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Review: Bound by Antonya Nelson

[ 0 ] May 21, 2012

Reviewed by Alisha Churbe

The story starts with a dog. The dog has been in a car accident with its owner. Exit dog.

Enter Oliver Desplaines, a 70-year-old successful man– successful as both an entrepreneur and a philanderer. He is now married to his third wife, with a ‘Sweetheart’ on the side. (Will he ever learn?) His third wife is Catherine. Catherine’s mother is in a care facility and an ex-professor; she seems to be quite close in age to Oliver. Mother is disapproving of her daughter’s marriage and many of her personality traits as well.

Catherine’s best friend from high school, Misty, dies in a car crash and leaves Catherine to care for her daughter, also Catherine. They apparently made a pact; however, Catherine does not remember this agreement and on more than one occasion cannot believe that Misty ended up a mother. Catherine also knew nothing of the daughter as they hadn’t been in touch since college.

Also during their teen years, there was the BTK serial killer. He began his spree of killings across the street from Misty’s house and he’s been killing ever since. News information is spattered throughout the book, as his reign runs in parallel to Catherine’s life. Misty’s daughter, nicknamed Cattie, has her own teen drama and runs away from boarding school when she hears the news of her mother’s death (or suicide?).

Nelson’s description of setting and place is truly mesmerizing, but the characters are only sort of likable. There are many characters that come and go throughout the novel. There are some that only appear a time or two and appear to have importance, but are later forgotten; one character simply walks out of the novel, while another one dies to tie up the loose end.

Bound is riddled with many parallel plot lines. Some intersect and others only seem as though they may touch, but never actually do. This creates an element of suspense and in the end a bit of frustration. The anticipation of the story lines possibly intersecting will keep you reading. The novel is a quick read with only moments of depth. There are moments of brilliance hidden in this novel along with some unforgettable, vivid descriptions. For that alone, it could be worth the read, just don’t go in for the plot.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Part-time fiction writer, Alisha Churbe lives in Portland, Oregon. In the rare instances when you can pry her away from books, Alisha can be found travelling in foreign countries, cooking, or hiking with her husband Michael and dog Euro.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Bloomsbury USA. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Underworld by Meg Cabot

[ 1 ] May 21, 2012

Reviewed by Jennifer Jensen

Pierce Oliviera and John Hayden return in Underworld, the second book in Meg Cabot’s Abandon trilogy. As you’ll probably guess from the title, we finally get a glimpse of what life is like living in the Underworld, the place between Heaven and Hell. Like Persephone, Pierce eats food in the Underworld and as a result must live the remainder of her life there with no hope of returning to the surface.

Pierce insists on returning to Earth after she sees a video on her phone of her cousin Alex suffocating to his death in a coffin. John lets her know that there is a way for them to go back one last time so that they can prevent Alex’s death, but this will be the last time she will ever see her family again.

I remember thinking that Pierce was very strong-willed in Abandon, but was slightly disappointed to see that Pierce would choose to live with John forever, even though it means she’ll never get to be with her family and friends again. John actually lies to her and tricks her in the beginning chapters, yet Pierce easily lets this slide because she is so in love with him. I’ve been a fan of Meg Cabot’s for about 10 years now, and this is the first female character of hers that I know of who completely abandons all reason and only thinks with her heart.

Underworld answered many of the questions I had at the conclusion of Abandon: Who was John Hayden? How did he become the “ruler” of the Underworld? What is it like living in the Underworld? I also loved getting to glimpse the festivities that occur during Coffin Week; I’m still fascinated by the celebration and the lore surrounding it.

Though this isn’t my favorite of Meg Cabot’s series, I found it entertaining, creative, and an interesting take on the Persephone/Hades myth.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Point. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

[ 1 ] May 19, 2012

Reviewed by Megan Saldecki

Having been rescued by the convent of St. Mortain from an arranged marriage to a heartless man, Ismae is raised to be one of Death’s handmaidens – assassins blessed with powerful gifts that carry out the god Mortain’s work. Carrying out His work, though, means killing the people who have wronged him.

Thrown into this life, Ismae embarks on her most important assignment yet. But when the convent orders her to kill someone she’s grown to love, she realizes that there may be another way to serve Mortain.

Grave Mercy starts off at a fast pace, throwing you into this new life of Ismae’s along with her. I loved being able to read about her various assignments.

Ismae was a wonderful character. She’s the type of person that has her walls up all the time and doesn’t let anyone in very easily. She grew up thinking her mother was ashamed of her and she was constantly bullied by everyone in her town for being the “daughter” of Death or Mortain, as he is often referred to. Despite the constant abuse, Ismae really grew as a person throughout Grave Mercy and I enjoyed reading about her progress.

