YA Book Review: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Release Date: 27 September 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Banned Book Tours

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Goodreads description:

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

My Thoughts...

In her debut novel, Kiki Hamilton has presented readers with a thrill ride adventure through the dangerous underworld of Victorian London, where obtaining the money for a decent meal will require quick hands and deft feet and you can never know quite who to trust.  The reader is thrust immediately into the lives of a makeshift family living day-to-day on meager rations and the profits of their pick-pocketing skills. Tiki and her "family" live in an abandoned room with barely a scarp of food or a lump of coal.

To begin with, the setting is fabulous--the gritty streets of London are described in stunning detail, down to the grimy streets and choking, smoke-filled air. I loved the historical setting of the novel and just how perfectly Ms. Hamilton was able to convey that historic sense without shoving it in your face. Even if I hadn't outright known the time period this was set in, I still feel like I would have been able to tell from the well-crafted descriptions of the world.

Tiki was an amazing MC. Her loving nature with her family plus her courageous spirit combine to create a perfect heroine.  She's badass while still holding on to the "softness" of a romantic heroine. Her love for her adopted family overshadows everything else in her life and she'll clearly do anything to protect her ragtag family. I felt connected to her from the get-go. One thing that really struck me about her character is that it's almost hard to get a real read on her age.  I'm pretty sure that you find out at some point, but throughout there were definitely moments when she displayed courage and heart beyond her years and other moments where she displayed a very childlike wonder and ignorance. 

Rieker is a fabulous love interest (in my opinion). I love the mystery surrounding him and Tiki's surprise when he reveals himself (although the reader has figured it out long before (or at least I did!)).  I thought that his love for Tiki was properly developed, even if maybe he does come across as a little stalkerish at times.  This was definitely believable and heart-warming romance at its best.  I was rooting for this couple the whole way through--even when the characters didn't really show an inclination to become such.

I can't say enough about the characters that Ms. Hamilton has created. Each of the side characters strikes me as real and important.  I love the little moments throughout when we get to see their individual personalities shine through.  I even appreciated the short moments when we saw the world through Leo's POV.  He is a character that I think has a lot more to say and if Ms. Hamilton continues writing in this world, I don't think Leo will be ignored.

The story is fabulous in and of itself.  The magic of Ms. Hamilton's story will pull you through--page-by-page-- and leave you breathless and begging for more when you've turned the last page.  I couldn't help but want to dive right back into this world as soon as I had finished it. The lyrical, descriptive writing creates a vivid story with characters that you feel like you know.   This is definitely a breath-taking debut novel that makes me incredibly excited to see what this author will do in the future.  Bring it on, Ms. Hamilton because I'm ready for more!

YA Book Review: Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Release Date: 21 June 2011
Publisher: Walker Children's
Source: Banned Book Tours

Buy It! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

My Thoughts...

Haunting Violet served to remind me just how much I love well-done ghost stories and historical fiction.  If you can combine those two things well, then you'll have won me over and Ms. Harvey definitely did with this story.  This book is the perfect combination of eerie haunting and historical intrigue.

Violet wants nothing more than to escape her mothers scheming--so much so that she goes along with it day after day in hopes of getting by until the time comes that she can escape through marriage. It's when Violet actually begins to see the ghosts that her mother pretends to channel that things start to get crazy.  Violet doesn't believe in ghosts--but clearly that's not going to stop them from making themselves known to her. What ensues is a story of a ghost desperate to expose her killer and save her sister...and of a girl with visions that she does not care to see.

From the very beginning, Violet was an incredibly affable character.  She's a strong, conscientious character, fully aware of her precarious status in society. Her fun, lighthearted relationship with her only real friend, Elizabeth, is a constant reminder of Violet and her mother's precarious situation. Due to her mother's chosen "profession," Violet has very few friends, save Elizabeth and Colin, the boy her mother adopted many years ago to help with her act. Her distaste for what her mother does is overwhelming at times, but she constantly faces the stark reality that she has to keep it up for awhile longer if she hopes to make an advantageous marriage--which seems to be looming just around the corner.

The ghost story really shines alongside Ms. Harvey's historical setting.  I thought that the ghosts were the perfect mixture of intrigue and creepiness.  You can't quite figure out what message she is trying to send to/through Violet. The only ghost scene that didn't add much for me was the scene in the "Willoughby's" parlor where Violet's mother forces her to show society her "gift." (Although, I do understand how it furthered the plot line a bit, but by this point, I believe I was simply so annoyed with Violet's mom that I was quite ready to be rid of her.)

Overall, Haunting Violet was really a fabulous read.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching Violet both discover her sight, fall in love, and break away from her mother all at the same time. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of my own.

YA Book Review: Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler

Release Date: 12 July 2011

Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
Source: Banned Book Tours

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Goodreads description:

For Daphne, the glass is always half full, a situation is better managed with a dab of lip gloss, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.

For Gabby, nothing ever works out positively; wearing any form of makeup is a waste of study time, and boys will only leave you heartbroken. Her best friend, Mule, is the only one who has been there for her every step of the way.

But when the richest boy in school befriends Gabby, and Daphne starts to hang out more and more with her best friend, Mule, Gabby is forced to confront the emotional barriers she has put up to stop the hurting. And for once, her sassiness may fall prey to her definition of stupidity

My Thoughts...

