What's Next? (1)

What's Next? is a new weekly meme hosted by IceyBooks!  It's a chance for you to choose what I read/review next.  Here are this week's options:

Leave me a comment and tell me which you'd like me to read next!

Ruined (Ruined, #1)

Ruined
Paula Morris
309 pages
Publisher: Point
Source: purchased
★★☆☆☆

You can read the Goodreads summary.

I found this book in the YA section of my favorite used bookstore.  It seems like the past few times I went, I would pick this one up, consider it, and leave it behind, but I finally purchased it for myself last week.  Even though I'd never heard of it before, it sounded like a really great YA novel and the cover really attracted me.

When Rebecca's father must travel to China of business, Rebecca is sent to live in New Orleans with her aunt and cousin.  As a New Yorker, Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in the deep south with their strange traditions and social hierarchies permeating the private high school she's attending.  The one thing her aunt tells her she must absolutely not do is visit the cemetery across the street; so naturally Rebecca checks it out one night and she meets a new friend, Lisette.  But she soon discovers Lisette is more than she seems and Rebecca has been inadvertently pulled in to a family curse that's been happening for over a century and a half.

This was billed as a ghost story, which it is, though it wasn't nearly as haunting as I anticipated.  Though there are hundreds upon hundreds of ghosts in New Orleans (according to the book) we really only get to know one and she's doesn't have an ounce of scary in her.

In addition, the Goodreads summary states upfront, "A gripping YA supernatural novel set in New Orleans: TWILIGHT with a ghostly twist."  This led me to believe there would be either a great romance or a dramatic love triangle - there was neither.  There were a few kisses, but that was about it, and I felt no chemistry at all between Rebecca and her love interest, or any of the characters for that matter.

I felt like the writing and plot were pretty basic in Ruined and while I enjoyed the novel while I was reading it, I felt like it had so much more potential to be complex and compelling.  Overall, this book was okay.  It's billed as YA, but I think perhaps a younger set would enjoy it more than I did.  Evidently there will be a sequel, Unbroken, due out this coming August.

Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)

Graceling
Kristin Cashore
471 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: purchased
★★★★☆

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

I'm not a fantasy fan at all.  Back in high school it seems all we did at each other's birthday parties was watch LOTR DVDs, and I usually sat there bored.  So when my book club choose Graceling as our June read, I was admittedly apprehensive.  Most of the time I hate made up names and places in books and the little maps at the beginning of such books don't usually help.  Sure enough, after two chapters of Graceling I was ready to give up, but I plowed ahead so I would have something to say on Saturday night.

But you'll notice above I gave the book four stars.  How is this possible?  Well, I'll tell you, by about a third of the way through I was actually enjoying the novel!  And by about half way through, I didn't even want to put it down.  It quickly became a "stay up until 2 am and just finish it!" kind of night.  You know a fantasy book is good when I actually like it!

Graceling is a coming-of-age novel about a young Graceling named Katsa.  Gracelings have two different eye colors and special powers that could be as mundane as nothing, or super-powerful and extremely useful like the ability to kill, survive, or sense other through walls.  Since Katsa is the King's niece, she is often forced to use her Grace to his benefit, killing foes or at least threatening them, but this isn't the life Katsa wants.  Deep down she's much more peaceful and wants to put her Grace to use for good, not bad.

That's pretty interesting in and of itself, and I did enjoy learning about how Graces worked.  But, being the hot-blooded female that I am, there was something a little more interesting to me in this novel... and his name was Po.

Oh, Po.  *swoon*  If you thought Edward Cullen was dreamy, you were wrong.  You must read Graceling and swoon over Po.  Everything about him is adorable: his name, the way he puts Katsa before himself, the way he wants to protect her even though she's a million times stronger than him... I could go on.  Of course, Po is extremely interested in Katsa, but Katsa has sworn of marriage and babies.  Yet at the same time, she's drawn to Po as well.  Oh sexual tension, love it!

One of my favorite characters was young Bitterblue, Po's cousin who must be saved from her evil father.  Bitterblue was only ten years old, but she was strong and lovable.  She was very well spoken for a child her age and had an infallible sense of right from wrong.  The third book in this series focuses on her and I'm excited to read that eventually and learn more about her.

This book goes to prove you cannot judge a book by it's beginning.  Three or fours stars - that was the question.  Well, after sleeping on it last night I'm giving it four stars because once I finally got into the novel (about one third of the way through) I had a definite sense of un-put-down-ability.  I will be continuing on with the series at some point, though I think I'm more eager to read Bitterblue than Fire.  If you're a huge fantasy fan though, I guarantee you're going to love this book and you should definitely give it a look.

Spell Bound (Hex Hall, #3)

Spell Bound
Rachel Hawkins
327 pages
Publisher: Hyperion
Source: library
★★★★☆

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

*This review may contain spoilers from Hex Hall and/or Demonglass.

Spell Bound is the third and final book in the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins.  In this edition we find Sophie striped of her powers and facing the greatest challenge of her life thus far - Brannicks vs. Casnoffs.  She needs to find a way to get her powers back and Sophie will learn a lot about herself and her history as she faces this challenge along with her group of friends from Hex Hall.

Just like the first two Hex Hall novels, I was immediately pulled into Spell Bound.  I don't know what it is about Rachel Hawkins' writing, but I'm absolutely drawn to it.  I think a big part of it has to do with her voice and her character's personalities.  Sophie was as sarcastic and witty as always in Spell Bound and that kind of humor really appeals to me.  In addition to that, Hawkins does a great job setting a scene and laying out the plot.  Because of that I know I'll be eagerly reading anything she publishes in the future (including this!)

