Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure {Blood of Eden #2}

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published: Harlequin May 2013

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Status: Read from April 29 to 30, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

Though it took me a while to warm up to Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series I ended up enjoying it, as well as the first book of the spin off series, The Lost Prince and when I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Eternity Cure, I was happy for the excuse to dive into another of her series.

I picked up The Immortal Rules to read before beginning The Eternity Cure and though I enjoyed elements of Kagawa’s writing and her creative post-apocalyptic world-building, I found myself a little underwhelmed. Nevertheless I moved straight on to The Eternity Cure which picks up almost five months later.

**Note:  Immortal Rules is currently free to download in the iTunes store**

Having left Eden, and Zeke, behind, Allison is tracing her sire and mentor Kanin, who is being held captive by the psychotic vampire Sarren. Avoiding the Rabids, feeding only when necessary on the opportunists that cross her path, she follows the call of blood but when her journey is intercepted by her ‘blood brother’, she reluctantly agrees to an alliance with the murderous vampire. Pooling their knowledge, Allison is stunned when the trail leads to her former home, New Covington and is appalled to find the population under threat by a lethal variant of the Red Lung virus. With time running out, Allison must find a way into the heart of the city to save Kanin before the world is lost.

The Eternity Cure is fast paced and action packed and what I do really like about this series is it’s gritty, dark nature. Real, bloody, visceral violence is usually avoided in young adult novels but here Kagawa almost revels in it.
This darkness though is offset by snarky humour and romance (those who complained about the lack of lurve in The Immortal Rules should be satisfied with the sweet and hopeful reunion of Allie and Zeke), but more importantly by the way in which the heroes hold onto hope and fight to survive.
Unfortunately I did find the plot fairly predictable, there were no real surprises, from Stick’s double betrayal to Sarren’s evil scheme and despite some resolution, the story ends on a cliff hanger which will have fans bemoaning the 12 month wait until book 3.

Despite my lack of overt enthusiasm, I did enjoy The Eternity Cure. It’s a fast, easy read and fans of the first novel should not be disappointed with the continued action, romance and Allison’s drive for redemption.

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Review & Giveaway: The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire by Emily Craven

 

Title: The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire {#1}

Author: Emily Craven

Published: September 2012

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Status: Read on April 20, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the author}

My Thoughts:

“Just wanted to say, this wasn’t how I imagined the start of my grand adventure; a prig for a housemate and some unidentifiable (possibly Mexican) amphibian called Duncan. My vision of studio loft apartments, spacious and bright come nowhere close to describing this disturbing student housing. I mean, I’m paying a fortune, I have to find a job, and all I get is some crummy, two bedroom apartment with paint peeling off the walls, a cupboard for a kitchen and a bathroom that makes a moss infested cave network look like a barren desert plain. Seriously, there is enough mould on those tiles to start producing our own penicillin tablets.”

And so begins The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire in New York where Madeleine will be studying photography at a prestigious private arts college. Having left behind her friends and family in Australia she is on her own, adjusting to her new life while lurching from one hilarious encounter to another.

I have to admire Craven’s creative approach to storytelling, and admit to being somewhat surprised it actually works. The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire is told entirely in Facebook status updates, notes and private messages as Madeleine communicates with her friends and family. From the descriptions of her first day at college, where her housemate’s stowaway chameleon causes havoc, to her photographic study of cross-dressing little people and her crush on her cute, if self absorbed neighbour, Kevin, Madeleine apprises everyone of every step of her journey. Her family and friends are variously supportive, concerned and disbelieving in their replies, and each update earns Madeleine more ‘Likes’ from an unseen audience.

But it’s not all about Madeleine, from afar she is called upon to defend her wayward genius brother, comfort her hypochondriac best friend and continue to tease Tim about his relationship with his toaster. These ‘conversations’ give the story added depth and develops a uniquely connected cast, especially as her New York friends join her friendship circle.

Despite the unconventional format, The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire reads well. Anyone familiar with Facebook will quickly become comfortable with the rhythm of posts and comments. It’s a short read at just about 150 pages yet there is plenty happening to ensure the reader’s interest.

I was disappointed at the rather abrupt ending though, even with the knowledge that Craven expects to continue Madeleine’s adventures. In fact Craven is hoping that readers will become involved in shaping the story by joining the various Facebook pages she has established for her characters. It is an ambitious idea and though one I admire, I’m not sure it’s one readers are ready for quite yet.

