Captivate by Carrie Jones

Last year, I reviewed Need by Carrie Jones. In that review I said that I enjoyed the book and the basics were excellent, but it was a Twilight read-alike, the execution was shaky, and it wasn't entirely satisfying. I said I hoped she'd write a sequel, because she could make it so much better. This is that sequel. Is it as awesome as I'd hoped? Read and find out. (Sorry guys, it's a pretty long review. I didn't do it on purpose.)

First, Captivate a lot more coherent and solid than the first book, for the most part. It starts to look at the ramifications of the first book and the consequences for the characters' actions, (mostly Zara's,) so you should definitely read the first book first for it to make sense. There's more fantasy, with the odd inclusion of Norse mythology this time around. I love Norse mythology, and it could be a really interesting choice, but I think she's getting in over her characters' heads with Ragnarok.

A note on the pixies. That example for it not being Twilight is out the window, because these are vampires. 1) They drink blood. 2) A pixie's kiss can turn you into a pixie. 3) They can't enter a home uninvited. 4) They're arranged like vampires tend to be, in coven sorts of things under a king or lord. (Or Sheriff, or what-have-you.) 5) They glitter. Aside from the glitter, they're more like vampires than the Twilight vamps are. Need I go on? (Pun!)

Speaking of pixies and Ragnarok: There are plenty of people (like, say, ME) who would be overjoyed to discover a supernatural world, even if it was realistic. (i.e. There are villains, people still die, etc.) There are also characters (less common than I'd like) who are capable of dealing with that kind of supernatural world when they find it. I can only wish that Zara was one of those characters. It's not that she's a waste of space or something, she's a fully-rounded character and I like that, but she's just not mature enough to be dealing with this kind of thing with so little guidance. She goes on and on about "most people don't know about this dark underbelly," but she really doesn't know a thing. She thinks she can take on vicious pixies by herself with a sword, but, as she promptly finds out, she has no idea how to fight (with a sword or without.) And she doesn't have the life experience she needs to make balanced decisions.

(minor spoilers await)

Case in point. Around the halfway mark of the book, something happens to her boyfriend. Instead of, say, being upset that her boyfriend of some three months is gone now, she compromises one of her most integral principles in her despair, then resolves to become the one thing neither she nor her boyfriend wanted her to be, in the name of saving him from something he'd probably WANT in the first place, even though she has no plan for saving him and other people are volunteering who are far more capable of succeeding. She totally derails her life in the name of saving him by herself. Guys, he's not that motivating. He's kind of oafish and bloodthirsty, and while he does genuinely care about Zara, she's obviously not the most important thing in his life, and he never listens to a word she says. Maybe if they'd been together longer and forged more of a relationship, sure, but this kind of reaction after three months of a relationship built on making out is simply not healthy. This is what therapists are for, Zara.

I do approve of the direction in which Zara has derailed her life, but I'd rather she went off and did that rather than making it all about some guy with little or no personality. And the derailing is the ENTIRE second half of the book! It doesn't end in a cliffhanger so much as she ran out of space and stopped between chapters. I might even have believed it more if it was in the heat of the moment, but it wasn't. It was almost 150 pages of Zara being too dumb to live. Does this remind y'all of something? Say, the second book in a certain famous series? (I do give props to Jones for not being afraid of drastic changes, though. I think if you're going to bring up an idea you should go all the way with it, and she does.)

So yes, it is better than the first book, but not by as wide a margin as I would have hoped. It IS better than Twilight though, the plot is way more interesting and the characters have much more depth. Despite all that ranting I just did, for the most part I enjoyed it, and there are some very interesting new developments and characters. I'll still pick up the third book, and hope Zara matures a bit during it.

The series I reviewed two weeks ago, Soul Screamers, is actually really similar, but Soul Screamers succeeds in all the places where Need flags.

I am aware that authors google themselves. To Ms. Jones, should she happen by:

Hello! I just totally dissed your book, and I feel really bad about it. Please don't think I hate your guts. I'm just the sort of person who obsesses about flaws, you know? The point is that I have read your book, and I cared enough about the characters to be this frustrated. I enjoyed the book, I think you have some great ideas, and your characters are awesome. I hope this review brings you business, and I can't wait to read your next book. -Fate

Buy Captivate

Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent

Kaylee screams when people are about to die. Her "panic attacks" have already landed her in the hospital once, so she doesn't want to tell anybody now, but if she really can predict deaths, what is she supposed to do about it?

These really remind me of something I might have written when I was a tween. "Girl discovers she has special powers and joins the awesome secret society of other people with special powers, at least one of whom is a hot boy" kind of thing. Not terribly original, but here at least, really good. Fair warning: I'm going to swear in a paragraph or two.

My Soul to Take, the first book of the series, is mostly about introducing you to Kaylee, her friends and family including boyfriend Nash, and the world she lives in. The characters are all good (all of them are more than they let on in the beginning), especially Kaylee. She's got a great mixture of personality traits, so it's hard to sum her up in one or two keywords. She's self-conscious, but doesn't have an inferiority complex, tempestuous but not exhausting, sometimes kind of an idiot but only when she's really upset, and sometimes selfish but always trying to help. The story is half mystery and half romance (published by Harlequin Teen, here) and it just has that indefinable something that draws you in and makes you care.

