The Sleeping Beauty

Godmother Lily and The Tradition both recognize the opening the Queen’s death leaves for an Evil Stepmother, and indeed, women have already begun arriving. Lily has been Godmother for several hundred years, and has learned to watch for patterns that could attract the attention of The Tradition, and also to subtly manipulate it. Lily attempts to check The Tradition and with the help of the King (who married a lowly, yet clever, shepherdess), ensconces herself as his cold and distant new wife, Sable.

Lily’s disguise fools an unhappy Rosa and the castle workers, but when a Huntsman appears in the stables, he upsets the applecart. Rosa feels threatened, by him, and despite Lily’s machinations, she is chased into the woods and becomes lost. Following Tradition, she is found by a group of dwarves, but these dwarves are mining illegally and they trick Rosa into becoming their slave. She is chained to the house to cook and clean for them. She is eventually found with help of the Godmother’s Magic Mirror.

To rescue Rosa, Lily follows the Traditional Path of Beauty Asleep to free her, with some slight modifications. Unfortunately, a Hero appears. Siegfried has been traveling from the North to escape his Traditional Path that will lead to what his bird companion calls his DOOM! His parents are demigods, AND twins who fell in love. A sleeping, armored maiden on a bier is stalking him. She is his aunt, whom he is destined to marry and continue the family curse of LOVE! DEATH! DOOM! GLORY! No matter where he goes she soon follows. When he spies Rosa, he senses a chance to escape his DOOM! and tries to kiss Rosa.

From the other side of the forest, another Traditional Prince appears, trying to change HIS life. Leopold’s Path of Handsome, Loveable, Scamp of a Younger Brother forced him from his home. His older, ordinary, yet completely capable older brother with an ordinary wife and ordinary kids was being overshadowed, so in order for his rule to succeed, Leopold had to go. Since then, Leopold has been traveling and relying on his skill at cards to pay his way. The temptation of a sleeping princess was too much for Leopold to ignore and he and Siegfried come to blows over Rosa. Lily manages to awaken Rosa and in her true form as the Godmother, returns Rosa to her Kingdom amid great fanfare and to Sable’s dismay.

Since this is The Tradition, Rosa is soon in need of a husband to help her rule the Kingdom and Godmother Lily reveals her identity as Sable to Rose. Now they can work together to devise a way to find a new king and also permanently stave off attacks. Princes are invited from all over to compete for Rosa’s hand, and their attendance provides hostages to dissuade anyone who feels the urge to start another war. Siegfried and Leopold decide to take part in the competition, quickly becoming allies and friends, turning another Traditional trope on its head. Over the course of the competition, various Traditions play out, and more than one character finds love in an unexpected place.

While writing this review, I realized that The Sleeping Beauty was less about Rosa and trying to save her than it was about Lily and her determination to save the Kingdom she loves and has served for so long. I found Lily’s methods of bending the Tradition to be very interesting and creative. While this wasn’t a “funny” book, there was much humor in the way that The Tradition manifested, especially in the characters and in the competition for Rosa’s hand. I also liked the way Lackey brought various cultural tales and archetypes together cohesively, something the author has done in at least one other series. This isn’t my first Five Hundred Kingdoms story, but it is definitely one of my favorites.

Grade B+

This book is published by Harlequin Luna and is available at eHarlequin, Sony Bookstore, Amazon, Borders, and other places you buy books.  The version I reviewed was received from NetGalley, although I have since purchased my own copy.

Alice shows up for work one day and Andrew is the newest doctor in the department.  He is as shocked to see her as she is to see him, and suddenly both are in dazes thinking about what a crappy coincidence this is.  They used to work together in London, and had a pretty friendly relationship.  Andrew was engaged Melissa,  who also worked at the hospital, and Alice was friends with both.  Here’s where the backstory gets weird.

Someone started stealing drugs during Alice’s shifts, and an ampule of morphine was found in Alice’s pocket, along with empty ones in her locker.  She was allowed to quit rather than be prosecuted.  Alice used her savings up while waiting to be cleared, eventually having her house repossessed by the bank and moving back to New Zealand where she got another job.  Now Andrew shows up, and while working on a patient, he assily asks her to fetch some morphine.

Andrew is not happy to see Alice, because she has dirt on him that he would rather keep quiet.  Melissa died in a fall down the stairs and everyone thought Andrew did it.  Yeah, Andrew quit his job in London because he was a suspected wife beater.  For real.  So while Andrew is needling Alice about morphine, he’s also hoping she will keep her mouth shut about Melissa.

Andrew also needs a nanny for his daughter Emmy, and the cottage that Alice rents is on his newly-purchased property.  He wants her out, and she volunteers to watch Emmy if he will let her stay, because she really needs a place to board her horse, who Emmy loves dearly, even though she just met him.  So Alice becomes the nanny, and eventually the girlfriend.  Then someone starts stealing drugs again and Alice gets the side-eye from the head of the department.

Andrew doesn’t tell Alice that everyone at the London hospital knows she was innocent of stealing the drugs, even when she asked him if he still thought she did it.  Remember the part about him asking her to fetch some morphine? Yeah.  Turns out Melissa was stealing the drugs and other things to feed her habit.  Andrew didn’t want anyone to know, so he kept it quiet until Melissa fell down the stairs.

After they argue about how Andrew lied, the horse kicks him in the head, Alice realizes she doesn’t care that her life had been ruined because of a lying junkie and her husband, they live happily ever after, and I throw the book down in disgust.

Okay, I will give it a grade: D

This book is available at eHarlequin, Sony, Amazon, and other places you buy books.

The protagonist of My Mother Made Me! is Jane Tivik, a Canadian high schooler, and her friends Marna, Carlie, and Steph.  They like hanging out and even if it is boring, it’s still summer.   During one of their hangout sessions, Carlie announces that her mother is going to challenge the “only boys play hockey” tradition. Their town, Amesbury, Ontario, is a hockey town.  So many boys play hockey that the rink has teams scheduled starting at 5 am.

Even if girls wanted to play, there’s no rink time available.  Instead, girls play ringette in other towns, which (correct me if I’m wrong, Canadians) is like hockey, only instead of a puck, there is a rubber ring that is picked up instead of shot like a puck.  The four friends have no interest in hockey, but soon Jane’s mother is eager for her to play.  Jane’s dad is chair of Amesbury’s hockey association, and has no desire to fight this battle.

When Jane’s mother tells her that she wishes for the same opportunities that Jane has, Jane begins to understand some of her mother’s motivation, but still doesn’t want to play hockey.  In the midst of the hockey drama, Cousin Allison comes to visit from Chicago.  She is Canadian like Jane, but she’s also older, beautiful (aren’t they always?) and extremely well-dressed.

Allison comes up with a plan for the girls to avoid playing hockey.  It involves them running away and hiding in the rink since it’s shut down for the summer.  They can shower and cook there, and once their parents see the error of their ways, they can return home.  This plan works great, except for the part where Jane forgets to leave the letter with their reason for leaving, which also includes the demand that they not be forced to play hockey.  The moms turn this to their advantage, proclaiming that the girls ran away because they wanted to play hockey and the town wouldn’t let them.

Sandwiched into the story is a short romance between Jane and Bill, a boy she’s known since kindergarten, and much discussion of Jane’s love of the “romance” known as The Great Gatsby.  Marna, Carlie, and Steph are more than Jane’s sidekicks.  Marna’s younger sister Jenny wants to play hockey, but there are no leagues for her to play in.  Marna doesn’t want to play, but recognizes what an opportunity this would be for Jenny if she did.  Carlie and Steph are best friends, but overweight Carlie is constantly being called fat by Steph.  Of course it’s for Carlie’s own good, but what kind best friend says things like that?  The cover even features a heavy girl with a double chin.  If Steph were a character in a book written, she would totally be the Mean Girl.

For a book that was only 120 pages long, there was a lot of feminist subtext going on OUTSIDE of the hockey.  This book was written in 1978, so there were a lot of changes that had occurred and were about to occur, so it kind of makes sense.  Jane spends a lot of time thinking about looks and how women are judged by them, even as she admits she does it too.

A handsome male character dates a girl who is not very pretty, and he uses her to prop up his ego.  Jane comes across him trying to persuade her to put out, and then the boy hits on Jane when his girlfriend leaves.  Jane catches herself falling for his lines and has to remind herself that he’s a jerk, even though she just saw him treat his girlfriend like crap.  Jane discovers that Allison plays hockey in Chicago.  In the end, the girls don’t play hockey themselves, but do take pleasure in watching girls like Jenny get their chance.

After reading this a second time, I have a hard time understanding what I saw in it the first time.  Maybe I didn’t “get” the emotion behind the mothers wanting their girls to play sports because when I read it, Title IX had been in effect for many years, and I already had those opportunities.  I also don’t see what was so funny the first time.

As stated earlier, this book did not hold up for me.

Graded by me 25 years ago: A

Graded by me today: D

This book is out of print.  It was published by Scholastic in 1978, and the copy I have was printed in 1986.  WorldCat shows that 11 libraries worldwide own it, and 7 are in Canada.  If you want my copy, it’s yours!