The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire is a funny, lighthearted story of a twenty something Aussie making her way in the Big Apple. Well written and entertaining it is a unique contemporary read and I hope to be privy to Madeleine’s next adventures.

Join Em Craven and Madeleine on her adventures at: The Grand Adventures Of Madeline Cain Facebook Page

 

See your favourite characters interacting and join in! Like These Pages and Go For It!

 

Madeline Cain; Kathy Bloomingdale; Tim Gleeve; Cliff Wheeland; Kevin Doherty; Nadine Cain:; Mike Cain; Kim Enuik

The Grand Adventures of Madeleine Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire

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Entries close May 5th. Drawn via Random.org

 

Review: The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee

 

 

Title: The Midnight Dress

Author: Karen Foxlee

Published UQP February 2013

Status: Read from March 14 to 15, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

Will you forgive me if I tell you the ending?

The Midnight Dress begins with a girl waiting anxiously in the darkness, the sounds of the town celebrating echoing in the distance, wondering what she will say when he comes for her. This is the girl that will disappear, the girl wearing the midnight dress.

The narrative shifts between the present, as a Detective searches for the missing girl, and the past as present as the midnight dress comes to be. Rose arrives in the small northern Queensland town of Paradise with her alcoholic father, is befriended by Pearl despite her reluctance and with the Harvest Parade celebration imminent agrees to work with the eccentric Edie Baker to create a dress for the occasion. A midnight dress of deep navy blue, mourning lace and glass beads, hand sewn by Rose while she listens to the stories Edie has to share.

I saw The Midnight Dress labeled as ‘rural Australian gothic’ (I am not really sure where – sorry about that) and thought it the perfect description. It has many of the elements associated with the genre – a wild, isolated landscape, a crumbling house, an illicit love affair, a lurking sense of something ‘other’.

The suspense is finely crafted, despite the intertwining narrative that foreshadows the grief and loss. There is a haunted quality that reminds me of The Picnic at Hanging Rock, it has that sense of an inexorable slide towards tragedy, of menace waiting to take advantage of innocence.

The Midnight Dress is beautifully written with a lyrical rhythm and evocative language. I felt as though I could step inside Edie Baker’s house, crowded with decaying junk, mildewed fabric and lost dreams. Gaze upon the looming mountain covered with dense forest, a waterfall burbling in the distance as the sweat of tropical humidity trickles uncomfortably down my spine. Spy on Pearl’s flirtation with Paul amongst the tiny, musty rooms of the book exchange.

Despite the teenage protagonist I would say this novel exceeds the boundaries of young adult fiction, it is more than a coming of age tale even as it delves into the angst of adolescence. The Midnight Dress is compelling, a story of loss, of yearning and dark enchantment and leaves me eager to read more from Karen Foxlee.

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Hidden Book Tour

Bloomsbury is delighted to launch Hidden by Marianne Curley, the first in the  Avena series.

Marianne Curley’s debut novel Old Magic established her place as an exciting and original voice in the world of children’s literature in Australia and went on to sell in 13 countries.

Hidden is Marianne Curley’s  first book in 8 years.

For as long as Ebony can remember, she’s been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It’s as if she’s being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can’t be concealed. She’s growing more beautiful by the day, she’s freakishly strong, and then there’s the fact that she’s glowing. On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she’s intensely drawn to him. It’s as if something explodes inside of her–something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn’t know that she’s a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.

 I was able to ask Marianne a single question in anticipation of her book launch.

How was writing Hidden different from writing your previous books?

When I thought about this question, the first thing that sprang to mind was technology, and how much more convenient computers, the Internet and telephones had become. I know that makes me sound ancient, but there were seven years between The Key and Hidden, and technology went crazy in that time. I had no need to drive to libraries anymore. All the reference material I required was now as close as my fingertips. And how distracting had a telephone become!

Another difference was the pressure I felt to prove I could still write. It seemed like my life had started again after my cancer treatment, and the longer it took me to achieve publication, the more intense the pressure became.

Another difference was my change in lifestyle. I had a physical disability now and was learning to walk without bumping into walls because my balance was wonky. And I was not able to go for my walks on the beach anymore, or down the broken paths of the local rainforest. These were my thinking times, in the open air, when I worked on a plot problem, or a new plan, or any number of issues. Now, because of my pain treatment, when I closed my eyes to visualise my characters and the scenes I put them in, I fell asleep. I fell asleep while typing so many times I had to remember to save my file every few minutes in case I accidently held down the delete key!