I was worried that the second book, My Soul to Save, would be mostly teen wangst and relationship issues. That it wouldn't deliver on the fascinating ideas and potential the series was offering But not to worry: Save takes everything that was good about the first book and makes it TOTALLY AWESOME. We know who Kaylee is now, we know what she's capable of, so now we go and do some shit. Trips to the Netherworld! Showdowns with demons! Fame and fortune! And of course, relationship issues, but these weren't boring or wangsty. This was one of the best treatments of teen romance I've seen; passionate, but uncertain.

Vincent has succeeded in doing the one thing that every urban fantasy writer wants to do: She created a supernatural world and made me really believe it was there, totally alien, but right next to me. Kaylee has matured already, she's brave, she's smart, and she strong. I could totally see her as the heroine of an adult urban fantasy series (like Anita Blake or Harry Dresden) in ten or twenty years. It helps that I'm convinced Nash is evil, and that would be great backstory after the fact. (I have no evidence for this belief, he seems perfectly nice, but there's something he's not saying. Such as "I'm a serial killer" or "I'm a hellbeast in disguise" or something interesting like that.)

The third book (My Soul to Keep) comes out in June, and if you have a Kindle there's a prequel story called My Soul to Lose that you can order. Somebody please read this series and come theorize (and spaz) with me! Some similar books I'd recommend are Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley (review here) and Need by Carrie Jones (review here.)

Buy the series

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

I am aware that I tend to criticize books for having "literary claptrap" endings or being "literary" in having unlikeable characters and only vaguely comprehensible plots, etc. However, I don't intend to come across as disliking "literature." I dislike a lot of it for the reasons stated, but a really brilliant literary work is, well, really brilliant. This is one of those really brilliant books.

Shawn McDaniel is 14. He wants a girlfriend. He likes rock'n'roll. He loves his family. He remembers everything he's ever heard since the age of three, and he might be kind of a genius. He has severe cerebral palsy and is completely incapable of communicating his thoughts to anyone, even though he has plenty of thoughts. And he thinks his father is planning to kill him.

I read the whole thing in one sitting, without even looking up. Usually I check the time ever chapter, get up to get coffee, put the book down to watch TV or write, even just stare at the wall for a while thinking about something else, but not this time. (Luckily the book is only 115 pages long, if it had been any longer I might've starved to death!)

I don't say this often, but this is a perfect book. The reason it's so short is that the plot I just described is the plot, there's no nonsense with subplots or insignificant characters or even insignificant thoughts. The pace is perfectly balanced to convey exactly the right emotions and not distract you with anything else. And yet at the same time the ideas are so rich that I could probably read the book several times in succession and not get bored. Both sides of the issue (euthanasia) are rigorously explored, and then you're left to let it sink in.

The part that fascinated me the most was Shawn's personality. He can't DO anything, he's sheerly receptive, and yet he's a fully developed character. It's an example any writer should look at, because it really shows how actions should conform to personality and not the other way around. There's a thingness, a separateness, about a person that doesn't have anything to do with who they are on the outside, and it's different for every person. There wasn't a single character in the book that didn't seem like a real person, and Shawn is unique, with an arresting, memorable personality despite the fact that he can't affect his surroundings in any way.

So to sum up: Wow. Read this. I'm going to buy it for my personal collection and I foresee I will be reading it more than twice. There's a companion novel called Cruise Control, the same story from a different POV, which I also have to read or I will explode, and then I'll start on Trueman's other books.


Buy Stuck in Neutral

The Adventures of Blue Avenger by Norma Howe

This picture is a little small, but I love this cover. It's dynamic, interesting, and it perfectly illustrates the book's idea. It's a little 90s, but I like it. It has that "I want to be a superhero" attitude that I know so well.

Anyway, the book is indeed about a superhero, of a sort. The titular Blue Avenger starts out as 16-year-old David Schumacher, the average (but smart) student whose hobby is drawing a superhero called the Blue Avenger. He considers himself to be Blue Avenger, and has the blue-fishing-vest and towel-turban ensemble to prove it. (I can't remember whether he based the character on himself, or if they just grew together over time, but it doesn't really matter.) On his 16th birthday, he changes his name and takes on the persona of Blue Avenger in order to right the wrongs of the world.

I really liked it, but it's kind of odd, and not in an objective way. There was just something about it I couldn't put my finger on. It's kind of a YA story written in kids' prose... The characters say intense 16-year-old things, but in an almost simplistic 11-year-old way. Blue is a great character, very recognizable and easy to connect with but a little offbeat and quirky, teetering perfectly between adult and child, and he doesn't see the world the same way anybody else does. His friend Omaha is a little more of a stereotype, the mostly-mean tomboy with the vulnerable side that everybody likes for some reason even though she's mostly mean. (Okay, in this case I don't remember everybody liking her, mostly just Blue, and he has his own personal mental processes.)

