Review: Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

Orphan Monster Spy
By Matt Killeen
Publisher: Viking
Format: Print ARC
Source: YALLFest

To Sum It Up: Sarah is a newly orphaned, Jewish fifteen-year-old in Nazi Germany. After encountering a mysterious man who turns out to be a spy working against the Nazis, Sarah undertakes a crucial mission. She must collect information on a lethal weapon created by a Nazi scientist. To complete her mission, Sarah must go undercover at a Nazi boarding school where she will become friendly with the scientist’s daughter. Sarah endeavors to save the Germany that has been turned against her as well as becoming the hero she desperately needs.

Review: Orphan Monster Spy reminded me of some sort of really cool spy movie. The pacing was excellent, making the story feel action movie-esque. The story was thoroughly researched, making the setting feel authentic without feeling too vague. Matt Killeen did an excellent job of balancing the bigger picture of WWII without sacrificing the relatability of his main character.

I absolutely adored Sarah as a character because she was so enjoyably complex. Sarah’s complexity and growth as a character propelled this book into greatness. Sarah was an incredible heroine with a skill set that reminded me of Black Widow. Put into incredibly stressful situations, Sarah’s decisions were always intelligently made. There is absolutely nothing more frustrating than reading a book where you find yourself mentally screaming at the main character for their pathetic decisions. I was constantly in awe of Sarah’s maturity and sense of purpose. Additionally, I was astounded by Sarah’s perceptiveness and her profound interpretations of her experiences. Despite Sarah’s complexity, she remains relatable with thoughts and emotions the reader can empathize with.

The reader is also occasionally reminded that Sarah is indeed still a child. I was really hoping that Sarah would find some sort of paternal comfort in the Captain. I would have really enjoyed seeing him grow into that role. However, I understand that Sarah’s isolation from others forced her to become stronger and better equipped to deal with the challenges she faced. Sarah was able to become her own hero.

All in all: I know a majority of this review is praise for the main character, but I have no regrets. I love it when a character actively becomes the hero they need for themselves. Orphan Monster Spy was a riveting read that retained a profundity suitable for the setting. You should really give this one a try!

Review: One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn

One for Sorrow
By Mary Downing Hahn
Publisher: Clarion Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: YALLFest

To Sum It Up: The year is 1918, and Annie Browne is twelve years old. Having just moved to a new school, Annie is worried about making new friends. But on her first day, Elsie claims Annie as her best friend. In no time at all, Elsie has Annie isolated from and disliked by all their classmates. Annie struggles to extricate herself from Elsie’s clutches and joins her fellow classmates in alienating Elsie. However, as the Spanish Influenza takes hold of the country, Annie and her new friends must face the consequences of their cruelty.

Review: I love my historical fiction! One for Sorrow not only successfully captures the feeling of the setting, but it supplies the reader with a delightful ghost story. Mary Downing Hahn creates an almost Gothic tone within her story, but she also keeps the book from becoming too far removed from younger readers. It is clear that Hahn is a well-seasoned writer. One for Sorrow is well written without becoming unrelatable. That being said, Hahn is well aware of her audience (younger readers), so while I found this book enjoyable, a younger reader would probably take more away from this story.

I thought the pacing was excellent, making this a very quick read. I did, however, find it somewhat predictable. Taking into consideration the intended audience, this wasn’t really a problem, and I found it did not detract from the overall success of the story or my enjoyment of it.

I found all of the characters to be very realistic. Hahn’s knowledge of her intended audience is clearly shown in the portrayal of her characters. The children in the story truly act their age. Therefore, her characters were relatable, but not always likable. I thought Annie and Elsie were particularly selfish and self-centered, but sometimes kids their age can be. As a reader, I think keeping this in mind helps to prevent you from judging the characters too harshly.

All in all: One for Sorrow was an enjoyable read and I think Hahn is a remarkable writer. However, I do think this book is best suited to readers of similar age to the characters (about twelve years old).

Review: The Valiant by Lesley Livingston

The Valiant (The Valiant #1)
By Lesley Livingston
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Print ARC
Source: YALLFest

To Sum It Up: Fallon is a Celtic princess, a proud warrior hoping to join her father’s war band to fight for her tribe. Her father, however, has a different plan for her, and his decision sets into motion a chain of events that ultimately leads to Fallon’s capture by a slave trader. She’s taken to Rome, where she’s sold to the Lady Achillea, who runs a training academy for female gladiators that is owned by Julius Caesar. Trapped within the very heart of enemy land, Fallon must find a way to prove herself in the arena.

Review: When I read the synopsis for The Valiant, images of ancient Rome, Celtic folklore, and fierce female gladiators kicking ass all immediately sprang to mind. While all of these are present to some degree in the book, I found the resulting combination to be a rather mixed reading experience.

The Valiant is really more historical fiction than fantasy with its mostly Roman Empire setting and appearances by both Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. I did not, however, feel fully transported back to that time. The world-building needed more than references to chariots and the occasional Latin word. One of the greatest eras in history just didn’t seem alive.

