Wake Unto Me

Book Blurb

Caitlyn Monahan knows she belongs somewhere else. It's what her dead mother's note suggested, and it's what her recurring nightmares allude to.

Desperate to flee these terrifying dreams--and her small town--she accepts a spot at a boarding school in France. Only, when she arrives, her nightmares get worse.

But then there are her amazing dreams, so vivid and so real, with visits from an alluring, mysterious, and gorgeous Italian boy from the 1500s. Caitlyn knows they are soul mates, but how can she be in love with someone who exists only in her dreams?

Then, as her reality and dream world collide, Caitlyn searches for the real reason why she was brought to this school. And what she discovers will change her life forever.

My Review

I started and finished this book today (again- YAY SPRING BREAK!).  I was so torn about what I wanted to say, because I don't want to spoil anything.  It had some elements that drove me crazy, but I still think it is worth a read for people who enjoy paranormal/time travel/historical fiction/young adult.

So I'll start with what I liked.  I love the cover- I think it will appeal to young adult readers and get picked up quite a bit in my classroom library.  I loved the history that was woven into the story.  I liked the plot a lot- it kept me hooked and engaged in figuring the mystery out along with the protagonist.  

Now, for some things that drove me crazy (I am going to keep this as general as possible so as not to ruin any of the plot twists).  The characters were all a bit flat to me.  After the first pages I actually thought to myself "Uh-oh, this is going to be painful."  It wasn't really THAT painful- it just isn't as deep as I prefer.  Caitlyn falling in love with the Raphael?  It happened after 10 seconds.  That makes me crazy.  Caitlyn willing to 'give everything up' for him?  It happened after maybe several combined hours with him.  Again, it kills me.  He is not a love interest that inspires any response from me- I feel like I barely have any idea who he is.  I really just had to suspend disbelief and turn off that voice in my head that was going to keep me from enjoying what was a pretty well thought out story despite these issues.

I'm teetering between 3 and 4 stars... but I think I will go with 4 because despite some of the flaws, I actually did enjoy reading it a lot.  

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Book Blurb

Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, 

they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

Until now.

Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem.  And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world.

My Review

I love time travel, and I thought the cover was pretty cute- so I decided to buy this one.  I could not put the book down! 

I enjoyed the writing style (it reminded me of The Benedict Society).  The characters felt real, and were so charming and funny.  The dialogue was revealing and humorous.   It has a timeless quality to it- there were no pop culture references or gimmicks- it was just a great story. 

I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book, besides the fact that I have to be patient and wait for the sequel.  I can really picture the series taking off, Harry Potter style.  The charming characters, humor, adventure, and 'good wins over evil' theme made me feel like I was reading a classic, even though it's only been out for a week.  

5 Stars

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

This review is tough- I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one.   It has a very dark, morbid, Poe-esque feel to it, which I liked. Another thing I liked were the supporting characters- they were pretty amazing.  I really liked Theia's development throughout the story.  (Her name is Greek for goddess- I'm wondering if the author will be playing that angle in the future books).  As I'm sure you can all tell by my other reviews- I'm tired of the girl falling for the dark, evil boy who is stalking her either because he loves her or wants to murder her.  And there is a lot of that going on here.  Besides that, it was an OK start to a new series with some potential.  And a debut author too!  3 Stars.

Angelfire by Courtney Allison

This book would have been alright if I was new to the genre- but I think this type of supernatural romance is played out.  I would have forgiven it if the main character had been funnier or the mythology intriguing.   But no- girl finds out she has supernatural powers, falls for dark, mysterious bad boy who knows the secrets to her new life but won't tell, and an ending that resolves nothing.  On top of that, there were fight scenes after fight scenes that didn't really do anything for me.  So, this one wasn't my thing.  2 Stars

The Demon Trapper's Daughter

First of all, I love this cover!  As for the book itself, I liked it.  It wasn't what I imagined at all.  I was a bit unbelieving of the world that Oliver builds- it was so much like ours but with demons running around- I found it unsettling.  Regardless, I will continue on in the series because I really liked Beck and I want to see what happens between Riley and him.  Some cool mythology and a major cliffhanger pretty much hooks me every time...

3 Stars

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Book Blurb

Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.

Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved…

and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know…and love itself.

 

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds… until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus does she come to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

My Review

Characters

Gabi was a strong heroine in the story.  She adjusted quickly to her new life in the fourteenth-century, which helped to move the story forward without a hundred pages of her freaking out (I hate that!).  At times she was a bad-ass 21st century girl, and at other times she was very timid.  I didn't always understand why she reacted the way she did, but I did like her and nothing about her disrupted the story for me.    

 

Plot

I had a hard time putting this down!  I really enjoy time travel stories- I remember reading some variation of a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court as a kid.  Something about time travel just sparks my imagination!  Anyways, I thought it was a nicely written story, and it never made me roll my eyes or groan!  I can't speak to its historical accuracy at all, but the world in which Gabi found herself was fascinating.

Relationship

I liked the love interest, Marcello, but I definitely would have liked to see them together more in the story.  I found myself wondering throughout the book about their future, and what Gabi would decide to do.   I'm really torn about how I want this one to end, so it will be interesting to see what the author does with Gabi and Marcello's relationship. 

