Book: The Queen Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

Published July 2014 by Harper|434 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: The Queen Of The Tearling #1

Genre: 

An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.

Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom’s haunted past…or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea’s forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea’s nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen’s Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen’s vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen’s Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as “the Fetch.”

Kelsea’s quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea’s journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend…or destroy her.

I liked Queen Of The Tearling, and I have so many thoughts on it!

So, I really liked the world.  It’s odd, because it’s very much a fantasy world, and something about it feels slightly medieval, but it’s a modern sort of medieval…or even a post-apocalyptic/dystopic medieval, if that makes any sense.  In some ways, it feels like an alternate history. There is an official religion, I guess, and something about it is Catholic Church-ish, but not quite.  Religion isn’t super-important in this world, or at least it isn’t to Kelsea, but the bible does have a few mentions.  And Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit were mentioned at one point, which actually took me out of this world a little bit.  I do want to see how Johansen blends them together in the following books, because there is a chance that they might not work well together.  I hope it’s plausible because right now, the random references to things like Shakespeare or The Hobbit did take me out of the fantasy element.

Like, it’s clear that this world was, at one point, the world that we know today, and that something happened to make it different.  William Tear, who founded this country, came from America, and New Europe is mentioned, and they seem to live in an England-reminiscent place (particularly London).  Even the government seems to be vaguely (but not quite) English.

If you look at the series summary page on Goodreads, it describes the book as a female oriented Game Of Thrones (I can sort of see it, but at least with this first book, it doesn’t quite make sense), and that people are living in this place several centuries after some environmental catastrophe.

Here’s the thing with this book: Kelsea was smuggled away as an infant, and she knows NOTHING about her country. And because she knows nothing, we know nothing.  It’s not irritating, and it’s actually done pretty well, but it does leave me with a lot of questions.  Like, who is her father, and why is it a big deal that no one knows?  Now, if you’re going for a GoT angle, maybe it’s her uncle? And why was she in exile for so long?  I know people are trying to kill her, but why are they doing that?  Why did they send her to the people they did? Why did they not really tell her anything?  Did they feel like it would make her a better queen who would change things?  What about the rest of the world?  Is it all under the rule of the Red Queen?  I feel like there’s some other reason too, but I’m not quite sure what.  I really hope that we learn more about what led to this point, and the mystery surrounding Kelsea.

It’s such an interesting world, and even though I didn’t get the answer I wanted, I still felt like Johansen knew a lot more about the world than what we get in the book, and it made Kelsea’s world come alive.  Like I’ve said, though, it did leave me with a lot of questions that I hope are answered.

I did like Kelsea, and while she did seem to be the stereotypical naive girl who wanted to change things, she also has a lot of potential as a character.  I think a large part of it is how isolated she was growing up, so there are definitely times where she isn’t sure who to trust.  It will be interesting to see how she grows into her role as queen.

3 stars.  I liked The Queen Of The Tearling, but I have so many questions that it’s hard to give it something higher. But it does have a lot of potential, and I am curious to see if my questions will be answered at some point in the series.

Book: The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey

Published April 2015 by Delacorte|296 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: The Girl At Midnight #1

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she’s ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she’s fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it’s time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it’s how to hunt down what she wants…and how to take it.

But some jobs aren’t as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

I feel like I’ve heard a lot about this book lately, and while I didn’t completely love it, I still liked it!

It’s really different, and it reminded me a lot of Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor, so if you like that book, you will probably like this one.  They both have a similar feel and the very basic idea of Girl At Midnight made me think of Daughter Of Smoke & Bone.  The e-book from the library said it would be good for fans of The Mortal Instruments (which I actually agree with, there is something in this book that made me think of that series) and Smoke And Bone by Leigh Bardugo, which didn’t make sense to me in terms of actual comparison of stories (at least with this book).  If anyone has thoughts on this, I’d actually like to know!

I thought the idea of the Avicen was really interesting, and how they all have different feathers, and it’s interesting that they seem to have a rivalry with dragons (I really wish I could remember their actual name, but it’s something fancy and Latin-sounding).  I’m really curious about their history, and I hope we get more of in the rest of the series. Everything was described so well, and I really felt like I was actually Echo’s world.

However, there was something about this book that was a little too quirky and unique, and for me, that made it hard to fall in love with it.  As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t, and in a lot of ways, I feel the same about Girl At Midnight as I do Daughter Of Smoke & Bone.

At first, it was hard to get into, but once the story gets going, it gets really interesting.  There were some things that weren’t surprising at all, so it was hard to like those parts of it, but at the same time, I’m also curious to see how things work out because of those things.  I feel like this series is going to get a lot darker, because for some reason, I can easily see it going down that road.

3 stars.  I liked it, but certain things were a little too predictable to properly enjoy.  I am intrigued enough to keep reading to see what happens.

Book: The Heir by Kiera Cass

Published May 2015 by HarperTeen|241 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: The Selection #4

Genre: YA Dystopic

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.

I liked The Heir, but not as much as the previous books.  I’ve really enjoyed the series, and while I’m glad that there’s another book in this world, I had a harder time liking it.

I was intrigued by Princess Eadlyn having her own Selection, but there is something about this book that makes me feel like maybe the series would have been fine without this book.  It just didn’t have the charm and the appeal the first one did.