Entrepreneur Adam Cavanaugh and two of his friends are mountain climbing in Italy when there’s a tragic accident. Adam falls 30 feet and seriously injures his back while his two friends are reported dead. He’s flown to Rome then to Hawaii. His injury has caused temporary paralysis. The accident didn’t sever his spinal cord and the paralysis is due to diaschisis or spinal shock. Despite physical therapy, Adam’s condition hasn’t improved like it should. Eventually the hospital staff lets him go home because he’s exhausted their patience along with a long list of therapists.

Adam Cavanaugh has good friends in Thad and Elizabeth Randolph. They hear the news of his accident along with the lack of improvement and reach out to Elizabeth’s sister, Lilah Mason. She’s a physical therapist who’s good at her job. Lilah wants nothing to do with Adam. She cuts them off at the pass. She knows patients like Adam well. He’s a millionaire and a jerk who only cares about what he can’t do versus what he can. She doesn’t want to deal with his nasty behavior nor is she in the mood to baby him. Of course they talk Lilah into helping him and he’s everything she thought he would be…and a whole lot more.

Adam throws down the welcome mat with this salvo at his new therapist:

“Does a view of your cleavage come with your services?“
“Fringe benefit,” she replied with a cheeky smile, “thrown in for free.“
“I’ve seen better.“
“Not at this price, you haven’t.”

Adam promises to be a resistant patient:

“You’re wasting your time. I’ll never be good for anything but to lie here and stare at the ceiling.“
“Wanna bet, duckie?” I’ll have you walking if it kills me. If it kills both of us. In the meantime, we’re going to come to hate each other.“
“We already hate each other.”

Adam is such a petulant child that I had no hope for him:

“I don’t want physical therapy. It won’t do any good. I’m not putting myself through that humiliation. Pete, get that crap out of here. What’s in those boxes?“
“Portable therapy equipment.“
“Get it out of here.“
“Soon this bedroom will look like a gymnasium. Hand me that screwdriver, will you, Pete?“
“Pete, if you value your job, if you value your Asian ass, you won’t lift a hand to–All right, you’re fired. Pete, didn’t you hear me?” Then in a stubborn tone of voice, “I won’t use any of this. I mean it, you two. You’re wasting your time.”

The two battle like this for most of the book then it transforms into something else. I can say with all sincerity that despite the predictable storyline and some really cheesy dialogue, I enjoyed the story and how Brown tackled the emotional side of someone who’s handicapped. Under Lilah’s guidance, Adam starts to gain confidence in himself and his strength. For a romance written about two decades ago, I am surprised at how enjoyable it is to read today, flaws, virgins and all [hehehe].

So it’s a low B– for me, surprisingly. You can probably find a million copies of this book at the used bookstore. It’s not a book I would make a special trip for and since it’s dated 1988, it read like 1988, too. But overall, this was a quick, fun read with a injured jerk for a hero with a heroine who’s a good match for him. B-. Make sure to visit the other TBR Challenge participants this month and thanks.

The previous titles are: One of These Nights (2003), Midnight Seduction (2004), In His Sights (2004), Second Chance Hero (2005), Dark Reunion (2007), Deadly Temptation (2007), Her Best Friend’s Husband (2008), Backstreet Hero (2008), His Personal Mission (2009) and The Best Revenge (2010).

Back blurb for The Best Revenge (Feb 2010):

Something in St. John’s intense blue eyes reminded Jessa Hill of her childhood friend. But Adam Alden was long dead.…

The handsome stranger had vowed to help her defeat Adam’s father in the mayoral race. Yet St. John’s quest for revenge seemed too personal for a casual acquaintance. Could St. John and Adam be the same man…and would he disappear with Jessa’s heart a second time?

Dameron St. John returned home with a new identity and a score to settle. But he wasn’t prepared for the emotions that surfaced when he reunited with Jessa. Could he let her in once again…and together would they slay his demons once and for all?

I like a good revenge story just like the next but something was seriously lacking here. The hero had all the required characteristics for a good angst-ridden serious read but the author didn’t deliver on it. And the worst offense of all was that the romance felt forced.

The hero escaped his abusive father when he was a teen. The small town of Cedar thinks he’s dead because when he ran away, he let everyone assume that he drowned. He starts living on the streets but is taken in by Josh, the founder of Redstone, Inc. With someone to look after him, he changes his name from Adam Alden to Daman St. John. He only goes by St. John.

Many at Redstone, Inc have accepted St. John’s oddities because he’s damn good at his job. He’s very quiet and reserved. He only speaks in monosyllables. He’s a hard shell to crack. His father abused him so he’s drawn into himself. Over the years, St. John’s had to battle with his demons. He considers himself a coward for hiding. But one day he’s alerted about his father running for mayor. So he uses his vacation time for the first time ever, to return home and take his father down.

Jessa Hill runs a feed store in the tiny town of Cedar. Her father just recently died when the story starts. He was mayor for several decades and now his seat is open for re-election. Jessa is undecided if she will run in her father’s place but when she remembers Adam, the troubled boy of her childhood who shared his secrets with her about his father’s abuse, she decides to run against Albert Alden.

The story shows Jessa and St. John work together to defeat and destroy (St. John’s words) his father. Jessa doesn’t recognize St. John the man from the troubled boy she knew a long time ago. He’s had several surgeries to make recognition difficult. The two did grow up together and Jessa was the only one to reach him. She’s able to elaborate on his clipped responses. Immediately there’s a connection there but it’s paper thin. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them which is a shame because for St. John, Jessa was the only bright spot in a childhood that was full of darkness.

From the way this story sounds, it should be a page-turner but it wasn’t. I was looking for an intense relationship but that didn’t pan out for me either. It doesn’t bode well when the reader has to skim to get to the dialogue. Usually I don’t mind introspection much. I found it all kind of boring in here though. The characters: I felt bad for St. John and understood why he was drawn into himself but I felt that his relationship with Jessa could have been stronger.

Jessa sometimes sounded like an idiot to me. She was just so naive about campaigns and politics even though her father had been mayor for several decades as well as her grandfather. She didn’t think people should run just on a name (people do it all the time, idiot). She didn’t want to use her father’s name just to win votes (they do this too, idiot). There’s only so much silliness I can tolerate. As for Albert Alden, he was a cardboard villain. Every evil deed you could think of, he did it.

Overall, this book was a disappointment. I need to stop searching for another “Stevie’s Chase” type of category romance from this author that I use to read regularly. There are many titles I’ve enjoyed by Justine Davis but for the last 5 or 6 years, I’ve not read anything that comes close to her earlier, better written categories. There’s a review on Amazon that said this book was as good as Clay Yeager’s Redemption. I don’t think so. The book wasn’t the worst I’ve read but it fell somewhere close to just below average for me, C-. But to balance out my harsh review, here’s a review from the The Romance Reader that awarded this story four hearts out of five (reviewed by Thea Davis). Maybe one of you will have better luck.

Daisy Bell works with her Uncle Bill at a living museum.  Their family used to create and build steam-powered amusement park rides, but that business folded.  First Bill, and now Daisy, began to collect, repair, and run a fairground featuring the rides created by Bells.  Daisy also serves as the chief mechanic of the park.

Upon arriving for work one morning, Daisy discovers that the park has been vandalized: rides defaced and damaged, and windows broken, along with evidence of a wild party.  Bill learns that their insurance policy no longer covers vandalism and both he and Daisy know they lack the cash reserves to keep the park closed, pay workers, and make repairs.  Their best shot at keeping the park going seems to be finding a hands-off sponsor/investor to help with expenses.

In London, Felix Gisbourne is making his PA a cup of coffee when he sees that she is crying over a newspaper article.  Mina used to visit Bells as a child, and reading about the damage just gets to her.  Felix muses over the photo of a glum Daisy and wonders what she looks like when she smiles, and instructs Mina to find the contact information for Bells.  Felix is taken aback when he finds Daisy underneath a hunk of machinery, but he’s also charmed by her purple boots sporting white daisies.  Daisy finds Felix a little too clean-shaven and full of ideas.  She does accept his invitation to dinner, however, and wows him with her glam appearance and borrowed finery.

Daisy and Felix come with issues; it wouldn’t be a Harlequin Presents if they didn’t.  Daisy’s family are all engineers of one kind or another, but she wanted to be a mechanic.  Her ex-boyfriends didn’t have problems with Daisy the Mechanic until she became Daisy the Girlfriend, then it all turned into “Daisy, why can’t you wear a dress/makeup/heels more often?” leaving her to believe that no man really wants her as she is.  She’s understandable leery when Felix puts the moves on her.

Felix has a type – tall, blonde, leggy – and the only time he went for a woman outside of that type – short, brunette, short – he overheard her telling her friends how dull she thought he was but that his money made up for it.  Hurt and embarrassed, Felix simply told everyone that he got cold feet.  Now a short brunette is in his life again, and he’s not so sure that dating her is the best thing to do, but he’s willing if she is.

Daisy and Felix aren’t all about the drama.  They go out to dinner, see shows, and talk.  They have cute habits – Daisy sings while working, Felix nicknames her “Boots”, and human frailties – Felix is very insecure about himself and how others see him.  They also haven’t begun to let go of their baggage.  Daisy freaks out when Felix buys her a dress, and Felix blows up when Daisy suggests that the fairground isn’t doing as well as they had hoped financially.  Felix doesn’t attempt to crush Daisy’s family when she breaks up with him, and Daisy doesn’t have a secret baby while living in dire poverty.  They talk it out, admit fault, and work it out they way we like to think that normal people do.

