The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital with absolutely no memory of how she got there. She can’t remember what day it is or the accident that killed her friends. She doesn’t know why she’s the only one who made it out alive. She’s scared, and it’s all a little too hard for her to deal with, even after she and her family move far away from everything that happened. The new setting does little to ease her mind, especially when other strange events start happening all around her. Is it possible that everything is connected? Could it all lead back to the accident that killed her friends? Mara knows that there must be more to the story—but what will it cost her to find out?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is one heck of a psychological thrill ride. Prior to reading this book, I was having some difficulty finding a book that I could really get into, but after reading The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I realized that this was the book I wanted to read all along. Hodkin truly shines in her phenomenal debut. She keeps the circumstances of the stranger events mysterious enough to keep readers on the edges of their seats but doesn’t make them so vague that readers are annoyed by the constant ambiguity. This balance between mysterious and vague is not an easy one to reach, so I’m so glad that Hodkin was able to strike it so wonderfully. Additionally, Hodkin paces her release of information so well throughout the book to keep readers hooked.  This is the type of book that will make readers guess, doubt, reach conclusions, doubt again, and be really anxious for a sequel. With an addicting plot, a myriad of mysterious events, and a very steamy romance, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a psychological thriller not to be missed.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer will be enjoyed by fans of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from Teen Author Carnival

Mara Madness Blog Tour

check out the full tour schedule at Books Complete Me

I know what you're all thinking. The Book Muncher, participating in a blog tour? Interviewing a character? What has the world COME to?! Because, I do tend to be too busy to do all of this most of the time. But I guess, when it comes to Michelle Hodkin and Mara Dyer, I make special arrangements.

So, check out my interview with Jamie from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer below!

_________________________________________________________________

Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself for those of us who aren’t familiar with you.
Jamie (short for my real name which I’m not telling you because I was made fun of because of it in third grade which was actually very traumatic) Roth. At the time of this message, junior at Croyden, South Florida’s most elite toilet of private education. Son of Dr. Aaron Roth and Mrs. Meredith Roth, younger brother to Stephanie Roth and sole male heir to the Roth throne.

How do you know Mara Dyer?
She started at said toilet of private education in a random month in the middle of a school year, which was weird.

What made you approach Mara on her first day at Croyden?
She seemed weird. I like weird. I also like my “I am a cliché” T-shirt, but that is neither here nor there.

Mara has a lot of secrets. Do you have any that you’ve kept from her?
I have no secrets. Just kidding! I’m a pathological liar. Just kidding!

Do you ever regret getting involved with the drama of Mara’s life?
Drama is my middle name. Actually Feldstein is, but if my parents had been more prescient, it would have been drama. Jamie Drama Feldstein Roth. I like the sound of that, actually. I’m going to make that happen. Watch.

_________________________________________________________________

I know what you're thinking again. But, Rachael, that was so short! It gives me only a little taste of what's to come! And that's my cue to say, Ah, but the best is yet to come! Because here's where I get to tell you about this blog tour's neat little scavenger hunt!

Each blog participating in the Mara Madness Blog Tour will be posting a letter, or clue, if you will. All together, they spell out an important line from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Here's my clue:

And now you're probably thinking, Well, what's the point? To win things of course! If you're clever and/or dedicated enough to piece together the puzzle by midnight, 9/30 and submit your answer in this form, then you could be one of (2) people to win signed, finished copies of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

So, if you haven't been following the Mara Madness Blog Tour already, then do yourself a favor and check out all the previous stops! You'll be able to find a complete list of them at Books Complete Me, the wonderful site who organized this tour.

Dark Souls by Paula Morris

Miranda Tennant arrives with her family in York, England, determined to at least try to enjoy the vacation. She and her brother Rob are still reeling from the car accident that claimed the life of her best friend Jenna. As a result, Rob can’t stand to be in any type of confined space, and Miranda, well, she can see ghosts. It’s easy enough for Rob to hide his peculiarities, but when Miranda finds out that York is the most haunted city in the world, she realizes it’s going to be a lot harder for her to hide her secret. Fortunately, one of the first people she meets is Nick, a quiet, strange boy who might be more like her than she thinks. He shows her a different side of York, one that’s rich with secrets and history—a history that only they can see and hear through lingering spirits. But soon Miranda realizes that Nick may be mixed up in a deadly plot involving a restless ghost intent on revenge. Time is running out, and Miranda may be the only one who can stop it.

