Review: The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

When a mysterious piece of jewelry and a strange visitor arrive in the jewelry shop where she works for her evil aunt, Lucinda's course takes a surprising turn. With the help of the Amaranth Witch, a young (and harmless) con-artist, and a prince, Lucinda uncovers secrets about her own royal past. A strong seller in hardcover, this original fairytale marks an exciting debut from a lyrical new voice


My Review: A sweet re-telling of the Cinderella story with a few twists.  Lucinda is an orphan being raised in her Aunt and Uncle's jewelry store.  Her Aunt (the wicked step mother) treats her horribly and Lucinda dreams of the days she remembers of living with her parents, who died when she was very young.  When a strange women arrives with a magnificent pearl, everything begins to change.
 
Lucinda is a sweet girl that is perfect as a Cinderella role.  She is just innocent enough without getting overly sappy and washing out her personality.  She doesn't always make the right choices, but tries her best to make up for the mistakes she makes along the way.  With the Amaranth Witch to help guide her to a better future, Lucinda may just find a new and better place for herself in the world.
 
Buy it now:
 
Barnes & Noble: The Amaranth Enchantment

Nook: The Amaranth Enchantment

Review: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

A stunning modern-day fairy tale from acclaimed author Anne Ursu

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

My Review: "The Snow Queen" was always a favorite of mine growing up.  I had several different versions that I just couldn't get enough of.  Anne Ursu's version live up to all that I remember "The Snow Queen" ever being.  Hazel is a fantastic character, and the world she trales while trying to rescue Jack is full of surprises and fantastic characters waiting to either help her or hinder her.  Hazel needs to use her wits to try and bring Jack back from the clutches of the Snow Queen.


This is a must read for lovers of fairy tales everywhere.

Buy It Now:

Paper: Breadcrumbs

Nook: Breadcrumbs

Book Review: Thornspell by Helen Lowe

Thornspell by Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe reimagines the Sleeping Beauty story from the point of view of the prince who is destined to wake the enchanted princess in this lush, romantic fantasy-adventure.

Prince Sigismund has grown up hearing fantastical stories about enchantments and faie spells, basilisks and dragons, knights-errant and heroic quests. He'd love for them to be true—he's been sheltered in a country castle for most of his life and longs for adventure—but they are just stories. Or are they?

From the day that a mysterious lady in a fine carriage speaks to him through the castle gates, Sigismund's world starts to shift. He begins to dream of a girl wrapped, trapped, in thorns. He dreams of a palace, utterly still, waiting. He dreams of a man in red armor, riding a red horse—and then suddenly that man arrives at the castle!

Sigismund is about to learn that sometimes dreams are true, that the world is both more magical and more dangerous than he imagined, and that the heroic quest he imagined for himself as a boy . . . begins now.

My Review:  Prince Sigismund has grown up sheltered and protected while his father's kingdom is at war.  He has fallen in love with all the stories of enchanted creatures and heroes rescuing princesses.  Then one day it all becomes real.  A not-so-chance encounter with a sorceress sets events in motion that will change his life forever.

Hearing the tale of Sleeping Beauty from the prince's point of view was fantastic.  He wasn't a hero, but had to learn how to be one.  With several teachers to help him along the way, he must face powers that he could never imagine, even after reading all the old tales.  He finds himself drawn to the enchanted forest, a place that is forbidden to all.  When he discovers that his dreams of a princess trapped in the forest are all real, he knows what his destiny is.

Sigismund is not perfect, and this is one of the many things that makes the story so good.  He is trustworthy to a fault and has to learn that not everyone is what they seem to be.  Caught up in events that seem to be spinning out of control, and taken away to fantastic realms that are not his, he learns the lessons and skills that it will take to save the princess.

The resolution had everything you ask for in a fairy tale, along with a few extra surprises thrown in to keep things a little interesting.

Buy it now:
Paperback: Thornspell
Nook: Thornspell

Book Review: The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 240
Acquired: 6/9/2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle 2011
Series: The Hollow Kingdom (1)

Two young sisters, Kate and Emily, have recently moved back to be raised at the family estate by their new guardian. They don't realize that their new home is near the goblin lands and soon the goblin king takes a special interest in Kate and Emily. The two girls use all their wits try and escape from the clutched, succeeding time and time again. But a strange twist of events, that the goblins weren't even part of, eventually lures the girls back into the reach of the goblin king.

