Book Review: The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

Genre: Young Adult, Christian, Historical Romance
Pages: 336
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: ERC
Series: No

A rarity in 1800's, Clara Endicott is a journalist. She has made a name for herself in England by writing about the working conditions of London's poor. She has also wound up in jail for the same thing. An anonymous supporter helps her return home to Baltimore where she finds that life has changed. Her childhood best friend, Daniel Tremain, has risen from a mill worker to an industry leader and power house. But Clara finds that more than just Daniel's social and financial status has changed. He does not seem to be the same person she knew growing up. As Clara tries to find the man she once knew deep inside Daniel, she is inadvertently drawn into danger by one of Daniel's many adversaries.

A enjoyed the story very much, until the end. I had not read too much about this time period and I enjoyed reading a story that brought it to life for me - the labor riots, the crime, and the muckrakers making headlines. However, the characters fell a little flat - especially Clara who seems to start off perfect and go about trying to make everyone else just as perfect as she is. In some ways she succeeds and in others she doesn't. Her successes seem to pop out of nowhere, with people changing their entire life view after just a few conversations with her.

Overall, the story itself was good, but I found the characters to be lacking.

2.5/5

Book Review: Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe

Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 464
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

Maya's life has been far from typical, but it's about to get even more so when her con-man father gets arrested. Maya finds herself in a group home - miserable and alone. Then she gets word that there is a relative out there that may be able to take her in, but none of the adults believe her or are willing to help her track them down. So one night she sets off on her own, a runaway from the state with a highly unlikely companion.

Maya, who now goes by Jeopardy on the streets, doesn't realize just how much she doesn't know about life until she hits the roads to try and find her aunt. She learns about life and responsibility, while tackling moral dilemmas she never even imagined before. As she comes to understand the world better, with the help of her the companions she meets along the way, she begins to doubt the way she looks at life.

A fantastic story of a girl finding out that there is more to life than she could have possibly imagined. Not all things turn out OK, but that's what real life is all about sometimes.

5/5

Book Review: Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft

Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 235Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

Jonathon used to be a twin. I say used to be because his brother died less than a year ago. Jonathon is drifting and confused. His life is slipping away from him. The only escape he can find is in his poetry and his guitar, but they just aren't enough. As his life spirals further and further away down hill, he finds himself attached to the strangest people. People that show him that just because it hurts now, doesn't mean it always will.

Jonathon is an amazing character. He's a "typical" teen, caught in a loop of rebellion and finding himself. His group of friends are everything that a person could ever want. They are there to pick him up when he falls, help him out when the going gets tough, and push him forward when he needs a shove.

4/5

Book Review: Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox

Dreamhunter: Book One of the Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 384
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: Dreamhunter Duet (1)

The Place is where dreamhunters go to find dreams. Dreams that are very different than the ones we have ourselves. These dreams can be shared and shown in a way similar to our movies. Only a select few have the ability to capture dreams from the Place and share them with other nearby sleepers. Laura and her father are two of these people.

When Laura's father, the first dreamhunter known to exist, disappears she has to follow a strange trail of clues to find out what he was working on. A trail that leads to many disturbing discoveries. Will she have to strength to carry on and follow in his footsteps, or will she instead choose to follow the status quo and let his knowledge disappear as he did?

I found the story fascinating. There were so many different levels of relationships and personalities that were explored without making the characters overly complicated. The world was where the author lost me a little. There was so much that I just didn't understand. While it was all made clear as the story continued on, I feel like there were many things that I missed and would have understood or appreciated more had I known more about the world itself. It led to a bit of a disjointed story.

3/5

Book Review: Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 272
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

Aerrin Renning is orphaned and alone - adrift in her father's spaceship when the unexpected happens. She is rescued, tested, and sent to most elite school in the Alliance. Here she meets the famous Dane Madousin, the son of one of the most influential men in the Alliance. Both arrive with a big chip on their shoulders and with the feeling of needing to prove themselves. Aerrin is desperate to hide her past from her classmates, while Dane is struggling to prove he's not just like his father.

Thrown together in sparring class, the two find themselves in an unlikely friendship that pushes the rules to their limits. In and out of trouble, they find themselves relying on each other more and more every day. But will their relationship last when Aerrin discovers the truth about her past, and will Dane's father manage to use his influence to change the course of both their lives?

A fantastic story of discovering who you are and realizing that while your family and past can shape you, it's ultimately up to you to decide what to do with it. Aerrin and Dane are both fascinating and very deep characters. The layers of their personalities and lives are revealed slowly as the story develops and their friendship deepens. The story was engaging with just the right elements of surprise and foreshadowing.

4/5