soon start meeting at night around a campfire while they eat s'mores and talk about their mutual oddities. I found their relationship to be the most compelling in the novel. Both Finn and Petey have their own demons to confront, but oddly enough, they help the other find their way through and resolve their conflicts.

The most compelling aspect of Laura Ruby's novel was how she portrayed her female characters. Unfortunately, so many YA authors get this wrong (unfortunate because so many YA authors are also female). I am failing to recall an instance where female characters were portrayed so genuinely before I read Bone Gap. These women struggle, face insecurities, and encounter trials, yet they understand their value are not going to be controlled. They discover themselves throughout the novel and remain determined to reinforce their worth to those around them. Ruby's theme centers around identity and how the "face" that we show the world is not the sum of who we are. Roza seemed to be utterly defined by her beauty by the man who kidnapped her and even by the people of Bone Gap; Roza's freedom is ripped from her hands because of a man wanting to possess her and her beauty. She refused to be seen as nothing more than an alluring "creature" and was determined to fight to rectify their views (literally!). She is desperate for someone to really see who she is, and not what her outward features imply. As we glimpse her past, we see her encounter abusive men who restrict her freedom and silence her voice. Her babcia (Grandma) admonishes her to search for those who will listen to her and truly see her. This, to me, reinforced the importance of women encouraging other women to tap into their strength and power as human beings. Roza understands her worth because her grandma consistently reinforced her equality. Despite the fact that she sometimes finds herself in situations where she is being controlled by a man, Roza never settles and finds an ally in Finn. He helps pull her out of this controlling landscape.

Bone Gap is a character-driven story that centers around the mystery of life and love; by turning things inside-out, we can sometimes see them more clearly. Through Finn's perspective, we see that identity is not derived from how people perceive us, but rather from something much deeper- our influence on the world around us and our capacity for self-understanding.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins. Review copy provided by the publisher. Release date: March 3rd, 2015. 

Banned Book Week 2014

Banned Books Week, the annual celebration of your right to read, is upon us! This week, from September 21st to the 27th, libraries all over the United States have been celebrating and promoting your right to read! A banned book is a book whose content has been actively removed from the book stores, a school's curriculum, or has been challenged in libraries. Different types of people and groups of all persuasions and beliefs have attempted to ban or challenge books. As the American Library Association states, "challenges are often motivated by a desire to protect children from 'inappropriate' sexual content or 'offensive' language. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom:

Source

1. the material was considered to be 'sexually explicit' 
2. the material contained 'offensive language'
3. the materials was 'unsuited to any age group'."

While these motives are well-intentioned, it still does not give someone the right to tell another group of people that they can or can not have access to that book. It is a basic violation of a person's First Amendment rights.

Intellectual freedom and censorship is a subject I feel very strongly about, and I always enjoy a good conversation with students and parents (which happens often when you work in libraries) about content and open access to books. Parents often assume that, as librarians, we will automatically deem books appropriate or inappropriate for their child and exclude their child from reading them. However, we are often forced to point out that each parent or guardian has a different definition of appropriate content.

Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents, and only parents, have the right to restrict the access of their children, and only their children, to library resources. Yet, I encourage parents to let their children explore the world through the safety of books. Parents reading a book alongside their child can have an open discussion about the issues displayed within that book. This dialogue can teach critical thinking and evaluation skills that are necessary, not only in school but in the real world. This is what Banned Books Week celebrates.

The display I created for Banned Books Week

Here are a few of my favorite banned books (and why they were banned!):
1. The Hunger Games... banned for being anti-family (huh? the whole reason she went into the games was to protect her SISTER), violence, and language.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird...banned for dealing with racial inequality and rape.
3. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl... banned for being "a real downer." Well, the Holocaust was a pretty horrific event.
4. Eleanor & Park...banned for being vulgar and containing adult subject matter. Eleanor's step father is verbally abusive and her unstable home life is a major part of this book.
5. The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh...banned for promoting Nazism (??) and Pooh's lack of pants has been seen as immoral.

Other banned books include Little House on the Prairie, Bridge to Terabithia, and the Captain Underpants series. Remember that censorship is more than a parent deciding what is right for their child; censorship is someone trying to dictate what is right for all children (and adults, too). Intellectual freedom is important for all of us!

How are you celebrating Banned Books Week?