The main theme of the book is the major philosophical debate of free will vs. fate, much more heady stuff than I expected, which is great. In fact, I don't think it went far enough. It only really presents the predestination argument, which is a valid argument, but it's incomplete without the equally valid choice argument. No real resolution is offered either, I personally prefer a conclusion even if I don't agree with it, but for a book for kids that's not necessarily appropriate so I understand leaving it out. Also note the painfully apparent and oversimplified gun control message, which was surprising considering the complexity of the other theme.

This is one of those wacky books I always loved as a kid, full of bizarre facts and random events. It's a quick, fun book, and I'm really glad I read it. I recommend Suck It Up(review), Grooves, and Winchell Mink.

Buy The Adventures of Blue Avenger (Even though it has a horrible blob thing on the cover now. What is that?)

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

This is a fascinating, hilarious book. The vampires drink blood, but after that you can drop all the old vampire tropes. These vampires are really quite ill and nauseated most of the time, get their blood from guinea pigs, and only leave their homes to attend their weekly Support Group meetings. Our main character, Nina, has been a vampire for about thirty years since she was fifteen, and still lives with her (now 70-year-old) mother.

Now, throw in a vampire slayer who kills one of the group's members and starts a runaway train of plot weirdness! I hesitate to use the word "intricate" for the plot, but I'm not sure why. It's just sort of magnificently random, and the "barely holding together, and loving it" feel makes it a joy to read. The story is dark and gothic, but the style is hilarious. It's unique.

The characters were very much like real people -- always whining (funny and not annoying in this case), and having no idea how to go about reacting to a plot like this, but hiding a few gems in the ranks. It really felt like what might happen if a bunch of real people were attacked. And, like real people, the more you get to know them the more fun they are, and that applies to every single character.

What we have here is a case of everything going right, all the narrative devices coming together and working well. Making something that's new and great, but doesn't make a big deal out of itself. If there's one thing I hate it's a story that's trying too hard to be cool, and this is definitely not one of those.

Support Group just came out last April, but Catherine Jinks has written a lot more books than I expected so there's plenty to look into. There's a planned sequel, The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group, but no release date on that as of yet... I recommend Sucks to Be Me for fans of this.

Buy The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi

When Sunny is mistaken for her goth twin sister and bitten by a vampire, will she be able to reverse the effects before prom? I didn't know, but by halfway through the book, I surprised myself by sort of caring.

This is one of those teen vampire books that's so common, mostly just teen girls complaining because they've been somehow wrangled into the vampire world while making as many pop culture references as possible. Nice beach reads, but kind of annoying in bulk. Which is why I was surprised that I kind of liked it.

There are a lot of quirky little things hidden away in the text that made the book stand out and be memorable. I liked the Slayers Inc., beer-drinking Druid, we-order-vamp-gear-online style of the thing, where people are people everywhere you go. The plot seemed pretty cut and dry and the reader is set up to see a particular outcome... Then the plot changes and you quickly formulate another set outcome... Then it changes again and you think "Oh... OH... Hm." There's an obvious lead-in to a sequel, Stake That, which looks like a rather brilliant plot move and might actually be better than Boys That Bite. (There's also a third book after that, I see.)

The one thing that bothered me was how terrible all the other characters were to Sunny. She's being turned into a vampire against her will, and it doesn't look like that great of a gig, and all anyone can talk about is how terrible it is for THEM. Whiny characters annoy me, but Sunny really is in the right, she's the injured party, and nobody cares. I would be having serious second thoughts about my relationship with people if they were that callous about ME.

It's not a must-read, but there were a lot of things to like and it doesn't take long to read. I suggest this book to casual vampire fans or to the "need something to read after Twilight" crowd.

Buy Boys that Bite

Suck it Up by Brian Meehl

Morning McCobb, a 16-year-old boy who likes superheroes, is the first vampire in history to come out on national television. Will the vampires' dreams of Worldwide Out Day be realized, or will Morning ruin it all by succombing to his lust for the blood of Portia Dredful, his publicist's daughter?

As it says on the cover several times, this is a vampire novel that's not quite like the rest of them. While it is a light read it's also a thoughtful story, one that should be read slowly, not in one big chunk. Things need to unfold at their own pace.

There's a certain realism in the atmosphere that I found fascinating. Most vampire books feel hidden in the shadows, confined by the need to keep the vampires a secret from the humans in the book. Morning is thrown out into the world, and it feels like a coming out for all the vampires in all the stories. It made me look at everything in a new light.

The vampires themselves are also interesting and not the norm, there's more of an emphasis on shapeshifting than the common powers, and they have a singular origin story. The characters were all very grounded in the story for me, each with a coherent set of motivations and a firm sense of self, by which I mean I had a very distinct image of each one. They didn't bleed into each other or agree about things just because it was the author's opinion! While the romance is obvious, Portia is not your typical heroine, and I loved her power.

The plot was slow in some places, but that should be a cue to slow down and get in deep in those places. There's a great mix of internal conflict with Morning and Portia, and external conflict with Morning and Ikor, the vampire who's willing to kill Morning to keep vampires from coming out. Everything is resolved beautifully at the end, with just enough of a tease for me to hope we get a sequel AND hope we don't. All in all, a thoroughly satisfying book.

It sort of felt like taking the hero of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl and putting him in Sucks to Be Me (links are to reviews.) I recommend Sucks to Be Me, or maybe Vladimir Tod.