At first I was very excited to discover that our heroine Fallon was the daughter of a Celtic king because—warrior princess! I’m also very intrigued by all things Celtic: history, music, knitting patterns. As with the thinly detailed Rome, though, the book didn’t really capture much about the Celts during this period, either. Where the novel spends most of its time is setting up Fallon’s entry into the world of professional gladiatrixing. And it is a looong while before she ever sets her sandal in the arena. I wasn’t expecting this because the book got off to a frenetic start, with the complete upheaval of Fallon’s life in a matter of a few chapters. The plot then loses its urgency as we wait for Fallon first to reach Rome and then for any action to happen. For a novel about female gladiators, there’s more talk about competing than there are actual competitions.

I also wasn’t too impressed with Fallon’s character arc. Despite her believing the opposite, everything just seems to fall into place for her. Except for some mean girls at the gladiatrix academy, everyone instantly sees how extraordinary Fallon is, including Caius Varro, a Roman soldier who insta-falls for her. They go from using his formal title to, “Just call me Cai” in a nanosecond. There’s no buildup to the romance, and since I like my romances to simmer for a while first, this one didn’t do much for me.

The Valiant turned out to be very different from what I’d anticipated going in. After the opening chapters, the pacing slowed down considerably and never really regained its momentum. I’d also thought this would be action-packed with epic gladiatrix matches, but that wasn’t quite what this book delivered, either. The insta-love also made this kind of tough for me to see through to the end, but I got so far in that finishing the book made more sense than DNF’ing it. This isn’t a series I’ll be continuing with, though.

All in All: For me, The Valiant fell short of the potential its premise held. I’d hoped this would be the book to pull me out of my reading slump, but alas, it was not.

ARC Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea
By Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Format: Print ARC
Source: YALLFest
Publication Date: February 2, 2016

To Sum It Up: In 1945, Joana, Florian, and Emilia are among the thousands trying to flee East Prussia as Soviet troops close in. All three have suffered so much loss during the war and are heavily burdened with secrets, but hope may be within reach if they can secure places on board the German ship, the Wilhelm Gustloff. The trek to the Gustloff is rife with danger, but it may be the trio’s only chance of surviving.

Review: Buzz for Salt to the Sea had already been building before I went to YALLFest last November, so when I spotted the ARCs that were available at the event, I was ecstatic. I like to think that I only gasped slightly, but I’m pretty sure that the reality was closer to a very audible squeal.

Alas, I still haven’t read Ruta Sepetys’s much acclaimed Between Shades of Gray (Ally has, though!), but her excellent 1950’s New Orleans-set Out of the Easy compelled me to pick up Salt to the Sea without hesitation. I tend to read historical fiction with medieval, Regency, or Victorian settings, but Sepetys’s skill at recreating the time period for Out of the Easy impressed me so much, I believe that she could write about any historical era. Out of the Easy also drew me in with its richly drawn characters, which is key to holding my attention whenever I read fiction that doesn’t have a paranormal/fantasy/dystopian element to it.

And so I went into reading Salt to the Sea feeling confident that I would be completely gripped by its story even though ordinarily, I’m not particularly drawn to World War II historical fiction. But therein lies the magic of Sepetys’s prose: her storytelling fully immerses you in the time and place she’s writing about. The chaos and destruction that war brings are made all too real here. You can’t help but feel for three of the main characters—Joana, Florian, and Emilia. Their lives have been shattered, their families have been torn apart, and their chances of escaping the absolute hell they’re living appear very slim throughout the novel. The three are essentially caught between the Nazis on one side and the rapidly advancing Soviet troops on the other, and every step the trio takes toward possible escape aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff could be their last. Fear, danger, and desperation pervade the pages, yet there are also a few stolen moments of hope to counterbalance the bleakness a bit.

The multiple POV narration works extremely well here, and the convergence of the story lines is both seamless and for the most part, quick. There’s compassionate Joana, who fled her native Lithuania four years ago and whose medical training has made her the de facto nurse of the group she’s traveling with; Florian, originally from East Prussia and a former restoration apprentice who’s seen firsthand the extent of the Nazis’ theft of Europe’s art treasures; Emilia, a fifteen-year-old Polish girl whose well-intentioned father sent her to live with friends in East Prussia where he’d hoped she would be safe but instead she’s been through unimaginable horror; and Alfred, a German sailor who firmly holds to Nazi ideology and who has delusions of becoming a great war hero. Sepetys develops her secondary characters just as much as her primary ones, too. The elderly gentleman whom the rest of Joana’s group calls “the shoe poet” because he used to be a cobbler and has a knack for making deep, philosophical observations is particularly endearing. There’s also little Klaus, found only with an address on a piece of paper pinned to the front of his coat. The shoe poet becomes like a grandfather to the boy, and their relationship is one of the most touching aspects of the book.

Salt to the Sea is an incredibly powerful, moving story, the type that you’ll still be thinking about long after you’ve read it. It will also absolutely break your heart, but it’s a story that needs to be read—and remembered.

