Mulling On Monday #14

1 ½ Stars (Ew)

This will have to be a quick review, but, nevertheless, it will still be a review. Besides, with this novel, there is very little to say.

So here is a novel that I found on Teenreads. So I went over to Goodreads, and saw the outstanding reviews, and thought that perhaps I would try it.

I hated it. Absolutely hated it. The only thing that saved it from only being a star is the mere idea, and the cool cover.  Everything else was such a turn off for me.

I finished it only becuase I wanted to see if it would redeem itself. But no, I remained disappointed out of my mind.

What I liked was the idea. Ghosts, and a girl who can see one; the mystery of their interlocked pasts. The idea sounded pretty neat.

What I did not like.The entirety of the book, I think.

What really turned me off was the whole ‘sex on top of the stage where a bed magically appears, and to do so while a drama class goes on beneath’. Yeah. That I did not like. And everything just went down-hill so fast from there, it made me sad.

The characters were not as well developed as I would have liked to seen, considering the author had plenty of time to work with, considering the ghost had been a ghost for 130 freaking years. Develop the character please! And the girl was a Disney princess type, with very little to work with, hoping for her prince to save her. Too bad that did not happen.

The characters also tended to be very crude, rude, and while I understand they are supposed to be abusive, there was no need to drop the f-bombs every second word. I not usually strongly opposed to swearing in novels, but it became a little over the top.

The descriptions were also not there.

What was also a turn-off was way things were prestented. It just didn’t work.

Overall, I really don’t recommend this novel, as it is disappointing, and I can’t tell people to read it.

Author: Donna Jo Napoli

Published: October 23rd 2007 by Atheneum

Page Count: 320

ISBN: 0689861761    (isbn13: 9780689861765)

Book of the Week: The Two Princesses of Bamarre

4  Stars

I have to put this novel up as book of the week, because I finished it yet again this weekend, and I have remembered how much I adore this novel. It’s quirky, cute, and different.

Yes, it’s yet another young adult novel, but this is, in my opinion, that captures young girl’s hearts.

And what a favorite; two princesses, fighting, magic, swords and a quest. I mean, when you are a young girl or teen this book has everything you could want without being overwhelmed.

I first read this in grade six, I fell in love. Princess and fairy tales with a older Disney quality to it, it was great.

The story is well developed, lopes along at a great pace, and works in the context that the author wants it to. It’s a fun read. It’s enjoyable. It’s a story that forces a princess to grow up and buckle down.

For the most part, I think I loved this novel more than the lovable Ella Enchanted. This novel is about getting over your fears, struggling, and finding the courage you need in the deep spaces.

What I had issues with was the length. It should have been longer, and therefore, a better, more developed ending, but, what can I say.

This is a fantasy plum full of monsters, an impossible quest, and finding things you never knew you had. I love it, and, overall, it’s great for girls who love their Disney princess’, but wish that perhaps they had a little more oomph.

Meet the two princesses of Bamarre. One is blonde and beautiful, courageous, and craves adventure. The other is brunette, tiny, timid, and just seeks a calm life. When the two used to play, it was always Meryl that saved her younger sister Addie from the dreaded grey death.

That all changes in a moment, when Meryl falls while declaiming the epic poem of Drault. This time though, grey death is not a game…and Meryl is not able to save herself.

Mustering up all of her courage, and then some, Addie takes it apon herself to save the sister she admires so much.

On the way, she will discover more than she ever though she would know…and maybe find love to go with it.

In a volume where terror and fantasy collide for young adults, Gail Carson Levine’s The Two Princesses of Bamarre will delight girls everywhere.

Author: Gail Carson Levinge

Published: February 5th 2004 by EOS (first published 2001)

Page Count: 304

ISBN: 0060575808    (isbn13: 9780060575809)

Mulling On Monday #13

2 Stars

I seem to have issues finding a newer novel by an author that I have not read before. The newest novel to fall short of my expectations is A Curse Dark as Gold, by Elizabeth C. Bunce. It was a novel that I had wanted to get my hands on for a while, but just did not have the time to do so. So I finally did, and I find myself disappointed.