But the best thing that’s different now while I write my new series is my attitude – to everything. The successful transplant gave me a second chance at life, and even seven years later, I’m still excited to be alive. My priorities have changed. Small things don’t bother me anymore. If there’s a problem, I deal with it. Today I’m even taking care of my sleepiness by ensuring I go to bed early, get a good night’s sleep, and take power naps whenever I feel my head slide towards the keypad.

Learn more about Hidden, get access to exclusive extras and enter to win a copy  at the Hidden Books Facebook page

Hidden is available from Bloomsbury and all good bookstores

Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Eleanor and Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Published: St Martin’s Press February 2013

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Status: Read from February 14 to 17, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy St Martin’s Press/Netgalley}

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Rainbow Rowell’s debut novel, Attachments last year so I eagerly requested Eleanor and Park for review, particularly given the promise of mid 80′s pop culture references. (I’m an 80′s tragic). A contemporary young adult novel, Eleanor and Park introduces two sixteen year old’s whose mutual antipathy evolves into passionate relationship, after being forced to share a seat on the school bus.

While Park, who is half Korean in the almost all white Omaha community he has grown up in, has avoided becoming a target of high school bullies, thanks in part to his friendship with his popular neighbours Steve and Tina, he has always been conscience that his looks set him apart from his peers. When new girl Eleanor, with wild red hair, a thrift store wardrobe and a solid figure steps on the bus, Park recognises her vulnerabilities immediately but defending her is out of the question, though he begrudgingly makes one small concession, offering to share his seat.

Eleanor would rather be anywhere else than on a school bus in Omaha but she has no choice. After an argument with her abusive step father, Eleanor’s mother asked family friends to take Eleanor in for a few days to give him a chance to cool down but it was a year before he let her return, and Eleanor doesn’t want to give him another excuse to separate her from her mother and three younger siblings. Crowded in a ramshackle two bedroom house, the family lives on a shoestring while her step father drinks their money away. Eleanor’s clothes come from thrift stores, basics like shampoo and a toothbrush are considered a luxury she doesn’t deserve and she knows that she will be a target at school. All she can do is ignore the cruel taunts of ‘Big Red’ and keep to herself.

The perspective alternates between that of Eleanor and Park so we have insight into what both are thinking and feeling not only about each other but also regarding their separate experiences. I fell in love with both characters, Park is a sweetheart and I was very sympathetic to Eleanor.

I loved how Rowell developed the blossoming relationship between Eleanor and Park, beginning with Park realising Eleanor is reading his comic books over his shoulder. A tentative friendship forms with casual concessions, all without speaking, until Park makes an overture that surprises even him. Their romance, when it happens, has that teenage intensity familiar to most of us where every touch is thrilling and every glance loaded with meaning.

Eleanor and Park was much darker and more complicated than I expected. Eleanor’s life is difficult and the underlying threat from her stepfather is always present. Park’s home may be happy but has some issues with his father in particular. There is not the happy ending you may expect here either, though it fits the novel and is far more realistic than I usually expect from the YA genre.

Eleanor and Park is a charming, poignant story of first love. Beautifully written, this is a must read for fans of contemporary YA and anyone who still has a mix tape buried in their closet,

*For those too young to know: mix tapes = playlists except on cassette I still have a few I was given, but have nothing to play them on anymore.

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Review: The Prey by Andrew Fukuda

Title: The Prey {The Hunt #2}

Author: Andrew Fukuda

Published: Simon & Schuster February 2013

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Status: Read on February 06, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy Simon & Schuster}

My Thoughts:

Fast paced and exciting, The Hunt was a promising introduction to this young adult series where humans (also known as hepers) have been driven to edge of extinction by creatures that appear to be a hybrid of human,vampire and zombie.
The Prey begins where The Hunt left off as Gene, Sissy and the boys flee the creatures hunting them. Chugging down a nameless river with death lining the the banks and their destination unknown, the group can only trust in the Scientists directions in their bid for The Land of Milk and Honey, Fruit and Sunshine.

