Let it go | Massive edition.

Let it go is my feature, where I will spotlight all the books I DNF and the ones I've read and just want to talk about. The name is based on the wonderful song from the movie Frozen, hence the the reindeer. This feature is based on several other DNF features.

I want to get rid of all the reviews I have yet to post on my blog before 2016 starts, so I'm going to throw them all together in this post. You can scroll through all the categories and select what you want to read. They go from best rating –> worst rating. There are no spoilers for the books or sequels in the series. Here we go:

Fairytale retelling.

Marissa Meyer – Winter.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5.
It was fantastic and I read more than 500 pages in one sitting, but the ending still left me with a little disappointed feeling of I want more. It feels like there was still some story left to tell. Perhaps in the novella bind-up with the Epilogue to Winter? I HOPE SO. The main story is wrapped up neatly, so perhaps it's because I'm just not ready to let go of all the characters I fell in love with throughout the series. I could read about them forever and I'm satisfied with all the ships and the overall conclusion of the story. My only problem was the fact I didn't like how villainous Levana was and how I couldn't care about her 'reasons' for all the things she did.

Shannon Hale – Princess Academy.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5.
Miri lives in the valley near the mountain where everyone works to collect linder (stone). The prince is looking for a new bride and she will be picked from the girls in her village. They are all sent to a special Academy to be trained, so they can impress him. Miri is spunky, yet a bit insecure and she has a quick mind. She has a way with words and she is definitely not waiting to be trained for a prince. I loved how her family played a role in the story and how it stays away from the cliche story line. Don't let the promise and the fact that it is middle grade fool you.

Virginia Boecker – The witch hunter.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5.
This book caught my attention when it was pitched as magic from Graceling meets political intrigue from Game of thrones. While I don’t agree with those comparisons, I sort of liked it. Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters. until she is accused of witch craft herself. She is sentenced to death, but saved by someone who was her biggest enemy: the powerful wizard Nicholas.
Elizabeth was okay. She is by no means a perfect character and I think I will forget about her soon, but being able to look in her head wasn't so bad. She is trust into a confusing time and I liked how she dealt with the situation. She is struck between her old life and the new information. I could understand how hard it was to change her believes, but she switches rather quickly. The writing-style was engaging. I don't know what it was, but it made me keep reading. I also think I ended up liking this book more because of my low expectations. I was left to believe it would be a boring, terrible book, but I don't think it was THAT bad.

Alethea Kontis – Dearest.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5.
Naked guys are sleeping in a room. Friday finds them and falls in love with one of them right away. Because…. Not for that reason ;) but I thought it was rather strange that she is standing there, observing this boy and wondering what color his eyes are. Okay guuurl. I am left disappointed by this series. The first book was stunning. I loved the combinations of fairytales and how it made me guess which stories she included. The second book was already less interesting and I found myself a little bored by this book. The characters in this book were a bit bland, although I did like the approach of Six Swans. I have high hopes for the next one, because I think I will like Princess Thursday much more.

Dakota Chase – Mad about the hatter.
RATING: 1 out of 5.
This book was simply too much. The author tried SO hard to make everything sounds funny and hilarious, that it felt too forced. I understand that she tried to copy the whimsical feeling from Alice in Wonderland, but to me, she failed to deliver it. I loved that the romance is between Hatter and Henry, brother from Alice, but it went incredibly fast. Hatter went from 'what an annoying boy' to 'oh, such luscious lips, I want to kiss them!' The same with Henry, who went from 'I must be crazy, this can't be real' to 'what a delicious man.' The story itself is also pretty much wandering around Wonderland, because Hatter must take Henry to the Queen of Hearts. I liked the addition of the King of Hearts and the talk about abusive relationships.

Let it go #7. Just my luck and The snow child.

Cammie McGovern – Just my luck.
3 stars.

George has an autistic little brother and his father suffered from a brain haemorrhage. We see life through his eyes and how he gets through every day. At school they are rewarded with hand prints when they do something good, but no matter how hard George tries nobody seems to notice him. That’s what he thinks, though, because one of the teachers and he have something in common.

I was let down by the story. It fell flat in comparison with her previous work. Perhaps it’s because George is such a young boy or simply because the story itself isn’t that spectacular. I liked George, but I was never sucked into his story. The family dynamics were great though, especially the relationship between George and his brother.