All in All: This is a stellar work of historical fiction. The print ARC has an afterword on the actual events that inspired the novel (my guess is that the finished book will, too), and though not long, it, too, was an interesting read. Salt to the Sea is a compelling book from cover to cover, and I definitely need to read Between Shades of Gray soon.

Review: Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Scarlet (Scarlet #1)
By A. C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker & Company

To Sum It Up: As a member of Robin Hood’s gang of outlaws, Will Scarlet understands the importance of stealth better than anyone. After all, only the gang knows that Scarlet is really a girl posing as a boy. That’s not all Scarlet is hiding, even from her friends, though, and her past is about to catch up with her with the arrival of Guy of Gisbourne, the man whom the Sheriff of Nottingham has hired to rid himself of Robin Hood and his followers for good. For Scarlet, Gisbourne’s appearance in Nottingham means choosing between confronting the life she’s been running from and saving her friends.

Review: The legend of Robin Hood has been one of my all-time favorite tales since childhood. I love anything related to the Middle Ages, and the historical period paired with Robin and his colleagues’ dedication to aiding the poor has just always appealed to me. I also love watching film/TV adaptations of the story. The animated Disney version with Robin and Maid Marian as foxes and Little John as a bear is one of my favorite Disney movies. I was also addicted to the BBC’s spin on the tale a few years ago and faithfully tuned in to BBC America every Saturday night. (My love for that show may have had a teensy bit to do with Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Sir Guy of Gisborne and the fact that he was clad in black leather. Maybe. Just a tad. What was I saying?) Needless to say, I was psyched to read Scarlet and was ecstatic over the idea of a female protagonist who’s a member of Robin Hood’s crew.

One of the very first things you notice about the book is Scarlet’s narrative voice. Wherever the word “was” should be, you’re going to find “were” in place of it, as in, “I were bored. I went for a lookabout.” While Scarlet has a unique way of speaking, I didn’t find it distracting at all; I thought it quite suited her scrappy character and didn’t sound out of place in the story’s setting. The novel really shines at conjuring images of medieval England and making you feel like you’re there. The attention to period detail is impressive.

You’ll find the essentials of the Robin Hood legend here: he and his band of mates steal from the rich to give to the poor, who’ve been taxed into destitution by the nasty Sheriff of Nottingham. Besides Scarlet, Robin’s gang includes Little John and Much, with the occasional appearance by Friar Tuck as an innkeeper (alas, no Allan-a-Dale). I really liked the book’s depiction of Robin as a bit of a haunted soul, dealing with the weight of what he did and saw during his service in the Crusades. His character went deeper than the typical representation of him as a dashing hero of the common folk, and it was a refreshing take. Of course, the Robin in Scarlet is deeply concerned about the welfare of the people of Nottingham, and he works tirelessly to help them.

Where I hit a bit of bump in the book was with Scarlet herself. She’s an admirably tough, courageous character, but she also has a tendency to run off whenever anyone tries to get too close to her. Granted, the secret Scarlet guards is a big part of the plot, but I still couldn’t help becoming frustrated every time she pushed someone away or threatened to leave when she felt like she was being asked too many personal questions. I’m all for independent heroines, but Scarlet was also fortunate to have a group of fiercely loyal friends surrounding her, and I thought she didn’t always appreciate that fact.

I also wish that there had been a little more substance to Guy’s character. He came across as über-villainous, and personally, I prefer baddies with a morally ambiguous side to them. Overall, though, this was a solid Robin Hood story that had me longing to travel back to the Middle Ages to join up with a band of beneficent outlaws. But only if I were somehow immune to the plague and other such lovely medieval maladies, obviously.

All in All: If you love this legend as much as I do, then you’ll probably want to give Scarlet a try. I thought the historical details were spot-on, and I liked how A. C. Gaughen adapted the tale to give it a different twist with a female character in the central role.

Review: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Out of the Easy
By Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books

To Sum It Up:

From an early age, Josie Moraine learned to fend for herself. Her mother is a prostitute in a New Orleans brothel and cares only about herself. Josie has a job in a bookstore—and a job cleaning up in the mornings at the brothel—and hopes that one day, her savings will amount to enough for her to have a different kind of life. One chance encounter puts a college education far away from New Orleans within her reach, while another pulls her deeper and deeper into a murder investigation. Josie has a difficult choice to make: escape, or let New Orleans continue to keep its hold on her.

Review:

I love the cover of Out of the Easy, and it plus all the praise I’d seen for Ruta Sepetys’s writing landed this on my TBR list. Out of the Easy is very much a character driven novel; I don’t always have the best luck with those, but for the most part, Sepetys’s characters carry the novel well. They’re also aided by the fantastic work she does in bringing the New Orleans of 1950 to life on the page.

I was fascinated by the book’s portrayal of the city and how Sepetys juxtaposed its upscale face with its seamier one. The majority of New Orleans that is seen through the eyes of Josie, the protagonist, is the latter. The respectable locals know who and what her mother is—a prostitute—and their sneers trail Josie when she walks by. Thanks to her mother, Louise, Josie has grown up among what might be considered questionable company, but in fact several of these people have cared for Josie more than her mother has. Josie’s dealings with a member of high society who’s thoroughly vile underscore how appearances aren’t everything with these characters.