Suck It Up

Buy Suck It Up

Hero by Perry Moore

Thom Creed's father is a disgraced superhero. There's a lot Thom can't talk to his father about--like how he's developing superpowers, that the superhero League wants him to join them, and especially not that he's gay.

I read the whole book today. 428 pages, only breaking for food and the water closet. It was just that good. It's *sob* *pause* *gasp* over and over the whole way.

Thom is a totally relatable character that I loved to cheer on, especially speaking as a teenager. He makes mistakes, and he doesn't always have a very realistic image of himself, but he never gives up. He goes after what he wants, and he doesn't mind working for it. The other characters mostly made me want to tackle them and hug them to death, but even the characters I didn't like were fascinating. Most of the established heroes are thinly veiled versions of DC heroes--Uberman, Warrior Woman-- but they became archetypes to work from and ideas to explore, rather than the parodies I was worried about.

The plot was intricate, 428 pages is long for a YA novel, but it was easy to follow, one event flowing naturally into the next. Perry Moore slammed right to the heart of what superheroes mean, both the fantastic and the terrible but mostly the amazing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. YA, otherwise, superhero fan, otherwise, GLBT, otherwise, whatever. I hear there's a TV series in the works and I can't wait... I'm sure I'll be mentioning this book in other reviews, but as yet I don't have anything I can recommend that wouldn't fall flat after reading this. Maybe go read the classic graphic novels.

Buy Hero

Interview with Kimberly Pauley, author of Sucks to Be Me

Hello blogosphere, today The Fickle Hand of Fate welcomes Kimberly Pauley, who runs YA Books Central and is the author of the fabulous YA vampire novel Sucks to Be Me! I reviewed the book at the end of May, and you can read that review here, but suffice it to say that I adored it! The sequel, Still Sucks to Be Me, will be available in 2010. Kimberly was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. So without further ado, on to the interview!


FF: Welcome to The Fickle Hand of Fate! Thanks so much for this visit.

KP: Thanks! And thanks for having me too :-)


FF: What was your goal in writing StBM? Just entertainment, or do you have some nefarious plot to influence the world?

KP: Well, primarily entertainment. There are plenty of novels out there that have really deep messages (and many of them are great!). But I did also tried to include some "heavier" stuff as well...I just tried to make sure it wouldn't make a reader feel like I was hitting them over the head with it. I want readers to come away from the book having had fun reading it. If they learn something too, that's great, but I'm happy if it just makes them smile.


FF: What is one thing you wish you had known when you started writing?

KP: That the whole vampire thing was going to just explode the way it did. I wrote STBM in 2005 before Twilight (and a bunch of other vampire books) came out and it actually made it a hard sell because most of the agents and editors I sent it to (in 2006) felt that the market was saturated. So I probably would have written a non-vampire book first.


FF: What’s the best part about having a published novel? How about the worst?

KP: The fan letters. That sounds cheesey, but really, they make my day. Especially when someone actually writes me a real physical letter. Heck, I hardly get those from my family! The worst? Um, probably the people that ask me either a) are you going to be the next J. K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer or b) have I made a million dollars yet? (the answer to both of those would be NO...not that I would mind being the next J. K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer, exactly, but mostly I'd just like to be me.)


FF: Do you feel like YA writers/vampire writers are in competition with each other, or is it more like a mutual admiration society?

KP: I think most writers are very generous and we all help each other out a lot. I'm sure there are some out there that view it as a competition, but I've never met any. After all, the more people read, the better the world is! All the writers that I know are generally happy to recommend each other's books. I know I am! There are so many great YA books out there.


FF: You mention on your website that you don’t read vampire books anymore in order to keep from accidentally recycling ideas. What do you read instead?

KP: I read a little bit of everything, though my reading is way down lately because of our baby (Max) and with writing. I prefer fantasy, though. And also I (of course) read a lot for YA Books Central.


FF: Were any characters from StBM based on real people?

KP: Um, not really. There are pieces of people in the characters, but nobody in particular was really the inspiration for any of the characters.


FF: Do you have a StBM playlist, or music you use to inspire you?

KP: If I listen to music while writing, it's usually pretty mellow, otherwise I get distracted. So mostly stuff like Portishead and Morcheeba or Amy Winehouse.


FF: What actors would you choose to star in a StBM movie?

KP: That's really tough. Someone had asked me this before and I'd picked out a couple, but every time I pick someone I see someone else that would work even better. I'd actually love some suggestions! I'm not as up on my teen actors as I once was. :-)


FF: Would you even accept a StBM movie deal, or would you rather the book stayed unsullied?

KP: Oh, I would. :-) But you definitely have to know ahead of time that you're giving up some ownership. Authors generally have no control at all over what a movie turns out like (unless they're really big time like J. K. Rowling). I'd actually love to see what someone would do with it. Though I actually think a TV show would be even more fun.


FF: Thanks again for giving us your time! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

KP: Just that I'm happy to report that I've turned in the sequel to my editor. It won't be out until next year, but I'm still happy to have this round done! And I'm doubly happy to report that I've heard back from her with the revision notes and while some of it is a little extensive (cutting 4 chapters up front, for instance), I think it's all great stuff and I think the book is going to be so much better when I'm done with it (my editor rocks!). I'll be all finished by the end of August.