What is going to be hard about this review is telling what I did and did not like without giving too much away.

It is supposed to be a re-telling of Rumpelstiltskin. While I was able to see why this would be, and how it would be, I had issues finding exactly where it was. If anything, then it could have been a novel that did not have to reflect a re-telling of any fairy tale, though, again, I can see where it comes into play.

I found the pacing to be off in this novel. In some parts, it was very, very skilled, and had excellent timing. In other parts, not so much. It could be choppy and hard to read.

And while I realize that the majority of it is supposed to have a fairy tale quality to it, I found parts to be unrealistic and not believable. This comes in many forms, whether the decisions made by the characters, to the strange occurrences and ideas. I mean, the author notes that this is supposed to take place just before/the very beginning of the industrial evolution, but it seemed to be more of a Lord of the Rings type era with the magic and curses and such. It was very frustrating for me.

I also did not like, of course, the ending. Abrupt, if not foreseen, not to mention that it left much to be desired. It was too open ended. It did have the closure needed to end a book; it is not like it just ended, but it still seemed abrupt for what I was expecting.

What I did like were the characters. The majority of the characters were deep, well rounded and for the most part kept you guessing. I say the majority because two stick out in my mind that I feel were not adequate. The first one is Jack Spinner. The second is the heroine herself.

Jack Spinner is a character that is, yes, very much essential to the novel, however, towards the end he became more shady and random. He was not the character that I wanted to see. He was choppy and very much random. I also did not like that he seemed to be a bit of a head case, which gets explained by the end, but it threw me a bit.

The heroine, Charlotte, by the end made me really angry. She is so inconsistent, one moment believing in the curse and all that it pertains, and the next denouncing it and calling it folly. Okay then. Her random decision at the fair also made me angry, because who does that? Unless she was drunk (and I checked; she was not, she was just out of character) it does not seem to make sense.

However, they do all end up rounding out nicely by the end.

What I also liked was the cover. The hands bound in gold thread is a very clever idea, kudos to whomever thought of that. The girl also just suits the book.

I also liked learning about the process of the mill…the little that was talked about. The descriptions were fabulous, and I highly enjoyed the strange superstitions that the ‘village people’ had.

Overall, a ‘meh’ book, that I do not think I will be adding to my personal collection anytime soon.

Charlotte Miller needs some serious help.

With a mill to run, a town to keep together and her father’s recent death, any surprised that could cripple the mill could spell disaster.

Too bad her father neglected to mention the enormous debt that he racked up for some unbeknownst cause leaving Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie in a heap of trouble.

With the bank calling in the debt, they have a very limited time to save the town, their life, and the mill.

The fact that the mill is cursed is not too big of help either.

Any help is welcome. But could the help they get actually cause more heartache and pain? Or will they be able to save everything that they hold dear?

In Elizabeth C. Bunce’s debut novel, A Curse Dark as Gold is a retelling of a classic fairy-tale where so much went wrong, with too much to lose.

Author: Elizabeth C. Bunce

Published: March 1st 2008 by Arthur A. Levine Books

Page Count: 396

ISBN: 0439895766    (isbn13: 9780439895767)

Mission Re-Read The YA Book Shelf: Night World Series

Overall, 2 ½ – 3 Stars

Okay, so I was pretty much forced to read this by my friend, who thought I would enjoy it.  And it’s been a while since I have done a mission post. Oops. Note that this is not because I have been slacking on the mission, it is because I have been reading and not reviewing. Again, oops.

So. This series. I read it. It was okay. I know that there are plenty of people who fell in love with this series, and absolutely were enthralled with it, but I, for one, was not impressed. Maybe it is because I am half-sick of vampire are werewolves and crazy witches and strange forbidden/secret circles, but either way you put it, I was not happy with this series.

The writing was okay; mediocre, and so much like all the other YA novels I have read, that it was kind of like, yes, okay, I get it now.

What bugged me a little was the fact that you read one novel (they are all together, three to a volume, three volumes so far), you skipped right over to an entirely different story with different characters, different plot, but similarities like, oh! Boys. Typical ‘love is forever…and you are my soulmate and we will never be parted!’ It’s getting old real quick.