Grade: B

This is a May 2010 Harlequin Presents Extra.  Available at eHarlequin, Sony eBookstore, Amazon, and wherever else you buy books.

This was a good read that started off well enough. The first mystery that’s brought to our attention involves a beech tree that was discovered by Sophia Sime­oni­dis. It was planted in her garden overnight and she has no idea who put it there. Her husband Pierre didn’t plant the tree there either and seems to be undisturbed by it but Sophia is distressed.

As a famous ex-Greek opera singer, Sophia’s had her share of crazy fans that makes her understandably nervous. Her neighbors, Lucian, Marc and Mathias are three out of work and down on their luck historians, living together in a house they call a “disgrace.” They befriend her when she approaches them to dig under the tree. Soon after the “tree incident” Sophia disappears and it’s up to Marc, Mathias and Lucian to figure out how her disappearance relates to the mysterious tree.

The villain was one that was unobtrusive in here. Hidden right under our nose. The author did an excellent job with the red herrings, throwing suspicion on everyone and it stuck on quite a few people, too, namely the husband Pierre, who didn’t bother to report Sophia missing. Then there’s Sophia’s niece, who shows up out of the blue after a ten year hiatus and lastly there’s an unstable ex-boyfriend back in Greece.

The mystery was a good one. It’s one of those mysteries, told in third person, where you have a lot of speculation/introspection where one character tries to figure it all out towards the end and comes rushing to save the day. The mystery was somewhat difficult to solve. I was interested to know who planted the tree and what had happened to Sophia.

The three men–Marc, Lucian and Mathias, find themselves involved in solving this mystery under the guidance of Marc’s godfather/uncle, Armand Vandoosler. He’s an ex-policeman. The men are each nicknamed St. Mark, St. Luke and St. Matthew respectively by Vandoosler hence the title, The Three Evangelists. All four men are a tight group and all are quite broke (no money) with a lot of time on their hands.

Writing-wise, I found the narrative quite choppy but then I got used to it. The idea of the story was enough to have me overlook quite a few things that were annoyances to me. Revenge seems to be a popular theme. In here, I would say that this is a story about revenge. It brings to mind all those sayings like: revenge is a dish best served cold and my favorite: keep your friends close but your enemies closer. That last one would be more appropriate fit for this story. I found it quite scary to know that someone can harbor so much hate for one person for so long (in this case 14 years) yet smile & laugh with them to their face. There were clues but they were subtle. This is a mystery where you really have to pay attention to the details. I didn’t have any favorite passages to quote and the ending played out in the usual manner with the protagonist relating the motive, the means and naming the culprit behind the murder(s).

I enjoyed The Three Evangelists but I wasn’t blown away by it. After reading talented writers like Jo Nesbø, Stieg Larsson and Ken Bruen, I’m afraid they have spoiled me to expect the best. I’m not saying that Fred Vargas isn’t good in her own right. In fact she is quite good at writing a complex mystery. I really enjoyed the setting and unlike some readers, I did enjoy the characters. If one is looking for a solidly written French mystery then The Three Evangelists would fit the bill. Just don’t have high expectations going in like I did. My grade, B. Other authors to recommend: Jo Nesbø, Steig Larsson, Ken Bruen and Michael Connelly for starters.

“If you have any objections, I’ll hear them in hell.” — Ikigami recipient on the war path

The basic premise of this graphic novel revolves around a social program in Japan called The National Welfare Act. The Act is suppose to make citizens appreciate life by making everyone confront their mortality. The National Welfare Act dictates that every child entering the first grade must be immunized with a nanocapsule that causes the recipient’s death between the ages of 18 and 24. Each child immunized has a 1:1000 chance of receiving the “Ikigami” or “death papers” that gives them the time and date of their death. Their death is labeled as “honorary” and is required for the social health of the nation.

In each volume we are introduced to the people whose lives are impacted by the Ikigami. Some characters use their last 24 hours to do some act of kindness while others are moved to act in a violent manner. Each of the stories thus far have been rather moving. As usual, we are given two great stories. The first one, “The Last Lesson” is about a teacher who believes that it is the fault of the parents and teacher’s that kids behave poorly. He’s always saying that “children can do no harm.” Yet he is the victim of a prank pulled by one of his students that unfortunately gets him fired.

The second story titled, “A Place of Peace” follows a couple who married young and had a kid against their parent’s wishes. The young father is a car geek who is badly in debt and lacks maturity for his age. His wife struggles with raising their asthmatic daughter, the debt and competing with a car for her husband’s attentions. Things go downhill further when an Ikigami lands at their doorstep.

The Ikigami seems so cruel and it takes it toll on Fujimoto, one of the few recurring characters in this series. He works at the Ward Office and hand delivers the death papers to the recipients. He sees first hand how the Ikigami diminishes people’s hopes and dreams. After being on the job for several months, he’s learned to live with it but at the same time, he is unconvinced that the Welfare Act does anything to make people value life.

Each story is a morality tale and yes, I enjoy them. This volume goes into a little of the backstory behind The National Welfare Act and explains it’s origins. Also, we get to see a little more dissent but as we are reminded it is difficult to escape this law or even speak publicly about it in a negative way. We do learn that there might be dissent but it is quietly building up. The Japanese government likes to manipulate facts in order to paint a positive picture that society is still loyal to the Welfare Act when it actuality it is not.

The stories are character driven and the artwork is great. This is one of the few graphic novel series I’ve enjoyed reading and plan to continue to keep up with. If you’re looking for gritty, captivating and often moving stories set up in a world where people are slowly but surely trying to combat government oppression, then you should read Ikigami. It is excellent reading. B+.

Note: Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit, vol.5 should be out in stores now…off to find my copy.

Eight years ago on prom night, 16 year-old Jennifer Gardner tried to stop Bobby, her boyfriend’s best friend, from driving drunk. She took his keys and he tried to kiss her, just in time for her also-drunk boyfriend Neal Cain to find them. Neal and Bobby fought, ending with Bobby hitting his head on the curb and dying from the trauma.

In the courtroom, Neal pled guilty to spare everyone the pain of a trial, but pastor’s daughter Jennifer went off the rails, becoming a runaway, drinking and drugging, eventually finding herself pregnant at 18 with no idea who fathered her child. Neal stayed in prison, refusing to consider applying for early release, and his lawyer father finally refused to watch his son rot in prison as amends for the fight.

After Neal’s release from prison, he founds a legal aid center to help the poorest of the poor fight the system. He hasn’t spoken to his father in years, and when he finds out his father has become a drunken recluse and is dying, his world is thrown into a tailspin, and he is at risk of jeopardizing several cases.

Jennifer got help when she discovered she was pregnant, and became a social worker to work with teens to keep them out of trouble. She recently moved back home to be near her parents and work with a youth group at her father’s church. Living down her past and acknowledging the damage done to her father’s career was not easy, but the kids like her, even if their parents don’t.

Driving home one night, Jennifer almost runs down a drunken man looking for his dog. Realizing that it’s Nathan, Neal’s dad, she is shocked to see the man who used to be her father’s friend. She takes him home and after seeing how run-down and filthy his house is, decides she needs to help him. Of course he refuses and demands she leave him alone, but Jennifer won’t be daunted. Neal eventually shows up and is also surprised at the squalor his father lives in, but he gets thrown out, too.

Jennifer and Neal run into each other, and there’s a lot of whys and hows to get through, and they reveal what’s happened in their lives since that fateful night. They talk, kiss, argue, worry about Nathan, lather, rinse, repeat. While all this is going on, Traci one of Jennifer’s youth group attendees tells her about her “friend” who is having sex with a man (not boy) who isn’t her boyfriend (Brett), and he doesn’t use any protection, and Tra-, er, her friend would like some advice, because she doesn’t think they should having unprotected sex. And then Traci reveals that SHE is her friend and might have missed a period.

Now we get pages of Jennifer thinking about Traci and her predicament, and telling Traci to talk to her parents, because yeah, they will really be glad to know that their underage daughter was stepping out on her high school sweetheart. Traci told her lover that she was pregnant, and he hit her in the face and threw her out. Traci tells Jennifer that she wants an abortion, and mentally, Jennifer thinks that she won’t try to hinder Traci from making that choice, even as she totally does.

The rest of the book: Traci tells her parents that she’s pregnant, leaves to stay with Jennifer’s parents, then talks to Nathan and realizes that she can’t run away from problems. Bobby’s brother, Jeremy, drives his car into Jennifer’s car as revenge, but Traci’s driving and she has a miscarriage and reconciles with her parents. Brett doesn’t hate her. Jennifer gets all the parents angry at her and she quits her job. Neal does something, but it’s all Traci, Traci, Traci, so I kind of lost track of him. Nathan dies, but not before the townspeople are able to clean up his house and grounds; he lapses into a coma and dies the day after they get done.