So much of the book hinges on Josie’s story, and meeting her as a child at the beginning of the book made me a little wary of how I was going to like her later as a seventeen-year-old young woman. Based on her sassy conversation with Willie, the madam of Louise’s brothel, I thought Josie might turn out to be an I’m-Too-Smart-for-You type of character, but she didn’t. She was quite complicated, which was a good thing, but the street smarts that made her pretty cool sometimes conflicted with her decisions. I was particularly frustrated with Josie when she found herself in a heap of trouble trying to mop up her mother’s mess. All right, Josie kept mum because she didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of her, but I thought she should have realized that she did have people, like Willie, whom she could tell anything to.

Willie was definitely my favorite character and stole the show, in my opinion. She may be a brothel madam, but she’s also one incredibly shrewd businesswoman. At the end of the day, her money is as good as that of any other business person in New Orleans. Willie taught Josie how to use a gun, and it’s also Willie who looks out for Josie in a way that Louise never has. And you just don’t mess with Willie Woodley. I’d equally fear incurring her wrath as I would that of the city’s gangsters.

I slightly preferred the murder mystery plotline over the one revolving around Josie’s efforts to gain admission to Smith College. Again, I saw the reasoning behind her actions, but I didn’t necessarily agree with them. Josie wants out of New Orleans and, for once in her life, not to be judged because of her mother. I get that. Yet she’d also be among some of the very sort of social elite who’ve put her down. This is totally a hang-up on my part, though, because I think more along the lines of, if I’m not good enough for your little club, well, forget you, too. I did enjoy reading Out of the Easy; whether you like the characters or would like to see Willie use some of them for target practice, they certainly leave an impression.

All in All:

I will definitely be reading more of Ruta Sepetys’s books in the future. I don’t always go for character studies, but this one was quite well done.

Review: The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

The Wicked and the Just
By J. Anderson Coats
Publisher: Harcourt

To Sum It Up:

Cecily d’Edgeley is miserable over the thought of having to move to Caernarvon, in English-occupied Wales, where her father hopes to find a place among the other English nobles there. While Cecily pines away for the life she knew back at her beloved Edgeley Hall, Gwenhwyfar wages a daily battle to keep her family alive. The English have taken everything from her and her people, and having to act as a servant to a spoiled brat like Cecily so she can put food on the table further fuels Gwenhwyfar’s hatred of the English. Rebellion is simmering in Caernarvon, though, and it may not be long before the Welsh reclaim what belongs to them.

Review:

The Wicked and the Just has the distinction of being a novel that I rather enjoyed reading despite finding both main characters on the disagreeable side. This doesn’t happen often because my opinion of the protagonist, or in this case, protagonists, usually makes or breaks a book for me. Credit J. Anderson Coats’s powerful storytelling with making me forget that I disliked both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar.

From the beginning of the novel, I knew Cecily and I weren’t going to get along. She’s spoiled, pouty, and always conniving to wangle a present out of her father. This is a girl who complains about her uncle’s return from the Crusades alive; if only he’d died, then Cecily’s father, the younger of the two brothers, would still preside over Edgeley Hall. Once in Caernarvon, she views the Welsh with nothing but disdain, and she goes out of her way to show Gwenhwyfar and her brother, Gruffydd, that she’s their better. Reading about a character who I frequently wanted to scream at did pose a challenge, and if the whole book had been written from Cecily’s point of view, I would have had a very tough time getting through it.

At first I had a neutral opinion of the novel’s other narrator, Gwenhwyfar. She didn’t immediately elicit the strong dislike Cecily did, but I didn’t warm to her as a heroine, either. If anything, I felt sorry for Gwenhwyfar and how terribly harsh her life was, especially when juxtaposed with Cecily’s. The English executed Gwenhwyfar’s father, and now she and her brother work for whatever measly wages they can to support themselves and take care of their sickly mother. I was all right with Gwenhwyfar until, without going into too much detail about the book’s turning point, Cecily found herself in dire circumstances. I know I’ve taken her to task for her selfishness and treatment of those she considers beneath her, but her sudden reversal of fortune quite shocked me. Gwenhwyfar, believing that Cecily has gotten exactly what she deserves, is only too happy to make Cecily feel her losses even more keenly. While I understood where Gwenhwyfar's aversion to showing compassion to a girl who wasn't kind to her came from, I was still disappointed to see Gwenhwyfar, who knew misery only too well, so eager to rub salt in Cecily’s wounds. But then, I think the book’s lack of a clear-cut heroine is one of the reasons why I liked the book in the end. Both characters were flawed and I saw this as a plus, lending this work of historical fiction an added sense of realism.

