Always a Witch

by Carolyn MacCullough

*Due to this being a sequel, there are some spoilers from the first book!*

Brief Summary: Tamsin Greene, reluctant and newly-discovered witch, is back in the sequel to MacCullough’s Once a Witch to try and prevent her family from being destroyed by Alistair Knight and his scheming family. For this, Tamsin must travel back to the 19th century and infiltrate the Knight’s ranks to prevent Alistair from passing his knowledge of the future onto his ancestors. Determined to both save her family and make the correct choice in a prophesied terribly difficult decision, Tamsin must rely on her just-found Talent and New York City smarts to try and defeat the Knight’s once and for all.

Kell’s Chatty Review: I found that I liked Always a Witch much more than its predecessor (and I liked Once a Witch). The suspense was ripe throughout most of the story (this seems pretty typical in a fantasy, since the author can focus more on the story instead of the world-building) and the new characters were mostly deliciously evil – which always makes for a fun read.

And, in case you were worried: The wonderful Gabriel is back. Although for the most part, in this book, Tamsin is defending the world on her own, which led to some great character growth on her part.

Not to go too far into it: But I was also happy that MacCullough gave Tamsin’s Talent some limits. Sure, it would have be super cool to have an amazing Talent like the one implied at the end of Once a Witch, but with these limits, Tamsin has to think for herself and grow a bit. Also, the story would have probably ended in about five chapters.

As I mentioned: We get some new characters to meet in the sequel, most of which are members of the Knight clan from the 19th century and goodness, what a crowd. On the whole, they are a nasty bunch. You do not want to run into them in a dark alley, let me tell you.

Where this book came from: I read an advanced reader’s e-copy from NetGalley.

Where you can find this book: Published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Always a Witch is set to be available 8/1/2011.

And, yes: I LOVE how the titles of the books are a match. Once a Witch, Always a Witch. Love!

The Lying Game

by Sara Shepard

Brief Summary: Emma has just discovered she has a long-lost twin sister. An Identical twin sister. An Identical twin sister, Sutton, who appears to have disappeared – or been killed. Now Emma is trapped playing Sutton to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. But when your sister was the head of The Lying Game, truth and fiction blur, leaving Emma with no idea who to trust.

Kell’s Chatty Review: The Lying Game was ensnaring. I had a hard time buying into the premise, but once the mystery really started to come about I was hooked.

The bad first: I had a tough time believing the first 50 pages. That Emma would just get on a bus to meet a girl she didn’t know without telling anyone didn’t seem to jibe with her otherwise smart attitude. I also had a hard time believing that she would just leave her bag somewhere.

Getting beyond those problems, though: the mysteries of Sutton’s disappearance and of Sutton herself were both intriguing and more than a bit creepy. There were occasions when I was SURE the mystery (or at least part of it) would be solved before the next part of the series. But it wasn’t. In fact, there’s only MORE questions to answer. I will def. be picking up the next book to see what twists and turns await Emma.

The Lying Game,: like, the game itself? SO screwed up. I don’t even know where to begin. Which, obviously, just makes everyone involved a bit more diabolical and terrifying. So, well played there. (even more well played was Shepard’s note in the acknowledgements that none of the pranks should be tried at home. Agreed.)

This book: DOES set up a mystery series, so there are a lot of details and plot developments to keep straight, which is pretty typical. I’m hoping that subsequent books will build upon the pretty good foundation and become even better and more mysterious.

What I most wanted to do after reading this book: Make my own list about who could be the killer. (I was on a plane – nothing kills time like list making.)

Where this book came from: An e-ARC from the publisher.

 

*Spoilers. A lot of them.*

So, as the reader: we know that Sutton is dead, as she’s our narrator and basically tells us this fact. But, is it possible that maybe she’s not dead? Maybe she’s in a coma somewhere? So. Many. Possibilities.

My current money is on: Charlotte. There’s a lot of pent-up anger there. And the emphasis on Laurel is reading like a Red Herring to me. Anyone else have any guesses?

And as a note: How upset will I be if Ethan ends up being a bad guy? A lot upset. A lot.

*Okay, spoilers over*

Future Review: Always a Witch

by Carolyn MacCullough

*A full review of this book will be coming closer to publication date. But here’s a quick look at Always a Witch!*

Tamsin Greene, reluctant and newly-discovered witch, is back in the sequel to MacCullough’s Once a Witch to try and prevent her family from being destroyed by Alistair Knight and his scheming family. For this, Tamsin must travel back to the 19th century and infiltrate the Knight’s ranks to prevent Alistair from passing his knowledge of the future onto his ancestors. Determined to both save her family and make the correct choice in a prophesied terribly difficult decision, Tamsin must rely on her just-found Talent and New York City smarts to try and defeat the Knight’s once and for all.