I just couldn’t get emotionally involved in this story. There was too much outside conflict that didn’t really move the romantic relationship along, which was too bad, because there was potential in the plot. I can’t say that I liked either character all that much: Jennifer was too busy trying to solve everyone’s problems, and you know what happened with Neal. Grade: D

This review was apart of the TBR Challenge 2010. Please make sure to visit the other participant’s in the challenge and enjoy!

Update: This was Senetra’s review. I just updated the info. My apologies for the confusion.

Melina Marchetta is still relatively unknown in the US. As readers and fans of her work, this needs to change. Marchetta has won various awards for her teen fiction efforts. Her first book, “Looking for Alibrandi,” short-listed for the prestigious German Prize Award for Youth Literature. She also won the US Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature for Jellicoe Road in 2009.

Her second novel, Saving Francesca, is a much stronger novel. It’s another coming of age story with the same themes from her previous book about teens having to deal with complicated, real life adult issues while trying to find themselves. What this author does that makes me such a big fan after reading two of her books is that she makes the reader feel like they are apart of the story. It helps that her stories are character driven and humorous.

I love the author’s voice and narrative style. She has a straight forward style. She doesn’t gloss over the issues. We are not hit over the head with uplifting messages and she’s not repetitive. She writes about the teen experience with humor and sincerity. I like that her stories are family oriented and culturally and ethnically diverse. No boring middles.

Once again, the story’s narrative is in first person and follows 16 year-old Francesca Spinelli. She’s started Year Eleven at St. Sebastian’s, a former all boy’s Catholic school. With only 30 girls attending St. Sebastian’s, the only thing that makes it “co-ed” is the girls now have their own toilet (according to the narrator). The girls haven’t been completely accepted by their male peers yet. There’s a lot of crotch grabbing and wolf whistles in the halls.

The girls do try to start their own “woman’s movement” by handing over a list of their demands. First on the list is a tampon dispenser in the bathroom. The list is handed over to William Trombal, a Year 12 student who is also Head leader. He’s an ex-choir boy who wants to study civil engineering. He’s described as having the voice of a sex-god and he ends up being Francesca’s biggest crush. I enjoyed many of their scenes together (hand holding, flirting, talks of the future, passionate kisses in the dark).

I must like issue books as again we are confronted with one in here where Francesca’s mom has a nervous breakdown. Her mother, Mia, is a communications lecturer at the University of Technology-Sydney. Mia is passionate and very vocal about everything. Everyday after school, Mia would be there to ask her daughter about her day or wake up in the morning to give her one of her pep talks.

But for several days in a row, Francesca has noticed that her mother doesn’t want to get out of bed. When she does get out of bed, she’s in the bathroom retching. Her father, Rob, is struggling to maintain the household. Throughout the course of book, Francis and her father argue a lot. Rob’s an optimist and a man who doesn’t like to discuss problems. He’s one of those people who like to say “everything’s going to be alright” even when things don’t look that way.

I think what I found frustrating was that everybody knew what was wrong with Mia except for Francesca. She stays mostly in the dark, grabbing whatever info she can from her cousins and grandparents. Even though the story has very little scenes with Mia in them, we get to know her through her daughter’s memories of her through anecdotes, prep talks and advice.

The author has once again, introduced a somewhat largish cast of characters. Fortunately for us, each of them have a distinctive voice and personality so that we can keep track of them. You feel a connection to these kids. How would I describe Francesca? I’d say that she’s cynical, indifferent and reserved (just like me). At the same time she can be unpredictable and outgoing. Her mother’s breakdown has seriously caused her life to run off track.

And the writing! After reading Melina Marchetta, you almost want to go back and relive your high school years. There are quite a few hilarious moments in here especially when the girls ask to participate in competitive sports and the guys oblige. Yes, they get annihilated. Francesca recounts what happened:

This is the short version: They play like it’s the Olympics and their country’s honor depends on it. If we even dare to try to adjust our gym pants, we get wolf-whistled. There are nosebleeds, fractured fingers and hair pulling. It’s pretty full-on and although I’m tall, I feel as if I’ve been tossed around the whole game. I end up on my bum so many times that I’m convinced that I’ve broken a bone there.

I’m not a fan of teen angst of the Bella Swan variety but I had no problem with the teen-age drama in here. And as for the romance, I don’t think it’s fair to describe them as “romances” so I have to becareful with how I use that word in here. There’s a lot of flirting, hand-holding and passionate kisses. Complicated romance stuff that’s fun to read and watch unfold but, it’s not “romance” per se.

Melina Marchetta writes about the teen experience well and I haven’t mentioned every plot point in the story either. At the heart of this one, it’s about family and friendships. I guess another reason why her stories stand out to me is that her characters seem to act and behave like real teens act and behave. The guys in the story come off initially as obnoxious and bone-headed, but as the story progresses, more layers are peeled away and we get to see their vulnerable side.

Marchetta gives you the complete reading experience (at least for me she does) — memorable characters, hilarious high school scenes, complicated family issues along with complicated romance issues with a happy ending. You can’t ask for more than that. So, overall, this book is an A read for me. If you’re still reading this far down, I also ordered her newest release, The Piper’s Son, that just came out in Australia, that features one of the boys in Saving Francesca, Thomas MacKee. Can’t wait to read it! US release is set for 2011.

The author sets her story in her own backyard–the Outback. The story follows 17 year old narrator, Josephine Alibrandi. She comes from a family of Italian immigrants residing in Australia. The conflicts of Josie’s life includes her ethnicity and being illegitimate. It extends further with her wanting to be accepted by the “in crowd” which is comprised of the rich, affluent “Aussie” kids at her Catholic school.

The story is character driven (which is why I loved it) and full of melodrama (which is why I couldn’t put it down). Josephine’s illegitimacy and mixed heritage has made life a challenge for her. Her life is influenced heavily by two women: her mother and her grandmother. Both of whom are strict. Josie’s grandmother loves to tell stories about her life as an European immigrant during the 1950’s. Seems that her grandmother has some hidden secrets that would have had an impact on the family if things were played out differently.

Then there’s the absent father who makes a return appearance after a 17 year absence. Josephine had for most her life written off her non-existent father, Michael Andretti. He’s a barrister who has moved back to town. When life offers Josie a chance to meet her father and get to know him better, it turns out better than she thought. That storyline was the best part of the book for me as we watch them go from awkward strangers to developing a father/daughter relationship that felt believable. Well done storyline. I loved it.

This story was full of absolute win for various reasons — in-depth characterizations with open and honest dialogue with some angst. There were humorous moments as well as sad. It was an emotional roller coaster ride where at times my heart was in my throat. The subject matters that teens face in here and are challenged with are nothing new. It’s the author voice/narrative style that was really the winner here. I feel a glom coming on God help me.

There’s a side romance that I really enjoyed between the “bad boy” and the “good girl” both coming from completely different worlds complete with different socioeconomic backgrounds. The chemistry was fairly hot between them as well as intense stemming from the conflicts that they face. Nothing beyond kisses though. At times the romance was squee worthy but the outcome of it was less than fulfilling but typical given the teen experience. Maybe even hopeful if I put more thought into it.

I’m a romance reader at heart so I was expecting something a little bit different regarding the romance but I had to remind myself that this is Josie’s story and not a romance novel. But don’t get me wrong, the ending didn’t detract anything away from the story as a whole. I really loved reading/watching the relationship develop between Josie and her father. I loved Josephine’s voice and the self-reflections she made about her life & what she’s learned about herself during her last year in high school.

I can’t do this book justice in a review so I give up. All I wanted to do was write: THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME, GO READ IT. I haven’t mentioned all the plot details so there is still a lot left for you to discover on your own should you decide to read it. If you’re looking for a richly diverse, well written story set outside the US with characters who felt real and will keep you on the edge of your seat then let me show you it, “Looking for Alibrandi” by Melina Marchetta. My grade, A.

Note: SarahT from MonkeyBear reviews just wrote up a nice post pointing out why she enjoys reading teen fiction. I enjoy it for the same reasons she does. Some readers won’t read YA fiction stating that the teen angst and rehash of their high school years is nothing they ever want to revisit. I am not a big fan of teen angst either. But I am a fan of good books and YA fiction has provided me with several good reads by authors like Sarah Dessen and Megan Whalen Turner. I have heard that Jennifer Echols is awesome as well. My last thought on the subject: don’t be so quick to dismiss a genre that is exploding with good stories. That’s all.

Lily has been reading about his gambling and romancing in the gossip rags, and after deciding that nothing else will do, Lily takes it upon herself to visit the Duke to demand that he take an interest in Oliver.  When Simon learns of Oliver’s changes, he realizes what is happening and decides to assume the care and feeding of his ward.  He also makes the mistake of telling Lily what he plans, as well as offering her a dowry for her trouble.

If you haven’t figured it out by the title, Simon and the men in his family are werewolves who change at the full moon, and Oliver is in wolf puberty.  Daniel, Oliver’s father, and Simon’s cousin, wasn’t raised in a manner that prepared him for life as a wolf, and as a result of ignorance and fear, he hurt his wife, causing her to avoid him until their deaths.  Simon is determined to do better by Daniel’s son.  He also wants to keep Lily unaware of their lycanthropy.