Again, the sequel comes out next year. You can find out more on Kimberly's website, complete with an excerpt from book 2!

Buy Sucks to Be Me

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga

Fanboy is a comic book geek with all his hopes and dreams set on getting Brian Michael Bendis to like the graphic novel he's writing. His comic books are the only bright spot in his life of constant bullying, until he makes a new friend: Kyra, the Goth Girl.

I was all set to call this book the best YA book I've read in months, maybe even the best literary/realistic YA book I've EVER read. It's gritty and dark, but still funny and totally believable. Fanboy is a likeable hero and easy to identify with, and his graphic novel idea is amazing, I wish somebody would actually write it. The writing was in first person present tense, which is usually annoying but in this case made everything seem very immediate and intene. The thrills were that special kind of dread and hope mixed together, "Is what I think is going to happen really going to happen?" Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't.

But then I got to the end of the book, or the lack of one. The big finish was about 20 pages before it should've been, just before the big breath out that leaves the reader feeling satisfied and ties up the events of the novel. There was no "ending," it just ended. Things that were heavily foreshadowed, like Goth Girl's violent desires, the bullet, and the third thing that Fanboy wants (essential to his character), are all totally abandoned. We have no climax, and no explanation. Goth Girl was left a total mystery, we have no idea why she did anything or even HOW she did the things we saw. We don't know her, and personally, I didn't really care. I wanted to identify with her, but I just wished she'd get over whatever her issues were (we don't even know that) so we could go do something else. There's no resolution between her and Fanboy, just a sappy "I think it'll all be okay eventually" from him, with no indication that this is the case.

Obviously, I'm annoyed. The build up was so amazing, and then this pointless drivel of an ending. If anyone has any theories I'd love to hear them. There is a sequel coming out this fall, Goth Girl Rising... Hopefully she'll be more sympathetic and the book will anwer enough questions to offset this book. I don't know if I recommend this or not, really... Maybe somebody else would be more satisfied. I definitely was not.

Some similar books that I'll be reading soon are Adventures of the Blue Avenger and Suck It Up, but I haven't read either one yet.

Buy The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Jane and Allison have always been too quirky to be popular at their Catholic school, but that's never been a big deal. However, after a hugely embarrassing disaster Allison comes to school with new clothes, new hair, and a new policy of refusing to speak to Jane. At first Jane doesn't know what's going on, but then a freshman boy named Owen reveals it might be something sinister... Like a deal with with the devil.

Jane, our first-person narrator, is the element that's going to make or break this story for you, and for me she definitely made it. She's funny and witty without being a "let's make this character hip and sharp-witted" character. She comes across as a real person I'd like to hang out with, not a "character." And the very best thing is that she does not do wangst. Things happen. They suck. She acts. No crap.

The plot has an interesting snowballing quality to it. It starts slow, and a lot of it is fluff (the writer usually writes straight YA chick-lit), but things accumulate until you're on the edge of your seat and chewing your hair by then end. And let me just say: The ending delivers. Seriously delivers.

I really enjoyed figuring out the twists of the plot and getting to know these characters. It's a little bit of a beach read, but I highly recommend it as an enjoyable read and as a YA book dealing with high school in a believable and interesting way. The only note I have is that, not having a background in Catholicism, I didn't have a substantial frame of reference for the Catholic-school parts of school. It wasn't hard to follow, I just wondered which things would really happen in a Catholic school and which wouldn't.

A similar book (with more plot and POW to it) would be the excellent Sucks to Be Me, reviewed here. For more of Maureen Johnson's style without the paranormal check out her other books. 13 Little Blue Envelopes seems to be her most popular.

Buy Devilish

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Stargazer is the second book in the Evernight series/trilogy?, just published March 24th.. You may remember my review of February 14th, in which I gushed repeatedly about how awesome Evernight is. Stargazer is just as awesome.

There's not a ton I can say without giving spoilers for either of the books, but I'll do my best.

First, Gray has the same control over her plot here that I was so impressed with in Evernight. I gasped at every twist. Sure, the elements have been used before--what elements haven't?--but this story hasn't been told. It feels new, and that's very special. Most of the meat of the story is internal conflict and slow development, then the last third is an explosion of action that grows perfectly out of that development.

I do feel like more Twilight-esque themes are used here, particularly the love triangle and "true love" aspects. The difference is that Gray knows what she's doing, she consciously deals with things rather than just applauding them because they sound nice. Sure, love feels all-consuming. But that doesn't make anything okay as long as you do it for love. There's a real world out there that contains more than two people, and what you do is going to have consequences for you, the object of your love, and everyone else around you.

I hate to keep comparing it to Twilight, but with its ubiquity it seems unavoidable... One of the things that bothers me most about Twilight is that the only characters who seem to matter are Bella and Edward. Bianca, Evernight's protagonist, actually has other friends, actually has parents and teachers and random people she meets on the street. She actually cares about them. This shouldn't need to be said.