Book Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

My chest tightens and I fight the urge to gnaw on my lower lip. Then it happens.
Do I hear six million diamantes? Six million?
The woman with raven's eyes holds up a tiny blue mirror.
The candle goes out. 
Sold! The auctioneer cries, and all my muscles turn to jelly. Sold for six million diamantes. To the Duchess of the Lake.
SOLD. The word revolves around my brain without really making sense. 
I am sold.

In Violet Lasting's world, the poorest girls are tested to determine whether they have the special power known as "the Auguries." If discovered, they are removed from their family, placed in a facility, and trained to become a surrogate for the royal families within The Jewel. Royals, unable to bear children of their own, pay a high premium for a surrogate with the power to manipulate and create "perfect" children. The surrogates, in return for their bodies, are promised comfort, wealth, and prestige. Freedom, however, is never an option.
When Violet is sold to one of the wealthiest families in The Jewel, the Duchess of the Lake, she begins to realize that being a surrogate is far more dangerous and frightening than she had  previously believed; she realizes that each day is a fight to survive. When a sudden romance blossoms between Violet and Ash, a member of the Duchess' staff, Violet is given a small ray of hope despite knowing what their romance might cost both of them dearly.

**

I first heard about The Jewel when I listened to the ARC Party TeaTime video through Epic Reads. They compared it to The Selection meets The Winner's Curse. Seeing as I loved both of those books, I was a little like this: 

I must have trolled Edelweiss and Netgalley every day for a sign of The Jewel! When I finally got the chance to read it, I was sad to realize that it wasn't as fantastic as I had hoped. I didn't connect with the main character, which is insane because all of the horrible things she faces should have immediately made me her number one ally. It didn't. Frankly, I found her boring and all of the other characters seem to fall flat as well. The Duchess' cruelty really only translated into extreme immaturity, and Violet's intense attachment to people within the book seemed forced and strange. Additionally, her relationship with Ash is extremely underdeveloped. They have about five conversations in the entire book, fight constantly about trust and loyalty, and then they're suddenly willing to die for each other. I'm sorry... that's just not realistic enough for me to get behind. I didn't feel the passion. Quite honestly, the only characters that piqued my interest were barely in the story (here's looking at you, Raven!).

I think what dissatisfied me the most was the way that the author handled the extremely mature content within her novel. I love YA authors that try to tackle intense subjects and ideas, but those intense ideas should be written with intense examination. I didn't fully see that happen here. You have young girls being basically forced into slavery, men who are hired as prostitutes, babies that are manipulated and altered in the womb, political, social, and economic oppression, yet none of it had an ounce of gravity that I felt was needed to make this plot move me. I believe that, if handled correctly, this novel could have made some significant stepping ground into the examination of serious social issues.

On a more positive note, I liked the plot twist/cliff hanger ending. It surprised me enough to capture my attention and look out for the next book in the series (which is still a while off). Another aspect that I found intriguing were the Auguries, or the special powers that all of the surrogates possess. With this power, they are able to manipulate and create objects, whether they change their color or size. If they can imagine it in their minds, they have the power to create it. I loved the scenes where Violet used her Augury power; they were mystical and beautiful! Imagine having the ability to spin vines and flowers (or anything really) from your hands that fill an entire orchestra chamber. I loved this aspect of the novel. Hopefully, we will see much more of this side of Violet in the future books. I'd be much more intrigued.

Overall, I rated The Jewel at a 3 out of 5 stars. I needed more, and what I got just didn't enthrall me.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

If you have been following the #IreadYA hashtag that has been trending on Twitter these past few days, you might have noticed many people tweeting about the shift in YA literature; many agreed that it has gone from from not-so-serious literature to hard-hitting, honest stuff that anyone can appreciate. I have been tweeting in agreement, because I, too, have noticed this shift. When I was a teen, I almost never read YA lit. I admit that I was hindered by the stigma that surrounded YA books. I had no interest in reading about vampires falling in love and zombies wreaking havoc on unsuspecting individuals. It just wasn't my thing.

Then I started working in libraries again, specifically with teens. My job required me to be familiar with teen/YA literature in its many shapes and forms. I am happy to announce that my perceptions were immediately changed and I realized that I had been missing out on some amazing reading!

Flash forward a year and I am a massive advocate for YA lit. It's within this area of literature that I have read some of the most moving, emotionally honest material I've ever laid eyes on. I have often heard friends slam YA fiction as sub-par or lacking in quality. I could not disagree more with these naysayers. Sure, YA fiction is just like anything else; it has its highs and lows, its successes and its failures. Yet, the more I read and discover YA fiction, the more enthusiastic I become about working with teens and teen literature. I feel as though I stepped into a world that expanding and growing at a rapid pace, and I love sharing the gems that I find whilst reading YA fiction. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson is one such book.