While Simon attempts to push Lily out of Oliver’s life, she is determined to remain close to her sister’s child.  Her devotion to Oliver impresses Simon, who decides to stop fighting his attraction to her.  Instead of marriage, however, Simon offers a cottage on the grounds, access to Oliver and sex on tap.  He tells her that his “lifestyle” precludes him offering her marriage.  A humiliated Lily accepts the offer of a dowry and declares that she is going to find herself a husband at the neighbor’s ball they are currently attending.  Her new friend Prisca is the daughter of the family, and she has several marriageable brothers.  Prisca also has a bit of a grudge against Simon for his offer to Lily, and a history with Simon’s brother William.  Finding the busybody vicar’s wife, Prisca puts a bug in her ear about Lily’s lack of chaperone at the Duke’s residence, and waits for the fallout.

Simon is obligated to see Lily ruined socially or marry her.  Lily is as attracted to Simon as he is to her, and after some persuasion, accepts Simon’s proposal.  Once married, Simon is still determined to keep the secret from Lily, even as she comes in contact with more members of his family who know and share his secret.  He is also worried that what happened to Daniel and Emma could happen to him.  This is made harder by a surly Oliver, who is battling jealousy, learning about his new ability and trying to reconcile it with what he knows of his parents’ unhappy life together.

I liked Lily’s character in that she was straightforward in her actions.  Simon ignored her so he went to him.  He proposed she be his mistress and she told him to shove it.  She accepts his proposal because she will get what she wants, Simon and Oliver.  While she wants to know about the secret Simon is hiding, she doesn’t do stupid things to discover what it is.  Oliver was definitely a boy going through puberty, and the upheavals in his life caused him to react like a normal kid.  He didn’t see the marriage of Lily and Simon as some Great Event.  His mother figure was going to be sharing her attention and the dominant male was not someone he felt he could trust with Lily, especially after learning more about mated wolves.  Simon’s determination to keep Lily in the dark at all costs was a little off, considering his family history,  but it wasn’t taken to a frustrating extreme, just an annoying one.

I have to say that I’m a fan of animal shifters, and I love wolves and werewolves the most, so any book featuring one will catch my interest.  This book is also published by Sourcebooks, which has published a few new authors that I have enjoyed lately, so double score, and the next book in the series is released in just under a week.

Grade B

This series and this author seems to be well loved by many. Two reasons for me picking up this book: first, Trisha recommended her to me a few years ago and second, curiosity. I’m a big fan of YA fantasy. Story’s narrative is in third person. Minor spoilers ahead.

I’m happy to say that this story didn’t quite disappoint in introducing a strong, stubborn yet confident young woman who badly wants to be a knight. She faces many trials and tribulations in order to do so, too. Despite her young age, she manages to carry this story and make a believer out of me in thinking that she has what it takes to be a damn good warrior maiden.

Alanna of Trebond and her twin brother, Thom, open the story with them both plotting their futures behind their father’s back. The twins are essentially growing up by themselves. Their mother died at childbirth and their father ignores them. He devotes all of his time to his scholarly pursuits.

Taking advantage of their father’s absence and indifference, Alanna decides to disguise herself as a boy so that she can train at court as a knight while her brother travels to the City of the Gods to learn sorcery. Of course they find two people to help them and off they ride to fulfill their dreams.

Alanna manages to fit herself in nicely at the royal palace as a page, passing herself off as a young boy named Alan of Trebond. She may be the smallest boy there, but every ounce of her is determined to be a swordsman. She makes friends with everyone except Ralon, a squire boy with a grudge. Ralon with his bullying helps Alanna hone her fighting skills and gain the respect of the other young men around her.

The suspense is inched up a notch when the Sweating Fever arrives. The fever is rumored to be powered by some dark magic that has claimed lives and drained the healers. One of Alanna’s friends happens to be Prince Jonathan. He is the sole heir to his father’s kingdom. He gets struck by the fever after many of the healers have died. Coincidence?

Alanna has what they call, the Gift. She has the power of healing. It’s not until Jonathan is struck with the deadly fever that she feels compelled to use it. She’d ignored that part of her heritage because her father had forbidden the twins from using magic. But a healer taught her enough to scrape by.

The story finally got going when a somewhat shadowy character is introduced. His name? Prince Jonathan’s delightful cousin, Duke Roger of Conté. He’s there to teach the “gifted” kids sorcery. Alanna is put off with him from the outset and she has good reason: he may be up to something deceitful.

The story is full of swordplay & dark magic. What’s good fantasy without ancient artifacts prefaced with legends & ghost stories? Prince Jonathan’s life might be in some danger and with Alanna’s wicked skills as a swordsman, vouched by the head of the Palace Guard himself, she might be the only thing standing between him and whatever evil that wants a piece of him. Is she up for the job? I’d say hell yes.

I can’t help but compare Tamora Pierce to Megan Whalen Turner. Sorry! No surprise I find the latter just a tad bit more compelling writing wise. The ending of this story held no surprises but revealed quite a lot to move the story forward though. I didn’t close the book with that anxious need to read the sequel but I will.

Alanna’s tough and believable. I liked her a lot. Another character I liked a lot, well, there were several but I liked George, who’s a thief by trade. He labels himself The Thief King. He’s the one who secretly trains Alanna to fight. He’s the only one Alanna trusts, too. Is there a romance in here? I’m unsure if there is one in this series but I can see the possibilities but otherwise, no. Maybe later?

What to grade? I believe this is Ms. Pierce’s first published work. I can tell. My reaction to the ending? I might have had a hint of a smile with a kernel of interest in what happens next. I can see why a lot of readers love this story but as an adult, I didn’t find Alanna: The First Adventure all that compelling. But I am curious to see how well she improves with the second book, however.

Alanna made this story for me. She’s intelligent, intense, hard working and stubborn. Can’t show weakness if your goal is to be one of the few women warriors. She has the bruises to prove it, too. Uneven pace, interesting characters, B read for me. So there it is, my contribution to this month’s TBR Challenge (from last week).

*****

Thank you so much to my Canadian farmwife friend who very kindly gave me this book. Here’s the backcover description:

“Chosen by the Companion Rolan, a mystical horse-like being with powers beyond imagining, Talia, once a runaway, has now become a trainee Herald, destined to become one of the Queens’s own elite guard. For Talia has certain awakening talents of the mind that only a Companion like Rolan can truly sense.

But as Talia struggles to master her unique abilities, time is running out. For conspiracy is brewing in Valdemar, a deadly treason which could destroy Queen and kingdom. Opposed by unknown enemies capable of both diabolical magic and treacherous assassination, the Queen must turn to Talia and the Heralds for aid in protecting the realm and insuring the future of the queen’s heir, a child already in danger of becoming bespelled by the Queen’s own foes.”

Here’s what I liked — this book evoked memories of coming of age masterpieces, like The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin. It was wonderful that the heroine, rather unusually, was the focus of this coming-of-age and into-your-powers book: usually it’s a young man’s journey into manhood. I knew nothing of the author or the date of publication (1987) but when I put it down, I was struck by how subtly and believably notions of women’s equality, contraceptive access and acceptability, and casual acceptance of same-gender relationships were woven into the story. I guess that truly makes it fantasy. Talia, when she came of age, was told directly how to manage contraception: there was not even a hint that this was anything but a personal decision and that whatever she decided would be the right choice for her.

It was an adventure, a boarding school tale (seriously, I was thinking shades of Harry Potter when I read about Talia’s years of tutorship and learning when she was part of the Queen’s Kingdom). There were even rich, entitled mean girls and boys — would-be Slytherins. Although the school was a place of learning and growth, the world, with all its conflicts, was omnipresent. People died, conspiracies were always present — growing up, for Talia, was never presented as an entirely safe haven.

What I did not like, particularly, was that the book did not end. By that I mean I did not know Arrows of the Queen was the first book in a continuing series. Perhaps I have been spoiled by reading too many romances but there was no conclusion to Talia’s story. If I had known that, my expectations might have been different. Also, and maybe I was expecting a shape shifter or something, I kept thinking the love of Talia’s life was going to be her horse-companion Rolan. Not so far. Ah well. Would I recommend this book? Yes, wholeheartedly, to a lover of high fantasy especially. It is beautifully written and absorbing. For me, it just was not the satisfying conclusion I “expected”. So that makes it hard to grade. For me, a B, for someone else, probably an A. I will pass it along to my 20 year-old daughter: I have no doubt she will enjoy it very much.

Janet Webb

Scrubs are responsible for all cleaning, from laundry to the animal pens, and Trella is assigned to the ventilation ducts.  This allows her the freedom to explore beyond the “lowers”, the two levels that are so crammed with people that everyone shares a bed with a person who works and lives an opposite shift, and waiting in line for food can take three hours.

Trella’s world is an interesting one.  All scrubs have brown eyes, and are raised in groups of ten by a Care Mother.  Time is measured in blocks and multiples of ten: Scrubs work five 10 hour shifts per week, and are divided into groups of 10. Weeks are 100 hours long, and 100 weeks equals a centiyear, so time moves slightly faster than it does in the modern day. 

A meeting is held once a week for announcements, testing and population tracking.  Population Control keeps track of everyone who lives Inside, and the Pop Cops are unpopular with everyone, uppers and lowers, and foment antagonism between the uppers and lowers while keeping them apart.  The meetings led by the Pop Cops all end the same way, with a reference to reaching the millionth week, at which time a momentous event is supposed to occur, but no one knows why or how the prophecy came about.