What really, really, irritated me was the strange similarities between Twilight and these novels. I had to flip to the original publishing date to see who was copying who. And, Stephenie? That would be you. Sorry.

I also, again found it hard to follow. The only thing that connected them was the whole ‘secret society’ and the ‘end of the world’. That kinda blew it for me. I knew it was an older series, but I had to laugh that here I am, ten years later. I seem pretty much alive at this point, so the apocalypse in 2000 is a little old. It’s 2012 now, just so you know.

What I did like about the novels were some of the characters. They seemed (for the majority of the stories) well rounded and realistic…other than the whole supernatural part. The stories (again, for the most part) well well written, even if I am weary of the supernatural teenager/vampire/witch/werewolf/whatever.

Overall, I think that this review may be a little biased due to my frustrations with the YA fad right now, but once I push all that away, this series is okay. Not fantastic, but okay.

Secret Vampire

Poppy is a popular, raven-haired girl who loves her summer fun. But that is all turned upside down when she suddenly gets sick, and it’s not what anybody could ever imagine; Poppy has terminal cancer. When she is visited by James, her best friend he reaches out to her; as a vampire. He can save her.

But it goes against everything the Nightworld laws lay out.

In the opening novel of the Nightworld series, it gives the rules that must never be broken; and what happens when you break them.

Published: June 1st 1996

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551337    (isbn13: 9780671551339)

Daughters of Darkness

Mary-Lynette loves to watch the stars. She always has; they are an escape, and her telescope lets her see far off into other worlds. One day, she sees into a different world alright. She sees what she thinks is a murder.

However, it’s just three vampire sisters burying their mysteriously-killed aunt. The sisters, Rowan, Kestral, and Jade are just trying to live ‘normal’ teenage lives, but when their aunt dies, and Mary-Lynette sees, it just becomes that much more difficult. It gets harder when their brother is sent to bring them back, and he slowly starts to fall for the human.

In a world where falling for humans is against the law, and loving an immortal seems impossible, can the two forgive and be soulmates? Or will the laws make that impossible?

Published: August 1st 1996

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 0671551345    (isbn13: 9780671551346)

Spellbinder

Thea and Blaise are cousins that are closer than sisters. They have always been together. But they are different as day and night, especially in their circles. For the two girls are witches.

Thea belongs to Circle Twilight, for the Glinda-type witches and Blaise belongs to Circle Midnight, for the ones that want a little more darkness.

The two become strained when they both fall for the same boy, and black and white magic flies, and there can be only one winner.

Published: October 1st 1996

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551353    (isbn13: 9780671551353)

Dark Angel

When Gillian is rescued from death by a guardian angel, all seems okay. And that much better when the angel says he can teach  the shy girl how to be noticed and become popular…which could capture David’s – the handsome boy she has had a crush on for ages – attention, making her a star.

But things get frightening when the angel grows dark and starts making demands that just might kill her.

Published: December 1st 1996

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551361    (isbn13: 9780671551360)

The Chosen

Rachel is vampires worst fear; armed with her special wooden stake,extreme martial arts knowledge, and he ability to resist mind-control, she is something from hell for the vampire. Fueled with a vengeance to revenge her mother’s death, She tries to kill as many vampires as possible;it’s what she knows.

What she doesn’t know is that when love forms, it does not matter what form the other person takes. Your worst enemy just could be your soulmate.

Published: February 1st 1997

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 067155137X    (isbn13: 9780671551377)

Soulmate

Hannah Snow is put together. Pretty, good grades, good friends, dreams of a good career. She is ready and prepared for life.

She is not prepared for the handwritten notes warning her ‘dead before seventeen’…in her handwriting.

When she goes to a  psychologist, she assumes it will all stop, and not get worse. Instead, she gets visions, and memories of other lives; her lives. But in each one she sees a vampire who killed a village in his rage. Until, in the eyes of a dying human girl, he recognized his soulmate.

Now Theirry is back, ready to make amends and get Hannah.

When your destiny is death, repeated a hundred times over, can love save you?

