Book Review: Bite Club

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Bite Club CoverBook: Bite Club by Rachel Caine

Published May 2011|Published by Penguin Group|368 pages|Purchased for my Nook

Part of a series? Yes, Morganville Vampires #10

Genre: YA/Paranormal- Vampires

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Rachel Caine’s Website

Goodreads.com Summary: After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble. 

There’s a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville…

Morganville Vampires!  I really do like this series more and more, and Bite Club is no exception to that.

First of all, the title of the book is super cute and super appropriate, given what happens in the book.  It’s no surprise that Shane is one of the humans fighting vampires.  He’s definitely angrier in Bite Club than we’ve ever seen him- and you have to wonder if maybe he’s always been so angry, and going to the gym really brought that out.  But I just didn’t like seeing him so angry and wounded (even if maybe I knew it was kind of there, just simmering under the surface).

There is a bit of trouble where Shane and Claire’s relationship is concerned- he, understandably so, is worried that Claire’s relationship with Myrnin is more than a teacher-student relationship.  I really hope it doesn’t kill their relationship in the next few books, but I have the feeling it could become more of an issue for the rest of the series.

One thing I thought was interesting was seeing certain things from Shane’s perspective.  It really made me wish he were really so I could slap him!  It worked a lot better than I expected.  I like that you see his thought process.  While his parts of the book were in italics, Caine seemed to slip in his perspective a little too suddenly.  I’m willing to overlook it, though, because it’s the first time I’ve seen her do the multiple narrator thing.

Also weird?  Everyone seemed to figure out something was wrong a little too slowly, and it took them a while to figure out what to do about it.  Either there’s a side of Shane we’ve never seen, or they’re just really being stupid for not noticing that he’s acting really different.  I do wonder what’s in store for Michael and Eve, what with the huge life decision they’ve made- which also kind of seemed to come out of nowhere.  And Kim was completely ridiculous, especially at the end of the book.  Goodness, how many times does Shane have to say that he loves Claire?

And Claire NOT GOING TO MIT?!?!?!  What is going on with that?  For pretty much the entire series, we’ve heard about how much Claire wants to go to MIT, and when she actually gets the chance to go, she passes it up?  And all because MIT and science will be there, but she only has so much time to learn what she can from Myrnin?  Seriously?  There’d better be a dang good reason for this…

I’m definitely looking forward to Last Breath (the next book in the series) because I can’t wait to see how things play out.

Final thoughts:

There were definitely some surprises in Bite Club, and it was definitely interesting…and made things in Morganville super-interesting.  As much as I loved this book, there were some things that were frustrating.  Bite Club gets 5 stars.

Book Review: The Raven Prince

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The Raven Prince CoverBook: The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Published November 2006|Published by Grand Central Publishing|265 pages|Purchased for my Nook

Part of a series? Yes, Princes Trilogy #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Elizabeth Hoyt’s Website

Goodreads.com Summary: There comes a time in a woman’s life when she must do the unthinkable – and find employment. For the widowed Anna Wren, that means taking a job as female secretary for the Earl of Swartingham. Secretaries are always male – never female – as Anna well knows but the real downfall of her career is the realisation that she is falling in love with Edward de Raaf – the Earl. But when she realises that he is going to visit a brothel in London to take care of his ‘manly’ desires, Anna sees red – and decides to take advantage of the opportunity to also take care of her ‘womanly’ desires – with the Earl as her unknowing lover. But the Earl has another reason for going to London. He is formalising his betrothal and trying (with little success) to forget about a secretary that has no right being female. Unhandsome, he knows that no woman wants him. Except for the mysterious lady with whom he spent two unforgettable nights at Aphrodite’s Grotto, the most scandalous brothel in London. But when Anna’s plan is revealed, a bit of blackmail is thrown into the mix, a proposal is rejected and even the Earl himself will be unprepared for the intrigues that ensnare them.

Another romance novel!  I’m slowly finding romance authors that I love, and Elizabeth Hoyt has earned that place with The Raven Prince.

At the beginning of each chapter, there’s a quote from a fictional book called The Raven Prince, of which Edward has a copy.  I loved seeing this fictional fairy tale play out, and it went along with the book so well!

