The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Synopsis (from the author's website):

Great literary crime detectives aren't always born; they're sometimes discovered, blindfolded and tied up in a dark closet by their nasty older sisters. Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce's bitter home life and vicious sibling war inspires her solitary diversions and "strange talents" tinkering with the chemistry set in the laboratory of their inherited Victorian house, plotting sleuth-like vengeance on Ophelia (17) and Daphne (13), and delving into the forbidden past of her taciturn, widowed father, Colonel de Luce. It comes as no surprise, then, that the material for her next scientific investigation will be the mysterious corpse that she uncovers in the cucumber patch.

Fearless and darkly imaginative, Flavia hurries to solve the murder and acquit her father of suspicion. Following the lead of its clever protagonist, Sweetness is entirely inventive, fast-paced, and quick-witted, with tongue-in-cheek humour that derides the macabre seriousness of subject. 

Alan Bradley plants the story deep into the setting of 1950s England, with a portrait of an eccentric home life that is all too wickedly familiar. The story's twists are supported by the time and place as well as the unusual interests of the characters which range from stamp-collecting to making poisons all of which are highly researched and ingeniously incorporated.

Excerpt:

"Where's my lipstick, you little swine? What have you done with it?"

"It's in your drawer," I said. "I noticed it when I purloined your pearls."

In my short life, bracketed by two sisters, I had of necessity become master of the forked tongue. 

"It's not in my drawer. I've just looked, and it isn't there."

"Did you put on your specs?" I asked with a smirk.

Feely slammed down the heels of her hands on the table and stormed from the room.

Later, I wrote in my notebook.  

Friday, 2nd of June 1950, 9:42 A.M. Subject's appearance normal but grumpy.

(Isn't she always?) Onset may vary from 12 to 72 hours.

I could wait.

My Thoughts:

I decided to take a break from YA literature (especially after the last few disappointments) and went for a mystery fiction novel. However, this too could technically be classified as YA literature. It was a delightful read. Flavia de Luce is eleven years old and an aspiring chemist and apparently detective. Not only is she trying to solve the mystery of the man found dead in the cucumber patch outside their home for which her father has been accused, but she's also got two sisters who are willing to make her life a living nightmare. 

The excerpt I chose was written in the first chapter. I about died when I read that. I KNEW at that moment, I was hooked. 

There's another part in the book where Flavia is trying to get information from her sister Daphne. Daphne's in the library, perched on a ladder to get to the books high on the shelf. The ladder even has wheels on it. When Daphne ignores Flavia, Flavia decides to torture Daphne for information. She begins pushing the ladder up and down the library as quickly as she can until Daphne succumbs to terror.

Oh, man. I haven't loved a book like this in a long time. A mystery is always exciting, but when you have a delightful narrator--it makes the whole thing THAT much better.

Recommendation: Get it however you can and READ IT NOW!!

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning (Book #3 of the Darkest Powers Trilogy) by Kelley Armstrong

Synopsis (from the website):

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost.  

Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I'm on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment.

We're hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We'll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we'd left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

Excerpt:

When we reached the highway, Margaret finally spoke.




"Who taught you to do that, Chloe?" she said.

"What?"

Her eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. "Who taught you to raise the dead?"

"N-no one. I--I've never even met another necromancer before you." Not exactly true. I'd briefly met the ghost of one, but he hadn't been much help.

"Did the Edison Group give you books? Manuals?"

"J-just a history book that I--I skimmed through a bit. Th-there wasn't anything on rituals."

"You're telling me you can raise the dead simply by summoning?"

"Yes."

"My God," she whispered, staring at me. "What have they done?"

My Thoughts:

I've read the other two books in the series, but it was before I started this blog. And I didn't want to go back and re-review books that have already been read. I was excited to get this final books. I LOVE final books in trilogies because they bring all of the stories to a close. You know that there won't be a cliffhanger. It's a comforting feeling.

This one was awesome. Chloe learned how to hone her skills a little more and of course her relationships with Tori, Derek and Simon are strengthened. They bond together--these three. I was glad that Chloe became a little more confident in herself and she became a huge hero in this book.

It ended way too fast. The build up took far too long, and then the ending was so quick that it was hard to enjoy it. Unfortunate, I know. But the ending was so open ended, I'm sure the story is definitely not complete. I hope we get to see Chloe and the gang again soon.

Recommendation: Get to reading!!!!!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Vacation.....

I promise I haven't meant to be away so long.

I'm just on vacation. 

But I've been reading out in the sunshine. 

And it's glorious. 

I'll have new reviews to post when i get back tomorrow.

Be jealous because I went to the Cheesecake Factory yesterday. And I had a Red Velvet Cheesecake. It was divine. 

Cheers!

Tithe by Holly Black

Tithe by Holly Black

Synopsis: 

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms -- a struggle that could very well mean her death.