Published: April 1st 1997

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671551388    (isbn13: 9780671551384)

Huntress

Jez Redfern is a vampire, through and through. The leader of a notorious vampire gang that hunts them, vermin, humans, she is comfortable with her brutality and strength.

Her world is turned upside down, however, when she finds out that although she is a vampire, she is only half of one. The other half is human. Vermin.

Her world blown out of the water, Jez leaves her gang to do what she thought she would never even think about -protect the humans. This means even hunting and killing what half of her self is.

But when Circle Daybreak sends her on a search for one of the legendary Wild Powers, Jez has to rejoin her old gang; and avoid her old ways. They welcome her back with open arms – especially her old second-in-command, Morgead. Desperate to stay faithful to the human she loves, she clings as hard as she can to humanity.

But when you find your soulmate, it’s hard to resist. Like the other part of herself she is resisting; the huntress who is thirsty for blood.

Published: September 1st 1997

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 0671014757    (isbn13: 9780671014759)

Black Dawn

When Maggie’s brother goes missing, something in his girlfriend’s story does not make sense. So when Maggie digs a little deeper, she captured, and told she is a slave.

She finds herself in a mountainous kingdom where humans are slaves to vampires, witches, and shape shifters.  The world that has no color. A world with danger.

Between escaping with her blind companion Aradia, Maiden of all the Witches, and discovering that she is the long-looked-for Deliverer, the prophesied liberator of the human slaves of this strange land, things just keep getting complicated.

It does not help when the young vampire prince Delos falls for her.

Determined to find out what happened to her brother, determined to escape, determined to resist Delos and his dark promises. She will do all she can, even if it destroys her.

Published: November 1st 1997

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671014765    (isbn13: 9780671014766)

Witchlight

Keller is a shape-shifter. Her ability to turn into a panther makes her strong, a fighter. One of the best in Circle Daybreak. That is why her and her team must find the last wild-power and lost witch child. That is why when they find Iliana Harman, who is supposed to be her, Keller is bemused. She is soft-hearted, sweet, and a little ditzy. Not exactly prime Nightworld material.

It makes the fact that Galen – Keller’s soulmate – has to marry this girl, as he is the prince of the Shapeshifters And as the Witch Child, she’s been prophesied to marry the him to cement an alliance between the witches and ‘shifters, a little hard to swallow.

Keller has to forget about that though, when they find out that they are not the only ones who are looking for Iliana; and that a dragon has been unleashed to find her.

A day in the life of the now-dangerous Nightworld.

Published: January 1st 1998

Page Count: 240

ISBN: 0671014773    (isbn13: 9780671014773)

Strange Fate

(Note – this novel is slated for release sometime this year, or next year.)

The long-awaited final novel in the Nightworld series.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Strange finds life a mass of contradictions.
She’s an ordinary-looking girl, and yet two of the most popular guys at school form her circle of friends.  Kierlan Drache and Mal Harman, who are as unalike as any two people can be.  That ought to make her happy, but recently she’s been having romantic feelings about each of them—and has seen two silver cords: one reaching from her to Kierlan, and one from her to Mal.  What’s going on?  In addition, every night she dreams of a future where dragons and vampires rule the world, and of a brave child called Crispy.  For a girl who hasn’t even heard of the Night World yet, Sarah has a lot to handle!  Even worse, the Apocalypse has finally come—and even the Wild Powers see only one way to stop it.  This is an epic volume, which stars all the most beloved Night Worlders from the other books. Be prepared, though, because seven go on a mission to save the world . . . and only two come back.

- From http://www.ljanesmith.net/booklist.php

Published: April 26th 2011

Page Count: 528

ISBN: 1416986774    (isbn13: 9781416986775)

Whew. That took some effort. Onto the next mission. Next series. Next adventure.

Books on My Growing List To Read: Poision Study

So many books, so little time! And here is yet another novel that sounds absolutely enthralling.

Poison Study, by Maria V. Snyder (http://www.mariavsnyder.com/). It is an older book, published in 2004, but from the reviews and the good ratings, this novel sounds like it is a good read, especially if you are one for magic and such.