Trella’s closest friend is Cogon, a Care Mate who was raised with her.  Cogon tells Trella that there is a new prophet, Broken Man, who has been sent from the uppers to the lowers, and is in a wheelchair.  Broken Man has news of Outside, and he tells the lowers that they no longer have to wait to be recycled to discover what awaits them Outside.  For the people of Inside, Outside is as mythological as week one million. 

A cynical Trella goes to hear Broken Man and he tells her her family names, and who her parents are.  Children in the lowers are either born to scrubs or sent from the uppers.  Trella knows that she was not born to one of the lowers, but doesn’t know how or why she came to be there.  Broken Man also reveals that he has the location of the Gateway, the entrance to Outside and that it is stored on discs in his quarters in the uppers.  Trella’s knowledge and ability to navigate the vents makes it easy for her to find the discs but Broken Man’s rooms have been booby-trapped by the Pop Cops, and Trella is nearly caught.

The ensuing struggle to hide Broken Man leaves a Pop Cop dead and Cogon imprisoned.  Trella now spends her time avoiding the Pop Cops, keeping Broken Man safe, and trying to help Cogon who is being tortured for information.  As she goes on to discover the secrets of Inside, she comes in contact with other scrubs like her who don’t believe that their lives should be nothing more than cleaning, eating, and sleeping.  She also meets Riley, a teen from the uppers when he discovers Trella’s quiet place, an unused storage room.  Riley becomes a friend to Trella and even provides access and cover when Trella needs information that can only be found in the uppers.

Inside Out was slow going at first, with the opening chapters being a bit info dumpy, but it worked, because they provided points of reference for how Inside was structured, physically and socially.  As Trella discovered information about Inside’s history, I also found myself trying to piece together what might have happened to bring them to this point.  It was nice to watch Trella as she learned the value of friendship and trust. 

The book is told from Trella’s, so all impressions of everything and everyone are filtered through her.  She is an interesting blend of snarky teenager and middle-aged office drone about to snap.  The danger she faced was real, with the threat of being fed to the Chomper hanging over her head, as well as that of anyone caught helping her.  She faced that with an acceptance that I found disconcerting, until I thought about it, and realized that all citizens of Inside lived with that threat over their heads for various infractions.  The book ended on an uplifting and cliffhangery note, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Grade: B

Note: Yes! Today is the day to post your reviews for April’s TBR Challenge. Please, take a moment to visit with the other participants of this month’s challenge. Alas, Keishon is still reading her book and will probably post her review on Friday. Hey, no laughing. She was uh, very busy these last two weeks.

Now don’t go and scatter away. I realize that most of you don’t read comics. Fair enough. But I’m an avid reader of just about anything. If you’ve been visiting my blog on a regular basis then you already know that graphic novels, manga and comics are what I also like to read alongside crime fiction and romance. Maybe this story will entice you to give them a try. Maybe.

I decided to post about IRREDEEMABLE (Amazon link) because I thought the story was neat. I read the first 5 issues without batting an eye. The story is as follows: it’s about a superhero who has gone rogue. Has this ever been explored before? Probably but I haven’t read it. According to creator, Mark Waid, the premise or the idea behind the story is thus:

“What if you go from, you know, Captain America to Doctor Doom? What if you go from Superman to Lex Luthor? How do you go from being the greatest hero in the world — someone that everybody knows, and everybody loves, and everyone recognizes — to the greatest villain in the world? What is that path? It’s not a light switch, it’s not an on-off switch, it’s not something that you wake up one day and just become evil.”

Mark Waid on the basis for Irredeemable[8]

Doesn’t that sound intriguing? The Plutonium was a apart of the group, the Paradigm. In flash backs we see that he was a superhero recognized and well loved all over the world. Then something happens to make him snap. Out of the blue he attacks his long-time sidekick with a blow to the back of the head. Then he goes into a rage and attacks innocent civilians, killing millions of people.

He’s made Earth a wasteland. His former team members are on the run because he’s hunting them. They start up a resistance that is led by Mr. Qubit but they can’t seem to meet in one place for long without being attacked by their former teammate. What happened? Nobody seems to know. That’s the whole point of this series: to figure out what went wrong and why. Does that sound overly complex to you?

The few team members who are left that make-up the rest of the Paradigm are trying to gather what info they can to stop the Plutonium but it’s hard for them to do so. There’s an urgency to find out his weaknesses because they don’t know jack shit about him. Simple things like where did he come from? Nobody knows his origins. But the funny thing is, the Plutonium seems to know all of their little secrets. What about his enemies? What do they know about him? Who is the Plutonium afraid of? Come to find out that yes, there is one enemy who put the fear of god into the Plutonium but, oh-oh, he’s gone missing.

No doubt, the Plutonium goes buck wild in here. Going on killing sprees and using his superpowers to do harm rather than good. His former colleagues are hurting for info because without it they can’t stop him. What’s also bad is that the Plutonium is stronger than all of them. He is beyond caring about humanity.

I stopped at issue #5 just so I can write this summation and to squee that this series is seriously good. Also, I am already a big fan of Mark Waid. He wrote another series I bought and read digitally, Hunter Killer series. It’s about a group of super humans hidden from the world.

With Irredeemable, Waid decides to explore the psyche of what makes one go from a hero to a villain. I guess that be can fun. I know I find it interesting and a puzzle to figure out what made him do a 180 degree turn. I just hope that I am rewarded for my dedication in seeking the truth.

Yes, there’s some humor in here at the villain’s unrepentant and irredeemable behavior. The “oh god you’ve got to be kidding me” kind of humor. The series is told in present and past tense. Mark Waid’s “Irredeemable” series has been nominated for an Eisner award which put it on my radar. That’s like the Oscars for comic book writers. I certainly recommend Irredeemable to those who enjoy comics. At least for me, the series seems promising. I’ll do a review of all nine issues when I’m done. Meanwhile, it’s a B+ read for me thus far.

Notes: I’m fairly certain that Irredeemable is available in paperback at your local brick and mortar bookstore or comic bookstore. I know they are available digitally as mentioned above for $1.99/issue and there are a total of 9 issues thus far and again this is an ongoing series. I prefer character driven stories of which this is one. If you enjoy this comic book series, I would recommend Hunter Killer as well.

The series is told from Mercy’s perspective and is set in the Tri-Cities. Mercy is apart of the half-hidden supernatural community that consists of vampires, werewolves and the publicly outed Fae. There’s no telling what else might be out there, waiting to be unearthed from it’s lair.

Quite frankly, this is one of the few series that I can still read in a genre full of vampires and werewolves or some variation or hybrid thereof. Just so you know, I am sick to death of them, too. Must warn new readers that I may reveal some spoilers for this series that may hinder your enjoyment. I advise you to stop here if you don’t care for any details about the series in general. Meanwhile, I’ve tried not to spoil everything for you in my summary recap.

What’s different about this series is that Mercy is a mechanic and not some secret vampire or werewolf bounty hunter with a mission. She has a somewhat regular life, working in her garage fixing cars. But she is a coyote shifter who is half human with a boyfriend who is a sexy, dominant werewolf who refuses to leave her side. Mercy’s had some nasty scrapes in this series and have lived to tell the tale because she has powerful friends.

She’s battled with the powerful Queen of the vampire seethe in one book (refer to Bone Crossed) and she along with vampire Stefan, help rid the world of the demon-possessed vampires in another (refer to Blood Bound). Through all of that though, she’s a victim in recovery (refer to Iron Kissed). In this world, there are serious consequences when tangling with the supernatural.

In “Silver Borne” Mercy finds herself in possession of an ancient artifact that the Fae want back quite badly. Earlier in the series, Mercy was loaned a book that contained vital information about the world of the Fae. She needed the book’s secrets to tackle a powerful adversary. When she tries to return the book, she finds that the bookstore owner who gave it to her has gone missing. Could this have something to do with the book? Maybe.

Again Mercy is the target of the powerful and mysterious Fae who are quite secretive and will go to any lengths to keep their secrets out of human hands. Not all of the Fae were outed to the public unlike her friend and co-worker Zee. Seems that quite a few are still hidden from society and would like it to remain that way. There are many different types of fae who are quite dangerous. Instead of fighting with the Gray Lords, who rule the Fae, Mercy find herself the target of the powerful fairy queen this time around. She wants the book for her own dubious purposes but Mercy has it and isn’t willing to relinquish it to her.

Alongside that main story arc, the focus shifts back to Mercy’s personal life, more specifically, her love life with her now mated partner. Seems the pack bond they forged together is weak and has been tampered with by outsiders. While Mercy and Adam are on their date one night, Mercy finds herself being manipulated mentally by the pack bond. The outcome of this manipulation was to drive a wedge between Adam and Mercy. Who would try to do that?

For the last couple of years it seems that the pack has been having some problems. A handful of werewolves resent Mercy being apart of their pack and blame her for the trouble she keeps getting them into within the supernatural community. Pack trouble really began when Mercy was added to the pack without her consent and since Mercy took her time in deciding between the two men who were vying for her attentions, the pack grew fractured and unstable.