I really liked Anna, and she really was a sweet person!  I also liked that Anna and Edward had some tragic moments in their lives but we never saw them complain about it.  In fact, they generally went about their lives like they didn’t have any baggage…even though they did end up bringing some of their issues to their relationship.

I loved the setting, and how well Hoyt described everything.  The town they lived in sounded so pretty and quiet!  And while I knew it was historical romance, and even with the historical romance vibe, I didn’t really get a good sense of time.  A little bit of context would have been nice.  But maybe that’s because I just finished Revealed by Kate Noble, which had references to Napoleon and Jane Austen.  But it was still fun to read.

I just LOVED The Raven Prince, though!  Anna really is a good person, and I really liked her with Edward.  Seriously, they’re super-cute together!  Opposites really do attract.  Actually, the relationships between all of the characters were great…and Anna taking care of a sick prostitute, even when people got all judge-y, was so nice of her!  All of the minor characters are great, from Coral, to Mother Wren, to Mr. Hopple…they just made an already great book even better!

Final thoughts:

I LOVED The Raven Prince!  It was fun to read, with a cute couple and a lot of interesting characters.  It gets 5 stars!

Book Review: Revealed

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Revealed CoverBook: Revealed by Kate Noble

Published March 2009|Published by Penguin Group|368 pages|Purchased for my Nook

Part of a series? Yes, The Blue Raven #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Kate Noble’s Website

Goodreads.com Summary: From the acclaimed author of Compromised comes a tale of love and war among the ton. Phillippa Benning is the unrivaled beauty of the Season. But when another lady challenges her for a marquiss attentions, Phillippa entices him to a secret rendezvous only to stumble upon The Blue Raven, Englands most famous spy, lurking at the site of her planned tryst. The Blue Raven has uncovered an enemy plot directed at upcoming society functions, but hes unable to infiltrate London society. Phillippa makes an offer: in exchange for entre among the ton, he agrees to have his true identity revealed at the Benning Ballguaranteeing her unrivaled notoriety. As the danger draws closer, the mysterious spy and Phillippa give in to mutual desire. But when the game turns deadly, betrayal waits around the corner, and Phillippa must decide once and for all, is it the myth that captured her heart, or the man?

I totally wasn’t sure about Revealed at first, but by the end, I was so acting like a fan girl!  When I read a book like Revealed, I’m reminded of why I love romance in the first place, and it always makes me want to read more!

Like, I loved the parts where Marcus and Philippa were together.  Seriously, reading some of those scenes made me giggle.  They’re great on their own, but you put them together, and something magical happens!  And I so wanted Broughton to be the bad guy, but thankfully it wasn’t Byrne.  Phillippa was a fun character, and even when she acted like a total brat, you still couldn’t help but like her.

I liked the spy element of it, and Phillippa trying to help Byrne and Marcus was…interesting at times.  Especially when they had to call on Jane, Philippa’s rival, for help.  It’s too bad we don’t get more of their history in this one, but I loved the snarkiness between the two of them.  And of course, the whirlwind that is the Season, was fun to read.

There wasn’t as much romance as I was expecting, but there was still a lot of tension between Marcus and Phillippa.  Just seeing the back and forth was so much fun!  Considering there was a (surprisingly) not annoying love triangle, and trying to figure out who was selling info to France, I didn’t mind that the romance took a back seat times.

Everything worked so well together, and I can’t wait to see what sort of trouble Philippa gets herself into in the next one!

Final thoughts:

I don’t have much to else to add, but I am definitely a fan of Kate Noble…after one book!  I’m looking forward to reading her other books, because I really enjoyed Revealed.  It’s a fun read, and it was just…delightful!  The characters are great, I loved the setting, and I love the mystery too!  Revealed gets 5 stars!

Is 218 Books A Bit Much?

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Because I don’t really want to end this year end stuff, and because I have a few things I still want to talk about, I’ve decided to do one last post recapping random bookish thoughts that I’ve somehow managed to not talk about the last few weeks.  I didn’t think of doing something regarding my non-bookish favorite stuff, but I may have to do that at the end of year.

I’ve talked about my favorite authors from the last year, my favorite books (be sure to check out part one and part two), and an end of the year book survey.  But…I haven’t talked about blowing my original goal of 115 books out of the water!