I think the main question Stargazer wrestles with is, "What can you do for love?" It's dealt with in romantic love, parental love, sibling love, and friendship love. There's an intricate world here with a lot of gray areas (hah, pun!) and it's worth investing the extra time to not just enjoy the story, but really chew through what's going on in it. It's a fantastic book, no matter how deeply you want to invest yourself, and an amazing move forward in the overall Evernight story. I can't wait for the next book.

Buy Stargazer

Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

I return after my two-week hiatus with a book that I LOVE. A book that came out last year and isn't nearly as well-known as it deserves to be: Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley, in which Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. Well, undead. Maybe. They're vampires, and now Mina has to decide if she wants to be one too.

There are boys and dates in it for you Twilight fans, but I'd never say it's a Twilight read-alike or even "like Twilight." It's funny, and touching, and realistic, and there's no wangst. And did I mention how funny it is?

The book starts off sort of boring and pop-y, but hang in there for two or three chapters. There are a lot of pop culture references but they're relevant, the ones I was actually thinking of rather than trying to hard to work them into the narrative in an attempt to be hip. The vampire references are updated and modern: Be honest, when someone says "vampire" you probably think of Twilight and Buffy now, not ghastly specters clawing their way up from the ground. Pauley layers both ideas, and you can tell she really likes the genre she's writing in and she's conversant with it.

There are a lot of great, quirky, realistically deep characters, and the plot is straightforward but detailed. I loved Mina and I think I'd love her just as much if she was a real person, along with all of her friends and family. I'd love to hang out with her and she's an amazingly loyal person to the people she loves.

Let me say one more time that this book is HILARIOUS. It was just under 300 pages, but I wouldn't've minded if it was 3000. Luckily there's a sequel in the works for next year. (Humor isn't something that can be explained easily, so check the book out for yourself. :) )

If you like this you might like ghostgirl, although I felt it was heavily in the camp of "trying way too hard to be cool and failing completely." The book itself is gorgeous though, I want whoever designed that to design my book someday. A slightly younger boy-targeted version of this might be the Vladimir Tod series.

You can read my interview with Kimberly here!

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Dramacon (all three volumes) by Svetlana Chmakova

It seems like I've been giving a lot of negative or iffy reviews... I hope to fix that today!

Dramacon wasn't the first manga I read... that was Hellsing Vol. 1. Flash review: The story and characters were great and I would've loved it if it hadn't been a manga. The manga-ness was really annoying and got in the way of the characters for me.

Dramacon is way better. If it wasn't a manga, I wouldn't like it.

The story is in three volumes, each one a different year for Christie at a manga convention. It was hilarious--one of those books I couldn't read in a public place because of the stares--and sweet, using the melodramatic spazziness manga has to hit all the right emotional notes for the characters and make it realistic and over the top at the same time.

The art is great, switching styles just a little bit to suit the tone of each scene. It's subtle, funny, and it works. It's also easy to follow, which is important for me because without clear art I can't figure out what's going on or who's speaking, no matter what country the comic book's from.

Although I've never been to a real con, I think it captured the atmosphere really well. The first volume is the funniest and simplest, with the only big plotline being Christie meeting Matt, that handsome black-coated guy on the cover. The second volume is more serious, adds more characters and has more real-life-like drama. The third volume doesn't have as much stuff about the con itself because it's keeping track of all the characters, but it's an excellent conclusion. (There may be a fourth volume in the works, but a google search and Svetlana Chmakova's website didn't give me that impression.)

I'm in the middle of Death Note right now and loving it, but these three (or five if you count each volume of Dramacon) are the only manga specimens I've even made it to the end of, and Dramacon is the only shojo. I either don't GET what's going on or I just don't LIKE it. So, got a good recommendation? Leave it in the comments!

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Review: Singularity by William Sleator

To borrow from the back of the book: They were twins, but they were different as night and day. Harry was quiet and easygoing. His brother, Barry, was outgoing, arrogant, and sometimes even cruel. But when they went to explore the abandoned farmhouse of their eccentric uncle Ambrose, all that changed. At the farmhouse--where things mysteriously disappeared and animals suddenly aged and died--time seemed to go mad, hours rushing by like seconds.

Singularity is a science fiction book written for older kids, bordering on YA. It was originally published in 1985. It may be a little obscure and old, may seem like just kids sci-fi... but it's every reason I've ever read a book. It was ABOUT something, but something so hard to describe... the only thing I could say when I finished the book (in one sitting of four or five hours, as I recall) was "Oh, my God."

Barry is like every fantasy/sci-fi villain, only back when they were sixteen. He's cruel, self-centered, reckless, power-hungry, and he can charm or coerce anyone into doing whatever he wants. He's frightening. Harry, his twin, takes a little longer to understand, and by the time you do understand him you realize you might not have understood Barry as well as you thought.

The book is tightly written, only necessary things are included. A lot of the plot is internal and it may seem slow, but it is crucial to understanding the point. By the end, you have that painful and yet exultant feeling of understanding everything in the world, simply because you can't put any of it into words. Singularity gives me the feeling sci-fi always did when I was a kid... the feeling that the universe is so much bigger and so much more magnificent than I could ever hope for. The feeling that there is still something to strive for, and that there are things so beautiful they make you feel like crying.