But anyway, after Mercy makes her choice, the ever brooding Dr. Samuel Cornick continues to withdraw into himself. As a lone wolf not apart of the pack and several centuries old, he continues to feel as if he has nothing to offer the world. Sadly, he feels that he doesn’t have a place in this world anymore. He doesn’t even feel needed as a medical doctor who saves lives on a daily basis.

Samuel’s father, Bran, is the Marrok and ruler of all the werewolves in North America. It is Bran’s job to remove troubled wolves even if it might be his own son. Can Samuel pull it together and find something worth living for? You’ll have to read it to find out. This was an emotional thread considering that I really do like Samuel.

SILVER BORNE has two or three threads going parallel and all were quite interesting. So how did I like it? I enjoyed it for the most part. Since this series hit hardcover last year, the author tries to make it worth your money and time and she succeeds (for me at least). Briggs writes with such detail. Plus, her prose is very visual. There is also the constant contrast between Mercy’s regular life and her supernatural life that makes the events in the story seem real.

The monsters in her stories can come off scary. She’s good with suspense and really good at bringing myth and folklore to life. Aside from the paranormal creatures there is Mercy’s now somewhat less complicated love life. The relationship between them can heat up the pages even with their clothes on. Strength wise, Mercy is not as strong as her otherworldly friends but she has back-up. A girl can never have enough back-up in the supernatural world.

Overall, I felt the ending was a little drawn out for me. I had to skim to the get to the action and the dialogue. Predictability reared it’s ugly head but then again this is the fifth book in the series where Mercy is again the target. Patricia Briggs is a solid writer. Her series reminds me a lot of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series, another series I enjoy.

There are some comparable elements. Both women have some form of paranormal ability. Sookie with her telepathy and Mercy is a coyote shifter. Both have jobs outside the paranormal community. Both series have featured romantic conflicts to draw readers along. The paranormal world is seen as an adjunct where regular life sometimes clashes with repercussions. Lastly, both worlds come off looking believable.

Additionally, this entry also focuses a lot on the werewolf pack politics and dominance games/roles. Even goes so far as to explain the relationship between man and wolf and the danger they pose when the wolf and not the man is mentally in control. This world is quite layered with the same social issues of our own modern world.

Unfortunately, this series doesn’t stand alone well considering the various loose threads from earlier books that may or may not get picked up in later novels. Even I’ve had to go back and reread some things based on my lack of memory. However, if readers are interested in the Mercy Thompson series, you should start with Moon Called. Five books in and it is still going strong. You couldn’t do any worse than this series.

I’d rate SILVER BORNE a B/B+ read for me. To bone pick, I felt that some scenes were overly long (Sylvia and the kids) and the handling of Samuel’s character felt somewhat uneven to me emotionally. For a bit of time he just went missing on me and then later turns up for a critical part of the story. I felt he was slapped with a hasty resolution, too. Other complaints are minor and have more to do with the inherent problems with series books and recurring characters. Overall, I enjoyed SILVER BORNE. The ending while drawn out did have my heart racing a bit. So yeah, it’s a B from me. Look forward to seeing what Mercy tackles next.

Note: There is an off-shoot of this series that features Bran’s son and second in charge, Charles Cornick who is an Alpha and enforcer of the Marrok and his mate, Anna Latham, an Omega in the Alpha and Omega series that started in the novella, On the Prowl and has two books now out in the series: Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground. Very romantic and character driven. Highly recommend that series as well.

SILVER BORNE is available in digital format and hardcover at the time of this writing at selected retailers. Since the new agency model came down, certain titles are unavailable at certain retail sites. No affiliate links are used in this post. I bought my own copy of this book for the sake of disclosure. Edited: spelling.

Theorin’s first novel, ECHOES FROM THE DEAD (Delta 2008), Swedish title, Skumtimmen won the CWA John Creasey Dagger Award in 2009 and THE DARKEST ROOM was voted by critics as best Swedish Crime Novel of 2008 and won the Glass Key Award in 2009. The two novels are loosely connected.

I am a big fan of Nordic crime fiction thanks to Jo Nesbo’s lyrical prose & tight plotting in the Harry Hole series set in Norway. I’ve been looking for similar authors to try and have seen Johan Theorin’s name mentioned alongside that of Henning Mankell and Karin Fossum. The latter two are authors I plan to read sometime soon.

There is nothing spectacular about Scandinavian writers that I can see only that they appear to be better plotters as that is certainly the case with Nesbo’s books. While Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo may have been a captivating read for me, it was certainly flawed in it’s structure. Lastly, the characters seem to make a lasting impression. Lisbeth Salander. Harry Hole. You remember them well when the story is over.

Johan Theorin’s THE DARKEST ROOM is a ghost story wrapped up in a rather complex murder mystery. Theorin seems to have a talent for writing atmospheric stories as he pens one beautifully here. The harsh Baltic weather with it’s crashing waves and unrelenting blizzard plays an integral part in the story. The mood of the novel and the narrative tended to be quietly intensive, foreboding and infused with supernatural elements.

This author is good at superstition. The characters are beset with hearing creaks from doors or listening to the undefinable knocking on walls or folks summoning up dead spirits. Strangers or strange events are sometimes cloaked in shadows. Ghost stories make for some good late night reading. Along with that you can add the angst of a family trying desperately to run away from the past, distancing themselves from the dark secrets that seems to attach themselves indelibly.

THE DARKEST ROOM is a creepy, somewhat complex story that at times is thematically intense with its topics of grief and loss. In the following review, I will reveal more than a few minor spoilers as I briefly recap some of the events of the story. So, if you’re not interested in any details at all then this will be your cue to leave.

Joakim and Katrine Westin have moved with their two children from Stockholm to the northern part of the island of Öland. They are the new owners of the old manor house at Eel Point. A short distance away are the two empty lighthouses and an old barn. The house has a history, told alongside the main story arc, of those who lived and died at Eel Point.

When the story starts, Joakim is still commuting to Stockholm. He’s a teacher there. Meanwhile, Katrine begins the house renovations. Life for this family of four out in the country seems idyllic until tragedy strikes. And from the tone of the story up to this point, you knew that something bad was gonna happen.

Joakim learns that there’s been an accidental drowning at the manor house. He’d been in Stockholm less than a day packing up the rest of his stuff from his former residence in the city. He had plans to stay overnight but he races back to Eel Point with his heart racing, fearing the worst.

Earlier in the day, something strange happened to make Joakim call home. While impossible, he thought he heard his wife’s voice while he was at their old house in the city. Again, it’s impossible since she saw him off that morning but he swears it was her voice that called his name. That niggling feeling gets to him and he calls home and learns that there’s been a drowning.

Policewoman, Tilda Davidsson is at Joakim’s home awaiting his arrival. Earlier, she broke procedure and told Joakim over the phone that his daughter, Livia had drowned and that his son Gabriel and his wife Katrine are at the neighbors. Joakim has to pull off to the side of the road to absorb the news of his daughter’s death. His only solace on the drive back is his driving need to console his wife.

Unfortunately, there’s been a mix-up with the identification. When Joakim arrives at Eel Point, he sees that his daughter Livia is alive. It was his wife, Katrine who drowned. Her body was found by the kid’s school teacher. This devastates Joakim and the mix-up with the names looks bad for Tilda, who’d just arrived on the island and is the only female police officer in the newly opened police department.

Joakim’s loss is devastating. He goes through the usual stages of grief of denial, etc. He decides not to tell the kids right away because he’s not up for it emotionally. The tone around this part of the novel was somewhat depressive. Joakim grapples with his grief but eventually he distracts himself with continuing the renovations that his wife had started.

Meanwhile, the narrative shifts to some home burglaries on the island. A gang of thugs are breaking into the summer cottages while the residents are away for the winter. Tilda Davidsson is investigating the break-ins and from the cues of her 80 year old great-uncle, Gerlof Davidsson, she’s looking a bit into the drowning incident as well. It’s hinted that maybe Katrine’s death wasn’t accidental after all.

Gerlof Davidsson, Tilda’s great-uncle, was a former Baltic cargo ship captain. He’s seen and heard it all. Tilda is having him record the family history. She wants to know more about her grandfather’s brother who was a fisherman. Gerlof is good at telling stories. It is he who suggests to Tilda that she should look into Katrine’s death. He eventually meets with Joakim who is looking to learn more about the history of Eel Point. The talk from the neighbors say that Eel Point is haunted by dead spirits.

The story then gets more mysterious when it’s revealed that there’s a hidden room inside the barn; it’s a short distance away from the manor house and last place that Joakim saw his wife. Besides being old, it’s supposed to be haunted. Inside, there’s a wall with a list of names of the dead. Mostly the names are of the people who lived and died at Eel Point.

Joakim seems to also feel the presence of his wife there and also the presence of his dead sister, Ethel. She’s a skeleton in the closet of the Westin family. Turns out she was a drug user who died under somewhat unusual circumstances. I’d hate to say what so I will stop there. There’s more to the plot that delves into the family’s background and secrets. Still a lot left to read.

So how did I like THE DARKEST ROOM? I enjoyed this story very much! Like I said, the setting was just as significant as the characters. The narrative is told in third person and follows the perpetrators as well as the protagonists. I had no clue how Katrine’s death was gonna get solved. However, there are two threads throughout the story that eventually tie together. The connection wasn’t transparent to me.