The Wicked and the Just is short on action until almost the end, when it explodes. The first three-quarters or so of the novel read more like a character study, so the story does take quite some time to unfold. For me, the most fascinating aspect of the book was its portrayal of medieval life and how brutal it could be, a reminder that there was more to the Middle Ages than minstrels and jousting tournaments. It was Caernarvon’s story that captured my interest here, and I highly recommend reading the excellent Historical Note at the end of the book, which provides some background on the real-life events in Caernarvon.

All in All:

I wasn’t a fan of the characters, but I really liked the story and the setting. I love reading about the Middle Ages, and The Wicked and the Just was a solid medieval read.

Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Gilt (The Royal Circle #1)
By Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Viking Juvenile

To Sum It Up:

Since the age of eight, Kitty Tylney has lived in the household of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. Kitty couldn’t imagine life without her best friend, Catherine Howard, who clearly rules over the other girls in the Duchess’s care. Cat is about to become a queen for real when she’s chosen to go to court as a maid of honor to King Henry VIII’s new wife, Anne of Cleves, and then manages to turn the king’s affections to herself. Kitty is reunited in London with her best friend, who is now Queen of England, but Cat’s secrets from both the past and the present threaten the happiness of the two young women.

Review:

Every so often I get a hankering for a good historical fiction read, so I had high hopes for Gilt. Although I’m more of a Plantagenet buff than a Tudor one, I was really looking forward to reading this because it was a very promising combination of YA and historical fiction. Sadly, though, I couldn’t form an attachment with any of the characters, and the book didn’t offer much in the way of an in-depth portrait of Catherine Howard, the doomed fifth wife of Henry VIII.

The story is told through the eyes of Katherine “Kitty” Tylney, one of the many charges placed into the household of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. Kitty considers Catherine “Cat” Howard to be her best friend, but Kitty is more like a sheep trailing in Cat’s domineering wake. At first I felt a little sorry for Kitty, whose parents didn’t shed too many tears upon their daughter’s departure. As the novel went on, however, I found Kitty to be increasingly whiny. When Cat leaves Norfolk House for London, all Kitty does is mope about how Cat has abandoned her for the glamour of court life. Even after Cat becomes queen and Kitty is by her side once again, Kitty is not content. She constantly frets that Cat’s past misdeeds at Norfolk House will come to light and that she’ll get caught assisting Cat with the latter’s current intrigue. Yes, Kitty’s concerns were legitimate, but there was little more to her character than worrying and complaining. Not being able to rally behind the main character pretty much guarantees that a book isn’t going to work out for me, and Gilt was no exception.

Cat, as depicted in Gilt, is an utterly unsympathetic character. She’s shallow, selfish, and manipulative. There is nothing redeeming about her, even as she faces execution. I never got the sense that she cared a whit for anyone but herself, despite all of her assurances to Kitty otherwise. Like Kitty, Cat possesses a single facet to her character, and it’s not a flattering one.

I wish that I’d been able to overcome my problems with the characters because I loved the setting. Katherine Longshore obviously researched the Tudor era thoroughly because the descriptions of court life are exquisitely detailed. What can I say? I enjoy reading about lavish castles and frilly dresses that I’d never in a million years wear myself (that’s what books about them are for).

Overall, Gilt read more like a history textbook, with the events leading up to Cat’s downfall proceeding one after the other. The novel didn’t delve enough into the fictional side of historical fiction to really draw me into the story. I think that if Kitty and Cat had shown more dimension to their characters, this would have been a far more compelling read.

All in All:

I was disappointed with this. To me, the characters were one-note and lacked the complexity that might have made me more invested in them. Still, if you have a particular interest in this time period and its historical figures, then you might want to give Gilt a try.

Review: Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Changeling (Order of Darkness #1)
By Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon Pulse

To Sum It Up: In fifteenth century Italy, Luca Vero has just been expelled from St. Xavier’s Monastery after being accused of heresy. Now he is being recruited to join a mysterious order that investigates strange happenings all over Europe that may be signs of the end of the world. One of Luca’s missions brings him to a nunnery where seventeen-year-old Isolde, the rightful heiress to her father’s castle, has been forced to live by her greedy brother. The nuns’ recent bizarre behavior leads to accusations of witchcraft against Isolde, and Luca has to uncover the truth of the matter. The last thing that he expects is to add two ladies to his traveling party, but that is exactly what happens when Isolde and her devoted friend, Ishraq, join Luca and the rest of his group as they continue their journey to explore mysteries across Europe.

Review: I had been looking forward to reading this because it’s YA historical fiction, which for me is a match made in heaven. Philippa Gregory is of course renowned for her adult historical fiction novels, so I was quite curious to check out her foray into YA. The book’s synopsis makes Changeling sound like an exciting, action-packed novel, with the promise of “werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers.” Unfortunately, the book fell short of my expectations with its mostly flat plot and characters.

Changeling starts off promisingly enough, with Luca having just been kicked out of his monastery for heresy. At this point I’m thinking, oooh, we have a rebel on our hands! I eagerly read on as Luca met the shady mystery man who’s with the equally enigmatic order that has extended its membership to Luca. I should have known right away from the vague description of Luca’s mission that this book was going to be nowhere near as exciting as the synopsis made it seem. Luca’s task is to map the fears that prevail in Christendom, or something along those lines; regrettably, I didn’t write down the exact phrase that was used. In the end, though, his adventures were less than extraordinary.