I really enjoyed both Kate and Emily. There were smart and inventive in their ways to avoid the king. They learn to trust and rely on each other. The king himself, Marak, is quite a character. While he is supposed to be evil and mean...the bad guy.. I couldn't help but like him. The king's subjects are quite the variety and are fascinating to read about as well.

4/5

Book Review: Ophelia by Lisa Klein

Ophelia by Lisa Klein

Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Acquired: 6/8/2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle 2011
Series: None

Most of us have read, if not at least heard of, the story of Hamlet. The danish prince's tale has captured the imagination of many, but what of the beautiful Ophelia? Where did she come from and why did she behave the way she did. Lisa Klein takes a look into the life of Ophelia before the start of Hamlet, and follows her through the tragic tale.

Ophelia's story is interesting, and Klein did a fantastic job of molding her story into the framework of Hamlet. But there was just something about her that I had a hard time connecting with for some reason. She seemed a bit one sided, always worrying, complaining, and enjoying the same things no matter what the circumstances were. I can see the places where the author tried to make her grow and develop into something more, but she always came up just a bit short....maybe that was the point?

The plot was were it really lost me. I know there is only so much freedom you have when you are working within another famous story, but there was much of Ophelia's life that was up to the imagination. Most of her story just seemed a bit cliche and overdone. I could almost swear I had read something almost exactly the same and that did turn me off quite a bit.

I don't want to turn anyone off from the book too much though. I don't think there was anything actually wrong with the story, writing style, or characters. And I have to admire the way the author was able to keep all the facts from Hamlet straight and fit it into Ophelia's story just right. It just wasn't a book for me.

3/5

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

Book Review: Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

Imagine being a teenager, looking forward to summer vacation and soccer camp. Now how would you feel if you found out that this summer was going to be much different. This year you will be going to a family frontier camp. A camp that takes you back to 1890, and forces you to live that way all summer. The only saving grace is the cute boy, Caleb, that is staying in a cabin nearby.

Gen is furious at her parents for dragging her to frontier camp this summer. She has to weed corn, milk cows, and wash her clothes by hand. And worst of all she is missing her friends and soccer camp. But all is not a total lost as she has managed to sneak a cell phone in and sends regular text updates to her friends. All this backfires one day when her texts end up on her friend's blog for the whole world to read.

A quick and entertaining read that enjoyed. Reading about the antics of the various teenagers and children that are attending the frontier camp are fun and accurately show how I would have handled being cut off from civilization for two and a half months. I was able to appreciate all the main characters, even the ones I didn't like, and the background characters were developed to just the right level to contribute what they needed to the story. However, the style and conflicts were sometimes a bit predictable.

3/5

Book Review: Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat

Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 415
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

Several years ago there was a political coup and the Phalangist took over. A group of children were sent off to incredibly strict boarding school so the government could keep an eye on them. Four of these children have managed to escape their boarding schools and are making a run to join the new revolution to overthrow the Phalange.

These four children each have their own role to play as they find out more of their past, their parents, and why they have been locked up at school for so long. A very interesting look at the world, but the characters were a little stagnant. They did adapt and learn new things, but it always seemed to be with the same attitude.

3/5

Book Review: Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 243
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

The year is sometime in the future. The place is Foundland, an island somewhere north. There has been some kind of apocolypse, but either no one knows, or no one is telling, what exactly happened. Foundland is populated by the select few. The females that have not mutated. They are taught to depend on no one but their community. They hunt, farm, and have special trackers to watch and chase off the men that may find their shores.

While I found the story interesting, there was a little too much mystery about the circumstances leading up to the community on Foundland. As the young women the story focuses on, Liang and Keller, find a house full of artifacts from the time before (the apocolypse). They are amazed to see photos and make-up and start visiting more and more often, which is strictly forbidden.

As the girls try to avoid being caught sneaking away, committee members are looking for the very thing the girls already found. An interesting look into a controlled community, but not enough detail or follow through to really catch my interest.

3/5

Book Review: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

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

At first glance Terra seems to have it all. She's tall, blonde, in perfect shape. But if you look a little closer as she turns her head, you can't help but notice the large port-wine stain on her face. What you won't notice is her family, and how it seems to be falling apart around her.

