Review {22} Changeling

AUTHOR: Philippa Gregory

SERIES: Order of Darkness #1 | OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES: Stormbringer #2 (Expected Publication: June 4th 2013)

PUBLISHED: May 25th 2012 by Simon Pulse

ACQUIRED: Own

EDITION: Hardcover, 256 pages

CATEGORIES: 2012 Release, Did Not Finish, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Italy, Magic, Adventure, Mystery, Paranormal, Simon Pulse, Philipa Gregory, Book #1 in Series

RATING: DNF/5.00 | GOODREADS RATING: 3.14/5.00

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WHAT THE BACK OF THE BOOK SAYS: Dark myths, medieval secrets, intrigue, and romance populate the pages of the first-ever teen series from #1 bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl.

Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous - and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year - the end of days.

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can't inherit any of her father's estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft - and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

MY THOUGHTS: I hate not finishing books; especially those written by one of my favorite authors of all time. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy any aspects of this short 256-page introduction to Gregory's Order of Darkness Series.I could not connect to any of the characters; and I found the story line very difficult to not only follow in the beginning but not engaging or interesting at all. 

Events happen quickly at first, when we first meet Luca and read along as he receives his orders after being accused of heresy. We also meet Isolde, whose father has just died and she learns that she isn't going to inherit his lands after all, because her dishonest, untrustworthy brother has altered (or lied) about the will and sends her to be the Lady Abbess instead. Once Luca arrives at the Abbey, things slow down incredibly. We crawl through the events of Luca questioning all of the nuns, we see how "odd" Isolde and her companion, Ishraq are, and we realize that there may be more to Ishraq than we first thought.

Isolde and Ishraq escape the Abbey, and when Luca decides that his work there is completed, he travels on to his next mission. That isn't the end of his run-ins with Isolde though. When I decided that I was not going to finish the book, I was on page 180 (of 256) so you can see I'd made it quite far. This is the chain of events up to that point. There was nothing spectacular or incredulous to keep me reading until the end, which is why I made the decision to go ahead and mark this one as a 'Did Not Finish'.

The writing style was not the same that I remember from past novels by Gregory, and I think that as well is partly why I wasn't able to complete the book. I believe that it, too, did not feel like a YA novel. The characters, even though it is an historical novel, did not feel like young adults, and they did not feel very developed to me. The characters were flat and lacked any depth, in my opinion.

WHO WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO: Fans of Philippa Gregory and those who enjoy Medieval Period Historical Novels.

SIMILAR READS: The Unfailing Light by Robin Bridges | Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame | Debutantes by Cora Harrison | Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb | Ladies in Waiting by Laura L. Sullivan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Philipa Gregory was an established historian and writer when she discovered her interest in the Tudor period and wrote the novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, which was made into a TV drama and a major film. Published in 2009, the bestselling The White Queen, the story of Elizabeth Woodville, ushered in a new series involving The Cousins' War (Now known as the War of the Roses) and a new era for the acclaimed author.

Gregory lives with her family on a small farm in Yorkshire, where she keeps horses, hens and ducks. Visit her website at www.PhilippaGregory.com. 

Her other great interest is the charity she founded nearly twenty years ago; Gardens of The Gambia. She has raised funds and paid for 140 wells in the primary schools of the dry, poverty stricken African country. Thousands of school children have learned market gardening, and drunk the fresh water in the school gardens around the wells.

A former student of Sussex University, and a PhD and Alumna of the Year 2009 of Edinburgh University, her love for history and her commitment to historical accuracy are the hallmarks of her writing. She also reviews for US and UK newspapers, and is a regular broadcaster on television, radio, and webcasts from her website.

Visit her Facebook page.