Having grown up with a sister who is just 18 months younger than me, I tend to love and strongly relate to stories that explore that sister relationship--especially because my sister and I have run the gamut in terms of our relationship, from friends to enemies and back again. I really expected to fall head over heels in love with Sass & Serendipity, but I'm sad to say that I was slightly disappointed.

The premise of this novel is intriguing and relatable--one practical sister and one dreamer sister struggle with their personal relationships with friends, boys, and each other.  From the start, you know exactly who you are dealing with. Gabby is the ever-practical older sister--the one with the part-time job to help the family, the one who worries about everything, and the one who refuses to fall in love.  Daphne is the dreamer--the one who constantly forgets responsibilities, falls in love at first sight, and dreams of the day her prince will swoop in to save her.  While I understood the sharp contrast between the girls needed to be front and center, each girl struck me as a bit over-the-top in their actions.  Gabby won't relax for a second, not even with her best friend, and Daphne can't take two seconds to think about the reality of their family situation. There were moments in the book when I wanted to reach in a slap each sister silly!

My favorite part of this book was probably watching the minor characters of Mule and Prentiss develop and move slowly into the forefront of the story.  I liked watching how they creeped slowly into the lives of each sister and how they changed the girls for the better.  There is definitely a lot of growing-up to be done in this novel and Ziegler has really shown the reader the complexities of such a task.  I loved the realism that she uses to create the school environment and the real fears and heartache that teenagers can and do experience.

There was a lot of potential in this story, but for me, it simply missed the mark by a little.  If the story had focused more on the "growing up" that happens in the second half, I think that I would have enjoyed it more.  I would have loved to see the relationships that creep in toward the end fleshed out and explored.  Ziegler's writing is realistic and compelling, such that even when you find the characters annoying you keep turning the pages.

(As a side note, I thought I'd mention that this book struck me as a great read for the younger teens.  There's no violence or strong language.  There's a little kissing but nothing more.  I probably wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to the 13-15 age group.)

(ARC) YA Book Review: Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Release Date: 12 September 2011
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

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Goodreads description:

Willa is lucky: She has a loving blended family that gets along. Not all families are so fortunate. But when a bloody crime takes place hundreds of miles away, it has an explosive effect on Willa’s peaceful life. The estranged father she hardly remembers has murdered his new wife and children, and is headed east toward Willa and her mother. 

Under police protection, Willa discovers that her mother has harbored secrets that are threatening to boil over. Has everything Willa believed about herself been a lie? As Willa sets out to untangle the mysteries of her past, she keeps her own secret—one that has the potential to tear her family apart.

My Thoughts...

This is normally the kind of story that I would totally go for--in a slightly obscene sort of way.  Books that deal with the darker side of teen life and fatalistic events that cause a person to grow up have been among my favorite for years now (putting Lovely Bones and If I Stay right at the top).  I expected Blood Wounds to live up to that expectation...and for some reason it didn't do it for me.

I didn't connect well with Willa.  She seemed so separate.  At first, she was a quiet kid with some definite internal problems, despite her outwardly calm demeanor, and then she was a slightly bratty child who complained a lot.  I don't know...something about the character development was missing.  Willa cuts--this part was well done throughout the book.  Her pent-up feelings being released by cutting made sense.  The abrupt end to the cutting tell-all was a little less convincing.  I almost wish that her parents had discovered the tools, etc. and there had been confrontation.

The writing is good here, but SBP really can do better, I think.  Maybe I was expecting the wrong things when I went into the book--more thriller action, real horror, those kinds of things?  Still, there was definitely a compelling element to the story--the pacing was quick (and the book was short) so I was able to (and really wanted to) keep reading.  I think part of me kept hoping it would live up to my expectations. 

Source: I received this book as part of an ARC tour.

(ARC) YA Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Release Date: 30 August 2011
Publisher: Tor Teen

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Goodreads description:

Just your average boy-meets girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

My Thoughts...

Anna Dressed in Blood is a must read! Ms. Blake has woven a ghost story together that will thrill and terrify you while along the way you fall in love with her characters.

Cas Lowood has moved to Toronto with one goal: kill the infamous "Anna Dressed in Blood."  Anna has killed a countless number of people since her untimely, mysterious death in the 1950s.  Cas learns during his first encounter that Anna isn't just a normal ghost--but just what is she?  Anna isn't the only thing that's "different" about Cas and his mom's new home.  For the first time, Cas finds himself unable to avoid one thing that he's always been able to avoid in the past--making friends. Cas slowly learns to accept the help and friendship of his small group of companions while attempting to free Anna from years of torment.

Cas was a fabulous character.  I really enjoyed getting to know him throughout the story because whether he realized it or not, he did a lot of growing up in the novel.  I think that his expectations for his life changed as he finally learned to let people in to his life and his expectations of ghosts changed as he got to know Anna.  However, what really shined for me in this book was the "side" characters--especially Thomas and Carmel. Ms. Blake doesn't just throw in a couple of friend characters at random.  She really spent time developing these characters and weaving them into the story. They had roles to play throughout--both in uncovering Cas' character and moving the story along.

This book really offers a lot of different attractive elements for a vareity of readers.  You've got the scary ghost who kills people, the contemporary friendships, the magic, and the romance (yes, there's romance!).  The quick pacing keeps the story moving and is guaranteed to really suck you in. You won't want to put this one down until you've turned the last page!

Source: I received this book as part of an ARC tour.