My original assumptions about Luca’s character were off base. Aside from being booted from St. Xavier’s, he’s not a very engaging protagonist. We just read about him travelling around with his friend/sidekick, Freize, the kitchen boy from the monastery and the book’s comic relief, and Brother Peter, a cleric and the requisite stick-in-the-mud. Seriously, the highlight of Brother Peter’s day must be breaking in a new quill to write with. At least I have some observations to make on Freize and Brother Peter’s personalities. I can’t really do the same for Luca because I’m still trying to figure out what his personality was supposed to be like.

The book’s female protagonist, Isolde, doesn’t fare much better in terms of character development. Once again, the main character is outshone by a secondary one, in this case, Isolde’s dearest friend, Ishraq. Ishraq has been trained in medicine and fighting and is pretty kick-ass. I didn’t have any particular problems with Isolde; she just didn’t stand out.

What disappointed me the most was how the paranormal elements seemed tacked on to the story. The title is a reference to faery changelings, and there’s some talk at the beginning of the novel about Luca possibly being one. Then the subject is never broached again. There’s also a werewolf encounter that just feels contrived. Perhaps the paranormal aspects will be a bit more fine-tuned in the next book.

I know that I’ve listed a lot of gripes about Changeling, but it still gets 2.5 stars because Gregory’s writing itself is solid. I still plan on reading the two adult novels of hers that I bought but still haven’t read. Maybe if Changeling had been a regular historical fiction novel, I might have enjoyed it more.

All in All: Originally I was going to buy Changeling because I really wanted to read it, but I’m so glad that I remained patient and instead waited for the library to acquire a copy. Philippa Gregory fans and/or fans of books set in the Middle Ages might want to give this one a shot, but neither the characters nor the story line grabbed my attention enough to make me feel compelled to continue reading the series.

Review: Shakespeare's Spy by Gary Blackwood

Shakespeare's Spy (The Shakespeare Stealer #3)
By Gary Blackwood
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

To Sum It Up: Widge and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men are back in London, but their troubles are far from over. With Queen Elizabeth’s health failing, there is a lot of anxiety over her successor and the future of the theaters. The unexpected arrival of William Shakespeare’s daughter, Judith, disconcerts not only her father but Widge as well when the latter finds himself smitten with her. There’s also a thief among the company, and Widge’s past deeds cast suspicion over him. To dispel the doubts over his innocence, Widge must go on an undercover mission to unmask the real culprit.

Review: After finding Shakespeare’s Scribe, the middle book in this series, a bit of a letdown compared to the previous book, The Shakespeare Stealer, I began reading this with a little hesitance. I felt that neither the story nor the characters from the first book advanced very far in the sequel. My fondness for The Shakespeare Stealer, which was a delightful read, is what motivated me to finish out the series. While I still think that The Shakespeare Stealer is the strongest entry in the trilogy, Shakespeare’s Spy recaptures some of the charm that made the first book so winning and is a definite step up in plotting and character development from its predecessor.

Whereas Shakespeare’s Scribe focused on the Lord Chamberlain’s Men’s travels through the English countryside, Shakespeare’s Spy finds the company back in London now that the theaters have been reopened following a plague outbreak. I didn’t find the company’s journeys very compelling, so I was glad to see the story return to its original setting, as well as proceed at a crisper pace than it during the road trip. In addition to worrying about the future of the theaters, William Shakespeare has a rather large problem to contend with right under the Globe’s own roof: there is a thief among his players. At first a few costumes go missing, but when a member of a rival acting company is caught stealing a script from the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, it appears that he had some inside help. Figuring out the identity of the accomplice wasn’t all that difficult, but it was an entertaining plotline nonetheless. I wasn’t as keen to see the Who Is Widge’s Father? subplot reappear because I found it rather labored in Shakespeare’s Scribe. This story line aside, Shakespeare's Spy moved at a pace that kept me invested in the story and eager to see the thief/spy unmasked.

I’ve liked the protagonist, Widge, since the beginning of the series, so it was disappointing when his character in the second book pretty much turned in a repeat performance from the first one. Fortunately, he undergoes significant growth throughout this book. Widge becomes like an older brother to the younger children in the household of Mr. Pope, the member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men who took Widge in when the latter first joined the company. Widge also finds himself competing with two of his fellow apprentices for the attention of Shakespeare’s daughter, Judith, who arrives in London unexpectedly. In an effort to impress her, Widge tells Judith that he’s writing a play. He isn’t really at first, but luckily for him, Shakespeare gives him an abandoned draft and permission to do whatever he likes with it. And so Widge’s career as a playwright begins. By the end of the novel, he has come a long way from the humble orphan of the first book, and I thought that his tale reached a very satisfying conclusion.