Happy Reading!
Laura

Review {15} Eve & Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate

Eve & Adam
By: Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Publication Information: October 2nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
Edition: Hardcover, 291 pages
Acquisition: Borrow | Library
Categories: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance
Rating: 0 Stars | Did Not Finish; Goodreads Rating: 3.68/5.00
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What the Back of the Book Says: In the beginning, there was an apple --

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker's head clears, a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother's research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die -- not from her injuries, but from boredom -- her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect ... won't he?

My Thoughts: I read up to page 128, which is 44% - just under half of the book. What ultimately made me set the book down, is that the pacing is slow, and even though the characters are well done, I just didn't have it in me to care about finishing their story. That sounds harsh, and I don't mean it to! It's not that I hated them, or couldn't connect, I just really wasn't all that into the story.

I found the plot to be interesting and unique. Originally, I thought that it was a dystopian and took place in the future, but it is actually set today. I've never really been into the type of movie or book where there's a mad scientist who is playing God with genetics and creating humans, etc. which is precisely what this book is, so I suppose it isn't a huge shock that it wasn't my cup of tea.

The writing style was fine, other than just a bit slow, I didn't have any major hangups with the pacing or events unfolding, however I really disliked Evening's friend, Aislinn. I would still recommend this book to the right person, but it wasn't for me. The book also seemed to read a bit young, which turned me off as well.

Read this if You Liked this: Dark Star by Bethany Frenette | The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna | Beta by Rachel Cohn | Poison Princess by Kresley Cole | Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Happy Reading!

Weekly Wrapup {5}

I think, thankfully, that my YA reading slump is coming to an end. Thank goodness! It has been three months now that I've had my computer (if you follow my blog then you know it was attacked by a vicious virus that has rendered it inoperable) so I'm still working off my cell phone, and on the weekends when my boyfriend brings his work laptop home. It's really hard, because I feel super pressured to crank out as many posts as I can schedule, and I feel like it's a disservice to both myself and my readers. We both deserve my best! So you might notice me posting less, but we are actively working to fix our computer and once we do, then I'll be back at 100% - I can't wait! 

Other than that, I did try out a new layout this past week. I really liked it, but it didn't give me any options to really customize it as I'd prefer. So until I can do that, I've switched to a simpler, easier, less cluttered looking layout. If you look to the right, you'll see a slim, black bar. When you hover the mouse there it'll extend a sidebar where you can find all of the blog goodies - my followers, archives, labels, contact info for Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. 

I did want to take a second to mention a cool App I found on my Android phone. I cannot confirm if it's available on Iphone, but Android definitely has it. It's called Google Currents. This is the easiest way for me to keep up with all of the blogs that I follow. It's like Google Reader for your phone. I highly recommend this App if you need a way to have all of your blogs at your fingertips with just the touch of a button!

Other than that, not much bookish has been going on in my little bloggy corner of the world. How about you?

ON MY BOOKSHELF

Purchased

E-Books

Catching Fire - The Hunger Games #2 - Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay - The Hunger Games #3 - Suzanne Collins

Cold Kiss - Amy Garvey (Free on Kobo/Nook/Kindle!)

Paperback

Innocent Darkness - The Aether Chronicles #1 - Suzanne Lazear

Library

The Selection - Kiera Cass
Drink, Slay, Love - Sarah Beth Durst
Pegasus - Robin McKinley
Pushing The Limits - Katie McGarry

THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG

Cover Reveal {11} - Timeless (#3 of the Transcend Time Series) by Michelle Madow

*New Features*

Series Spotlight - Here I will choose either an upcoming series that I'm excited for, or an older/ongoing series that I love and want to share.

Wishlisted - Here I show the books that I'm excited for, and have added to my Wish List. These can be older, or newer, or not-yet-released books.

MINI-REVIEW

A World Away

Nancy Grossman

Published: July 27th 2012 by Hyperion Book CH

Edition: Hardcover, 400 pages

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary

My Rating: DNF

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What the Back of the Book Says: A summer of firsts 

Sixteen-year-old Eliza Miller has never made a phone call, never tried on a pair of jeans, never sat in a darkened theater waiting for a movie to start. She's never even talked to someone her age who isn't Amish, like her. 

