By Sarah J. Maas
Hardback
416 pages
People in my life have been raving about these books.
It is good.
It is totally readable.
I didn't expect it to be such a retelling. Beauty and the Beast with strains of Cinderella and Rumplestilskin thrown in. Not what I expected.
I think that made me like it less. Or maybe my expectations had just been too high.
I liked it, but I didn't think it was amazing.
By Frank Beddor
Hardback
358 pages
This book was super readable and interesting. It wasn't what I expected - a more literal retailing of Alice in Wonderland - and I think that was a strength.
Alyss Heart, 9 year old heir to the Wonderland throne, is violently deposed. The world struggles for peace and freedom as she grows into someone who could oppose the ruling Redd regime.
The book also has neat pictures and is super pretty.
The book is Heartless with an exclusive cover - no signed book plate.
The theme was Wonderland.
Book with letter and card, tea, a magnet, a bookmark, the pin, a copy of Alice in Wonderland, and another bookmark.
Yay!
This book was a great novelization of the play! There were differences, but it was very well done.
The pace was a lot slower than the ya lit I've been reading, so it took some time for me to get through it.
By Carrie Jones
249 pages
Hardback
Young Adult Sci Fi
I borrowed this one from the library after the author came and spoke at my school.
Basic premise: a high school cheerleader witnesses an alien abduction. Then she heads home to find her mom missing and the bad guys waiting for her.
It was fun, a light, quick read.
By AJ Hartley
334 pages
Hardback
What a weirdly swooping narrative. I felt that some plot elements took me by surprise, and others were expected. The characters were realistic and engaging. It was a good book!
Ang is a steeplejack - someone who fixed chimneys and towers. In short succession she discovers a theft and a murder, is assaulted, deals with family drama, and begins to look into these happenings.
The setting (inspired by South Africa?) is a mix of city and rural. Racial tensions are high. It is horse and carriage technology. The world itself is beautiful and compelling.
It doesn't require a sequel, but I would read one!
By Kendare Blake
398 pages
Hardback
September 2016 Owlcrate
Oh my gosh. Can I have the next book now? Please?
Okay, so, three protagonists, all teenage girls. All Queens. When they come of age, they will have to determine who has the strongest gift and will rule.
It's an interesting world - the gifts in the world are poisoner, naturalist, elemental, war, and sight. The protagonists each have one of the first three.
The characters are fascinating and I found myself rooting for all of them.