A few weeks ago, my coworker engaged me in a conversation about this "new, amazing book" that she had just finished.
Her: So this book was awesome. I need you to read this book so that we can talk about it!
Me: What's it called? 
Her: The Kiss of Deception.
Me: *Pauses* Nah, I'm good. *shrugs and walks away*

I will be honest with you, I had no interest in reading about a deceptive kiss, a princess, yada yada yada. I had "romance novel!" shouting in my head. Again, not my thing.

A few days later, I've got the ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in my hand and CANNOT put it down. The Kiss of Deception starts with a beautiful, cryptic tale that tells of destruction, misery, and a time that once was but is no more. Then, suddenly we're thrown into a disturbing scene in the land of Morrighan, where a young teen, Lia, is being "prepared" (literally) for her arranged wedding to the Prince of Dalbreck, a man that she's never met. According to her country's customs, princesses (or First Daughters) must undergo a "kavah" before their wedding ceremony; think a beautiful, Henna-like tattoo that is "drawn" on with very sharp knives. The priests who administer the kavah draw the coat of arms, wedding vows, and scrawling, beautiful artwork on her entire back with utter precision. Lia, meanwhile, is undergoing serious mental duress. As a First Daughter, Lia's marriage is supposed to bring about peace and strengthen the two nations against their mutual enemy. She knows in her very soul that she cannot go through with it and runs away at the last moment with her maidservant and friend, Pauline. The two flee to the neighboring country of Terravin and finds work in a tavern, where she believes she can live the rest of her life in secret and have the freedom that she's been longing for.

Lia's plan does not exactly pan out the way she had hoped. Her secrecy is disrupted when two men, Rafe and Kaden, show up at the tavern and their mysterious aura captures her attention. What she doesn't know is that both of these men have been looking for the AWOL princess and believe that she fits the profile. As she tries to break through their mysterious shell, they try to break through hers in hopes of revealing her true identity. In their attempts to draw each other out, Lia finds herself attracted to Rafe, the handsome, passionate farmhand from a neighboring town. Similarly, both Rafe and Kaden are falling for Lia; they are surprised and delighted by her self-confidence, strength, and unfaltering wit. The two remark on her severe divergence from the usual "royal" type. While it seems that there might be a love triangle developing, I assure you that it's not and therefore doesn't bog down plot with needless hemming and hawing. Lia begins to believe that a future with a man she loves because she loves him is within her reach.

Suddenly, her peaceful existence comes crashing down when she receives horrifying news of war brewing as a result of her fleeing her wedding with the Prince of Dalbreck. Since there is now a bounty on her head, she had unknowingly brought danger to the country that she left and the one she lives in now. Lia knows she must return to her former country and resume her arranged marriage with the Prince of Dalbreck. Yet, even that plan goes awry and Lia is kidnapped by someone she thought she trusted and begins on an epic journey with her kidnapper. (I cannot reveal major spoilers... you must read it!). It seems that everyone has an ulterior motive when it comes to Lia. What ensues next is an epic journey across vast desert with dangerous company, a gypsy caravan, tigers (oh my!), and a shocking bout of self-discovery. By the end, I had gone through just about every reaction and emotion one can possibly conjure whilst reading a novel.

There are so many complex layers within this book, it's almost impossible to write a review (so many feels!). Pearson has woven a plot that is so intricate and character driven, that it's easy to fall into her world head first. Lia is this strong female lead who actually wants to be married and have a family. I have grown used to YA females who reject traditional female roles and values and are these kick-ass assassins or warriors. Don't get me wrong, I love reading about that perspective. It's important to remind young readers that women don't fit into one role (or even two) and can and should pursue who they truly are. Lia's desire to marry on her own terms forces her to reject the deep-rooted tradition of her family and country. Her righteous indignation is solidly founded and the reader roots for her success.

Another exciting aspect about The Kiss of Deception is that the time period and setting are never explicitly stated. On the surface, it reads like a medieval fantasy, but if you look closely at the poems, tales, and songs that show up between chapters, she does offer clues as to what the setting may be. My co-workers and I have talked for hours on end about this, arguing over what the time period is and where it takes place. All in all, I won't go into specifics because the whole genius of The Kiss of Deception is that Mary E. Pearson leads you through this complex plot and world with revelation after revelation. It's truly an exciting ride that you have to experience yourself! 