I hope someone else will pick this book up and discover that same feeling while they read it. (But then, isn't that the point of every book we recommend? The hope that someone else will be touched in the same way?)

I've loved every book of William Sleator's that I've read, most acutely this one and Interstellar Pig, and I will continue to search more of them out.

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Review - Jumper: Griffin's Story by Steven Gould

In 1992, the book Jumper was published. In 2004, a sequel called Reflex followed, and quickly after in 2008, the movie of Jumper. It was only loosely based on the books and reimagined the "Jumper universe" and changed the atmosphere of the story considerably. Jumper: Griffin's Story was published along with the movie, using the reimagined universe and the character Griffin, who was created for the movie.

The basic idea is that some people, "jumpers," can teleport, and "paladins" are trying to kill them all.

My first experience with the whole thing was the movie. LOVED it. It was both quick and interesting, and original while dealing with old themes. Griffin was my favorite character.

I wasn't thrilled when I found it had been a book, but I read the first book first. I was glad I didn't have high expectations, because it was miserable. It dragged on for over 300 pages, nothing but abuse and misery and terrorists and whining teenagers.

I was interested in reading this one afterward, because of the reboot. Unfortunately, it was almost exactly like the first Jumper book. The plot was exactly the same... kid learns how to teleport, a bunch of terrible things happen to kid, kid makes lair for self, kid finds a girlfriend, more terrible things, ends in tears. I couldn't tell any difference between Griffin and David from the first book. They had the same voice and responses even though they're ostensibly from different backgrounds.

Also, this book doesn't ADD anything to the movie. No new revelations are made, no insight is gained on Griffin's life. The Griffin I knew from the movie was very different, more self-assured and angrier. More interesting and dynamic. I would've been a lot more interested in seeing how Griffin got to that point, or even a novelization of the movie from his perspective, rather than a story of how Griffin started that's basically the old book with the names changed.

What I'm trying to say is this: Watch the movie. Don't read the books. I realize this is backward from what a lot of people are saying, but it's the truth. The books Are Not Good. The movie Is Very Good. A better option for a book about teleportation might be the classic The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, although I haven't read it yet.

Buy Jumper: Griffin's Story

Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Need is the latest big YA push, written by Carrie Jones (author of Girl, Hero; Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape); and Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend.) It's billed as a Twilight read-alike, and that's mostly what it is.

The main difference is that there aren't any vampires. There are pixies instead! Also, the protagonist, "Zara," yes there's a reason for the funky name, is a rabid liberal, and for that I can see no reason. It's just annoying. I don't have anything against liberals, I just wish they wouldn't be all up in my face, and it'd be better for their cause if they didn't act like dumb, whiny, totally genre-blind teenage girls the whole book. Also, the writing is in first person, present tense, which is sort of jarring.

Those things aside, it was a very engaging read and I enjoyed it. While it sounds EXACTLY like Twilight in the first few chapters, you quickly realize that there's more going on here. The characters are more confusing and believable, and the mystery/horror factors get center stage. There's a lot of good imagery and some fascinating red herrings and surprises. I loved almost all of the characters besides Zara, they're very down-to-Earth and funny.

The writing wasn't as good as it could've been, and the ending was a little weak. I ended up rooting for the bad guy, but even aside from that it wasn't quite as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be. There's definitely room for a sequel and I really hope she writes one, because there are a lot of things I'd like to see addressed more in-depth and I think she could work out the kinks in this one and end up with something really great. The basics are excellent, just the execution is shaky.

Need isn't the Best Book Ever, but it's definitely worth reading if you like the genre (YA, fantasy/horror/romance.) It's also recommended for Wicked Lovely fans, and definitely check it out if you liked Twilight or the idea of Twilight but not the way it was handled. (Another book even better for that purpose would be Evernight, which I liked way more than any of these others. Full review here.)

Buy Need

Review: The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale

Three reviews in one this week! I felt like I needed to read all three of the books in this series before I could judge any one as a whole. A fourth book is coming out next September, which I will presumably review at that time. You may recognize the name Shannon Hale from the popular new graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge (which I didn't particularly like but don't have anything against); this series is older but ongoing.

The Goose Girl is the first book in the series, and is a retelling of the Grimm fairy tale by the same name. You can read the original story here at Shannon's website. I'd recommend reading it first... it gives away the plot, but I think I got more out of the book from knowing the original. I won't recap the plot here, except that the main character, Isi, learns magic and goes through a lot of hardships before the end, and even having read the fairy tale doesn't prepare you for the "reality."

The story follows the fairy tale in most particulars of plot, but fully fills in all the magical and personal details. A whole world is created within those parameters and it doesn't seem forced at all. The book dragged terribly over the first half for me, where everything is being set up for the main action, but it is VERY worth it to read on to the end because overall the book is fantastic! I especially love the unique magic that Shannon's come up with and how it fits into the story.

The main character starts out annoying, but that's the way she's supposed to be and she gets her act together around the same time the plot gets good. What really made the book for me was the cast of supporting characters who are detailed, funny, and endearing.