Readers who have been with the series from the start should be pleased with this finale. I liked how various threads of Widge’s life from the previous books came full circle. In The Shakespeare Stealer, his knowledge of shorthand is what makes him the perfect person to steal Hamlet by transcribing it from a performance. In Shakespeare’s Spy, it’s that same knowledge of shorthand that helps Widge uncover the real thief who’s been lurking around the Globe. Blackwood really brought this historic era to life. I wish that I’d read a series like this as a kid because I definitely would have wanted to learn more about Shakespeare and his times way before I went to high school, when I finally read my first Shakespearean play (which was Romeo and Juliet).

All in All: The series lost a bit of its luster in my eyes with Shakespeare’s Scribe, but it recovers nicely here. I’ll reiterate what I said in my review of The Shakespeare Stealer: I truly think that these books are a great introduction to Shakespeare for younger readers. Being a huge Shakespeare fan myself, I love seeing other readers fall in love with his work, too.

Review: Shakespeare's Scribe by Gary Blackwood

Shakespeare's Scribe (The Shakespeare Stealer #2)
By Gary Blackwood
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

To Sum It Up: Orphan Widge has come a long way since he first arrived in London on a mission to copy William Shakespeare’s Hamlet so that another acting company could perform it. Although Widge’s secret was eventually revealed, he still found a place among the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Now Widge is about to experience the life of a traveling actor. A plague outbreak in London forces the closure of all of its theaters, and Shakespeare decides to take a small group of players, Widge among them, on the road to perform. Widge’s knowledge of shorthand becomes invaluable to Shakespeare after the latter injures his arm and needs Widge’s assistance in writing down his latest work in progress. But Widge’s future with the group whom he’s come to regard as a family becomes unclear when a stop in his former hometown provides a possible clue to his past.

Review: The Shakespeare Stealer was a very enjoyable read, so I was really looking forward to reading the follow-up, Shakespeare’s Scribe. Much to my disappointment, the sequel lacked the charm and wit that made the first book so captivating. I just didn’t feel as invested in the story and the characters as I did with The Shakespeare Stealer.

The plot of Shakespeare’s Scribe, which centers around the Lord Chamberlain’s Men taking their act on the road after the plague forces the shutdown of London’s theaters, wasn’t all that compelling to me. I failed to find anything particularly fascinating about the day-to-day life of a traveling actor in Elizabethan England. As Shakespeare and his actors trudged through muddy country roads, I felt like I was slogging through the book. Shakespeare, who’s in the midst of writing a play that will eventually become All’s Well That Ends Well, has a greater presence here than he did in The Shakespeare Stealer. Although it’s welcome, more page time for the Bard still doesn’t inject enough spark into the story.

The biggest letdown was the lack of character growth by the protagonist, Widge. We pretty much see the same Widge from the previous book. The story line involving the addition of an apprentice named Sal Pavy, who previously belonged to another acting company and becomes Widge’s rival, fell kind of flat. My interest was piqued when the Lord Chamberlain’s Men made a stop in York, where Widge grew up, and a visit to his old orphanage resulted in an unexpected clue to his parentage. I thought that this development in Widge’s story had a lot of potential, but I didn’t like the way that it played out. At times this plotline seemed forced, like it was in the book just to give Widge something to do besides transcribing for Shakespeare and worrying about losing his roles to Sal Pavy. I really do like Widge; he’s an endearing sort of lad whom you can’t help but cheer for, and I felt that he deserved a more satisfying resolution to his search for answers about his identity.

Shakespeare’s Scribe isn’t a bad book by any means. It’s just that I went into it with high expectations after liking the previous book so much, and this installment in the series didn’t quite meet those expectations. I do still plan on reading the third book in this series, Shakespeare’s Spy, to see if the story picks up.

All in All: I thought that the series lost some of its momentum this time around, but fans of The Shakespeare Stealer might still want to check this out and follow Widge on his latest adventure.

Review: The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

The Shakespeare Stealer (The Shakespeare Stealer #1)
By Gary Blackwood
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

To Sum It Up: Meek orphan Widge has never received much notice from anyone, even when he finally leaves the orphanage to begin an apprenticeship. Under his master, Dr. Bright, Widge learns a form of shorthand that Dr. Bright has developed himself. One day, a mysterious stranger who has heard about Dr. Bright’s system shows up to buy Widge’s apprenticeship. Widge’s new master, Simon Bass, wants Widge to go to London to attend a performance of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and transcribe it using shorthand so that Bass’s own acting company will be able to perform the play. Accompanied by Bass’s menacing right-hand man, Falconer, Widge is about to embark on the adventure of his life in Elizabethan London.

Review: I was pleasantly surprised by The Shakespeare Stealer. While it’s probably more of a middle-grade read than a young adult one, I found the story to be very charming, as well as a nice introduction to Shakespeare and his times for younger readers.

As soon as I read that the main character’s name, Widge, was short for Pigwidgeon, I couldn’t help but think of Pigwidgeon the owl from Harry Potter. Widge is a young orphan who’s never really belonged anywhere. Even when he becomes an apprentice to Dr. Bright, a man with suspect morals who trains Widge in shorthand so that Widge can transcribe sermons from neighboring parishes that Dr. Bright can then pass off as his own, Widge is given little more than the necessities of food and shelter. It’s not until Widge sets out to transcribe a performance of Hamlet for his new master, Simon Bass, that he begins to learn what it’s like to be part of a family.