In the end, what you walk away with is a seriously well-written story with unique characters who each have their own voice. The book is mostly told from Lia's perspective, but we also get small glimpses into the perspectives of Kaden and Rafe. Pearson plays on our conceptions of good and evil, our stereotypes, and the importance of self-discovery and love. This book, if written poorly, could have been a hot mess of jumbled character viewpoints and cryptic nonsense, but Pearson proves that she is a master writer, editor, and story teller. I implore you- come July, PLEASE read this book. 

 

Now excuse me while I sit down and read it again...

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson is published by Macmillan/Henry Holt and Company LLC, Books for Young Readers. Review copy provided by the publisher. Release date: July 2014

Beauty and the Beast in an Alternate Universe

When I heard that Cruel Beauty was an imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Once I did, I plowed through it like a bull in a china shop. The beginning of the novel was so engrossing and spine-chilling, that I couldn't seem to slow my reading pace.

Nyx is betrothed (naturally, against her will) to the demon-god, Ignifex, who lives in the crumbling castle on the outskirts of her village. Nyx has known her whole life that this day would come and has been training to kill the man who is destined to be her husband.

How did she find herself as his wife, you might ask? Let us turn our attention to the father. Oh, you will really hate this man. Before Nyx and her twin sister were born, their mother had been unable to conceive a child, so their father foolishly asked that the "Gentle Lord," as he's known, grant them children and promised one of his daughters to the Gentle Lord in exchange. Sadly, he loses his wife to childbirth in the bargain. The Gentle Lord's bargaining always comes with an unforeseen price and Nyx must keep her father's bargain. 

Long before the wedding day, Nyx devised a plan to seduce and kill the Gentle Lord and save her people from the 900 year-old curse that he put upon them. Her fate may be decided for her, but she won't go without a fight. However, once she finds herself inside the castle, she's mystified by the castle's shifting hallways, magical rooms, and most surprisingly, the Gentle Lord himself. His wicked grin entices her, his words are riddles begging to be solved, and his secrets are endless. As she begins her quest to save her people from his curse, the more of his secrets she discovers. Why does the Gentle Lord's shadow act apart from him like they're two separate beings? Why are many of the library's books blotted out or devoid of words? Why does she find herself drawn to the demon who terrorized her people for centuries, whose hands are stained with the blood of thousands of innocents? But things are never that simple. Soon, she realizes that her beast is not entirely evil, and that perhaps he, too, is a prisoner forced into a fate that he can't control.

Let's talk about "the beast" for a moment (or more). Traditionally, the beast is a literal beast- he's ugly and monstrous. His physical appearance is so repulsive that it should be impossible for anyone to love him. That is not the case in Cruel Beauty. He is smoking hot. ". . . He had one of the most beautiful faces I had ever seen," says Nyx at one point. He has red cat-eyes and his grin will make the beholder weak. He laughs at her people's misfortunes, thinking them stupid for willingly making bargains with him and turning angry when they go awry. Nyx would love nothing more than to reveal his weakness and end his life. As their relationship grows closer, Nyx realizes that she's not so different from the Gentle Lord; she, too, has an evil side. Nyx has serious resentment, borderline hatred, towards her twin sister and she hates her father for bargaining her away. In an article about her book, the author, Rosamund Hodge, says that she wanted to change the importance of physical beauty in her retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale. Instead of asking, "how can someone love me when I look this ugly," she instead asks, "how can someone love me if I'm ugly on the inside?" The beauty that lies within has more power to overcome evil. Additionally, she asks if it's possible to give love if you have none within yourself? For me, this was one of the major selling points of the novel.

Rosamund Hodge, the author, properly describes this book as Greek mythology meets Beauty and the Beast. While I didn't quite get all of the mythological references (and there were MANY), the book makes sense without knowing any of them. Although, if you know it's going to drive you crazy to feel left out, read this while having Google at the ready.

Other fantastic fairy tale retellings:
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas- this Cinderella retelling will blow your mind. The series is great for anyone who loves a strong female heroine and paranormal intrigue.
The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman- a retelling of many classic fairy tales full of mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal- Another mash-up of Grimm fairy tales. In McNeal's book, Jeremy Johnson Johnson can hear voices, specifically that of Jacob Grimm, one of the authors of many of the world's well-known fairy tales, and learns that not all tales end happily.