Seriously, I only meant to read 115 books this year, and read an astounding 218 books!  Of which 106 were from the library and 112 were books I own…9 audiobooks, 119 e-books and 90 “traditional” books.  And an average of 18 books a month and an average rating of 3.46.

As for how many books I want to read this year, I really have no idea.  I’ve settled on 150 books, but that’ll probably change as the year goes on.  I think there’s a lot that I’ve learned about my reading habits over the last year.

And changes!  Let’s talk about that.  A few days ago, I added a master list of reviews.  In addition to the yearly bookshelf, of course.  And I added my rating scale over to your right…currently above the Goodreads challenge.

Remember how I decided to do the post-a-day challenge last year?  Well, it was certainly a challenge.  Coming up with 365 posts can be really challenging sometimes.  But it’s a lot to keep up with…so I will not be posting everyday, but I am aiming for most days.  For now, I’m leaning towards posting around 5 days a week.

I’ve learned a lot, though.  Like, scheduling posts and having a bunch of drafts?  Totally amazing.  I mean, it’s great for those days when I have no clue what to write about.  And especially for those days when I’ve realized that I never posted anything.  Which only happened once, when I couldn’t remember if I posted or not.  But still important.  I’ve learned to pay attention to the date and time for posts that I’m scheduling…because accidentally publishing a post I’m not finished with is not fun, especially if it’s because I’m not paying attention.  But whatever, it happens to the best of us, right?

I really think that wraps up my end-of-2012 stuff, so onwards with 2013!

Top Ten Books I Resolve To Read In 2013

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Top 10 Tuesday is hosted  by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top 10 lists, based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Books I Resolve To Read In 2013

Happy New Year!  I hope 2012 was great for everyone and that 2013 will be a fantastic, fun-filled year!  This is a great list to start off the year.  There are so many books I want to read and never got to last year, so hopefully this will be the year that I get to at least some of them.

  1. The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William Shirer.  I got this one as an audiobook months ago, and while I really want to read, I’m intimidated by the fact that it is 57 HOURS AND 13 MINUTES!  Whether I listen to it, or read it, it’s going to be a big book, but still.  It seems so long.  But it’s been on my to-read list for a long time, so I should probably just listen to it and cross it off the list.
  2. Life And Death Of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives.  Another one that I’ve wanted to read, but haven’t.  Plus, it would be pretty interesting to read something that is not by Alison Weir- a different perspective would probably be a good idea.
  3. Romance novels.  I have a ton of them on my to-read list, so I’m hoping I can get through a lot of them this year.  Grouping them seems so much easier than listing all of them.
  4. Dear Mr. Potter by Lily Zalon.  It’s letters and pictures by Harry Potter fans, about how much the series has meant to them.  Why is it taking me so long to read this?  The only problem seems to be actually finding a copy, since it appears that it’s no longer in print.  I’ll definitely have  to track this one down…
  5. Manga!  I have a few manga that I really want to read, so this would be a good year to figure out which ones I really like.
  6. Speaking of manga…I need to finish Fruits Basket.  Knowing how it ends is no excuse for not finishing it!
  7. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.  This has been sitting on my bookshelf for months, and I still have not read it. I think it’s time to read it.  Before, you know, it starts mocking me or something.
  8. Lola And The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.  Because I loved Anna And The French Kiss, and I really need and want to read Lola And The Boy Next Door.  Plus, I checked it out from the library a few days ago, so now I have the perfect excuse to read it!  Not that I needed one in the first place…
  9. Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols.  Because I’ve heard good things about it, and because I think I’d like it.
  10. Here’s another broad one- all the books I keep hearing great things about but never seem to get around to reading.  Like The Daughter Of Smoke And Bone or The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight.

GG 1 x 20: P.S. I Lo…

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P.S. I Lo… originally aired May 3, 2001.  It was written by Elaine Arata and Joan Binder Weiss and was directed by Lev L. Spiro.

Brief Summary: Rory goes to Richard and Emily’s house after having a fight with Lorelei.

We open with Rory and Lorelei playing 1,2,3 at the diner.  Luke, of course, wants to know what they’re playing, and watches as Kirk is Lorelei’s choice.  Rory’s first guy is Dean, and they stop playing.