* * *

While Enna Burning is a sequel to The Goose Girl, it doesn't follow the same character or a fairy tale. It has a very different attitude than the first book, and the fact that it isn't recycling the same ideas is part of what makes it good. It's about one of the goose girl's friends, Enna, who discovers fire magic during a war with Tira, the kingdom to the south.

I was furious for most of this book. How could it HAPPEN this way?! This is wrong, she's not writing the book right! I hate it!

That was when I realized that Enna Burning isn't the same kind of story as The Goose Girl. Enna Burning isn't a fairy tale. It's a story about redemption. Reading it is like living the story itself, not being a character or living in the world, but living the actual emotion of the whole story, and it was worth it to go through all that with Enna.

Despite what I'm saying about it being different, if you liked The Goose Girl you'll like this one. The same characters are present and I liked seeing the update on them, especially Isi and Razo.

* * *

The third book, River Secrets, is about the abovementioned Razo, one of Isi's friends who is featured more prominently in Enna Burning. He is selected as one of the guards of a peace mission to Tira.

Again, this book has a much different atmosphere than the other two. This is a mystery, a political intrigue, a coming-of-age story. Instead of discovering magical talents, Razo discovers that he's pretty awesome all by himself. And where the mystery is concerned, it's a great one. Some parts I guessed and others were totally opaque, keeping the pages turning.

This one is hilarious due to Razo's less-than-serious influence. I was laughing so hard my sister came over from the next room to see what was so funny. My answer was "Here, read this whole book," which is exactly what I'm telling you!

The other thing that struck me was the effort Shannon's put into her worldbuilding. The separate countries aren't just identical places with different names, they actually have very different customs, languages, and geographies. Altogether, this book was exemplary.

* * *

The fourth book is called Forest Born, but as yet I don't know who it's about or what the plot might be. I do know that I'll be snatching it up as soon as it's available.

These books are really something exceptional, and each one has something to say. There's something in here for everyone, whether you like romance, fairy tales, fantasy and magic, mysteries, or just stories about people getting better rather than getting worse. The way the characters are portrayed is very organic and easy to relate to, and the plots will grab you and make you listen. Enjoy!

Buy the Books of Bayern

Review: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Evernight is a YA vampire romance published last year, and at first glance it seems very much like a Twilight knock-off. However, while it may be a read-alike, it's not just a knock-off. It's an amazing, amazing, amazing addition to the genre, that far more people should have heard of by now. (Also, if you haven't read any summaries or Amazon reviews, DON'T. They'll give things away that you don't want to get until you're reading.)

Bianca is a new student at Evernight, a creepy Gothic boarding school where all the other students seem to be beautiful and rich. On her first day there she meets Lucas, a bronze-haired boy who is not only gorgeous, but seems to feel as out of place as she does. He's also got some anger issues and he's moody and secretive. They fall in love. There's also a third romance interest. I know, it sounds familiar. But bear with me for a few chapters.

Evernight knocks over all the tropes and cliches you're thinking of. I love Twilight, but I freely admit having some issues with it, and Evernight deals with all of those issues exactly the way I'd been wishing something would.

My favorite aspect of the book is the plot. It's perfectly crafted, and I'm in awe of the way Claudia Gray is in such control over it without making herself evident in every encounter. There's a lot of mystery and activeness here, for those of you who don't like nothing but romance, along with some delicious romantic intensity, and a few plot turns that will keep you up past your bedtime.

There's a variety of characters present and all of them are very real and organic. None of them fell into the cliches they might have been prone to, and their interactions were also very believable. (I don't know about you, but I hate those books where the characters are just talking heads. Everything these characters do is based directly on their motivations.) There's a lot of subtlety here, and Gray doesn't need to spell things out for us for us to understand them.

I have plenty more good things to say, but I won't spoil. Just read a copy for yourself. The sequel, Stargazer, is coming out on March 24. If you're looking for further recommendations let me know and I'll pass some on, but basically this is great for anybody who likes the genres.

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Review: The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci

The Plain Janes is a book that came out in 2007 from minx, an imprint of DC Comics that makes chick-lit graphic novels. Another blog reviewed it and it looked interesting, so I picked it up from the library. (If it was you let me know, I can't remember who reviewed it for the life of me.)

This book follows a girl named Jane who leaves Metro City in favor of a small town after her family is traumatized by a bomb detonation. Many of her thoughts are revealed in her letters to a comatose John Doe who was standing next to her when the bomb went off. At her new school she joins the group of school rejects, all named Jane, and they begin a series of "art attacks" on the town.

The Plain Janes is simple and real, without any distractions from the main emotion. It's perfect for graphic novel format because so much of it is about the art itself, and the style reflects that. The pictures are clean and uncluttered, and dialogue is economized.

The character development is excellent in this, especially considering how short the book is. I usually find that the more realistic characters are the more annoying they get, but the Janes--Main Jane, Brain Jayne, Sporty Jane and Theater Jane--are my kind of people. There's also a collection of supporting characters, each of whom has much more depth than you might expect on their first appearance. The story raises good questions and delivers a pitch-perfect ending.

There is a sequel called Janes in Love that I would very much like to read, should the library choose to buy it, and Castellucci has written several traditional novels, but if you're looking for something similar to this, your best bet is to try out the other books from minx.

Buy The Plain Janes