The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison
He could see the magic everywhere now, in all the animals around him. Even the trees had a portion of magic, though it was a cooler green. The air itself, it seemed, was made of life, for it, too, had a greenish tinge to it.
What else could he see?
He looked at his own hands and saw the magic in them.
Synopsis (from goodreads.com):
He was once a king, turned into a bear as punishment for his cruel and selfish deeds.
She was once a princess, now living in the form of a hound.
Wary companions, they are sent--in human form--back to a time when magic went terribly astray. Together they must right the wrongs caused by this devastating power--if only they can find a way to trust each other. But even as each becomes aware of an ever-growing attraction, the stakes are rising and they must find a way to eliminate this evil force--or risk losing each other forever.
My Thoughts:
A good read. Not my most favorite book, but it was worth my time.
The romance wasn't very present. In fact, I kind of was surprised that they even got together. The attraction was there when they were bear and hound, but as people--it wasn't as strong. I wish the connection would've been developed a little more, but I understand that writers are limited in the word count.
But I did love the story. I loved how Richon, the king who is also a bear, discovers that he had magic all along. I thought that was an incredibly nice twist. Although it's regarded as a "stand-alone" book, I really felt glad that I had read The Princess and the Hound first. It gave me some much needed context for the rest of the adventure. I would be interested to see how the changes that Richon and Chala made to the kingdom affected Prince George's world in the future. But I guess there is no real way to discover unless Harrison writes another book.
Recommendation: Library or borrow from someone else
Rating: 3/5 stars
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
I blinked. "A love story."
"Yes."
A love story? I saw no hope for Mercy and John Peter's love for each other. None. I had two months of Mercy's entries left to transcribe, and I knew in that time she'd be accused, tried, and hanged.
She'd be dead.
That didn't seem like a love story to be remembered.
Synopsis:
Leaving a life of privilege to strike out on her own, Lauren Durough breaks with convention and her family’s expectations by choosing a state college over Stanford and earning her own income over accepting her ample monthly allowance. She takes a part-time job from 83-year-old librarian Abigail Boyles, who asks Lauren to transcribe the journal entries of her ancestor Mercy Hayworth, a victim of the Salem witch trials.
Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. As the fervor around the witch accusations increases, Mercy becomes trapped in the worldview of the day, unable to fight the overwhelming influence of snap judgments and superstition, and Lauren realizes that the secrets of Mercy’s story extend beyond the pages of her diary, living on in the mysterious, embittered Abigail.
The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul. But on the way to the truth, will Lauren find herself playing the helpless defendant or the misguided judge? Can she break free from her own perceptions and see who she really is?
My Thoughts:
Wow.
I finished reading this Saturday night and I LOVED it. Three stories are told and done so well that I was captivated. (I actually put off completing some homework assignments just to finish this.)
Of course the story of the Salem Witch Trials is the core one. It's the one that starts and ends during the course of the book. And it was delightful. I loved it. Really. Mercy is such a likeable character and she saw through the façade of the Witch Trials for what I think they really were--a farce. A joke that got out of hand. But then again, I haven't done much research. And true to her name, Mercy protects the man she loves and forgives her excusors.
Lauren was also pretty great. I did enjoy reading her story. It was rather eye opening for me to realize that in seeing through Lauren's eyes (thanks to her being the narrator) I often drew the same conclusions as her. My perception did change how I view people around me and situations now.
The story of Abigail was pretty sad, but I have to admit that I didn't really feel that drawn into her story. We spent so little time on Abigail that all of my emotions were tied to Mercy or Lauren. It wasn't a bad story, it just lacked the emotion that the other two stories had.
Recommendation: PURCHASE IT!!!!!
Rating: 5/5 stars
Ever by Gail Carson Levine
"Kezi . . . I am immortal, whether you think so or not. But I don't know if you can be. It isn't simple."
If he had said it was simple, I would have known it wasn't possible. "Olus, if an immortal"---I refuse to say god---"were sacrificed, what would happen?
"The priest's knife would hurt, but the immortal would recover. Your pado would fulfill his oath, but you would live."
Admat, forgive me. "How does a mortal become immortal?"