Dark Souls is a novel that combines ghost stories and mysteries, and I have to say that Morris does all of this fantastically well. I was immediately fascinated by Miranda’s unique ability to see ghosts and how this unwanted skill has complicated her life. I was slightly less interested in Miranda herself; though she has an interesting past and her determination is admirable, her voice isn’t always the most engaging. Morris does do a great job of portraying Miranda as conflicted and confused though still innocent and sweet, but it can still get a little dull reading from Miranda’s perspective. Despite this, I still think that Morris is a wonderful storyteller. Even though I was able to guess ahead of the plot several times, the twists and turns in the ghost and non-ghost aspects of Miranda’s life kept me thoroughly entertained. Overall, Dark Souls is a very enjoyable if more innocent ghost story that will appeal to younger YA readers.

Fans of Ruined, also by Paula Morris, will not want to miss her second YA ghost novel, nor will readers who also enjoyed Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Finley Jayne is not your average Victorian era ladies maid, no matter how much she wants to be. Normal servant girls don’t fight back. They don’t have the ability to nearly kill fully grown men. But Finley does, because there’s something dark and scary inside of her that makes her capable of serious violence when threatened. Finley is sure there’s something wrong with her, and she knows she can’t keep living this way, since her erratic behavior keeps costing her jobs. On the run from a nearly deadly mishap, Finley meets Griffin King, a young duke who recognizes Finley as someone like him, someone with a special ability. He takes her in even though all his friends are less trusting of this dangerous stranger. They’re too preoccupied with investigating The Machinist, the criminal mastermind behind a series of deadly automaton incidents, and they’re worried Finley will only get in the way. But Finley’s determined to help out, and now she’s part of this, for better or worse.

The Girl in the Steel Corset is a fantastically imaginative and thrilling steampunk novel. Readers will be drawn in from the very first page by Finley’s unique character and situation and will be reeled in further by Cross’s wonderful worldbuilding. Her development of the unique features of her alternate Victorian setting was so smoothly integrated into the story, and her descriptions were incredibly rich. I loved getting to know all the peculiarities of Cross’s Victorian England, from automatons and people with robotic limbs to a type of evolution. Cross really does so much so well with this book: her characters are three dimensional and interesting, the plot is clever and well structured, and the pacing is superb. If there’s anything to complain about, it’s that there definitely wasn’t as much romance as I expected; The Girl in the Steel Corset is rather chaste when it comes to anything romantic, even though there are a couple of love triangles. Despite that, I have to say that I absolutely enjoyed The Girl in the Steel Corset and I can’t wait for Finley Jayne’s next adventure.

The Girl in the Steel Corset is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle, and The Season by Sarah MacLean.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from NetGalley

A Week of Mega Book Events

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to some really great book events, including an amazing launch party, the Brooklyn Book Festival, and a truly wonderful reading and panel.

Last Thursday, I went down to Books of Wonder to celebrate the launch of five fantastic books: Every You, Every Me; Bronxwood; Pie; Burnout; and Eight Keys. The event was jam-packed full of people, probably because it was organized by David Levithan, and when David Levithan organizes events, they're sure to be a blast.

Adrienne Maria Vrettos, Suzanne LaFleur, and Coe Booth

Sarah Weeks, Jonathan Farmer, David Levithan

All of the readings were very fun to listen to. Here's a video of David Levithan reading from Every You, Every Me with his collaborator Jonathan Farmer:

I have to say, though, that my favorite reading was the reader's theater of Pie, featuring Sarah Weeks, David Levithan, and Brian Selznick:

Though I had to leave the event early, I still had plenty of time to mingle and enjoy some pie. I was particularly excited to meet Cialina from Muggle-Born.net, another book blogger who's been interning in publishing for a little while, and her friend Loreal, who also occasionally blogs at that site. 

Then, last Sunday, I made my way over to Brooklyn to attend the Brooklyn Book Festival, particularly several of the panels over at the Youth Stoop. So basically from noon to about 4 p.m., I was hanging out under or around this little tent, listening to a bunch of YA authors talk about everything from high school drama, the importance of history, new and interesting worlds, and making tough choices in their books. Basically, my version of a great way to spend the weekend!