Speaking of the plot - what a page turner as usual!  Sophie finds herself all over the place in this novel, facing one task after another, stretching herself to the limit for the good of the cause.  I really admired Sophie for doing to right thing throughout the novel and for being so brave.  She even admitted at one point that she needed the hugs of her mother, but at the same time she faced the danger at hand head on.  Gotta love a spunky, sarcastic, brave, butt-kicking heroine!

The love triangle from the first two novels comes to a head in Spell Bound.  While I didn't find the romantic tension as compelling as in Hex Hall or Demonglass, I was curious to see who Sophie would ultimately end up with.  I wasn't disappointed with the way it was presented at all.  The book ended on a high note with what is, I hope, potential for a spin-off should Ms. Hawkins ever see fit... and I hope she does.

Four stars!  If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it.  I got these books out of the library to read, but I loved them so much that I've decided I need to own them in hardback, so they're on my Christmas wish list now.  They're a great read for YA paranormal lovers of all kinds!

In My Mailbox (36)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

PURCHASED:
Morganville Vampires Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Rachel Caine

Ruined by Paula Morris

Ophelia by Lisa Klein

Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington

FROM THE LIBRARY:

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

SWAPPED FOR:
After by Amy Efaw

The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites

Total TBR: 184

The Night Circus

The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
387 pages
Publisher: Doubleday
Source: library
★★★★★

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

The Night Circus is only open from dusk to dawn and visitors are enamored with its many tents filled with mysterious wonders, but behind the circus there is something greater going on - a competition between a young woman and a young man who do not know the rules, nor what happens when you win... or lose.

Even though The Night Circus is not a YA novel, I would be remiss to not talk about it.  Quite honestly, I got this book out of the library after being on the wait list for ages.  Yesterday, when I realized it was due back in just a few days, I briefly considered returning it unread because my pile of things to do is a bit out of control at the moment.  But I'm so, so glad I decided to read this book, it was absolutely fantastic and I cannot rave about it enough.  It may be of the fantasy genre, but I think there's something in here for everyone...

Romance, for a start.  There is such a beautiful love story told in The Night Circus's pages that I'm sure it will be a classic in the future.  It's a romance people will reference like that of Romeo and Juliet, though the fate of our lovers was somewhat different.

Magic, is another.  The book contains such a fantastical world filled with magic that you can't help but be sucked into the pages, wishing that this were a real world.  If The Night Circus existed, you would be there every night until it mysteriously vanished for its next destination.  I know I would.  The magical world Erin Morgenstern created within the pages is awe-inspiring.  What caught my attention the most was the ice forest - a tent in which everything is white and made from ice.  I would love to play there.  There were several parts of the book, particularly the descriptions of the rides at the Circus, that filled me with childlike-wonder.

Morgenstern is a fabulous writer.  They way she wrote this book was utterly graceful.  The short chapters were so gorgeously written and filled with beautiful detail that I couldn't help turning the page and reading just one more chapter.  I really cannot rave about this book enough!

Five stars!  What a glorious novel.  Even if you're strictly a YA reader, you must give The Night Circus a read; the child inside will thank you.

Everneath (Everneath, #1)

Everneath
Brodi Ashton
370 pages
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Source: library
★★★★★

You can read the Goodreads summary here.

I first became aware of this novel late last fall and immediately wanted to read it, simply for its title and cover... how pretty.  Happily enough, the novel turned out to be even more wonderful than the cover.  I absolutely loved it!  And if my parents hadn't been in town taking up much of my time (and buying me delicious dinners) I would have found the time to read it all in one sitting.

Everneath follows six months of the life of Nikki.  She allowed herself to be pulled into the Everneath to be fed off of, but now she has six months back at the "Surface" to be reunited with her family, friends, and most importantly, boyfriend, before she has to leave again... forever.  But Nikki has a choice to make; Cole, the boy who sucked on her soul in Everneath, has followed her back to the Surface and wants her to become his Queen.  It's not an appealing choice for Nikki, but neither is the gruesome alternative.

Gah!  I loved this book so much!  (*Hugs book*)  I loved the new take on the Persephone myth as well as the other hints at mythology that intersperse the plot and I think Brodi Ashton did a fantastic job reconceptualizing that.  There are lots of other YA mythological retellings on the market right now, but this one did it right.  Not only that, but the writing is beautiful.  Before Nikki was taken to Everneath, she was a typical high school girl, but now her life is infinitely more complicated and though it's not necessarily a happy story, it's gorgeously written and told.

Besides the awesome plot, I loved the characters.  I felt they were all well-rounded, even the secondary characters, although I would have liked to have learned more about Nikki's best friend Jules.  The one thing that really struck me was what happened to Nikki's mom.  It was a sad event, yet I found myself wondering about it.  I don't want to give too much away, but I felt like there was a point where Nikki could have made a decision and as a result would have been able to see her mother again, and I'm not sure why that didn't occur to her.

The themes of the novel went deep and the story is really about how decisions made in the moment can really affect your future in ways you never anticipated.  And it's true!  A lot of young adults don't realize the decisions they make on a daily basis can really affect their futures.  We all need to slow down and think a little more, but when Nikki didn't do that and it created this wonderful story, I can't fault her for it.

Have a I mentioned I loved this book?

Five stars!  This is definitely one of my most favorite books of the year so far and I'm eagerly awaiting next January for the release of its sequel, Everbound.  If you haven't read Everneath yet, it's really time you get around to it, you won't be disappointed.

7/12 completed