I found I liked Always a Witch much more than its predecessor (and I liked Once a Witch). The suspense was ripe throughout most of the story and the new characters were mostly deliciously evil – which always makes for a fun read. Tamsin seemed to grow as a character as she faced situations on her own and made some tough decisions. Also, the wonderful Gabriel is back!

Published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Always a Witch is set to be available in Fall of 2011, but in the meantime, check out Once a Witch if you haven’t already!

Out of the Wild

by Sarah Beth Durst

*there are going to be spoilers from the first book. You have been warned.*

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Brief Summary: Julie’s life has returned to a semi-normal state now that The Wild has been put back under her bed. While there may be an excess of leftover fairy tale accessories, Julie and her family and friends have managed to remain out of the spotlight and held their secret from the public at large. As long as they manage to keep The Wild in check by not completing any fairy tale events, everything should be fine. But The Wild has another ace up its sleeve. Or rather, another hero. The Wild spits out Julie’s dad – Rapunzel’s prince – and Julie is forced to figure out what The Wild wants while trying to keep her questing dad under control.

Kell’s Chatty Review: Sigh. I am So. Very. Pleased. that this sequel lived up to (and exceed in certain ways) its predecessor. Out of the Wild is, like the last book, incredibly fun, action-packed and well-thought out.

Julie: is back and just as feisty as ever. This time, however, she’s got her dad with her. And Prince turns out to be quite a handful. But Julie (or, as Cinderella would say, Joo-lie!) is smart, funny and conscious of her actions. She makes an interesting and fun heroine to follow.

The overarching theme: of this book really deals with how the fairy tale characters are being treated out of The Wild. And how, really, they are still unable to be who they truly are. I LOVED this storyline. When I was a wee girl, I used to fret for the little mermaid. Sure, she had Prince Charming and all that, but she had to miss her fins and Tritan’s kingdom! I never, ever understood that. So, I was really happy that idea was addressed so well.

What I most wanted to do after reading this book: read fairy tales and myths and folklore!

Where this book came from: the library (although it’s currently a bargain book on Amazon, so there’s a copy on order for my personal collection!)

*MAJOR spoiler below*

Okay, so: the other thing I loved is how The Wild argued for its continued existence with Julie towards the end of the book. The argument it made was like a combination of The Neverending Story (that The Wild creates dreams and stories and magic for the real world and it’s a GOOD thing) and that even the villains help define the heroes in the stories. (which always makes me think of one of my favorite lines from the movie “Hook”:

What would the world be like without Captain Hook?”)

So, that entire scene with Julie and The Wild tickled me. Because the idea of a world without stories and magic is so sad and really did have to be addressed as to why Julie could never just wish The Wild away completely. It forced her to think creatively. It was like Durst went into my thoughts and put them on paper in a much more awesome way. Heart!

*spoilers over.*

 

Future Review: The Lying Game

by Sara Shepard

*Future Review posts review an ARC or Galley of a book that isn’t coming out for awhile. I have just a quick snippet with my initial reactions and will post a more in-depth review closer to when the book is released! So, tune in.*

Emma has just discovered she has a long-lost twin sister. An Identical twin sister. An Identical twin sister, Sutton, who appears to have disappeared – or been killed. Now Emma is trapped playing Sutton to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. But when your sister was the head of The Lying Game, truth and fiction blur, leaving Emma with no idea who to trust.

The Lying Game sets us up for a new series from Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars series), one that is bound to give twists, thrills and chills if the first book is any indication. While I had a few problems with the set-up of the story, The Lying Game was intriguing and left me with so many questions – which is always good with the first book in a mystery series.

Quick note – While I bought a copy of Pretty Little Liars, it has be languishing in my TBR pile. This book has def. bumped it up a couple of spots!

Dreamhunter

(Book One in the Dreamhunter Duet)

by: Elizabeth Knox

Brief Summary: Cousins Laura and Rose live in a world made and decided by dreams. Their respective parents are famous Dreamhunters – part of a select group of people who can enter The Place, where dreams can be caught and returned to the public for profit. The girls have finally reached the age when they can Try and attempt to enter The Place like their parents. But Laura’s dad – the first known Dreamhunter – has gone missing, leaving Laura with only a crazed demand and disjointed clues to determine what mysteries he was trying to uncover in The Place and where he might have gone.

Kell’s Chatty Review: This book was not even close to what I expected, truth be told. Which doesn’t surprise me, because I think it’s really hard to put into words what this book is about without spoiling most of the story. Even the setting is hard to describe (it’s an alternative history in what, as far as I can tell, is a fictional country of Earth?).

What did stand out immediately: was the quality of writing. Description, description, description. The time period emerges (turn of the 20^th century) through Knox’s writing in an absolutely gorgeous way. I never felt that the descriptions were overdone or unnecessary, but rather that they created a lovely mood for the book.