Max calls Lorelei, and Lane and Rory are talking as they walk through town.  Lane tells Rory that Dean doesn’t work at Doosey’s on Wednesdays, while Lorelei later runs into Luke at the Cat Club.  He went shopping to get Rachel a birthday present, but hates going to the mall.  Lorelei volunteers to go shopping for him and will pick out a few potential presents.

Dean is Lane’s partner for a science project, which is awfully convenient.  Mrs. Kim has very specific rules for them working together, and they talk about Rory.  Lane mentions how Rory can’t go into Doosey’s, because Dean works there.  As much as I like Rory, not going into the market because Dean might be in there is a little weird.  It’s a small town, you can’t avoid places just because your ex-boyfriend might there.  Rory walks in and finds them working on the project, and leaves immediately.

The next morning, Lorelei wakes up Rory, and wants her to skip school so they can go shopping together.  Rory goes to school instead, and Lorelei gets a great present for Rachel and a bunch of clothes for Luke, who is insistent that he doesn’t want it.

At Chilton, Rory isn’t paying attention in Mr. Medina’s class, and he wants to talk to her after class.  He’s worried about her, and mentions her break-up with Dean.  Rory is confused as to why he knows about her and Dean, and she learns that Lorelei and Max have been talking for a while, and are now back together.

Back at Luke’s, he’s trying on the clothes Lorelei got, and says he’s going to return them later on.  Meanwhile, Lane is waiting for Rory at the bus stop with coffee, and apologizes for not telling her that she was studying with Dean.  Lane didn’t want to make Rory sad, because Rory gets sad every time someone brings up Dean.  Rory doesn’t want anyone to protect her, and that she’d get over Dean faster if people stopped protecting her.  I totally get Lane’s point, and Rory in this scene was kind of annoying.

Rory and Lorelei talk about how Lorelei didn’t tell Rory about Max- Lorelei didn’t want to share her happy news when Rory was so sad about Dean and because she wanted to give Rory some space.  Rory mentions Lorelei breaking up with guys a lot, so she’s not expecting the thing with Max to last long.  Lorelei stops at the market while Rory goes home…only she goes to Richard and Emily’s instead.  Lorelei arrives at home to find that Rory isn’t there.

When Rory arrives at Richard and Emily’s, they’re getting ready to go to a fundraiser.  Richard pays the cab driver and Rory goes inside.  Random thought- why did Rory take a cab instead of taking the bus?

Anyway, Rory tells them she had a fight with Lorelei, and didn’t know where to go.  She apologizes for ruining their night, and goes to bed early.  Lorelei is all worried about Rory, because she has no idea where Rory is.  Emily calls Lorelei, who wants to go get Rory, but Emily says to wait until morning so everyone can have some time to think and calm down.  The next morning, Rory goes off to school, and Emily mentions that she talked to Lorelei, who wasn’t mad at Rory for leaving, but was really worried.

Lorelei is walking home from Luke’s, after a night of not sleeping well, and sees Dean in the market, so she goes to talk to him.  I really hated how Lorelei went off on Dean, who did tell her about why they broke up.  I’m not the biggest fan of Dean, but I do think he has a point when he says that he’s tired of everyone blaming him for the break-up and how he’s tired of everyone treating him like he’s the bad guy.  I mean, everyone’s so willing to blame Dean, and it’s like the thought that Rory might have had something to do with it never crossed their mind.

Lorelei goes to talk to Rory, and tells Rory that she doesn’t want Rory to make the same mistakes she does, in terms of relationships.  Rory finally talks about the break-up, they make up, and they go home.  The episode ends with Lorelei calling people to tell them she’s dating Max.

Favorite line/scene: Mrs. Kim: “I see all.”

Rory: “Don’t take this personally, but get out.”

Richard: “Rory, I’m sorry you’re upset, but I applaud your timing.”

Pop culture: Anna Nicole Smith, Mary Kay LaTournaeu, Out Of Africa, Meryl Streep, Fabio, GQ, Hanson

Final thoughts: I really liked this episode, which is the last one BEFORE the season finale.  Things are getting wrapped up for the finale, which I’ll talk about next week.  I really can’t think of anything I want to add, so this episode gets 4 mugs of coffee.  I didn’t love this episode, but it’s still pretty good.