Bring on the Drama: moderator Karsten Knight and panelists Kate Brian, Rachel Hawkins, and Christopher Grant

Reimagining History: panelists Judy Blundell, Nick Bertozzi, T.R. Simon, and Victoria Bond

Another World: panelists Caragh M. O'Brien, Bill Willingham, and Jewell Parker Rhodes and moderator Susan Chang

Making Difficult Choices: moderator Caragh M. O'Brien and panelists Jacqueline Woodson, Gayle Forman, and Cory Doctorow

What made these four hours so much more entertaining was being able to see some of my favorite people, including, in no particular order: Genna from Reading, Writing, and the World of Words, Erica from The Book Cellar, Rachel from Bookshelf Lust, and Beth from Bookish Bethie; authors Marianna Baer, Gayle Forman, Caragh O'Brien, and Karsten Knight; and a handful of publishing people from Scholastic, Little Brown, and Macmillan. 

In addition to the awesome and stimulating conversation, I also snagged a handful of Team Adam buttons from the most wonderful Gayle Forman. Don't know what being Team Adam means? Then head over to Gayle's blog to find out! Want to know what I'm doing with my extra buttons? Well, in addition to spreading the word about men with integrity, I might just be giving some away in a contest sometime soon...you'll just have to stay tuned to find out!

Anyway, to get back to the action, yesterday, I went to Bluestockings Bookstore, a bookstore in the city that, believe it or not, I had never been to! This event was a combination reading and panel with five fantastic authors: Matt Blackstone, Christopher Grant, Sarah Darer Littman, Gae Polisner, and Arlaina Tibensky. Yes, it's true that I have seen each and every one of these authors for an event at least once before, if not more, but the event was still thoroughly entertaining. I got to hear segments of each of their latest books that I'd never heard before (or in the case of Christopher Grant, heard last Sunday at the Brooklyn Book Festival, but hey, it's not his fault I show up to basically every YA event!).

The five amazing members of the Picking up the Pieces reading/panel

This event felt even more special to me because each of the authors recognized and remembered me from seeing or meeting me previously. How awesome is that? I still can't get over the fact that I'm kind of really in the midst of things! During the panel, Chris apologized to me for the fact that his reading was the same as the one from his panel at the Brooklyn Book Festival, and Gae even started talking about me as if I was a fully fledged member of the publishing industry. Almost makes me forget that I'm still in school and interning! And it most definitely makes me feel like I'm getting places!

Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel

When she wakes up, Abby can’t remember anything. She doesn’t know where she is, why there’s a fire, or even what her name is. She doesn’t know who Sam is, but she thinks she can trust him. After all, he was the only other person around when she woke, and he says he’ll take care of her. Abby starts a new life with Sam, one filled with only nice and happy things—but one that is devoid of a past. Abby can’t live in ignorance forever. She can’t overlook the holes in her memory where she must have had a life before Sam. And when she begins to remember, her entire new world starts to unravel. Now Abby knows that there is something seriously wrong, with herself, with Sam, and with the entire situation she’s been living in. The question becomes not whether Abby will able to break free—but whether she’ll have the strength to live on her own.

Circle Nine is one of the more unusual psychological thrillers that I have read, and I mean this in a complimentary way. Heltzel writes from the perspective of protagonist Abby primarily in first person stream of consciousness with sporadic flashbacks. This gives incredible insight into Abby’s fragile mind and allows the reader to plainly see all her thoughts, wants, and, most of all, confusion. I just loved how I was just as much in the dark as to the realities of Abby’s situation as she was; this made the revelation of each new truth so savory to read about. What made Circle Nine really stand out to me from the other psychological thrillers that I’ve read is that the tone was slightly more contemplative rather than edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. There was much less urgency and action in the plot because the focus was more on Abby’s inner struggles. As a result, Heltzel’s crafting of Abby’s character really shined in this novel, leading to a thoughtful and subtly thrilling read.

Circle Nine will be enjoyed by fans of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. I greatly look forward to what debut author Heltzel will produce next.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from BEA

Win Dreamland by Alyson Noël

CONTEST CLOSED

Here's your chance to win the latest Riley Bloom book from Alyson Noël!

Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it’s her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who’s been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

(1) lucky winner will receive Dreamland by Alyson Noël
courtesy of Macmillan



Other details:

• US/Canadian mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 9/23/11, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

Frost by Marianna Baer

Senior year at Barcroft Academy is not turning out the way Leena Thomas planned it. She and her best friends Abby and Viv were supposed to have Frost House all to themselves, their very own private corner of campus. But all because of a broken leg, their sanctuary has been invaded by Celeste Lazar, an eccentric girl Leena is now forced to call roommate. Leena is willing to get over what she sees as an unfair intrusion and make nice with Celeste, but keeping the peace becomes more difficult with all the strange things starting to happen around Frost House. At first, Leena is fine writing off the fallen picture frames, toppled furniture, and locked doors as just strange, but Celeste is convinced that there’s something sinister inhabiting the house. As the year progresses, the stress of class and personal insecurities cause Leena to withdraw further into Frost House and become more entangled in its mystery until she no longer knows if the mystery is all in her head—or if there’s something actually seriously wrong with the one place she feels totally safe in.

Frost is one of those novels that walks the line between the psychological and the fantastical. I am always intrigued by stories like these, because there is something so alluring about the possibilities in each of these explanations, but often I end up disappointed. I am happy to say that debut author Baer’s novel was not disappointing in the least. I was so impressed by Baer’s ability to get inside the sometimes confusing mind of protagonist Leena. In addition, her fluid writing and attention to detail combined with a well paced and intriguing plot made Frost so enthralling to read. However, the real reason why Baer succeeded in my mind where other writers failed is because of the ending of her book. This is one of those stories fueled by ambiguity, but I am the type of reader who is irritated when ambiguity is all that remains at the end, as in Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. Baer doesn’t necessarily give an absolute explanation for the mysterious events that transpire in her story, but she gives enough to work with so that readers can pick one of the explanations, psychological or fantastical, and feel secure that there is enough evidence within the story to back their opinions. This is what made Frost so much more satisfying to me than other stories like it. I applaud Baer for a lovely and wonderfully written novel and the beginning of a very promising writing career.

Frost will be enjoyed by fans of Tighter by Adele Griffin, Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

Rating: 4.75

Review copy from BEA

A Week of Book Events & Some Bookish News

So last week marked the end of my lull in book events. Because I got to attend three fantastic book signings...mostly (referring to my attendance, not the fantasticness of said events, of course).

On Wednesday, I made my way down to good old Books of Wonder for the launch party of The Beginning of After, a book that I loved but have yet to write a review for yet! I was so excited to meet Jennifer Castle, even though I knew I'd have to leave the event early (see next part of this post), because her book really moved me.

Jennifer Castle reads from her favorite scene in The Beginning of After

Due to a little mess up with times and scheduling, I ended up arriving an hour late to the event. Fortunately, since I wasn't the only person who missed the memo, nothing too major had already happened. I still got to meet the wonderful and very sweet Jennifer Castle and hear her read and talk about her novel.

The reason I had to leave early was because I had already made plans to go to another book event that evening, one that I had learned about during my internship this summer. This one was for Gabrielle Zevin, an author that I absolutely love. I've read all her YA books, but her latest, All These Things I've Done, is definitely my favorite so far. I knew that her event was going to be fantastic, so I made my way to WORD in Brooklyn to enjoy it.

Gabrielle Zevin in (hilarious) conversation with her editor Janine O'Malley

Here's a little video to give you a sense of the awesomeness of the event, where Gabrielle talks about her inspiration for All These Things I've Done:

What was even more exciting, more so than even the chocolate that was available to munch on, was that there were so many people in the audience from Macmillan. It was really cool being able to see so many of the people I worked with this summer, hear a little bit of how things have been going on in my absence, and the like.

In addition to all the fabulous MacKids Marketing lovelies I saw, I also got to chat with lots of more lovely people, including Genna from Reading, Writing, and the World of Words and author Alecia Whitaker, both of which are some of the sweetest people I know. Other authors in attendance, which I did not sadly get a chance to talk to, included Lisa Greenwald and Carolyn Mackler.

And let's not forget the star of the evening herself! Gabrielle Zevin is one of the funniest, smartest, nicest authors I've ever met. I introduced myself when she signed my book, and she remembered me from one little email or so that I sent her when I was interning at Macmillan! Pretty awesome, right?

Me, Genna, and the lovely Gabrielle Zevin (thanks to Genna for this picture!)

Later that week, on Friday, I went back to Books of Wonder for yet another event. This one was for Kody Keplinger's launch party for her second novel, Shut Out. Now, despite the fact that I adore Kody and that she is one of my favorite people ever, I arrived about an hour late for her event. Consequently, I missed hearing Kody read from her book, any Q&A, and mingling with the people who actually arrived on time. Fortunately, I still got to see Kody and enjoy the last of her event with all the other cool people who stuck around, including Kody's publicist and agent, as well as a few other literary agents and publishing interns!