I’m starting to get the idea that Say what you will was my one lucky shot with this author.

Eowyn Ivey – The snow child.
4 stars.
Mabel and Jack are trying to set up a new life in Alaska. They both suffer from a deep-rooted sadness after the loss of their dead-born child. On one cold night Mabel and Jack find a spark of happiness when they make a snow child and weeks pass where Mabel swears she spies a girl running between the trees. After long waiting the girl finally comes into their home: Faine. She is a wild girl, but she deepens the relationship between Mabel and Jack.

Mabel and Jack are precious. It's obvious the two of them share a long past and it was heart-breaking to see how they falling apart. Faine is the one thing that connects them again and I loved seeing them grow back together.

The bittersweet ending was really fitting with the overall feeling in the book. I loved the way the story evolved and how it had that magical fairytale-like touch. The only thing is that the epilogue was a bit underwhelming. I could have gone without it.

"To believe, perhaps you had to cease looking for explanations and instead hold the little thing in your hands as long as you were able before it slipped like water between your fingers."

Review 237. Heidi Schulz – The pirate code.

Title: The pirate code.
Author: Heidi Schulz.
Pages: 352.
Published: September 15th 2015 by Disney-Hyperion
Sort: Part 2 of Hook’s revenge.
Part 1. Hook’s revenge.
Source: Netgalley, thanks publisher!

Fresh off a fearsome encounter with the Neverland crocodile, Jocelyn Hook decides the most practical plan is to hunt down her father's famous fortune. After all, she'll need the gold to fund her adventuring in the future. (And luckily, Hook left her the map.) But the map proves to be a bit harder to crack than Jocelyn had hoped, and she's convinced that the horrible Peter Pan might be the only one with the answers. Of course, he doesn't really feel like helping her, so Jocelyn takes the only reasonable course of action left to her: she kidnaps his mother. Evie, though, is absolutely thrilled to be taken prisoner, so Jocelyn's daring ploy doesn't have quite the effect she'd planned for. Along with the problem of her all-too-willing captive, Jocelyn must also contend with Captain Krueger, whose general policy is that no deed is too dastardly when it comes to stealing Hook's treasure. And with the ever-shifting Whens of the Neverland working against her as well, Jocelyn, Evie, Roger, and the rest of the Hook's Revenge crew have their work cut out for them. In this rambunctious showdown between characters new and old, Jocelyn puts her own brand of pirating to the test in a quest to save her future and those she loves.

Rating:

This series quickly became one of my favorite Middle grade series. The sarcastic narrator, the adventures and the amazing characters make these books suitable for any age. I am sad that this is (for now) the last part in this series. Get it together Disney, we need more! This review is spoiler-free for the entire series.

Jocelyn Hook is ready to hunt down her father’s treasure, but first she needs to unlock all the secrets hidden in de map. She even has to ask help from Peter Pan, a boy she really dislikes, and during their meeting Jocelyn ends up with a new friend. She kidnaps Peter’s new mother and Jocelyn finds out that the two of them have something special in common. That’s not her only problem though, because Captain Krueger also wants Hook’s treasure.

This book is one thrilling ride. Adventures, puzzles, action-packed scenes and hilarious siutations. There are no boring moments when you are around Jocelyn, Roger and her crew. I’m in love with every character. They all have their unique and goofy character traits. Jocelyn is a perfect example for kids. She is clever and strong, but definitely not flawless. This makes her easy to connect with. She shows that you can do anything if you want it. Her relationship with Roger is the cutest thing in the world. Their struggles made it realistic, because sometimes you just annoy each other.

Captain Krueger addition to the story made this story action-packed and gave it a creepy-factor. He is a typical villain. A scary dude with his sharp, pointy teeth who is always one step behind them in the quest to find Hook's long lost treasure. It was fantastic to see Jocelyn and her ways to outrun him. She was always hopeful, even when the situation looked bad.

The puzzles at the end of the story were the best part. I had lots of fun figuring out the answer behind a question that reminded me of Harry Potter. You know, that part where they have to defeat Snape’s potion puzzle in The sorcerer’s stone. Hook was a pretty clever man, because he came up with some crafty ways to protect his treasure.

If you want a story with a brilliant voice (and you finally find out who is telling the story), adorable illustrations and fun characters who are on one big adventure, you definitely have to pick up this series.