A summer of good-byes 

When she leaves her close-knit family to spend the summer as a nanny in suburban Chicago, a part of her can't wait to leave behind everything she knows. She can't imagine the secrets she will uncover, the friends she will make, the surprises and temptations of a way of life so different from her own. 

A summer of impossible choice 

Every minute Eliza spends with her new friend Josh feels as good as listening to music for the first time, and she wonders whether there might be a place for her in his world. But as summer wanes, she misses the people she has left behind, and the plain life she once took for granted. Eliza will have to decide for herself where she belongs. Whichever choice she makes, she knows she will lose someone she loves.

My Thoughts: I've always been intrigued by the Amish. There are some that live about an hour from where I live, and whenever I see the yellow street signs with the horse and buggy, I hope to see them, just to peek into their way of living even if just for a brief moment. The strength and tenacity that they possess to continue to live as simply as they do, when our world is so full of technological advances and temptations. It's incredible to me. And so, when I picked up this book at the library I was filled with excitement! I thought the premise sounded so cool! A 16-year-old Amish girl moving to Chicago to be a nanny for her Rumspringa? Awesome!

I unfortunately did not finish the book. I wouldn't say that there was anything in particular that I didn't like that made me set it aside. I think it was a culmination of a few things. First being that the book seemed much more middle grade than young adult. Understandably, the main character is very different from everyday sixteen-year-old "English" girls, but it felt as though she were more about the age of 12 than 16. I found myself lacking enthusiasm and interest in Eliza's story.

The writing was also very simple. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but I feel that it made the characters fall flat. I wasn't able to really make a good connection with any of them. I think that this would be a good book for a younger pre-teen, teen girl who is curious about how the Amish live, but I don't think that it has enough to keep an older reader engaged. 

Let me know your thoughts!

Happy Reading!

Review {1} Fated by Alyson Noel

Title: Fated
Author: Alyson Noel
Series: The Soul Seekers #1
Rating: Did Not Finish

Edition: 352 pages; hardcover
Published: May 22nd 2012 by St. Martin's Press
Obtained: Library
Categories: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Spirit Animals, Urban Fantasy, Living vs Dead, Good vs Evil, Demons

What the Back of the Book Says

The first book in a magnificent new series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

My Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed Noel's The Immortals Series, and still have the final two books to read with high hopes. The issue I had with Fated wasn't Noel's writing, or even the story she was telling, because honestly I enjoy her style, and the plot of the story is very interesting and I've been looking forward to reading Fated since Noel announced it. I think the premise is very unique and different from other YA books out there.

The main hang-up I had is the overall pace and layout of the book. I felt that the story was very slow to develop, even though things moved kind of quickly. The parts where I feel more time should've been taken I felt were rushed over; and parts that could've gone more quickly, were slow. Those are the factors which I believe contributed to me not being fully engaged in Daire's story. As far as the layout being unsatisfying, I felt that the story went a little backwards because the first part was about Daire learning who she is, and what she will become; and then she's suddenly thrust into the life of a high schooler. Maybe it was just me, but I felt if the plot was arranged a little differently it could've increased the likeability for me.

I had trouble connecting to the characters as well. It's not that I disliked Daire's character, I just couldn't really get that connection with her that I would've preferred. I enjoyed Paloma's character, and accepted Jennika as well. I am curious to see how things develop with the Richter brothers, however, and for this reason alone I'm pretty sure I will end up picking Fated up again in the future.

I love the cover for the book; however, with the varying shades of purple, and the crows in the background that play a large part in Daire's story. I also love Daire's dreamcatcher earrings and would love a pair!

Additional Info

You Should Read This Book if You Like: The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel, Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock, Starling by Lesley Livingston, Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London, Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen, Undeadly by Michele Vail

Buy Here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Happy Reading,
Laura