North of Beautiful is the story of Terra and her quest to find herself. Her beauty map is flawed, but she is unsure of how to fix it. Then she meets Jacob, a Goth boy with problems of his own. They find themselves navigating through their problems together as the map of their lives comes together.

The story is told beautifully. The author captures so many of the things I remember going through as a teenager, and while everything doesn't always work out in the end (much like real life), the characters find a way to discover who they really are and what is most important to them.

5/5

Book Review: Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 231
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No

Maddie and Joshua were best friends. They understood each other, they were both PK - Preacher's Kids. But then one day Maddie's family moves and they grow apart. Five years later she returns, but she is not the same person. Maddie, now Madeline, has left the church and has quite a reputation as a bad girl. Joshua is determined to bring her back into the church, but finds that Madeline is opening his eyes and make him think about his beliefs.

The story revolves around Josh trying to figure out what happened to Madeline in the five years she was gone that could change her so much. She hates her father and the church, but she won't say why. As Josh tries to get Madeline to open up to him, he finds her opening his mind. Forcing him to think about his beliefs instead of blindly doing what he has been taught his whole life. The two grow close and each of them learns so much more about themselves in the process.

4/5

2011 Book Battle Long List

After many nominations, the 2011 Book Battle for the Best Overlooked Book has announced its long list.  Round 1 judges have already begun reading and 16 lucky titles will move on to the ultimate show down in round two.  The long list is definitely long....80 books.  So I'm not going to copy all the titles here.  If you are interesting is seeing the list head on over to The Shady Glade and check it out.

Book Battle 2011 Announced

Fantastic news!  The theme for Book Battle 2011 has been announced over on The Shady Glade.  This year the theme is going to be .....


... Best Under-Appreciated Book.

This sounds like it could get very interesting.  The call for volunteers has been posted.  Please go check it out if you're interested!

Book Review: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Anna has been best friends with Frankie and her older brother Matt for as long as she can remember. They go and do everything together until one awful day when the unthinkable happens. There is an accident and Matt dies, while Anna and Frankie live. As the girls and their families mourn and try to move on with their lives, Frankie has an idea. When they go on vacation, they make every effort to have a summer fling - to have fun and leave their sadness at home for a few weeks.

Anna reluctantly agrees. In their search for a summer fling they become different people. They lie and sneak around not only from other people but from themselves. Both have secrets they struggle to keep hidden. 

While this was a touching story with some lively characters, much of it seemed disjointed or overly stereotyped. An enjoyable read, but could have been better.

3/5

4th Round Winner and Book Review: The Season by Sarah MacLean

The Season by Sarah MacLean

I read this book as part of a debut book contest hosted at http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com and it won my vote for the round. Alexandra is about to enter her first London season...much to her dismay. She has little patience for gowns, balls, dancing, or potential husbands. Somehow she makes her way successfully through the myriad of balls and gatherings.

On the other hand, the close family friend, Gavin, is still recovering from the sudden and suspicious death of his father. When spies, espionage, and murder come into play he goes on the hunt for his father's murderer. In the midst of this, sudden feelings for a certain young woman come to the surface. Unfortunately, Alexandra insists on helping, and getting herself into and out of trouble.

A great story. Pegged as a romance by some, I felt that the romance was there but not so much that it was distracting. I'm glad I was selected to judge so I could have a reason to pick this up and bump it to the top of the reading list.

4/5

Debut Book Battle 2010

The books that have been chosen to move on to the 4th round have been announced and I will be helping the judge......(drum roll please).......in no particular order:

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Brief Description:  According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance.  Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie - she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.











The Season by Sarah Maclean

Brief Description:  Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued - in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own.  Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London.  yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy.  But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth.  But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process?  In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband?  Romance abounds as this year's season begins!



We seem to have a battle of the Sarah's on our hands!  Just from the descriptions, I have a suspicion of which one I will like the best, but I can't give any hints away until Alyssa over at The Shady Glade gives us the OK...which will be after the winner of this round is decided.

To see which books moved forward in other brackets, stop on by The Shady Glade and check out Alyssa's posts there!!

Book Battle Update

The Shady Glade has posted some nice information about the judges of the 2010 Book Battle.  Several of the first round judges have posted a little information themselves.

If you'd like to read what they have to say just go HERE.