Let it go | All the books I read in Spain part 2.

Mackenzie Lee – This monstrous thing. 2.5/5.
This is a retelling of Frankenstein. Alasdair brings his brother Oliver back to life because he feels guilty. I liked how this book gives a different look on bringing someone back. It’s not solely about a crazy professor and Frankenstein didn’t turn out to be the monster we know. The steampunk feeling was nicely done. The rating is based on the fact that it’s not a memorable story and overall, it wasn’t that spectacular.

Nova Ren Suma – 17 & gone. 3.5/5.
Books with unreliable narrations can be so intriguing. I liked The walls around us and I was curious about this book. Lauren has visions of 17-year-old girls who disappeared and she has a feeling they want to tell her something. Lauren believes one of the girls, Abby, is still alive and she is the one to save her. I had a feeling at the beginning of the book that there was something wrong and Nova didn’t let me down. It’s a haunting story and I flew through the pages.

Kelly Barnhill – Iron-hearted Violet. 4/5.
Gorgeous book! It is filled with artwork that really added something to the story. Violet is smart, witty and loved by her people, but she is described as downright ugly. This is starting to become a problem when she wakes the Nybbass, who fills her head with lies. He makes her believe that true princesses are beautiful and he can help her with that problem. I liked the friendship between Violet and Demetrius. I also loved the presence of the dragon and the message in this book.

Gail Carson Levine – Ella Enchanted. 3/5.
I love the movie, so I thought it was time to finally read the book. And I was surprised, because this story is NOTHING like the movie. It’s like they only took the concept and created something entirely new; and definitely more enjoyable. The chemistry between Ella and Charles is much better on screen than in the book – and they made the story much more fast-paced. It’s still a good book, but this is one of those moments where I prefer the movie. (And if you don’t know the story; Ella got a ‘gift’ from a fairy at her birth. Obedience. This brings her in some difficult situations)

Review 222. Liesl Shurtliff – Jack: the true story.

Title: Jack: the true story of Jack and the beanstalk.
Author: Liesl Shurtliff.
Pages: 304.
Published: April 14th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Sort: Stand-alone (sort-of companion to Rump)
Source: Netgalley; publisher, thanks!

All work and no play makes Jack extremely bored. And when Jack gets bored, he makes mischief. It’s not that he’s bad; he just longs for adventure—and there’s nothing adventurous about toiling day and night to grow yucky green stuff. Adventure finally arrives one day in the form of giants, and soon Jack is chasing them to a land beyond the clouds, with his little sister, Annabella, in tow. The kingdom of giants is full of slugs the size of sheep, venomous pixies as tall as grown men, and a chatty cook with the biggest mouth Jack has ever seen. There’s giant fun to be had, too: puddings to swim in, spoons to use as catapults, monster toads to carry off pesky little sisters. But Jack and Annabella are on a mission. The king of the giants has taken something that belongs to them, and they’ll do anything—even dive into a smelly tureen of green bean soup—to get it back.

Rating:

Last year I read Rump and I enjoyed it, so when I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I had to request it. I thought this book was even better, because there was more action and adventure. Jack is, like his mother always calls him, a ‘naughty little boy’ and I thought it was a perfect portrayal of a young boy. Add pixies, elves, giants, magic, mystery and a quest for his lost father and you’ve found yourself an engaging Middle Grade story.

And don’t you just love the cover?

Review 212. MarcyKate Connolly – Monstrous.

Title: Monstrous.
Author: MarcyKate Connolly.
Pages: 432.
Published: February 10th 2015 by HarperCollins Children's Books.
Sort: Stand-alone.

The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and Bryre’s inhabitants live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark. Yet night is the only time that Kymera can enter this dangerous city, for she must not be seen by humans. Her father says they would not understand her wings, the bolts in her neck, or her spiky tail—they would kill her. They would not understand that she was created for a purpose: to rescue the girls of Bryre. Despite her caution, a boy named Ren sees Kym and begins to leave a perfect red rose for her every evening. As they become friends, Kym learns that Ren knows about the missing girls, the wizard, and the evil magic that haunts Bryre. And what he knows will change Kym’s life.

Rating:

What a surprising ending! That was absolutely the best part about this book, because I never saw it coming and I thought it was a brave decision for a Middle Grade book. I was bothered by Kymera’s ignorance, but at the same time I think this will work great for children. Most of them are innocent too, so I bet they will devour this fairytale-like story.