It was also interesting reading: this book so soon after the Hunger Games trilogy. Dreamhunter almost read like a dystopian novel. In fact, the plot could just as easily be set in the future, complete with political intrigue,  suspicion and corruption (like all good dystopian novels). I wouldn’t necessarily call it a Read-Alike for The Hunger Games, but it certainly is the closest I have encountered on the Printz list thus far.

As I approached: the end of the book, I wasn’t sure if it was wrapping itself up (thus making the sequel a standalone) or creating a cliffhanger. And it’s really a bit of both. Having read the first one, I want to read the second one because there are so many questions that have gone unanswered. But, at the same time, I’m not racing over to the shelf because something crazy happened on the last page and I can’t breathe unless I know what happened.

Even so: I’m convinced that you need to read book one to understand book two. SO MUCH needs to be explained and there are so many little details that would need to be re-explained. I just don’t see the second one (without having read it yet, mind you) working as a stand alone. Which is why I’m even more intrigued about the second one being selected for the Printz honor and not the first.

The Secret Printz: So, if by chance you would ever decide one day that you would like to read all the Printz books, Dreamhunter will not be on your list. But, you’ll probably have to read it anyway as its counter-part (Dreamquake) was an honoree in 2008. So, even though it is not on a list for me to check off, it is nice not to have to think “wait, there’s one more I have to read because I would like to understand its sequel.” Granted, maybe book 2 can be read as a standalone. I will report back with that information, promise.

What I most wanted to do after reading this book: While the book didn’t end with a huge BANG, it did end with enough questions that I wrote down the call number for number 2 immediately after finishing the book.

Where this book came from: The library!

Hex Hall

(Hex Hall #1)
by Rachel Hawkins

Brief Summary: There are schools for witches and warlocks, faeries and shapeshifters, each catering to the specific type of Prodigium it serves (teaching spells to witches and warlocks, etc). Hex Hall, located on a small island in the humid South,  is not one of those schools, though. Rather, it serves as a reformatory for the Prodigium who couldn’t hide what they were from humans – a school that helps you hide your powers rather than enhance them. This is where Sophie is sent after she tries to help a human get a date for prom – with disastrous results. It’s at Hex Hall where she meets other Prodigium for the first time (including her vampire roommate and the unfortunately hot, arrogant warlock Archer) and where she begins to piece together a more and more disturbing family history.

Kell’s Chatty Review: Hex Hall was a fun romp through paranormal school. It was also a bit more creepy than I had expected. That said, there were some parts I had issues with and at times I did feel it was a bit on the predictable side.

Let’s Start with the Awesome: Sophie, our main character, is witty and sarcastic and she is a fantastic character to follow around. I was happy to see her many doubts about the friends she was making, her family and her own powers addressed throughout the book. Her confidence ebbed and flowed, which grounded her character a bit in reality. And, seriously, she is laugh-out-loud funny.

Also: as a side-note, I loved Lord Byron’s involvement. Loved. So random.

Archer: was also awesome, if not a bit on the formulaic side. Is the hot guy with the snarky comments good or isn’t he? Did the predictability of his character make me like him less? Not at all.

My biggest overall problems: were: that I felt like I had read it before (relatedly: I was constantly thinking about how similar the characters were to the ones in Ally Carter’s Gallagher novels. So, if you haven’t read those…?). The thing that made Hex Hall stand out from all the other YA-Paranormal Romance flooding the shelves (the reformatory [and therefore dangerous and creepy] setting) was only slightly utilized. Also, there was a lot going on in this book and some of the side plots felt unnecessary at times (unless they help the overall series storyline. Then I take it all back).

*Spoilers*
My one momentary problem: with Sophie was a scene that occurred later in the book during her detention, when she went from 0 to “let’s have sex” in about 30 seconds. It seriously threw me out of the story for a bit because it seemed so out of character.
*End Spoilers*

I did: like it. As mentioned above, I laughed out loud numerous times, which will ALWAYS keep me reading. And while I wasn’t particularly shocked by the big reveal at the end, it was enough to make me wonder when the next in the series is slated to be released.

What I most wanted to do after reading this book: Sleep! (It was uber late.)

Where this book came from: My library!

Cover note: it’s ridiculously gorgeous. I really need to get over my fear of getting sued for some sort of infringement and start posting cover pics, because I heart this one!

White Cat

(Curse Workers #1)

by Holly Black

Brief Summary: Cassel’s family works for the mob. As con artists and workers, they live outside the law – and have suffered for it. Cassel’s not a worker though. He wasn’t born with the power to affect emotions, luck or other demonstrations of magic. No, Cassel is just a murderer. Or at least, that’s what he’s been led to believe. (cue eerie music)

Kell’s Chatty Review: There has been tons of internet hype about this book, and, having finally read it, I can understand why. Black does dark paranormal so well. White Cat was intriguing, with only a few things being predictable. (Black actually threw me off the scent of one MAJOR thing by literally having Cassel speak what I was thinking, then dismissing it. Pretty darn impressive.)