Overall

This was 5 stars for me.  I enjoyed it from start to finish, and I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel, it is already on my Amazon Wishlist (along with 200 other books- yikes).  

      

The False Princess by Ellis O'Neal

Book Blurb
Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court.  But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection.  Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks.  But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.


My Review


Characters
Sinda was a pretty decent main character.  The story and the world reminded me a lot of Poison Study (which I absolutely loved).  I don't think that Sinda could compete with Yelena, who was so vibrant and authentic.  But, I liked that she handled her situation with grace.  I liked that she was on a journey to figure out who she is and where she fits in the world.  I was a bit confused by the ease with which she leaves behind her life- she doesn't really mourn her family and friends in the way I might expect.  But, her reaction to her situation ended up being a part of her development, so it did make sense for the story.  She was strong and solid as far as a character goes.


My one complaint with characters is that they seemed to play their part in the story and then disappear.  For example, Sinda's parents and aunt.  There wasn't any continuity to the minor characters- it was very Sinda-centric.


Plot
I liked the story- full of political intrigue, magic, and the start of a romance.  A lot happened in the book, the plot evolved at a fast pace.


Relationship
There is no hint of romance in the book blurb, so I don't want to give too much away.  I'll just say- there was some sparkage as the story progressed, but the relationship went from 0 to 60 in no time.  I was a bit disconcerted by that.  But, I liked Sinda's romantic partner as a character.


Overall
It was pretty good- I loved the premise of the story and there were no major flaws in the book. 3 stars!

XVI by Julie Karr

Book Blurb

Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world - even the most predatory of men - that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past - one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.

My Review

So this is Book #2 for me in the Debut Author Challenge- Yay!  I really enjoyed this one.  I was worried when I started that dystopia would forever be ruined for me by my love of The Hunger Games- what could possibly compare to that?!?!  While this book isn't as haunting as The Hunger Games, it was solidly written and very enjoyable.

Characters

The main character is Nina Oberon, a 15-year old girl coming to age in a society ruled with an iron fist by the government and the media.  Nina is brave, independent-minded, and artistic.  She is thrust into not only caring for her younger sister Dee, but also protecting her.  The story is narrated first-person in her voice.  Nina was likeable- a tad bit bland, but solid.  She made me crazy at a couple points, taking forever to connect the dots.  But, she definitely had the voice of a teenager- loyal to her friends, insecure, expressive, loving.  Our supporting characters were also very solid.  I loved some of Nina's friends, and I really liked her family as well.  

Plot

I really liked the premise of the story and how everything played out.  Sometimes it seemed a bit slow- with lots of attention paid to Nina's coming to terms with the events that occurred, and then at the same time, something major would happen and Nina's reaction would seem underwhelmed to me.  It's hard to put my finger on it, but in all it was a very minor issue.  My only other minor complaint was the ending- it felt a bit anticlimatic to me.  I am assuming this is a part of a series- there is a lot that still needs to be tied up. I can imagine this book being enjoyed by older, reluctant readers.  

I also loved the message and themes of the book.  There were quite a few- gender politics, media influence, government intrusion on freedom of expression, exploitation of youth, abuse, etc.  There was a lot going on, which made Nina's world seem multidimensional and real.  

Relationship

I liked this part a lot.  It doesn't really mention Nina's love interest on the cover, and since this is such a new release I suppose I shouldn't mention names.  But let's just say that He seems to be like a great guy with a lot going on under the surface.  I think the author did a great job exploring Nina's conflict over her sexuality with Him, and with the society in which she lives.  For a book that speaks out against the exploitation of young women, the author handled the romantic relationship perfectly.

Overall

I thought it was a great book, and I hope that there is more to come from Julie Karr in the future.  I'm so glad I decided to purchase this. 4 stars!

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Book Blurb
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.


My Review
I absolutely adored this book- it was so hard to put it down.  It is by far the best angel Y.A. book I have read yet!


Characters
The characters were so well-done.  NONE of the characters seemed flat to me- and I'm picky about characterization.  I really enjoyed putting together bits and pieces along with Clara to learn about her friends, love interests, and "purpose".  Clara was an extremely likeable, and still realistic, teenager.  I loved the friends that she made in Wyoming, and that the author took the time to build each character so that they felt real.  


Plot
It's hard to talk about the plot with out spoiling, but I'll just say I don't think the book blurb/product description gives it credit- because it makes it sounds so generically paranormal YA.  I'll just say it was tight plotting, and that I can't wait for the next one to see where the story goes- I feel like there is a lot more left to come.  


Relationship
Wow. Wow. Wow.  I loved how Clara's relationship with Tucker developed.  I was reading as fast as I could to see what would happen between them.  Lots of spark, major connection, and perfect pacing.  


Overall
I really loved this one. It's definitely my favorite book so far of 2011.  5 stars

2011 Debut Author Challenge

I'm so excited to take on the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, as I start to blog about books.  I learned about this from one of my favorite book bloggers, www.thestorysiren.com.

The goal is to read at least 12 Young Adult or Middle Grade authors by a debut author in 2011.  Kristi at The Story Siren has compiled a list of books that qualify- I'm looking forward to going through those and picking 12 :)