Review 309. Paul Durham – The luck uglies.

Title: The luck uglies.
Author: Paul Durham.
Pages: 395.
Published: April 29th 2014 by HarperCollins.
Sort: The luck Uglies #1.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

Strange things are happening in Village Drowning, and a terrifying encounter has Rye O'Chanter convinced that the monstrous, supposedly extinct Bog Noblins have returned. Now Rye's only hope is an exiled secret society so notorious its name can't be spoken aloud: the Luck Uglies. As Rye dives into Village Drowning's maze of secrets, rules, and lies, she'll discover the truth behind the village's legends of outlaws and beasts...and that it may take a villain to save them from the monsters.

Rating:

This charming middle grade is compared to Stefan Bachmann – The peculiar and I can see why. It has the same tone to it, with it’s mystery around the notorious group that is called ‘The luck Uglies.’ and the appearance of a dangerous beast. I think this book has a lot to offer to both adult as children.

Review 303. Heidi Schulz – Hook’s revenge.

Title: Hook’s revenge.
Author: Heidi Schulz.
Pages: 304.
Published: September 16th 2014 by Disney-Hyperion
Sort: Hook’s revenge #1.

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn dreams of becoming every bit as daring as her infamous father, Captain James Hook. Her grandfather, on the other hand, intends to see her starched and pressed into a fine society lady. When she's sent to Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb's Finishing School for Young Ladies, Jocelyn's hopes of following in her father's fearsome footsteps are lost in a heap of dance lessons, white gloves, and way too much pink. So when Jocelyn receives a letter from her father challenging her to avenge his untimely demise at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile, she doesn't hesitate-here at last is the adventure she has been waiting for. But Jocelyn finds that being a pirate is a bit more difficult than she'd bargained for. As if attempting to defeat the Neverland's most fearsome beast isn't enough to deal with, she's tasked with captaining a crew of woefully untrained pirates, outwitting cannibals wild for English cuisine, and rescuing her best friend from a certain pack of lost children, not to mention that pesky Peter Pan who keeps barging in uninvited.

Rating:

ADORABLE. Delightful. Magnificent. Those are three words that pop up in my head when I think about this book. I want to thank Debby and Daph for the book club meeting, because it pushed me to buy this book despite my book buying ban. This was exactly what I needed.

Review 266. J.A White – The thickety.

Title: The thickety: a path beings.
Author: J.A White
Pages: 496.
Published: May 6th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books
Sort: Stand-alone, Middle grade.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

Hand in hand, the witch's children walked down the empty road. When Kara Westfall was six years old, her mother was convicted of the worst of all crimes: witchcraft. Years later, Kara and her little brother, Taff, are still shunned by the people of their village, who believe that nothing is more evil than magic . . . except, perhaps, the mysterious forest that covers nearly the entire island. It has many names, this place. Sometimes it is called the Dark Wood, or Sordyr's Realm. But mostly it's called the Thickety. The black-leaved trees swayed toward Kara and then away, as though beckoning her. The villagers live in fear of the Thickety and the terrible creatures that live there. But when an unusual bird lures Kara into the forbidden forest, she discovers a strange book with unspeakable powers. A book that might have belonged to her mother. And that is just the beginning of the story.

Rating:

This was again a very entertaining Middle Grade book. It’s filled with witches, dark magic and a strong main character. I think this book contains some good messages, like how it depends on the person whether they turn good or evil.

Let it go | Middle Grade and the Boleyn bride.

This time I will be highlighting three books I read for review, but I don’t have enough to say about them to review them separately. The first book is a MG book about an orphan and a fairy tale book he receives from his grandfather. The second is also a MG about a store filled with powerful items and a boy and girl who need to save the Emporium. The last book is an adult book about one of my favorite time periods: The Tudors.

Review 254. Catherynne M. Valente – The girl who circumnavigated fairyland.

Title: The girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making.
Author: Catherynne M. Valente.
Pages: 247.
Published: May 10th 2011 by Feiwel & Friends.
Sort: Fairyland #1.
Source: Sinterklaas present from Judith!
Link: Goodreads.