With the characters confined to the boat we are able to learn more about Sissy, Ben, Epap, Jacob and David. Born in captivity, each proves surprisingly knowledgeable and capable with skills they attribute to the patient teaching of The Scientist. Gene finds himself slowly warming to the hepers but struggles with having left the relative safety of the only world he has ever known, deserting Ashley June and placing his life in the hands of an absent stranger. Gene is no less conflicted in The Prey than in The Hunt, and when he discovers the identity of the man the others know only as the Scientist his world is turned upside down.

After several close encounters with the ever persistent Hunters the group follows the trail left by the Scientist to The Mission. Believing they have found the promised land the boys delight in their generous reception but Sissy is suspicious and when Gene recovers from a near fatal illness he too grows wary of the community.
For me this part of the story fell somewhere between chilling and absurd. Beneath the veneer of smiling faces and cheerful singing The Mission hides a very twisted secret. With young women happily enslaved to the Elders – a small group of old, balding and overweight men, a captive Dusker and a train that leads straight to hell.

The Prey won’t work as a stand alone. It is very much a continuation of The Hunt and details from that story become relevant to Gene’s journey. Unfortunately I didn’t find it nearly as compelling as it’s predecessor though, with the uneven tension, flawed logic and too many misogynist elements, it all began to fall apart for me.

A fast read with great action scenes but ultimately disappointing, I think I’ll be tempted to pick up the third but it won’t be a priority.

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Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Title: Hysteria

Author: Megan Miranda

Published: Bloomsbury February 2013

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Status: Read from January 24 to 27, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy BloomsburyANZ}

My Thoughts:

With it’s intriguing premise, and having enjoyed Megan Miranda’s debut novel, Fracture, I had been looking forward to reading Hysteria.

Mallory remembers fear, and blood, so much blood, but very few of the details about the night she killed her boyfriend. Though the consensus is she acted in self defense, her parents can barely look at her and his family stalks her in the streets. To escape the condemnation Mallory agrees to go to boarding school, hoping that she will also leave behind the vivid flashes of horror that haunts her.

Hysteria starts strongly and builds around Mallory’s inability to recall the circumstances that led to Brian bleeding out on her kitchen floor. Anxious, ashamed and guilt-ridden, when the nightmares that plague her each night begin to bleed into her waking life she is certain that her dead boyfriend is seeking revenge. Miranda’s artfully slow reveal of details kept me off balance, just as I was convinced a ghost would reveal itself it would retreat in the cold light of day. I enjoyed this uncertainty, the blurring between reality and dream and the ever present sense of unease.

The author also creates another layer of mystery involving the school headmaster’s son and his cousin who trade in nasty secrets. Their hidden agenda becomes tangled in Mallory’s fear and confusion with deadly results.

I have to admit that in some ways I felt the author succumbed to the YA fiction stereotypes she deftly avoided in Fracture – a love triangle, a beautiful blonde mean girl, a quirky, super supportive best friend and minimal adult supervision. For me these elements weakened what is otherwise a well crafted and creative plot.

Hysteria is in essence a psychological thriller but it straddles the genres of contemporary mystery and paranormal fiction and should appeal to young adult fans of both.

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Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

 

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Published: Penguin Australia Jan 2013

Status: Read on January 23, 2013 — I own a copy {Courtesy Penguin Au/Netgalley}

My Thoughts:

I was thrilled to finally get my hands on a copy of The Fault in Our Stars. A bestseller in it’s year of release of 2012, it has received accolades from both critics and readers alike. The gushing, gif laden reviews on Goodreads are hard to ignore as is the frequency at which this novel comes up in ‘best of’ lists amongst bloggers.

In The Fault in Our Stars, John Green explores the sensitive subject of adolescent cancer with heart and humour. Hazel is sixteen, her constant companion a portable oxygen bottle, the cancer invading her lungs that will someday claim her life kept at bay by a miracle drug. Forced to attend a Cancer Support Group by her parents, Hazel meets seventeen year old Augustus, in remission after sacrificing his leg to sarcoma.

Rarely has a book left me feeling so conflicted, The Fault in Our Stars is moving, poignant, funny and charming. I teared up several times, laughed out loud, smiled like a goon and sighed heavily. I read it in a few frantic hours and refused to look up. I cared about Hazel, fell in love with Augustus, sympathised with their families, wanted to smack the douche bag drunken author about the head with his own book. In short I adored it.