I think a lot of it is because of Eadlyn, who is whiny, selfish and cold.  I didn’t hate her, but she made it really hard to like her. Which isn’t necessary in books, but she didn’t really change over the course of the book the way I would have thought.  I really hope what happens at the end of the book has a huge impact on her in the next book.  Which on its own, felt a little rushed, and one of the events, her twin getting married and leaving for France, didn’t have the impact I thought it would.  Mostly because I could not tell you anything about him. The new characters didn’t really stand out (they all kind of blend together, actually), and some of the characters from the previous books were quite different too.  Which is fine, given it’s been 20 years since the end of the Selection.

I was slightly disappointed that we don’t really see Aspen or America talk about their selection with Eadlyn. They’ve been through it, and maybe it would have helped Eadlyn.  Eadlyn does have potential, and she does know what she wants, but at the same time, she keeps everyone at a distance..alongside complaining about how much pressure she’s under.  Which I can understand, but she seems to not want it while also wanting it. It’s like she likes the power and the title, but the not the work that goes with it, and would rather someone else do it.  Maxon didn’t seem nearly as obnoxious as Eadlyn was.  It just made her really frustrating.

It is interesting to see it from the side of the one doing the selecting, and I have the feeling I know where it’s going.  I don’t know how I feel about seeing it from this side of it, though, because Eadlyn doesn’t really care about the Selection for 99% of the book.  And a world with no caste system, and a world where people don’t like Eadlyn (which isn’t surprising) had a lot of potential, and while we get glimpses of it, I also wish we saw more of it.  Maybe we’ll see it in the next book?

3 stars.  Overall, I did like The Heir, and I will definitely be reading the next book, but I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous books.

Book: Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Published December 2007 by Hyperion|248 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Horror/Thriller

High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients’ personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view.

On the eve of the hospital’s demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it’s an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents’ diner. For the others, it’s a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.

I thought Project 17 was okay.  I was expecting something a lot more creepy, with interesting characters, but overall, it was a different book than I was expecting.

So, I thought the characters were pretty shallow and cliche.  Which isn’t necessarily a problem, and sometimes I don’t mind it, but in this case, everything was so predictable and not-creepy that I couldn’t care about any of them.  I did like the idea of visiting this creepy asylum before it’s torn down, and one of the ghosts who haunt Danvers had an interesting story.  But it wasn’t enough to make me fall in love with the story.

Not only that, but this book is narrated by several of the kids visiting Danvers and it did not work in this case. There are a few reasons why:

• The kids, for the most part, stuck together, so you don’t really see them on their own.  At best, you see them in pairs and it could have been interesting to see the kids go off on their own.
• They also sounded the same, which made it hard to remember who was narrating.
• And they all reacted very similar, which made it a little boring, because I really wanted to see different reactions.

I was expecting something a lot creepier and scarier, and I don’t know if I wasn’t creeped out because of the predictability of the book, or if maybe, in this case, I’m too old for it, or if it really tried to be creepy but failed. It was also short, so it felt a little rushed at times, and you didn’t really get too much of the history of Danvers, or a lot of character development.  Really, it shouldn’t have come as a big surprise, and I really wanted more.

2 stars.  It’s okay, and predictable, and not as creepy as I thought it would be.

Book: How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford

Published October 2009 by Scholastic Press|276 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

From bestselling author Natalie Standiford, an amazing, touching story of two friends navigating the dark waters of their senior year.

New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn’t made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It’s not romance, exactly – but it’s definitely love. Still, Bea can’t quite dispel Jonah’s gloom and doom – and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?

I loved How To Say Goodbye In Robot!  It reminded me of Eleanor & Park (you can check out my review here), with the overall feel and tone for the two books being really similar.  How To Say Goodbye In Robot, though, had everything Eleanor & Park didn’t.

I really liked how they bonded over the one late-night radio show, and the different cast of characters that called in every night.  I liked that it was their special thing, and I even liked how Bea didn’t call into the show after Jonah left.  I liked how she wanted to make everything okay for Jonah, and how invisible he must have felt and wanted to be.  And it made me wish that we got to see a chapter or two from his perspective, because for some reason, I really wanted wanted to know what he was thinking and going through.  But at the same time, I think it would have taken away something from Jonah’s story, and what happens to him in the end.

Jonah was frustrating and selfish, and even though there were times I wanted to be mad at him, I found I couldn’t be mad him. Because I understand why he acted the way he did.  He leaves, and Bea doesn’t know what to do, but she seems to be okay in the end.

I think what stood out the most was how complicated and different the relationship between Bea and Jonah. They weren’t together, but they did care for each other in their own way, and yet, their relationship wasn’t quite friendship either.  It’s so hard to describe, but it’s somewhere in between, I think, and that makes it different, because it could have easily been a romance.  I’m glad it wasn’t, though, because I thought their relationship was really interesting and different than most YA contemporaries, and if they were dating?  I think that would have taken away something for me.

Something about this book came to life, especially Night Lights, the radio show they listen to.  The callers are quite the cast of characters, and I really like the impact they have on each other.  They’re quirky and different, and you can’t help but like them and wonder what they’re up to.

5 stars.  How To Say Goodbye In Robot is such a different book, but I loved it a lot!