I can’t honsetly say what really caught my eye other than the title and the latest cover. It looked pretty. Pretty in the way that makes you think exotic, and wonder what the book it about.

The back cover synopsis helped too. It even sounded exotic, pretty in a gritty way.

The idea is uniqe. The tag line unique. Hasty. Frightning. Choose: A quick death and hell or slow poison and hell. It captures the attention, that is for sure. It sounds like one of those novels that is hard to put down, so engrossing that it has to be read into the wee hours of the night, untill you look up at the clock and think ‘crap. It’s that time? Oops.’

So with some of the stats on Goodreads, it also made me wonder. With 6,079 ratings, a 4.21 average rating, and 1,260 reviews. It can’t be that bad. It also helps that 43% of the ratings are 5 stars, 39% 4, 14% 3, 2%2, and 0%, yes zero, are 1 stars. So the outlook seems good. Hopefully this will be yet another series I can fall in love with.

The only thing that confuses me is why I have never heard of this novel before.

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered a reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace, and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust, and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and she develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life’s at stake again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear!

- From http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books.php

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Published: March 1st 2007 by Luna (first published 2004)

Page Count:416

ISBN: 0778324338    (isbn13: 9780778324331)

Mission Re-Read The YA Book Shelf: The Farsla Triology

4 ½

Well I am begining to see a pattern here. When I was reading YA novels, I tended to go for the warrior type novels. Especially if they had a strong female protagonist. But okay, I can work with that.

This part of the mission focused on the Farsla Series, by Hilari Bell. I acctually fully enjoyed this series, becuase it was written very well with few hints of the writing being for younger readers. The three way omniecent narriative was well done too, and the backstories…oh my! Everything was just so well done and done in depth! This author knows that she is doing when it comes to writing.

  What I also liked about this series was that it was all very well connected, and very little, if anything, was disjointed and confuzed. Again, it was well put together, and written extremely well.

  What I did not like? Hmmm…I did have an issue with the ending. Again. It seemed slightly random. However, I was not super dipleased with it. I just thought that perhaps it could have been a tad bit better.

  And I cannot even complain about the lack of first-person narritive, becuase it was done so well.

  So. Quick and to the point, is what this review seems to be about.

Fall Of  A Kingdom

Three people. Three different backrounds. Three different fates intertwined into one.  

The stories tell of a great hero who will come to Farsla in the time of great need. And it seems that perhaps now is the time. With an enemy greater than any enemy seen by Farsla before nibbling on the borders, the entire country is getting ready for war. Including Soraya’s father, the great commander. Including Jiaan, the illegimate son of the commander. Including Kavi, the man with the tragic past and a shadier actions.

Little do they know that they will all meet and make a difference in the looming war.

 

 

Published:January 6th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published 2003 as Flame)

Page Count: 448

ISBN: 0689854145    (isbn13: 9780689854149)

Rise of a Hero

With the war now in full swing, and sad truths rising to the surface, fate’s wheel is now swinging down to meet the flames. Things are heating up, and the three young people’s fates are becoming more and more intertwined. Will they be able to make the change? Or will the hero be re-incarnated to save Farsla?

 

 

Published:April 25th 2006 by Simon Pulse

Page Count: 592

ISBN: 068985417X    (isbn13: 9780689854170)

 

Forging the Sword

In the last book of the series, the story becomes more knotty and action-packed. The three young people are forced their hand, and must do all they can to save their country…but at what cost?

In the final novel of the Farsla series, Hilari Bell leaves the reader wanting more and more.

 

Published:November 28th 2006 by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Page Count: 520

ISBN: 0689854161    (isbn13: 9780689854163)

  That’s all, folks. More is coming on my mission, I just have to make time to sit down and read it!

Mission Re-Read The Book Shelf: The Books Of Pellinor

4 1/2 Stars Average

Here we are, yet again at another end of a series for my mission. Ha. I think I am slowly conquering my bookshelf, at least the YA series of mine.

This time, the series I read was the Pellinor series. They are The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, and The Singing, by ALISON CROGGON. I really enjoyed this one. A lot. It was almost closer to an adult book than a YA.