Kody signs copies of Shut Out

The adorable Kody with her second book! Aren't they gorgeous?

Now, I did have a legitimate reason for being late to Kody's event. That reason was that I had just started a new internship! This internship is a little different from the other ones I've had because I will be working with a literary agent. I'll get to see another side of publishing that I haven't been exposed to before, so I'm very excited.

And that's all for now, folks! Expect more book signing posts in the weeks to come, because there are some really fabulous events that I am definitely planning on going to (and hopefully actually arriving on time!).

Win an All These Things I've Done audiobook

CONTEST CLOSED

Audiobooks are one of those cool, newer ways to read a book. I personally haven't really gotten into them, but that's just because I read faster than I listen! But for the rest of you audio lovers, did you know that Gabrielle Zevin's new novel All These Things I've Done is available as an audiobook? Pretty exciting, right?

And what's even more exciting is that you can win one right here!

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

(1) lucky winner will receive an audiobook of All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
courtesy of Macmillan



Other details:

• US mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 9/23/11, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

Congrats to...

Melissa Caldwell

who won a signed ARC of Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Julie!

who won a signed ARC of Shut Out and signed copy of The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Chen Chang

who won Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

and

Linda B

who won Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas

Antonia Lucia Labella has one main ambition in life—to be a saint. Since before her father passed away, Antonia has kept a collection of saints, so that she knows exactly whom to pray to for small favors. And she knows better than almost anyone that there are areas in dire need of patron saints. That’s why every month for the past eight years, she has written the Vatican proposing a new patron saint. That’s where Antonia’s ambitions come in—she thinks she could be the first living saint in history, so with every petition, she offers herself up for the job. And although the Vatican hasn’t been the most receptive, Antonia hasn’t given up yet—just like she hasn’t given up on getting her first kiss from the gorgeous Andy Rotellini. But as Antonia is going to learn, things get a little complicated when it comes to sainthood and first kisses, and that sometimes, what actually happens can be even better than what you hoped for.

Freitas first novel, The Possibilities of Sainthood, is a very sweet and innocent look at personal faith and a young girl’s everyday struggles. Antonia is a very likable protagonist who will win the hearts of all readers with her fresh take on growing up in a religious family and quiet dedication to her patron saints. The plot itself is somewhat predictable, especially with regards to Antonia’s romantic life, but the real reason I enjoyed the story was from watching Antonia and those around her grow. Having read Freitas second and upcoming third novel prior to reading her debut YA, I can say that Freitas has definitely grown as a writer and transformed cute into real sophistication. I enjoyed The Possibilities of Sainthood, but I liked This Gorgeous Game and The Survival Kit even more, and though her debut did not affect me as deeply as her later books, I continue to be a fan of Freitas.

The Possibilities of Sainthood will be enjoyed by readers who also liked Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker and It’s All About Us by Shelley Adina.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy borrowed

Win All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

CONTEST CLOSED

Want to win a really awesome book? Well, here's your chance!

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

(1) lucky winner will receive All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
courtesy of Macmillan



Other details:

• US/Canadian mailing addresses only.
• Contest ends 9/16/11, at 9 p.m. EST.

Remember, you must complete the form to be entered, and only one form submission per person will be counted. If you have any questions about this contest, see my contest policy, or contact me and ask away.

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

New York City is a very different place in 2083. Crime and poverty are everywhere, and it seems that the only thing that the government is good at doing is banning and rationing items. You’d think that life would get kind of boring since caffeine and chocolate are illegal, but life for Anya Balanchine is always a little more interesting than she’d like it to be. All the excitement probably comes with the family name—the Balanchine crime family is one of the most eminent crime families in the world. Anya would prefer going along with business as usual, a routine of school, taking care of her siblings, and avoiding her ex-boyfriend, but when the ex-boyfriend is poisoned by the chocolate manufactured by her family, routine gets thrown out the door. Now, in addition to all her other responsibilities, Anya has to figure out the truth behind the poisoned chocolate and protect her family name, all while trying not to fall for the son of the new assistant DA. It would seem overwhelming, but Anya was raised a Balanchine—and she’s too smart to go down without a fight.

