These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

*based on an ARC edition


These Shallow Graves is set in the late 19th century New York city, the land of blue blooded old money and proper young ladies who do what they are told: marry well, produce heirs, and carry on the traditions of the upper class. Josephine Montefort is a girl who was born before her time. She has dreams of being an investigative reporter, being free, her own person, and not just another pretty face married to another good name. Soon after the novel opens, Jo's father is dead; said to be an accident, then revealed to be a suicide. Not satisfied with the story, Jo embarks on a dangerous journey for answers and the truth which leads her to find the possibility of everything she's ever wanted, even as everything she's ever had threatens to be destroyed.

I have to say for the first quarter of this book I was bored and unhappy with the heavy handedness of how Ms. Donnelly describes the plight of the 19th century monied female. Every other sentence said something to the effect of how women weren't meant to think, that women were fragile creatures who shouldn't say words like "death" and "suicide", and how women are all happy to embroider and produce children for their rich husbands. Not to say that wasn't the case in 1891, but I doubt the point was belabored nearly that much. However, it wasn't long before I was entirely hooked. The heavyhandedness turned into a much more even tone, and the mystery which was unfolding was playing out in such a way that I couldn't wait to figure out the whole thing. 

The writing, once the first part evened out, was impeccable and the characters well drawn and flushed out. The ancillary characters were not background noise but rather developed on their own, and cared for on their own merit. These Shallow Graves proved to be an excellent period mystery with a heroine with whom it was well worth taking the ride.

The Fold by Peter Cline

*based on ARC edition

     
     I have been an avid fan of Peter Cline since his Ex-Heroes series. This new title, The Fold, is just as expertly woven, although the subject matter couldn't be more different. Mike, our main character, is lured by his friend to Washington, DC to help try to solve a puzzle involving a research project. Although just a high school teacher, Mike is special- he has a completely eidetic memory, and is never able to forget. Upon his arrival in DC he quickly sees that this project is like nothing the world has ever seen. The scientists claim they have revolutionized a way to travel using a fold in time-space called the Albequerque Door, so named for Bugs Bunny and his oft-referenced wrong turn. Mike is tasked to live among the researchers to examine their processes and the project itself so his friend can feel good about extending their extensive grant money. But the Door is not what it seems, and neither are the scientists. I have to admit, although I consider myself pretty intelligent, a lot of the science went over my head and I can't say whether or not most of it would be plausible. I like theoretical physics though and it seems pretty solid to me. Although there were a few points that seemed contrived, all and all The Fold is a well-told and engrossing fantasical novel, and highly recommended.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield

*based on an ARC edition

Afterworlds is not just one book, it's two. One is the tale of a debutante young adult author as she leaves for Manhattan at the age of 18 after selling her first book for an enormous advance, growing with adult and authorly responsibility, and discovering her own sexuality. The other is the book she sold, told in between living her life. Darcy, our author, is both bold (because she left home to live by herself in NYC) and the most timid character I've ever met. She is rife with insecurities and the feeling of impending failure, even jeopardizing her fledgling relationship because of it. In her book, which is the titular Afterworlds, we have Lizzie who was the sole survivor of a terrorist attack and came out being able to travel to the Other Side. She grows quickly into her role as something of a grim reaper without the reaping, meeting the ghost of a young girl who has lived with her all her life. She does some questionable things through her journey. She falls in love with what is essentially the Hindu Lord of Death, Yama.

Honestly, I am not sure what to write about this book. I am a big fan of Scott Westerfield. And I enjoyed seeing a reference to his other work thrown in there for faithful readers. But Afterworlds read like a love letter to the publishing world, or maybe a warning to all potential YA authors, I can't decide. Darcy doesn't seem to grow very much throughout. The two stories didn't have enough juxposition to give us a reason to really want to read Darcy's book. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy reading Afterworlds (the actual book, not Darcy's book) at times, but many times it dragged and was written too much as though it was written for only published authors to read, as they would be the only ones who would truly be able to understand. I liked the mythos of Darcy's story, and it probably would have been a good book on its own. But combined as it was with the author's life, with characters who were merely window dressing, it lost what appeal it could have had. My final conclusion is that Afterworlds isn't a complete waste of time but anyone expecting something like the rest of Scott Westerfield's work is going to be very disappointed.

Stitching Snow by RC Lewis

First and foremost, I was deeply pleased that this book was not the first part of a trilogy. I have read too many trilogies in the past few years and I am overjoyed to be able to enjoy a story from start to finish and not have to wait another year for the next part. Seriously cannot say how much that pleases me. As for the story itself, I was also pleased by just about everything. With elements of fairy tale, fantasy and steampunk, Stitching Snow was an excellent read. Essie, the titular Snow, is an exceptionally strong main character who I had a good time following. The story had many twists and turns, some of which were of course easy to forsee but still satisfying. The story takes place, we find out subtley, 1000 years into our future, in which different planets are under the control of an evil king and queen. The ruling planet is apparently under attack by the Exiles, waging a bloody battle for revolution. But not everything is as it seems and hope lies with Essie. The only flaw I saw at all, if one could call it that, is that the Exiles have a power to Transition, or basically take over the mind of someone else they touch. That detail doesn't do much to further the story other than to reveal a secret, and I felt that could have been accomplished another way. Other than that, however, Stitching Snow was solid and well-written with well-drawn main characters and (cannot be said enough) a real and enjoyable final conclusion.

Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Love is the Drug took me a long time to finish. I am normally a speed reader and go through things fairly quickly. I consider the fact that it took me so long a complement to Alaya Johnson. This story is very layered and intricate, and full of every element of a suspense novel you could ask for. There is a influenza outbreak. There is a black girl with a scientist mother who disapproves of anything that might prevent her daughter from fitting in with the white upper crust. There is a mysterious forgotten night after a drugging by a nefarious CIA agent who thinks our Emily Bird knows more than she says she does. There is love and transformation, because it is still geared towards young adults. But I very much appreciated the way the love affair was handled. Emily awakens through this terrifying time into Bird, a tough, self-accepting woman who knows what she wants, who she wants, and how to get what she wants. If she can get away from the CIA and her mother, that is. The end was satisfying and was clearly written well enough to make my heart clench a little when I thought it was headed a different way. I would definitely recommend this book for those who love a little suspense and a solid story.

Day 21 by Kass Morgan

At first I thought that Day 21 had the misfortune of being weighed down by the superior TV show- to read this book, even after reading the first, is to call to mind how different the show is from the original material, and also how much better the show seems in comparison. However, as I continued and got to the end I was once again hooked almost against my better judgement. I am not sure how Kass Morgan accomplishes this, but she does. Despite the fact that none of the characters listen worth a damn and honestly have very little depth to speak of, the story is still extremely captivating in its way. It's written well, if not spectacularly; the TV Clarke is portrayed with much more strength and character than the literary version but is still somehow likable. I have hated Bellamy in the the books, and this sequel does only a little to improve my feelings. So taken on its own merits, both the first and second book in what I assume will be a trilogy or series are extremely entertaining if not a masterpiece of literature. I call these books bubblegum books because they are great when you are reading them but they quickly lose their flavor and you forget about them quickly. If not for the TV bolstering the series I would fear for the story but I think this series will do just fine. Definitely worth the read. I consider it an improvement from the first; my only suggestion is that if you watch the CW series, re-read the first book to re-introduce yourself to the story. The two are vastly different. I found myself missing a few characters that are in the show but now in the books. 

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

*based on an ARC edition (out January 15, 2015)


Tear You Apart is the follow-up to Sarah Cross's Kill Me Softly, which are both set in the fairy tale driven town of Belle Rivage. Everyone who lives there have been Cursed by either evil fairies or Good fairies, and they are destined to carry out these fairy tales curses, no matter how hard they try to fight against it. Some have the Sombulence curses, like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty- and our two main female characters in either book have one of those. Some have the Rumplestilskin curse, some have the Beauty and the Beast curse, but they all know they have it and that one day they will be forced to live the tale out to it's conclusion. In Tear You Apart we follow Viv and Henley, a Snow White and her Huntsman. We met them in the first book, and we know that this Curse is so much more complicated then your average girl meets boy, boy is fated to cut out girl's heart kind of tale. Viv and Henley are in love, but as they get older they get closer to the inevitable conclusion- one day soon Viv's stepmother will task Henley with taking Viv out into the woods and cutting out her heart. How can love survive that? When it becomes apparent that the her stepmother Regina is about to finish the curse, Viv runs to the Underworld, which is less a place for the dead and more just another kingdom with it's own curses and secrets. There's always a prince in these tales, and Viv's prince-the one who is fated to save her from her cursed sleep-got tired of waiting for her to die and offers her protection in his castle as his princess. With no other choice but to flee, Viv does; but her heart, still intact, still only belongs to her Huntsman. Once she arrives she discovers there is much more than meets the eye in this castle- the king of the Underworld is a Rumplestilskin troll, and not a very nice guy. She's trapped now, and the only way to get out and to salvage her own future is to finish the tale. 

I truly enjoyed both Kill Me Softly and Tear You Apart. I loved thinking about these fairy tale characters- the real ones, by the way, from the Grimm stories and not Disney- living in this place. I never really thought about what it would be like to know you have this destiny and are fairly powerless to stop it. But I think the moral of these two stories is that if you fight hard enough you can weave your own tale, and it can have the ending of your choosing. I loved these characters, and the stories, and I especially enjoyed the mention of how dark the Grimm tales really were. Red-hot iron shoes. Sleeping Beauty wasn't always woken up with a kiss, if you get my drift. These were terrifying stories. So I loved how it was all portrayed and they were both excellently written. A definite must for everyone who loves a good tale.