The supernatural elements were subtle relying mostly on the unknown. The premise was engaging and the pacing was unhurried and tended to get a little stagnant & repetitive. The characters were interesting and made the pages go by fast. I didn’t really warm up to Tilda Davidsson much but enjoyed the scenes with Gerlof. Her personal life was interesting though. She’d been having an affair with a married man.

The ending was completely dominated by the impending, dangerous blizzard that hits the island. The denouement devolved into several scenes of people fighting snow flurries, harsh winds, freezing cold temperatures while the story concludes in a typical showdown of good versus evil.

I think this story will have you believing in ghosts or spirits when all is said and done. Overall, THE DARKEST ROOM is highly recommended read. There’s no romance in it, sorry to say but then again I didn’t miss it. Violence is graphic but mild. There was a line at the end of the book that was quite haunting to me, considering all the events that takes place in the story, that says that in the end, that’s what we will all be one day. Memories and ghosts. B+.

Notes: This novel is currently available in paperback and digital format. THE DARKEST ROOM is the second book in a loosely connected series. The first book is ECHOES FROM THE DEAD. The cover comes the UK. The US cover looked boring in comparison. Translation was kind of touch & go in a few spots but otherwise, a good read. Updated x2: Edited for better clarification and word usage.

Lydia, Lady Wexin is very recently widowed and due to the scandalous circumstances surrounding her husband’s death, she is hounded by the press, and Samuel Reed in particular. Reed is the publisher of the New Observer, a tabloid paper, and he intends to use Lydia to make his name.

He is questioning Lydia as she is returning home by way of the back entrance, and in her haste to get away, she twists her ankle. She has just sold all of her jewelry, and is attempting to avoid the reporters camped at her front door. Adrian, Viscount Cavanley, witnesses the commotion and rescues Lydia, carrying her through her empty townhouse to her bedroom and binding her ankle.

Lydia and Adrian give in to their mutual attraction and have sex. Afterwards, Lydia wants Adrian to leave before anyone can see him and not come back. Adrian goes to his club where he meets up with his father and Lord Wexin’s heir, where he discovers that Lydia is penniless and Wexin left everything mortgaged, including the house, a gift from her parents.

Lydia’s parents and brother are out of the country and have yet to respond to any of her letters, and due to the scandal of Wexin’s death, her sister has been forbidden by her husband to have any contact with Lydia. Adrian arranges to anonymously restore Lydia’s jointure and the deed to the house. His father refuses to give him any real responsibility, instead encouraging him to live the life of a libertine, and Lydia continues to rebuff him, so a bored and frustrated Adrian leaves for France. Upon his return, he finds the tabloids speculating that Lydia is increasing and implying that the child is not her dead husband’s.

Overall, I liked this book, and it could be a keeper. Gaston manages the post-France conflict well, making the actions of the characters believable. They are very honest in their interactions as a couple that doesn’t know each other very well. Their courtship is two-steps-forward-one-step-back, because they do make progress, but it is slow, coming primarily in the last third of the book.

Adrian’s attitude towards Lydia’s well-founded fears for her reputation was the one sour note for me. In every other novel I’ve read, a couple can weather any scandal if the couple has friends in high enough places and waits for it to blow over. That doesn’t happen here.

The number of royal dukes called friend or the length of time doesn’t matter because Samuel Reed is determined to discover the truth about Lydia and her child, no matter how he does it. The refusal of Lydia’s family to support her also feeds into the scandal. Adrian’s prolonged inability to see the how the scandal and harassment affected Lydia should have led to a great grovel, but it didn’t and they lived happily ever after anyway. Grade: B–

*****

This review was written by fellow reader, Senetra for the TBR 2010 Challenge. Please make sure to visit the other readers who are participating this month! Thanks.

THE HUNGER GAMES is the first book in the Hunger Games Trilogy. The story centers around a futuristic dystopian society that’s told in first person narrative by Katniss Everdeen, the sixteen year old teen living in District 12. The basic plot of the story shows how teens are forced to take part in a yearly event where they must fight to the death in what is known as THE HUNGER GAMES.

First let me say that readers seem to be obsessed with this series. Everywhere you look, there’s someone talking about how much they loved The Hunger Games. The B&N website as well as Amazon seem to average about five stars each. Clearly this book is well favored by many. Then recently I hear talk of a movie. That did it. I went off to find this book and read it once and for all. I may be the last person on earth to do so.

After the destruction of what was once known as North America, gave rise to a new country now called Panem. The Capitol is the ruling city. It is a “wealthy city” surrounded by districts that are struggling with food shortages and the scarcity of natural resources. Almost a century ago, the 13 districts rose up against the Capitol but they lost. District 13 was obliterated, gone, poof, out of here, destroyed. The Capitol now represents a symbol of fear and societal oppression.

As punishment for their defiance, the Capitol decided to create a televised reality show where each year, two people from each district, a boy and a girl aged 12 to 18, are picked in a lottery as tributes to participate in The Hunger Games. The games are broadcast live around the world and it is to the death. The reward for several weeks of near hunger, bruises and near death experiences is wealth and celebrity.

To be chosen for the Hunger Games is akin to being given a death sentence in District 12 especially when you consider that there are a few Districts with teens who volunteer and train for these games every year. These are what they term “career tributes.” So you have: one event. 24 tributes. One survivor. The Hunger Games.

If you think the Hunger Games is bad, wait till you read how life is for Katniss Everdeen, the young teen who is the main protagnoist & provider for her mother and sister. When her father died, Katniss had to step up because her mother gave up on life, leaving her and her sister to fend for themselves. Instead of starving to death, Katniss takes up her bow and arrows and hunts for food even though poaching is a punishable offense by death. This world is so abysmally bad one wonders if the tributes had the better deal: to be put out of their misery.

When the story opens, it’s the day of the Reaping. It’s mandatory that everyone in each district attend the lottery. Katniss finds herself included in the 74th Annual Hunger Games after she hears her sister’s name being called. Her sister Prim is only 12 years old and was only entered once for the lottery but as fate would have it, she gets picked. Many in the district already think that it’s unfair for a child that young to participate. But in steps Katniss, though, with her heart in her throat, walking up to the stage to voluntarily take her sister’s place.

Accompanying Katniss from District 12 is Peeta Mellark. He’s the son of a baker. Katniss remembers him as being the one who gave her the burned bread when she was having a “hollow day” where she explains that no matter how much you eat you’re still left with a hollow stomach. Anyway, Peeta slips her the burned bread when she shows up looking for scraps and his mother beats him for it. Since that time, Katniss has felt she owed him a debt.

Off to the Capitol Katniss and Peeta go, where they meet up with the other 22 tributes. They are dressed up, pampered and interviewed for the Hunger Games. The whole event is treated like a big celebration with camera’s and sponsors and such. The jovial mood of the games didn’t quite mesh with the “fight to the death” motif. It was just really weird.

The story gets interesting when Peeta blurts out during an interview that he’s been secretly in love with Katniss since forever. The reader and Katniss don’t know what to make of that news because Peeta comes off looking as if he is saying all the right things to win himself sponsors. It’s not bad PR to be portrayed as star-crossed lovers though and many in the audience feel for their “ill-fated love.” Katniss is conflicted and confused by Peeta’s feelings for her, however. She feels that he’s acting but I believe that Peeta is honest about his feelings for her.

Once the story moves past the tributes parading around the Capitol with camera’s following their every move, they are eventually put in the arena and that’s when the story gets bloody good. It gets brutal pretty quick with a high number of casualties on the first day. The action is almost non-stop, too.

In between staying alive and running for their lives, the author manages to stick in some really nice moments between Katniss and Peeta. But where does Gale fit in the picture? Well, Gale is Katniss’s hunting partner back home in District 12. We meet him briefly at the start of the story but despite their brief scenes together, there are hints at maybe something more than friendship going on there. Yes, this seems to be devolve into some sort of triangle but I know who I want Katniss to end up with. YMMV.

THE HUNGER GAMES was an interesting novel and almost unputdownable too. The story is character driven and kinda tugged on the heart strings a little. I was drawn to a couple of characters, namely Rue, a young 12 year old slip of a girl who gets picked as a tribute for this year’s games. She reminds Katniss of her sister Prim back home. The two become allies but can you really be allies when only one person can win?

The world the author created here is cruel and unjust where people starve to death and parents are helpless in protecting their children from this yearly event. There is the ever present censorship where speaking out against the government can cause risk to you and your family. There’s a scene where Peeta privately tells Katniss that he doesn’t want the Capitol to break him & make him into something he’s not. Could this be the start of dissent? Maybe even the start of another uprising? I hope so.

Wrapping this up, THE HUNGER GAMES was an enjoyable read. This hardcover book was actually a gift from a reader (thank you). My grade is a B. I’ve read this type of premise before & enjoyed it with Battle Royale. My verdict: tough, brutal yet fascinating storyline.

Other notes: this is my contribution to the TBR Challenge 2010 for the month of March. Please make sure to visit the other participants! When I wrote this review, I made sure that I didn’t mistakenly spell Katniss as “Katnip.” Okay. That’s all. Thanks.