I liked the format, even if it wasn’t in first person, but that’s okay. It was well done. The writing was something you could find in a myth. The story was so engrossing. The pace was well set. The idea was executed so nicely.

I remember first picking up this book in the library, because it stood out amongst the thin spines of all the other novels. It was in hardcover then, and I remember whipping through it with ease, loving the story. (I had a thing with female heroines, as I think that most girls did/do. I mean, c’mon, we are quite the species, and we don’t always need men to fight for us.) I also liked that she had flaws. Some characters in novels are polished to the point where all you see is a glowing figure ready to save the world. And is that really relateable?

I also liked that there was one big mission that had to be done. And the bad guys had a reason to be bad guys. They also had a history, a long, hard, history that gave them a reason. The idea of what they believed in was also different. Light VS Dark has been used before, but this was used in an unique way.

What I did not like. Hmm. For one, the wait for all of the novels. It took a year or two for them to be released in Canada after they were released in Australia and the US. That really bugged me, and that was something I had to fight through. Knowing that it was out there, but I had to wait to get the book.

I also think that the last book was perhaps a little rushed, and not as strong as the others, even though it needed to be stronger. After all, it is the ending to the story. Then again, it might have been me rushing through, because this is only the second time that I have read the final novel. It takes adapting for me, every time a new book that is part of a series comes out. It feels out of place, and does not seem to meld with the story. That’s okay. Third time (hopefully) will be a charm, and it will flow right in with the others.

The Naming

A slave. That is what Maerad has been for the majority of her life. In Gilman’s cot, a rough and tumble place where the only reason she has lived as long as she has is because the slaves there are convinced that Maerad is a witch…and Gilman thinks that if somebody kills her, she will haunt him the rest of his miserly life.

But that all changes in a moment. When Maerad finds a stranger in the cow byre, she finds out that she has a secret…and a choice. She is a bard. She can escape with the stranger, and live the life she was supposed to have; learn magics, cooking, music, all of the things people her age have done.  When she escapes with the stranger, she finds that this may have been more than what she was expecting…

Powerful and written with myth-like creativity, The Naming is a novel you won’t want to to miss.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published: March 14th 2006 by Candlewick (first published 2001)

Page Count: 528

ISBN: 0763631620    (isbn13: 9780763631628)

The Riddle

Maerad and Cadvan have been able to fight through and escape the Dark’s clutches…now they are on a mission for the Treesong, which they think will lead the Light to the defeat of the growing Darkness. But all is not well with the two. After all the travel, things are starting  to get strained between them. But when a tragedy strikes, they both find out how much friendship really means, and what love can do.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published: August 8th 2006 by Candlewick (first published August 2006)

Page Count: 512

ISBN: 0763630152    (isbn13: 9780763630157)

The Crow

Hem is a not-so-average Bard. After all, he is an orphan, had a horrible childhood, and only recently accepted Bards and the Bard that is inside him. While his sister is off searching in the north, Hem ends up with his own problems; the Dark is attacking the city, and he is watching it crumble before his eyes. But there is something he can do…at the possible expense of his life.

In the thrilling third book in the series of Pellinor, this novel will be just as thrilling as the other two.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published: September 11th 2007 by Candlewick

Page Count: 528

ISBN: 0763634093    (isbn13: 9780763634094)

The Singing

In the final novel of Pellinor, this is the final showdown between the Light and the Dark. And it’s hard to tell what side is wining. Disaster is ravaging the country, monsters and shadows are chewing the land, and now there are only a handful of people who can save the Seven Kingdoms from a dark and devastating fate. And it all rests squarely on Maerad’s shoulders.

But she has a weapon that nobody else can play…and nobody else can save.

In the thrilling and fast-paced end to the winning series, The Singing is bound to satisfy.

Author:  Alison Croggon

Published:  March 10th 2009 by Candlewick (first published September 1st 2008)

Page Count: 470

ISBN: 0763636657    (isbn13: 9780763636654)

Alright, so now we go onto the next YA adventure…

Author:  Arthur Golden

Published: November 22nd 2005 by Vintage (first published 1997)

Page Count: 502

ISBN: 1400096898    (isbn13: 9781400096893)

Quick Review: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

3.7 Stars.

Let me say that I was obsessed with the musical before I ever read the book(s). I know all the lyrics, all the jokes, one-liners. I know this musical like no other, even some of those that I have preformed in. So I saw the musical before I read the book, so it has greatly influenced my opinion on it…just saying.