The Raven Boys

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The Raven Boys CoverBook: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater|Narrated by Will Patton

Published September 2012|Published by Scholastic Audio|Run time: 11 hours, 4 minutes|Audiobook via the library

Part of a series? Yes, Raven Cycle #1

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Maggie Stiefvater’s website

Goodreads.com Summary: Legend holds that Glendower, a vanished Welsh king, sleeps beneath the hills until he’s needed. The first person to find him will be granted a wish – either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Gansey has it all – family money, a car, time for extracurriculars and friends – but he’s always loved the tales of sleeping kings. He thinks he’s found one too, or at least the area where one might be: in the town of Henrietta, VA. And the best way to be there is to attend prestigious Aglionby Academy for Boys.

Blue is the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, but is too practical to believe in things like spirits or true love. Her policy is to stay away from Aglionby boys…but it may be that one in particular can change her mind about magic, and maybe even love.

My Review:

I’m really not sure what to say about The Raven Boys.  I started out liking it, but by the end, I found myself getting bored.  I will admit that getting a wish by way of a sleeping Welsh king is intriguing, and I loved the idea of ley lines and magic and psychics.  But there was just too much going on for me to properly stay interested.  There were a lot of characters, who are all unique, and I loved that they were unique.  But many of them had their own storylines, and it felt like a lot of them narrated parts of the novel, so keeping track of everything I was listening to get a bit tiresome.  Plus, whenever I’d get interested in something, I’d lost that same interest minutes later.

Virginia seemed like a strange setting- and it took me half the book to realize that it was even set in Virginia.  With all the talk of ley lines, magic and psychics, it really seemed like it was set in, like, Scotland or England.  It just, whenever I hear ley lines, I think of the Southwest or the U.K., maybe even Central America, but not Virginia.

As for the narration, Will Patton was a great choice.  He did a great job narrating, and he really got it right.

I think the major reason why The Raven Boys didn’t work for me was because I listened to it.  There was enough going on that I had trouble keeping up with it, so it’s quite possible that I might have liked it better had I held the book in my own two hands.

Final Thoughts And Rating:

I kind of get why people like Maggie Stiefvater, but The Raven Boys had too much going on, and I felt like Stiefvater introduced too many characters and had more plot points than was really necessary.  It really didn’t work as an audiobook, even though Patton did a wonderful job narrating.  Nothing really seems to be explained but a lot is introduced.  It gets 2 stars.

Top Books Of 2012, Part 2

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So, in a recent Top 10 Tuesday post, I talked about some of my favorite books of 2012.  Except…I just couldn’t couldn’t limit myself to just 10.  I tried to do the honorable mention thing…

…only to list enough to do another list!  And that’s what I’m doing today!  Here are some of my other 2012 favorites:

  • In Honor by Jessi Kirby.  I loved In Honor, and how Honor went on a road trip to fulfill her brother’s last wish.  Such a great book!
  • And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts.  I feel like I’ve talked about this one frequently, but it really has stuck with me, and it really is one of the stand-outs of the year.
  • Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  A world where love is a disease and you have to undergo surgery so you don’t get it?  Definitely a strange world (and one that’s a little scary).  But still a great read!
  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer.  I can’t believe Cinder never made it on my first list!  I love Meyer’s take on Cinderella, and how it’s a futuristic, Cyborg Cinderella story.
  • Don’t Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala.  I think this one is one of my favorite YA contemporaries I’ve read this year.  I could definitely relate to Joy.
  • When She Woke by Hillary Jordan.  I love this cross between A Handmaid’s Tale and The Scarlet Letter.  Plus, it’s an adult dystopic novel and the idea that you have Chromes, who have their skin dyed according to the crimes they commit…it’s kinda strange.  But also interesting.
  • Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.  I think Shatter Me is one of my favorite dystopic novels, and I think it’s because Juliette can torture and kill people just by touching them…unless they are one of the two people who seem immune to her touch.  I’m really looking forward to Unravel Me, which comes out next year.
  • Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers.  A convent where you have assassins blessed by the God Of Death and serve the old gods?  I’m so there!  I loved the historical aspect of the book, and you have assassin nuns.  What’s not to like?
  • Wings by Aprilynne Pike.   I know I’ve talked about Wings a lot, but it really is one of my favorites.  I love what Pike did with fairies!
  • Need by Carrie Jones.  This one is another one I’ve talked about a lot, but this series has a lot of funny moments.  And Zara is a fun, cool character.
  • Unearthly by Cynthia Hand.  I am so excited about Boundless, which comes out next year.  This series is one of my favorites, at least where angels are concerned.  But it’s also one of my favorites, period.
  • Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  It’s Anna And The French Kiss, so how could I not include it?  Anna and Etienne are such an adorable couple, and I love that it’s in Paris.
  • Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.  I almost forgot about this one, and I don’t know how I can do that, because Evie is such a cool (and very memorable) character.