Excerpt:

"Now, pixie," he said, "go!"
"I don't know if I should believe you," she said. "Give me a kiss." If she couldn't stop thinking about his lips, maybe tasting them would get it out of her system. After all, if curiosity killed the cat, it was satisfaction that brought him back.
"There is no time for your snatched pixie pranks," he said.
"If you want me to leave quickly, you'd best be quick." She was surprised at her own words, wondering at the giddy viciousness of them.
She was more amazed when his lips brushed across hers. A sudden shock of feeling lanced through her before he pulled away.
"Go," he said, but he said it in a whisper, as though she had drained the breath from him."

My Thoughts:
Obviously, if this book was voted as one of the best books for young adults, some people liked it. 

I'm not one of them. 

I need to really just stop with all of the fairy books. Really. Every time I pick up one I think, This can't POSSIBLY be worse than the last one. And then i start reading and I realize--yes, it is.

Kaye is so oblivious to everything but herself. It felt like the only person she truly cared about was herself. She can see faeries, but apparently, that's not weird because she's seen them since she was little. But now, Kaye discovers that she is a faery. A pixie.

To complicate things, there's a hot faery named Roibin who is dangerous and Kaye is warned to stay away from. But does she? This is a YOUNG ADULT novel, remember? Of course not! 

In a side plot, Kaye befriends Corny, her friend Janet's brother. Corny is gay and makes that known to Kaye in a very awkward scene. At least for me it was. I understand the author trying to make it seem like not a big deal, but it was still awkward. I don't know how else to describe it.

The writing was great, though. The descriptions were incredible. It was just the story and the characters that frustrated me completely. I don't know how I even finished because I didn't really want to. 

Recommendation: If you really desire to read it--go to the library

Rating: 1/5 stars

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Synopsis:

In 1947, with her jovial stepfather Joe back from the war and family life returning to normal, teenage Evie, smitten by the handsome young ex-GI who seems to have a secret hold on Joe, finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies whose devastating outcome change her life and that of her family forever.

Excerpt:

"You don't love me, kiddo," Peter said softly. "You're a lovely little girl with a lovely little crush. You don't know me ---"
"I do know you. I know you right down to the ground," I said. "I know that whatever you did, however bad it was, that you're not that bad."
He stood there, and I saw something change for him. I saw me change for him. That dress I thought had changed me in his eyes? It had been nothing. This was it, this was finally it, when I got what I wanted.

My Thoughts:
Good news: I kept reading this book because I wanted to find out what happened.

Bad news: I was sorely disappointed when I got to the end. 

The book started off well. Blundell did a fantastic job of placing us in post-war America. I felt like I was truly there. 

I loved Evie. I thought she was the perfect representation of a fifteen year old--that in between phase when you want the respect of your elders and your independence, while not realizing your own limitations. She was perfect in every way. Her loss of innocence was obviously a major theme in the novel, and I thought the writer portrayed it all very well. 

Unfortunately, no matter how much I liked Evie, I hated almost every other character in the book. Joe was sleazy, the mother was airheaded, and Peter--the guy Evie falls for--wasn't developed. When the tragedy struck, I didn't feel sorry for anyone, but Evie. In fact, I was mad at Evie for lying to save everyone else. 

The side plot discuss the anti-Semitism that existed in post-war America. Although it was interesting and I felt like the author really had something--I felt that at one point it was just thrown back in. It was there at the start and then forgotten until halfway through the book when it was suddenly brought up again. Maybe I didn't understand or didn't read anything into the text and it was my fault for missing the cues.

All in all, I was just disappointed with this book. 

Recommendation: Not really worth your time, in my opinion. 

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Synopsis: 

Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah--they're totally hot for each other. 

But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away.

When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl--it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their "perfect" love can weather an uncertain future.

Excerpt:

"Why do you have a wand? Are you a magician? Is Dawn your assistant? And you made her invisible?"
"No, she's my guide."
"Your . . . guide? Like a tour guide? For wherever you're being taken?"
"Right."
"Okay. So where are you being taken?"
"I'm not sure. To wherever it is that fairies go."
"You mean, like, Middle Earth or something?"

My Thoughts:

I probably shouldn't have read two books about fairies so soon after one another. However, I do have to say that the writing in this book was so witty. I found myself laughing at the one-liners that were ever present. Even with the fairy stuff.

I thought this book was going to have a sequel, because the ending didn't feel like an ending. I have so many questions still. Is Morgan really a psychic? Or was that some power she gained from being in close proximity to Cam all her life? Is Cam okay as a fairy? Was what they had REALLY true love? Or is what Morgan and Pip have true love? Or does she fall in love with someone else? 

Everything seemed to not make a whole lot of sense as I read through the story. Although there was the impending deadline of Cam having to return, and Dawn being a vicious little vixen, I really didn't feel a sense of urgency for the situation. Pip seemed to be handling rejection nicely. And the love triangle wasn't very strong, at all. On the one hand, Pip talked about the fairy he fell in love with, but then he also talked about seeing Morgan. So--was she just a consolation prize? He just knew that Cam had stolen what was his so he went to reclaim it?

Like I said, a lot more questions than answers.

It was a fun read, though. The jokes were hilarious and the love story was sweet. I just wanted something more.