Loved: the way Black rewrote history. Loved, Loved, Loved that. With all the curse working, it would have been easy to slip into thinking this book was sent in a different world (or alt dimension), but her constant inclusion of bits of history really grounded the story (and the reader).

As the set up of a series: I thought White Cat did quite well. It could just as easily be a stand alone, but there are many, many avenues to pursue and it’ll be interesting to see which of these avenues Cassel & co walk down. Also, there’s no obvious end girlfriend for Cassel, which is nice.

What I wanted to do most after reading this book: In the weirdest way possible, I totally wanted a pair of gloves. Doesn’t this book make them seem awesome?

Where this book came from: My very own collection.

Raised by Wolves

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Brief Summary: At the young age of four, Bryn was Marked by a werewolf. An alpha werewolf, actually, who had stepped in quickly enough to save Bryn from being werewolf lunch but not quick enough to do the same for her parents. And ever since her Marking, she’s been a human amidst the pack – struggling for individualism in a world centered on group mentality. Enter Chase – a newly formed werewolf whose very existence makes Bryn reconsider everything that she was raised on.

Kell’s Chatty Review: Truth be told, I pretty much plucked this one out of the newly arrived box in the librarian’s hands. (Don’t get between me and a book I want to read, apparently.)

First, the truth: In the beginning, I was confused a bit. There are many, many intricate plot strands (not to mention the political wranglings of a werewolf pack) and, at the start, it was tough to keep track of what seemed important and what didn’t. But after settling in a bit (and starting to understand pack dynamics) the confusion trickled away and I could just immerse.

I know I say it, like, every time: but I love when we’re given a strong, smart (but not without her own flaws) heroine to read about. And Bryn is both – although not in an annoying way. Also was incredibly awesome to read about?  Where Bryn’s loyalties lie and how she reacts when those loyalties don’t…work out. Always fun and messy reading, that is. (Note: I’m doing a quick reread of this and noted how British that last phrasing was. Oh BBC, how you are influencing me.)

You could totally tell: that Barnes is getting a graduate degree in psychology from Yale. Just reading about pack dynamics and the interaction of the Weres to each other and Bryn was fascinating. Not to spoil anything, but Casey? You totally surprised me, but probably you should not have, which is why the psychology of it all is awesome.

And no one who reads Raised by Wolves: would be even remotely surprised to find that Devon was my favorite. Not one single bit. Can we get a Devon sequel? Stand-alone novel? I really feel like it would be epic to the greatest extent of the word.

What I most wanted to do after reading this book: well, I wanted to see if my vague memory of there being a sequel coming to this was true or not. But after an (admittedly half-hearted) search attempt – some librarian I am tonight – I didn’t see anything confirming or denying from an official source (although I’ve read numerous unofficial reports that there is a sequel in the works. So, my hope for a story centered on Devon CONTINUES!).

Where this book came from: I wasn’t lying. Out of the box. Into my hands. I love libraries .

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

by Carolyn Mackler

Brief Summary: Virginia isn’t skinny, like the rest of her family. She also isn’t under any delusions about being fat. In fact, she lives by the Fat Girl Code of Conduct. Normally, she has her best friend to help her cope, but Shannon has moved to the other side of the country. Virginia is left to maneuver a steady stream of crash diets and binge eating, a secret relationship with a boy, school politics and a jaw-dropping family scandal on her own – to somewhat surprising results.

Kell’s Chatty Review: After just finishing Fat Kid Rules the World, I wondered how similar the stories would be – and they are utterly and completely different. TEMBaOBRT surprised me a lot, if I’m being honest. While it touched on how a teenager copes with being overweight in high school (which is what I was expecting), it actually was about the emotional highs and lows Virginia experienced and how food related to those highs and lows. (At least, that’s what I was getting.)

I was uber impressed: with how the friendship of Virginia and Shannon was displayed over a distance. I thought Virginia’s jealousy over Shannon’s new friends and their email/phone conversations were incredibly well done. While Virginia was more concerned with her relationship with Froggy (seriously, it’s his name), I really felt Shannon and Virginia’s relationship was the vital one in this book.

I did not see: the family scandal coming. At all. I mean, wow. That is some heavy stuff. And the way Virginia responds to the news made me understand why this book was a Printz honoree, because it was so brutally honest.

I loved Virginia’s: List-making habit. As a list-maker myself, I loved reading hers.

As a note: The book I read was a hardcover with the SHINIEST book jacket ever. It’s meant to look like a mirror, which basically means I loved it. One of my fave book covers in this whole Printz run thus far!

What I most wanted to do after reading this book: I was hungry – true story. (Granted, I also finished this on my lunch break. So that may be telling.)

Where this book came from: The library!