The thing is The Fault in Our Stars has plenty of flaws too. It is emotionally manipulative, it often contradicts it’s own intent to be subversive and it is at times it’s terribly glib. I tried to care, but in the end I had to simply let it go.

The Fault of Our Stars is incredible – not perfect – but compelling and masterfully crafted. What more is there to say?

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Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

 

Title: The Hunt {The Hunt #1}

Author: Andrew Fukuda

Published: Simon & Schuster May 2012

Status: Read on February 05, 2013 -I own a copy {Courtesy The Reading Room}

My Thoughts:

In Andrew Fukuda’s fast paced, exciting young adult novel, The Hunt, humans (also known as hepers) have been driven to edge of extinction by creatures that appear to be a hybrid of human,vampire and zombie.

Seventeen year old Gene has lived amongst the ‘people’ his entire life, carefully disguising his human scent, adopting their mannerisms, being like them, all to avoid a bloody, violent death. He lives alone, keeps to himself, remains unobtrusive at school… until his number is chosen. Gene is to join The Hunt, a government sanctioned extravaganza that happens only every decade, a chance to hunt and feed on a handful of hepers released into the desert. Sequestered to the Institute for Heper Research with his fellow competitors, Gene is desperate to maintain his subterfuge, or risk becoming the hunted.

I very quickly got caught up in this fast paced story upon being introduced to Gene, a heper hiding among creatures that would devour him in seconds should they learn what he is. I enjoyed reading a male perspective for a change in this genre and Gene proves to be a likeable protagonist. I liked that Gene was a little conflicted by his human status wishing, on occasion, he could be like everyone else and even that Gene’s first extinct is self preservation, despite learning the truth about the captive hepers. It’s such an interesting internal conflict and one that Fukuda doesn’t shy away from.

The behaviours of the people are unusual but satisfyingly visual and different. The creatures scratch their wrist to express amusement, affection expressed by grinding armpits with elbows and they drool copiously. Yet they go to school, they hold down jobs, they live an ordinary life, albeit one where the eat raw meat, sleep hanging from the ceiling and disintegrate in sunlight.

I’m not sure how I felt about Gene’s fragile relationship with Ashley June, she is fairly inscrutable and remains so through out the story. I am looking forward to getting to know the Heper’s better in the next installment and predict that Sissy will replace Ashley June as the love interest.

I have no problem suspending belief in fantasy but there has to be an internal logic that makes sense in context. There are some flaws with the world-building in The Hunt, elements that don’t quite make sense or contradict each other. It’s a shame because these issues could have been easily resolved and done a lot to enhance the credibility of the author’s world vision.

The Hunt offers something a little different to the current field of young adult dystopia fiction, though it also embraces familiar elements, with similarities to The Hunger Games. Despite it’s problems, I loved the action and the constant tension which carried me through the story quickly and I looked forward to reading the sequel, The Prey.

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Review: What The Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound

Title: What the Raven Saw

Author: Samantha-Ellen Bound

Published: Random House February 2013

Status: Read from February 02 to 03, 2013 -I own a copy Courtesy Random House

My Thoughts:

“Some birds are made for greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. The raven was of both kinds, which meant that his capacity for greatness was huge.”

From his home in a partially collapsed church steeple, the Raven watches the comings and goings of the parishioners, graveyard ghosts and priest. Convinced of his own self importance and superiority, he passes judgement, rarely interacting with the world at his feet. On occasion the Raven descends to the rafters of the church to warble along with the hymns and once the church is empty to sing, for he understands every word of human speech. While the Raven is content to simply observe the world, hoarding treasure and dining on tasty bugs, he is reluctantly drawn into the church’s activity – assisting a ghost to reach out to his grieving sister, rescuing a suicidal man, and catching a collection plate thief.

This unusual, charming novel from debut author Samantha-Ellen Bound is essentially a children’s fable, a story that explores the importance of friendship and of helping others when it is within your means to do so.
I thought the characterisation was impressive, the Raven’s self importance, the pigeon’s scattered thoughts and the scarecrow’s loneliness are believable. I enjoyed the humour of Raven’s grumpy sarcasm and the Weatherhen’s cheekiness and the way in which the author distinguishes between each character with dialogue. This is a well written story that impressed me, despite not being something I would usually choose to read.

What the Raven Saw is a lovely story aimed at the childrens audience and one that could be well utilised for classroom teaching in the later primary grades. I think it also has great potential as an abridged illustrated children’s book.

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