Grave Mercy had some slow parts, often due to the fact that it is a highly political novel, delving greatly into the decision process and problems of the duchess trying to find a suitable marriage, one that won’t cause a war with the French. In fact, much of the novel was about this selection process, which got to be a bit too much for me. Grave Mercy was written very well, though, keeping true to the era and the plot.

Overall, I highly enjoyed the story line and would recommend Grave Mercy to fans of historical fiction.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Meghan is a 18-year-old book blogger. She likes to read and write in her spare time and would like to become a published author one day. She plans on going to college soon.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White

[ 2 ] May 19, 2012

Reviewed by Caleb Shadis

In my opinion, So Pretty It Hurts mostly falls under the cozy mystery heading. Bailey Weggins, our protagonist, is working for a gossip magazine as the crime reporter. She’s rather independent and impetuous not to mention she has a reporter’s curiosity, which can get her into trouble.

Bailey is invited to a party in upstate New York and since her boyfriend is in Arizona, she accepts (partly as a way to get back at him for leaving in the first place). Most of the guests are centered around a famous fashion model, Devon, her friends and acquaintances. A sudden snow storm maroons everyone at the house and the party turns sour when Devon turns up dead. Bailey suspects possible foul play.

Even after everyone is allowed to go home, Bailey just can’t let it go. She believes that someone gave the already unhealthy Devon a push over the edge. Her suspicions grow dramatically when Devon’s mom claims that Bailey tried to blackmail her, which can be death to a journalist’s career should it not be disproven.

Overall, I thought So Pretty It Hurts was a pretty good book. It was easy to read, there were enough puzzles to keep it interesting and Bailey was a decent character. She was intelligent and caring but sometimes curiosity overrode her better sense. I enjoyed the book and I don’t think one needs to read the previous books in the series to get a hang of the story.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Caleb is a software engineer and amateur woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

A review copy was provided free of any obligation by Harper. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Mirage by Matt Ruff

[ 1 ] May 17, 2012

Reviewed by Marcus Hammond

The Mirage by Matt Ruff is a complex vision of an alternate reality. Ruff takes everything we know about the recent history surrounding the War on Terrorism and our interactions with the Middle East and turns it upside down. The United States does not exist. Instead there is a Christian States of America and numerous other independent countries including The Republic of Texas, and the independent countries of Louisiana and Mississippi. The Middle East is united into the United Arab States. Most important to the story is that Americans hijacked airplanes and attacked the Arab world in an act of terrorism.

Central to the story are Mustafa, Amal, and Samir, Homeland Security agents employed with the task to search out Christian insurgents. Within their investigations they begin to find evidence of an ideology-destroying concept that the Arab world they live in is not real, that it is only an illusion of reality. Others in Baghdad know of the theory as well. Saddam Hussein, a Baathist gangster much like a mafia don, is interested in the theory due to his relatively powerful position within the theory. Also interested is Osama bin Laden, the head of the UAS’s version of the CIA known as Al Qaeda. In his view, any trace of the theory needs to be censored and destroyed, in order to maintain the peace and security of the UAS. Each character has something to lose or gain within this alternate theory of existence. As the investigations by every involved party progress, it becomes clear that allegiances will be tested.

The juxtaposition of reality to a hypothetical situation accentuates the concept of a shared history. Ruff challenges the basic ideology that Christians and Muslims are different by emphasizing the basic human experiences involved with war. Each character has a unique desire to change the world, and that accentuates that whether one is Christian or Muslim, everyone strives for a better life. He also emphasizes the idea that no matter what governing system a culture has, there will always be corruption. At times, however, it is hard to envision Ruff’s alternative world due to the knowledge that dominates our preconceived understanding of current affairs.

I think a lot of people will pass The Mirage up based on its subject, others will view it as utterly ridiculous, and a select few will be amazed at its uniqueness.

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

After obtaining a Masters in Liberal Arts and Literature Marcus has dedicated most of his time to teaching English Composition for a community college in the Midwest. In his down time, he spends time avidly reading an eclectic selection of books and doing freelance writing whenever he gets the chance. He lives in Kansas with his wife.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Harper. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Racing the Devil by Jaden Terrell

[ 1 ] May 17, 2012

Reviewed by Melanie Kline

Jared McKean is a private investigator with issues. He is divorced and cannot seem to get over it. He is still in love with his ex-wife Maria and misses their son Paulie; he is feeling down when he strolls into The First Edition Bar and Grill. Tonight is the first anniversary of Maria and her new husband D.W.’s marriage and Jared just cannot seem to believe that his thirteen year marriage is over and Maria has moved on.