I had issues with the book… as so many do. (Ah ha. I have been caught already making Wicked quotes.) The idea is so intriguing, the way it was written was…different. Yes, I know that they changed the musical a lot from the book, and perhaps that is why the two seem like two different stories.

What I liked about the book was just that; the book, the story, the idea that perhaps the Wicked Witch of the West was not wicked. That perhaps she was a real person who struggled with her identity, her love, and the color of her skin.

But,  “just wait a clock tick” (oohh…)

What I did not like was where the book went. Sometimes it was choppy and slow, other times it was confusing and jarring. I also was confused because I did see the musical first, so I had a hard time letting some of the characters be different, and letting them stray off of the well-worn path that I thought was behind-the-scenes Oz.

However, overall, the story is good, the writing is well-done, and the idea commendable.

Ever wonder why the Wicked Witch of the West was wicked? This novel tells the story.  Because, behind the cute story, there is more. Way more.

Elphaba is the witch that everybody loves to hate. Even in Oz. She is difference, green, has magic powers that make her an outsider. Her sister is an invalid. Water must not come near her. Her parents hate her. They call her names like ‘little frog’ and ‘lizard girl’. She has endured much growing up, and continues to fight her way through life.

She wants to get more rights for the Animals, the Munchkinlanders, the people of Oz. It does not mean that everybody agrees with her.

What would you do if you stood out so vividly, when you have something to say?

This novel explores the gaps that were left open in the Witch’s life, and everything in between. We now know the why- and the who.

Author: Gregory Maguire

Published:  December 5th 2000 by Regan Books (first published 1995)

Page Count:  406

ISBN:  0060987103    (isbn13: 9780060987107)

Mission Re-Read The Book Shelf: A Great And Terrible Beauty

Average 4 1/2 stars.

Ah, yes, I have completed yet another great YA series, this one by LIBBA BRAY. A great and terrible beauty was another one of my favorite series at the time, and even when the third and final book came out in 2007 (closer to 2008), I was very excited.

Now that I have re-read them, I think the very main reason, was, again, female empowerment. I know for a fact that I also liked the Victorian part of it, and the magic part. Mix it all up and you have a book that a young girl like me would like.

The writing is very good. Even reading it a few years later, I find I still like it, even if it is still meant to to to a younger audience. Sometimes the writing does reflect that, but for the most part the author does a great job on all three of the books.

What is interesting about this is that the book went places that the author never thought it would go…I can relate to that with my writing. She would also read it to her son each night, and he gave her feedback. Her original editor was her 10 year old son!

And with that, here are my quick synopsis.

A Great And Terrible Beauty

A mix of Victorian England, mysterious societies, and magic. Also, of course, our heroine, Miss Gemma Doyle, whose mother has recently died in the market place at home in India…of causes that only Gemma knows.  Moving to England, she is sent to a boarding school where everything deep and dark unfolds, leaving four girls to unravel a mystery beyond the walls of Spence.
Built on the idea of secret societies and tearing down expectations for women, this novel will bring everything it promises.

Author:  Libba Bray

Published:

July 4th 2005 by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (first published 2003)

Page Count:  416

ISBN:  0689875347    (isbn13: 9780689875342)

Rebel Angels

Gemma and her friends get to leave dear old Spence during the Christmas season; but this season is not just a relaxing one. With magic unbound in the realms, and a mission to fufuill, Gemma, Felicity and Ann are never far from trouble.

Then comes Simon Middleton. Charming, handsome, rich, and in love with the wild Gemma, she has to decide her fate.

Built more on the walls of Spence, Circe, and magic, this novel will draw you in the the Victorian era that also bites.