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

Rating:

This was such an unique book! It has a whimsical writing-style; one I’ve never seen before. The cover is gorgeous and there are adorable illustrations at the beginning of every chapter. It’s a magical tale filled with adventure and interesting characters.

Review 248. Karen Foxlee – Ophelia and the Marvelous boy.

Title: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy.
Author: Karen Foxlee.
Pages: 240.
Published: January 28th 2014 by Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.
Link: Goodreads.

Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help. As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world. A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

Rating:

What a charming, cute story! This is definitely a book I see myself reading for my future child(ren). It’s adventurous, magical and exciting. I’ve settled with a 3.5 rating, but I would have adored this book when I was younger!

Review 213. Anne Ursu – Breadcrumbs.

Title: Breadcrumbs.
Author: Anne Ursu.
Pages: 312.
Published: September 27th 2011 by Walden Pond Press 
Sort: Stand-alone.

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else. And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.

Rating: 

“She felt like she was from a different planet than her schoolmates and maybe it was true.”

This book is a creation of all the awesome things in the writing-world. There are great characters, different fairytales, illustrations and a wonderful, almost poetic writing-style. This book blew me away and it’s definitely a hidden gem. One I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to other people. 

Review 199. Liesl Shurtliff – Rump.

Title: Rump: the true story of Rumpelstiltskin.
Author: Liesl Shurtliff.
Pages: 272.
Published: April 9th 2013 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Sort: stand-alone.

In a magical kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

Rating:

Aren’t MG and fairytale covers the best? I always love the drawings and the details. Luckily, this book isn’t only pretty on the outside. It’s a great book for young children and older people, because it’s about friendship and finding yourself.

Review 180. Adam Gidwitz – In a glass Grimmly.

Title: In a glass Grimmly.
Author: Adam Gidwitz.
Pages: 336.
Published: September 27th 2012
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Sort: Stand alone, but part in the ‘A tale dark and Grimm’ series.
Part: A tale dark and Grimm.

Take caution ahead--
Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound.
Lest you enter with dread.
Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true.
Step lively, dear reader . . .
Happily ever after isn't cutting it anymore.

                                                                             Rating: 

I really liked A tale dark and Grimm (although the rating is a bit too high now, but I don’t like to edit old ratings. I’d probably give it a 3.5 stars too) and I was looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed! Gidwitz has a great way in creating a story made out of several fairytales. Everything blends together and forms this fun and creative book. I also like the wisdom when the MC’s start to realize something important about themselves. It’s good when a book has an underlying moral.

Review 178. Soman Chainani - The school for good and evil.

Title: The school for good and evil.
Author: Soman Chainani.
Pages: 488.
Published: May 14th 2013.
Publisher: HarperCollins
Sort: Part one of ‘The school for good and evil’
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil. But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

Rating:

The school for good and evil and me clicked. From the moment I saw the cover and the blurb, I knew I was going to love this book. It has everything I look for and it just screamed my name. While it didn’t blow me away as much as I wanted, I thought it was extremely enjoyable and fun. I’m looking forward to other books from Chainani. Plus, this book has one of the most gorgeous maps I’ve ever seen! And I love the drawings at the beginning of every chapter. Take a look inside on: HarperCollins.

Review 168. E.D Baker – The wide-awake princess.

Title: The wide-awake princess.
Author: E.D Baker.
Pages: 216.
Published: May 11th 2010.
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's.
Sort: Part one of ‘Wide-awake princess’

In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake. But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family.. and perhaps even find a true love of her own.

Rating:

If I need to describe this book in one word it would be: CUTE. This book is adorable! With a fun twist to the original Sleeping beauty story, Baker creates a fun story about friendship and finding yourself.

Review 81. Stefan Bachmann – The peculiar.

Title: The Peculiar.
Author: Stefan Bachmann.
Pages: 384.
Published: September 18th 2012.
Publisher: Greenwillow Books.
Sort: Part one of ‘The peculiar.’
Source: Netgalley and Publisher. Also won my own copy in the Goodreads giveaway.

Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings--Peculiars--and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them. One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley--Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed. First he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish .. and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong.

Rating:

This book gave me the feeling of reading Harry Potter mixed with Neil Gaiman’s work. And let me say you this, that feeling is fantastic! It felt like I was back in one of my favorite series ever.