I enjoyed Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac and absolutely I loved Elsewhere, but I have to say that All These Things I’ve Done is Zevin’s best YA novel yet. I was initially wary of the overall idea of the story, because the first synopsis I read didn’t give a great overview of the book, but I’m so glad I decided to trust my faith in Zevin because All These Things I’ve Done is an incredible story. Anya is a more serious but very intelligent narrator, and as a result, readers gain insight into both Anya’s personal thoughts and the complex system of loyalties associated with the Balanchine family. I don’t think I’d be able to pinpoint the exact point where I became completely invested in this story, but this was not a book I could willingly put down as each new complication was introduced to the story. I loved this novel for so many reasons, because of Zevin’s superb storytelling, the believability and strength of each emotion portrayed, and that although this story is labeled as dystopian, the setting isn’t so outlandish or extreme that readers have to take a big leap to connect our present day with the conditions in Anya’s world. I’m sure I’m not going to be the only reader anxiously awaiting the next installment in the Birthright series.

All These Things of Done is a must read for all fans of Zevin’s earlier YA novels and Heist Society by Ally Carter.

Rating: 4.75

Review copy from publisher Macmillan

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers

Luc Cain never knew that going after Frannie Cavanaugh could change him this much, and not just because he might be in love. Thanks to Frannie’s unique powers, Luc is so changed that he is no longer even a demon. Frannie and Luc are happy that they can finally be together, but their bliss is short-lived when they realize that Hell won’t just let them be. It seems that they have no choice but to accept Heaven’s protection in the form of the angel Gabriel. Too bad Gabe is still sorting out his own feelings for Frannie; instead of risking his wings, Gabe entrusts Frannie and Luc’s safety to Frannie’s inexperienced guardian angel. With old and new threats from Hell and only a seriously distracted angel for protection, it’s going to be nearly impossible for Frannie and Luc to escape from this battle for Frannie’s soul unscathed.

I quite enjoyed reading Personal Demons, but I found myself less than pleased by its sequel Original Sin. I loved revisiting the same sexy cast of characters, but I thought Personal Demons had one major element which its sequel lacked: an overarching plot direction. This isn’t to say that Original Sin was merely a jumble of unrelated events. Rather, the duration in the plot timeline for Frannie or Luc to achieve one of their goals lessened as the story went on until I just felt that things kept happening. I didn’t like that there wasn’t one main goal in the story; the multitude of small goals made me feel that the whole story was without a point. Aside from this, I did enjoy many of the new characters and complications that Desrochers introduced in the book, even if some were certainly better done than others. And though I do wish the plot were a little more cohesive overall and that some of the descriptions weren’t so repetitive, I am still looking forward to the conclusion to this story in Last Rite.

Fans of Personal Demons will not want to miss its sequel, Original Sin, nor will readers who enjoyed My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent and Unearthly by Cynthia Hand.

Rating: 3.0

Review copy from publisher Macmillan

The Queen’s Daughter by Susan Coventry

Joan was born into a life of luxury, privilege—and politics. Her mother, the beautiful Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, is a powerful woman in her own right. Her father is the king of England. As a young girl, Joan is immersed in the complexities of life at court, but she doesn’t understand how political squabbles can force people apart until it happens to her parents. She can barely comprehend that her role as a princess is to become a political pawn—to be controlled by others more powerful than her. Joan is forced to learn the hard way when her parents marry her off to the king of Sicily, a weak man ten years her senior that she will never love. Perhaps that is a good thing, because Joan has always been told that love should play no part in politics. But amidst the political and personal upheavals that Joan will face in the years to come, she will start to realize that she can’t let others tell her how to live her life—and that love for a princess and queen may be possible after all.

The Queen’s Daughter is beautifully written piece of historical fiction. It is so clear that Coventry has spent a great deal of time researching the life of Joan, a real historical figure, as well as the varying types of court life, important upheavals, and shifting political alliances. This novel contains just such rich detail to make this portrait of Joan wonderfully vivid. However, while I do think that this was a very well written and constructed novel, I think it would have been better marketed for an adult audience, as opposed to young adult. The problem is that because Coventry’s research and writing is so fully detailed, the story reads a little more like a textbook than a novel. I found myself struggling to get through certain sections of the book because I felt that events were merely being related to me. I was more interested in Joan’s personal story, and readers don’t really get to see much of that until the end of the book. I’m not trying to question the brilliance and beauty of this novel, but I hope readers will understand that The Queen’s Daughter is not quite like other YA historical fiction.

The Queen’s Daughter will be enjoyed by fans of historical fiction, especially readers who liked A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson, and Sovay by Celia Rees.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy borrowed