I really could go on and on about the books I’ve read this year, but I think I’ll have to save that for another day.  And for a post that’s not highlighting some of my favorites from the last year.

Ghost Town

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Ghost Town CoverBook: Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

Published October 2010|Published by Penguin Group|236 pages|Purchased for my Nook

Part of a series? Yes, Morganville Vampires #9

Genre: YA/Paranormal- Vampires

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Rachel Caine

Goodreads.com Summary: 

While developing a new system to maintain the town’s defenses, genius student Claire Danvers discovers a way to use the vampires’ powers to keep outsiders from spreading news of Morganville’s “unique” situation. 

But when people in town start forgetting who they are-including the vampires-Claire has to figure out how to pull the plug on her experiment before she forgets how to save herself…and Morganville.

My Review:

This is definitely an interesting book in the Morganville Vampire series.  Claire fixes the machine that keeps Morganville going…but everyone loses their memories in the process.  Well, most everyone- Claire and Oliver seem to be the only ones immune to the strange memory loss, which isn’t really surprising.  I’m not at all surprised that Claire came up with something that had serious (but temporary) consequences- but I was surprised that people didn’t remember the last three years.

And Shane knowing that he was still into Claire, even when he didn’t remember her?  It was such a sweet moment in the book!  Myrnin was his usual crazy self, and Shane’s dad totally did something unexpected.  Amelie and Oliver really do have an interesting relationship, and you really see that during the brief time Oliver took control over the town.  I really can’t wait to see how that relationship continues to develop.

Ghost Town certainly adds to the series, especially with that cliffhanger ending!  I feel like it’s been a while since we’ve had one, and I was wondering when Caine would bust one out.  Again, the characters are pretty consistent, except for when they’re not…and there is usually a reason for them acting weird.

Final thoughts:

I really liked it, and while it’s a fun and interesting read, it’s not one of my favorites.  Still, it’s pretty consistent, and each book keeps building on the last one, so it gets 4 stars.

A Blue So Dark

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A Blue So Dark CoverBook:  A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

Published September 2010|Published by Llewellyn Worldwide|200 pages|Purchased for my Nook

Part of a series? No

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Holly Schindler

Goodreads.com Summary: Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura’s dad left them. Convinced that “creative” equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.

My Review:

The plot: The connection between creativity and mental illness is one that’s pretty interesting.  There were times when things were predictable- like when Aura’s boss at her part-time job turned out to be her grandmother.  Or her mom getting help and acting perfectly fine after what seems like a month of treatment.  That, to, me didn’t seem too realistic. However, I liked that her mom was schizophrenic and not depressed, which is what I’d expect.  Also predictable?  Aura being okay with her interest in art in the end.

The characters: I didn’t really care for Aura’s mom, grandma or dad.  But I did like Aura.  I liked seeing Aura struggle with her own creativity because of her mom.  Aura’s artistic talents seemed similar to her mom’s, in that they both drew and painted and whatnot.  I like that there’s that connection between them, but it was also irritating because I would have liked Aura to be creative in a different way than her mom.

Other Thoughts: I didn’t really like how no one seemed to notice or care that Aura was the one taking care of her mom.  Like, she gets called into the counselor’s office, who didn’t even ask if anything was going on at home.  Granted, they do call her home quite a few times, it’s almost like there was no effort to call her dad.  I get why Aura didn’t tell anyone, and I’m not sure she would have told her counselor, even if she had been asked about her home life.  Is this reality for some kids out there?  Sure.  I could relate to Aura in some ways, and overall, she was pretty likeable.

Final Thoughts and Rating:

I liked A Blue So Dark, but not as much as I thought.  It was a little predictable at times, and some things just didn’t fit.  But the connection between mental illness and creativity is a pretty interesting idea, and I did like the parallels between Aura’s creativity and how creative her mom and grandma are.  It gets 3 stars.