The first person Jared lays eyes on upon entering the bar is a battered and bruised woman. Jared tells himself that it isn’t his problem, yet when the woman finds her way to his table and asks him to buy her a beer, she becomes his worst nightmare.

Jared and the woman – who introduces herself as Heather – wind up in a motel room with a bottle of Sangria. When Jared awakens in the morning with a pounding headache, his last memory is of them having sex. He finds a note on the table that simply says “I’m sorry”. Jared then sees his picture on the front page of the newspaper – wanted for questioning in the murder of Amanda “Amy” Jean Hartwell.

Jared has never laid eyes on Amy and has no idea where anyone got the idea that he is her lover, but things just keep getting deeper and more twisted from there. When he arrives at his truck, his gun is on the floor sticking out from beneath the seat and he knows that he left it in the locked glove compartment. His fingerprints and DNA are found at the crime scene. It becomes quite apparent to Jared that someone is trying to frame him for this and the race is on to not only dodge the police and stay out of jail, but to conduct his own investigation into who really killed Amy. Jared is convinced that this is the only way to prove his innocence.

I enjoyed Racing the Devil, but felt that it could have used a little more work. The story and events felt a bit distanced and while the beginning of the book moved extremely quickly, the rest of the book seemed to be dragging on. In fact, I had to reread the beginning of the book because by Chapter 4, I was completely lost as to what was going on. Although slow at times, Racing the Devil was interesting and I am interested in reading the next Jared McKean mystery to see if the pace of the story has been improved.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Permanent Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski

[ 2 ] May 16, 2012

Reviewed by Alysia George

If you’ve ever watched one of those reality shows about hoarding or about interventions, you probably have quite a bit of insight into both of these situations. And you’ve probably thanked your lucky stars that you haven’t had to deal with either of them. But even though reality television is undoubtedly sensationalized, there  is some truth behind it which forms its basis, at least in these cases. Jill Smolinski takes us on a fictional journey involving both hoarding and addiction and intervention in her novel, Objects of My Affection.

The main character, Lucy, is on a bad luck streak. First she loses her job, then her boyfriend leaves her, and finally she is compelled to arrange an intervention for her teenage, drug addicted son. To pay for his rehab, she has to sell her house and most of her belongings. Feeling completely desperate to start a new life, Lucy takes a job helping a hoarder clean out her house.

The job is more challenging than she imagined, and so is helping her son overcome his addiction. But nonetheless, Lucy is determined. Unlikely friendships form, and Lucy comes to understand that she has a lot of self-growth to do along the way as well.

I love that Objects of My Affection touches on current issues in a fresh and interesting way. Smolinski writes real, likeable characters, just as she did in her last book, The Next Thing on My List. This is a quick and fun read that I would definitely recommend.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Alysia lives in Metro Detroit with her husband and four children. She writes about family life, parenting issues, and other things of interest to her on her blog, Michigal.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Touchstone. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

[ 1 ] May 16, 2012

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

Anna has been seeing them all her life: colorful outlines reflecting a person’s emotions surrounding their bodies. Nobody knows about her special gift and she doesn’t plan to relinquish that secret anytime soon. Everything changes when she meets Kaidan Rowe.

Kaidan Rowe is the complete opposite of anybody that Anna ever thought that she would be attracted to, but Anna can’t help herself. His alluring nature and dark personality draw her in, but when she turns sixteen, she finds out the real reason behind her attraction, as well as the reasons behind her father’s absence and her special gift.

Demons and angels control the balance of the world. Anna is the daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, splitting her nature and forcing her to choose which side to embrace at any given time. Turning sixteen is hard enough, and having an impossible choice thrust in front of her makes it even worse. So when she falls for Kaidan – the son of the demon of Lust – will she end up in the darkness too?

Hiding her past and trying to unearth her nature turn out to be more difficult than she ever could have expected, especially when she and Kaidan embark on a road trip to find out exactly what secrets lay hidden within her.

Sweet Evil is my favorite book of the year. No other book that I have read has even come close to toppling it from its throne. The character development was one of the most intriguing parts of this book, especially when Wendy Higgins threw in the struggle between good and evil and different shades of grey within the two. Anna was an engaging character and one that I instantly fell in love.

Everything about Sweet Evil – characters, writing, plot – was spot on and it has been one of the most put-together and balanced books that I’ve ever read. It’s hard to even find the words to describe the affection and addiction that I have for this book. The battling forces of dark and light and the sizzling chemistry between seemingly wicked Kaidan and tenderhearted Anna kept my eyes glued to the page.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HarperTeen. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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