Recommendation: Hit up the library.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Synopsis: 

Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started work with a theatre company. Sure, she's an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off-Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up---the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley's about to step into the role of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, though, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man will plunge her into an adventure she could never have imagined. 

For Sonny Flannery, one of the Janus Guards charged by Auberon, the King of Winter, with watching over the gate into the lands of Faerie that lies within Central Park, the pretty young actress presents an enigma. Strong and willful, she sparks against his senses like a firecracker and he can't get her out of his mind. As Hallowe'en approaches and the Samhain Gate opens, Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other--and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and Faerie alike.

Excerpt:

"What they hell are you staring at?"

Sonny climbed unsteadily to his feet. The girl had her mace out now and was aiming the sprayer squarely at the bridge of his nose.

"What is it---drugs or something? What's wrong with you?"

"Who are you?" he asked, rubbing his arm where it still tingled.

"Shouldn't you already know that?" she scoffed. "I mean, seeing as how you're stalking me."

My thoughts: 
I never really did like fairies. Menacing, manipulative little creatures. So, I was skeptical when I picked this book up from the library. Sadly, my assumptions were correct. 

I did love the description. I loved the banter back and forth between Sonny and Kelley. I just wished that they hadn't fallen in love so quickly. It felt superficial---we are the male/female leads, we must get together. The twists were kind of cool, but I wish that Emma had been able to be notified about Sonny. Maybe in the next book? Here's to hoping. 

The author wrote well. I was never bored with it, I just really hate how fairies tend to be in literature. I hate manipulation and lies and that's pretty much what we have here--people manipulating the situation for their own gain. Not really my type of story, in the end. 

Recommendation: Depends on how you feel about fairies. 

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick Cover Released!

What do you think? Do you like it? 

I have mixed feelings. I just want the text. I don't put my stock into covers, although it's always nice to have a strong cover.

Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams

Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams

Coming on April 15, 2010

Synopsis: 

An attic can hold a world of secrets.
Everyone dreams of finding a secret room in their house that they can escape to, and Sadie is thrilled when she finds one in her new house. It has a sign that says "Palace Beautiful," and she finds a journal written over sixty years ago by a girl her age. But Sadie never imagined her own life could get almost as dramatic as the one she reads about in the journal!

My Thoughts:
I was given this book to read by a friend at work. They had received an ARC in the mail, and they don't review books, so she passed it along to me. I'll admit that I was skeptical. It is more of a middle-grade book which are not my most favorite books. I love the romance and other silliness that comes from books for older young adults. However, I changed my mind once I got into the story.

Sadie and Zuzu move from Texas to Utah with their Dad and their stepmother. There is definitely a theme of familial relationships in this book, which was nice. The stepmother wasn't evil--in fact, she was very gracious and lovely. I liked Sherrie quite a bit. 

The story that really was compelling was the one told in the journal. It was of a girl in Salt Lake City, during the Influenza outbreak in 1918. Her story drew me in and I was just as excited as the girls EVERY time they went to open up the journal to read 6 more entries. 

There were parts that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. The side story with Bella/Kristen and her mom was kind of dramatic and felt out of place, and was rather anti-climatic. It didn't fit with the tone of the rest of the book. 

Also, sometimes it felt like what Sadie said was not fitting of a girl 13 years of age. She sounded more like she was 20 or 25. I also was frustrated because I didn't realize that the story was set in 1985. Not that it really changed much, it just would've been nice to know a little sooner than throwing that information in in the middle of the story. 

All in all, I would recommend this book to any younger girl. It's a lovely story and what little girl doesn't hope for a secret room in the attic?

Recommendation: Library or purchase (I know, I say library every time, but I'm a poor student who can't afford to purchase!)

Rating: 3/5 stars

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Synopsis:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to concel her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Excerpt:

"Claim yourself. That doesn't even mean anything."
"Of course it does."
"None of the chapters saying anything about it . . ."
"We just have to keep looking. It's not like we're going to read it in the Cliff Notes."

My Thoughts:
I hate that I always start out these kinds of reviews this way, but....

I wanted to like it.

People have been talking about this book.

It was not my favorite read. In fact, I was disappointed. 

I guess I'll give the bad news and then the good news.

Bad news?

It was LONG. And when I say LONG I mean that it took forever for the story to start. I felt like I was walking through the day-to-day life of Ethan when what I really wanted was for him and Lena to do something other than talk in their minds and go to the library. I know they needed to research their heritage, but it just got old after awhile. And they didn't even go to the library until halfway through the book. If that was the place where Ethan spent his childhood, you'd think the library would be a little higher up in his mind. 

The good news? 

If you like paranormal stories but don't want to hear the girl whine about how weak she is, and how she has to wait for the big strong hero to rescue her--well, the narrator in this one is a guy (Ethan) and the girl is pretty powerful. I always like powerful women, and this story had an abundance of rocking women--whether they be good or bad. 

Recommendation: Hit up your local library to check it out before purchasing, unless you're feeling very daring.

Rating: 2/5 stars