Summary.
Once upon a time there was a city called Bath. That was until strange things started to happen. The faeries slipped into the world and the Smiling wars began until humans converged on the fay and scattered them. The ages of Smoke started in New Bath and the fay adapted to their new lives, waiting for a new change to change the world.

“Don’t get yourself noticed and you won’t get yourself hanged.”

That is the rule ever Peculiar must follow if he/she wants to stay alive. They are changelings or Halflings. They don’t belong to the faeries nor to the humans, so they must survive under poor conditions. Bartholomew is one of them, together with his sister Hettie. When a lady in plum appears in their neighborhood, things are about to change. She takes one of his friends with her and he will be one of the many dead Peculiars. Nobody gives the strange murder any attention – they are scum after all – until Mr. Jelliby decides to investigate the matter. He suspects that one of the most important man has something to do with it.

When Hettie disappears, Bartholomew and Mr. Jelliby’s lives become entwined. Bartie will do anything to save his little sister from a horrible fate and Mr. Jelliby is the only one who can stop the destruction of their world.

Opinion.
It’s unbelievable that this author is so young, because his writing style is amazing, almost poetic.

Mr. Jelliby grew on me. He felt a bit arrogant in the beginning, but he is the only one who seem to care about the Peculiars. He puts himself in a lot of danger to safe the world and Hettie. He makes smart choices.
Bartie is a sweetheart. He will do anything to save his little sister. He is very young, but it never bothered me.The enemy is well done. It’s a cruel and unkind person. The world will be plunged into darkness to gain more power and Peculiars are used for his own sake. I liked that one of his helpers reminded me of Voldemort in the first book from Harry Potter.

I absolutely can’t wait for part 2. There is something comforting about his style, like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket. His words read so easy, you hardly have the feeling you are reading at all. It’s like everything is playing in your head like a movie, do you know that feeling?

If you like Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman, this is something for you. There is darkness, action and some spooky magic, but there is also hope, love and friendship. Here on Goodreads. You can read 57 pages. Don’t you think it’s wonderful that each chapter has those black feathers?

Review 76. Lauren Oliver – The spindlers.

Title: The spindlers.
Author: Lauren Oliver.
Pages: 256.
Expected publication: October 2nd 2012.
Publisher: HarperCollins.
Sort: Standalone.
Source: Edelweis and the Publisher.

Looking across the breakfast table one morning, twelve-year-old Liza feels dread wash over her. Although her younger brother, Patrick, appears the same, Liza knows that he is actually quite different. She is certain that the spindlers-evil, spiderlike beings-came during the night and stole his soul. And Liza is also certain that she is the only one who can rescue him. Armed with little more than her wits and a huge talking rat for a guide, Liza descends into the dark and ominous underground to save Patrick's soul. Her quest is far from easy, and the road to the spindlers' nests is riddled with danger. She must brave tree snakes, the Court of Stones, and shape-shifting serpents before facing her greatest challenge in the spindlers' lair, where more than just Patrick's soul is at stake.

Rating: 

Liza notices something strange about her brother, Patrick. His eyes are different and she immediately knows why: his soul is gone. The Spindlers stole his soul during the night and now it’s up to her to get it back. Her parents don’t believe her – of course they don’t, because they know nothing about the magical world around them – and they are far too busy with other things. Liza finds the place where The Spindlers left their house and she decides to search for Patrick right away. That’s when she stumbles on Mirabella, the rat.

”They had dropped down from the ceiling on their glistening webs of shadowed darkness and dropped their silken threads in his ear, and extracted his soul slowly, like a fisherman coaxing a trout from the water on a taut nylon fishing line. In its place they deposited their eggs;”
Quote from the ARC.

Be prepared for a lot of adventure and strange creatures. The world ‘Below’ is totally different than the world ‘Above.’ Nothing is what it seems and everything is unfair. That’s what Liza soon finds out. After a trip through several dangerous places, Liza finally arrives at the nest of The Spindlers. She can have her brothers soul back if she can survive the three rooms filled with tricks and puzzles. Is Liza clever enough to find her way to her brother?