Author:  Libba Bray

Published: December 26th 2006 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (first published 2003)

Page Count:  548 pages

ISBN: 0385730292    (isbn13: 9780385730297)

The Sweet Far Thing

The girls are back yet again, but they have bigger problems to worry about than learning how to dance and pour tea. The Order and the Rakshanna are both pushing her hard. The creatures are becoming mangled. And Pippa…Pippa is changing. All through the realms is change, and the air is thick with magic.

In the last novel of A Great And Terrible Beauty, by the end, this novel will satisfy everything the reader has asked for.

Author:  Libba Bray

Published: December 26th 2007 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Page Count:  819 Pages

ISBN: 0385730306    (isbn13: 9780385730303)

http://libbabray.com/books.html

And, here comes the next series to explore!!!

Mission Re-Read The Book Shelf: Alanna

Average 4 stars.

Alright, so I finished the Alanna series…it was a breeze, and I remembered how much I used to love these books.

So, now with that fresh in my mind, I think that the reason I liked them so much was because of Alanna herself – a women who empowered herself, made life what she wanted, fought for what she wanted, and made herself conquer her fears.  I think I also liked the romance aspect of it…ah, how naive I was.

What I like now about the books were some of the same things as before. An empowered woman, who fights for what she wants but also is realistic in the fact that she has fears and faults.

The writing is also not bad, considering it’s intended audience. I found that I still enjoyed the series, even if I not thinking about it for days after, and getting excited to get to the next Tortall installment.

Tamara Pierce is a big name in the industry of fantasy fiction, especially in the YA sector. This was her first series in the Tortall installment, and that was in 1986! And she is still writing little pieces to add to the now very complex tapestry of what is Tortall.

I will give a little piece of synopsis  for each book.

Alanna: The First Adventure

In a world where noble women are expected to stay within the lines of who they are supposed to be, Alanna is a girl who has strayed far past those lines. Instead of letting herself be hauled off to the convent where she would learn womenly art, Alanna and her twin brother do the unthinkable; they switch places, with Alanna disguised as a boy to train at the palace to be a knight.

Can she keep up with the boys and learn to be the best? Or will her secret be discovered in a time of need?

Author: Tamara Pierce

Published: January 6th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published 1983)

Page Count  274 pages

isbn: 0689878559    (isbn13: 9780689878558)

In The Hands Of The Goddess

Still in the palace pretending to be a boy in training, Alanna has done remarkable. Her swordsmanship is incredible, her hand-to-hand improving dramatically. She has been accepted by the majority of the population, along with her aversion to swimming.

After meeting the Goddess, and getting a new pet with purple eyes like hers, Alanna continues on her path to knight-hood. So far Prince Jonathan is  he is  her best friend, Knight master – and one of the few who knows the secret of her true ideidentity.

Will she be able to keep her secret safe as she has to protect the people she knows and loves? Or will she save them at the expense of her dreams?

Author: Tamara Pierce

Published: January 6th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published 1984)

Page Count  288 pages

isbn: 0689878567    (isbn13: 9780689878565)

The Woman Who Rides Like A Man

After her identity was revealed to all at the palace, and all of Tortall, Alanna has finally achieved her goals; with one bloody stain. She has killed her enemy, the Duke Roger whose plot to kill the queen could not be hidden any longer.

Now in the Bazhir deserts, she is adopted into a tribe and eventually become Shaman there, turning the Bazhir people’s traditions and ideas on their heads when she starts training two girls and a boy.

Will Alanna finnaly find something she needs to do? Will she ever be able to go back to Courus? And will she decide between the thief or the Prince?

Author: Tamara Pierce

Published: January 6th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published 1986)

Page Count  304 pages

isbn: 0689878567    (isbn13: 9780689878565)

Lioness Rampant

Alanna has finally found am adventure she can go on. With a goal to achieve, she travels from the sunny deserts to the coldest place in the world to get the greatest thing in the world; the  Dominion Jewel, a legendary gem that, in the right hands, has limitless power for good. But with countless issues and bumps in the road, will she be able to save Tortall, and also be who she wants to be?

Author: Tamara Pierce

Published: January 6th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published 1988)

Page Count  384 pages

isbn: 0689878575    (isbn13: 9780689878572)

Well, that is all. That adventure is over, so it is onto the next one…