Synopsis from GoodReads.com:
Falling in love is never easy, but falling in love with an immortal god while your days on earth are numbered is almost more than a young girl can bear.
Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine has created a stunning new world of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens in this spellbinding story of Kezi, a girl confronted with a terrible destiny. Attempting to thwart her fate, Kezi and her love, Olus -- the god of wind and loneliness -- embark on a series of dangerous and seemingly impossible quests.
My Thoughts:
I loved Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. And Ever sounded so interesting.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.
The writing was wonderful. Beautiful, flowery language. I had a difficult time understanding the different culture/fantastical world. Wadir--an underworld type place where if a mortal stays too long they spout feathers and speak nonsense--it was these types of words that had me confused. I had to read those chapters over a couple of times to be sure that I understood them. Luckily, the chapters were short.
I wish I could've enjoyed it. The ending was satisfying, but I felt the chemistry between Kezi and Olus were lacking. There was so little interaction between them before the declarations of love, that it didn't make their sacrifices feel like sacrifices.
Recommendation: If you really want to read it, check it out from the library.
Rating: 2/5 stars
The title and cover for the final book of the Hunger Games Triology by Suzanne Collins has been released!!
What do you think? Do you like it? It's going to be released on August 24th (correct me if I'm wrong). I can't wait!
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Daniel dropped his hands. "You really are afraid of me."
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
He bowed his head. "Gracie, let me fix what I've done. That's all I want. All I care about is you."
Synopsis (from the author's website):
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.
As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.
My Thoughts:
Wow. What a great story. My niece was kind enough to loan me her copy since she was the one who suggested I read and review it here on this blog (Thanks, Angela).
Awesome story. The cover is kind of interesting. I don't really see the symbolism in how it ties to the book, but once I got into the story--my mind was going. I was excited and absorbed. The story jumped right into the action, and it definitely made me re-think some of the techniques I'm using to write my own story.
Grace was a pretty awesome main character. I loved how strong she was. Although, I did get tired of every using her names (first and last) for puns. But I still loved her. I thought she was strong and well-rounded.
I truly was surprised by the twist. I should've seen it coming. But alas, I didn't. I'm curious to know if there's going to be a sequel.
If you love Twilight, Hush Hush, or any other paranormal romance for teens--definitely check this one out.
Recommendation: PURCHASE!!!! It's at Amazon.
Rating: 5/5 stars
I'm new to the blogging scene.
So, I'm going to try some things and see how they work.
Things got busy in my life, so until they settle down, I'm going to suspend the Monday Quotes and the Wednesday Writes posts. I'll start them back up again soon.
But I'll continue to post reviews. Except, I won't just review on Fridays. I'll post reviews whenever I finish a book, then I'll post what I plan to read next.
Thanks for being understanding. I know it can be a pain.
Cheers!
Sorry for being late with this post. This morning was kind of crazy.
Family Trust by Amanda Brown
“A guardian,” she said, thinking fast, “is like a fairy godmother. I’m specially picked just for you, Emily. By—by the fairies,” she added, thinking of her storybooks. “I’ll always take care of you. And so will Eddie,” she added quickly.
Warnings: Mild swearing
Synopsis(from the back of the book):
Firmly planted on the Wall Street fast track to success, Becca Reinhart has no desire to marry and raise a family. Ditto Edward Kirkland, a charming playboy who has never known what it means to work for a living, and hopes never to find out. Enter Emily, who becomes Becca and Edward's common denominator when a quirk of fate gives them joint custody of the precocious little girl. Suddenly, two people who have never met find themselves sharing the trials and tribulations of domestic life as they navigate the rocky shoals of parenthood, from naptime to play dates to pre-school admissions. And amid the daily demands of raising a young child, Becca and Edward discover something else: They're made for each other.
The way I always begin my stories is with a good character.
The story happens to the character--the story is how the character DEALS with the things that happen.
So, there's a character rolling around in my head. I write down everything I know about him or her. What they look like, personality traits---everything.
"I must think about something else for a while. But then I remember his warn arms and his big strong legs touching mine and how hard and wide his chest was and how hot his kiss was, and I got outside and feed the chickens. They are getting mighty fat."
-Nancy E. Turner, These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901: A Novel