Likes.
-Every chapter starts with a lovely drawing and some titles are really fun, like “The lumer-lumpen.”
-Liza is a clever and brave girl. She stands up for what she believes, because her parents always tell her “to stop making up all those stories.” If it wasn’t for Liza, Patrick’s body would burst one day to reveal thousands of new Spindlers.
-I like the different creatures we get to meet. My favorite are The Nocturni. They are the dream-bringers. They sip dreams from The River of Knowledge and they deliver them to their own human. 
-I also like the surroundings Liza encounters on her way to the Spindler’s nest. There is a lot of danger in the ‘Below’ and there is not a moment of rest. Liza always has to run or fight for her life, together with guide Mirabella. The three difficult rooms reminded me a bit of Harry Potter and they are wonderfully done.

Dislikes.
-Sometimes, the lines are really, really long. Just look at the quote. I don’t think those lines are easy for children and I certainly don’t see myself reading this out loud. You will trip over the words. I personally like it when the lines are a bit shorter.

Sneak peek.
Source: Lauren Oliver’s blog.

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated her and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not.
She could not describe the difference. He looked the same, and was wearing the same pair of ratty space-alien pajamas, with the same fat toe sticking out of the hole in the left foot of his red socks, and he came down the stairs exactly the same way the real Patrick would have done: bump, bump, bump, sliding on his rump.
But he was not the same.
In fact, he was quite, quite different.
It was something in the way he looked at her: It was as though someone had reached behind his eyes and wrung away all the sparkle, leaving only a blank gaze. He walked quietly--too quietly--to the table, sat nicely in his chair, and placed a napkin on his lap.
The real Patrick never used a napkin.

Review 65. Jess Lourey – The Toadhouse.

Title: The Toadhouse Triology.
Author: Jess Lourey.
Pages: 300.
Published: July 17th 2012 by Toadhouse Books
Source: I was contacted by the author.

Aine (pronounced "Aw-nee") believes herself to be a regular teenager in 1930s Alabama, but when a blue-eyed monster named Biblos attacks, she discovers that the reclusive woman raising her isn't really her grandmother and that she's been living inside a book for the past five years. With her blind brother, Spenser, she flees the pages of the novel she's called home, one terrifying step ahead of Biblos' black magic. Her only chance at survival lies in beating him to the three objects that he desires more than life. As she undertakes her strange and dangerous odyssey, Aine must choose between a family she doesn't remember and her growing attraction to a mysterious young man named Gilgamesh. Only through treacherous adventures into The Time Machine, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, A Tale of Two Cities, and the epic Indian saga The Ramayana will she learn her true heritage and restore the balance of the worlds... if she can stay alive.

Rating: 

The rating is totally based on the fact that I had the idea that I’m just a bit too old for this book. That’s it. The story is great, the characters are lovely and there is nothing wrong with the writing style. If I was a couple of years younger, I would have loved it.

We get to meet Aine, who is sixteen years old and lives with her blind brother Spenser and her grandmother Glori. She has a companion called Mondegreen. It appears to be a hard woman, although she is good for the children. She took them in after their mother left them – only Aine doesn’t believe her. She wants to search for her mother once she is old enough. For now, she just like to play in the woods with her brother. He is blind, but that doesn’t withhold him from swimming in the pool. When they hear someone scream, Spenser dives into the water and saves a drowning boy called Tru. They are friends right away.

Strange things are going to happen. There comes a message that says that ‘Biblos has arrived’ and Mondegreen introduces them to a boy named Gilgamesh. He owns a Toadhouse. Now, everything happens really fast. They must leave with Gilgamesh to get three keys, so they can return to their original book. Their mother is there waiting for them. Biblosh is a monster and he also wants to get those keys, but they must stop him. He destroys every story he enters. Their world is actually a book and with the Toadhouse, they can travel to other stories.

“When what you find is true, the next object will be revealed to you. There are three, and they will bring you to your true family.”


From that moment, we get to enter different stories with these characters. Gilgamesh is their protector and Tru must return soon, otherwise his story will end; and that’s not a good thing. Biblos is after them, so they must hurry up. Where is the first object and can they find all the keys before Biblos catches them?

Opinion.
Aine doesn’t have any friends and she is teased at school about everything; from the scars on her hands to her ‘to green’ eyes. I don’t understand! She is funny, smart and sweet. She is very protective and I love the relationship between her and her brother. Spenser is awesome. He is easy to be around with and brave.

I really liked the idea of this book. Living inside a tale and being able to travel to your favorite stories. The background story – why Biblos is after them and why there mother is in another book – is perfectly performed. It’s just like I said: I felt like I was a bit too old.