I became engrossed in Widge’s journey from lowly apprentice to aspiring actor with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. When he first arrives in London, his sole focus is on copying down the play and being released from the scrutiny of the intimidating Falconer. Widge loses his notebook, though, and while trying to retrieve it from the Globe Theatre, he gets caught by some of Shakespeare’s players. Widge concocts the cover story that he wants to be a player, and he’s welcomed into the fold by most of the actors. This brings some unexpected changes to Widge’s life. For the first time ever, he has friends and a sense of belonging. He also actually enjoys the work, even when his jobs are behind the scenes. Widge’s increasing comfort in his new surroundings makes it all the more difficult for him to carry out his original task; it means stealing from those who have taken him under their wing. As you watch Widge struggle with this dilemma, you realize how attached he’s grown to his new family. The Shakespeare Stealer is truly a coming-of-age story, and I couldn’t help but silently urge Widge to make the right decision as I read along.

Although I’m certainly not an expert on Elizabethan times, I found this portrayal of the era and the characters’ dialogue very believable. The book is quite humorous, with the characters frequently exchanging witty remarks. The Bard himself makes an appearance or two, but this is Widge’s story all the way, and I really enjoyed it.

All in All: I love historical fiction, and Hamlet is my favorite Shakespearean play, so this book was an ideal combination for me. I’ll definitely continue reading about Widge’s adventures.

Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray
By Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books

To Sum It Up: The year is 1941, and fifteen-year-old Lina Vilkas’s most pressing concerns are writing back to her beloved cousin and applying to famed art programs. This all changes when the Soviet secret police storm into her home in Lithuania, evicting Lina and her family. The Soviets are deporting Lithuanians to Siberia, Lina’s family included, except for her father. He is separated from his family and is to be sent to a horrible Soviet prison. Lina, her mother, and her younger brother, Jonas, are left at the mercy of the Soviet soldiers. They are treated like animals: starved, overworked, and abused. Using her art, Lina strives to hold onto hope; she sends secret messages to her father in prison, uses her happy memories to keep herself sane, and does her best to keep her family and friends alive. Lina’s struggle for survival is not just for herself but for her family and friends as well.

Review: Sadness. Beautiful, mesmerizing sadness. Between Shades of Gray is one of the saddest books I have ever read. And when I say sad, I mean it in the good, depressing-but-captivating sort of way. The book, I felt, was very deep. In history class, you learn about the Soviets during the WWII era, and you learn about the monstrous Joseph Stalin, but I don’t think people really understand the extent of his atrocities. Between Shades of Gray sheds some much needed light on this subject.

I’m finding it very difficult to capture my feelings for this book. The book itself was really, really good. It’s one of those books where you can easily read the entire thing in a single day. The story is told from the perspective of a teenage girl named Lina. Lina and her family are so strong that you can’t help but admire them. Throughout the book, you are left with the question, “Why them?” Only certain Lithuanians were targeted, and the Vilkas family, for some unknown reason, was one of them. They seemed like a normal, happy, law-abiding family. They didn’t want any trouble, but they got it all the same. But then again, all the Lithuanians “deported” didn’t deserve the wrath they got from the Soviets. So for the entirety of the novel, readers are left with the simple question: “Why?”

When Lina, her mother, and younger brother are deported, they come across a small group of trusted friends. These people stick together for as long as they can and try to lighten each others’ suffering. This really touched me, and I relied on those friends as a constant in this emotional book. I was surprised to see a romantic aspect in the book. For me, it seemed to lighten the gloomy subject just a tad and gave me something to root for.

Before this review comes to an end, I feel like I should mention Nikolai Kretzsky. Kretzsky is a Soviet soldier in the book, and I can’t say that I like him, but I can’t say that I dislike him either. He’s truly one of those gray characters. Out of all the characters in the book, Kretzsky seemed to stick with me the most. I won’t tell you why; you’ll just have to go and read the book.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book. I feel that I’m not conveying the greatness of Between Shades of Gray in my words. I urge everyone to pick up this book and read it. It’s understandable if you don’t like tearjerkers. I know I don’t, but this book is different. It just feels so real that I think that more people should know the story of Lina and her friends and family.

All in All: I don’t really know what to say. Between Shades of Gray leaves me at a loss for words. And that, my friends, is no easy task. This book was just that good. I can wholeheartedly say that I loved it!

Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)
By Robin LaFevers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

To Sum It Up: Ismae Rienne has been feared and hated since she was first conceived. It is common knowledge to anyone who catches sight of the nasty red scar running all the way from her shoulder down to her hip that Ismae's true father is Saint Mortain, one of the old gods and Death himself. Ismae seeks refuge in the convent of St. Mortain when, in an attempt to rid himself of his cursed stepdaughter, Ismae's spiteful stepfather forces her into an abusive arranged marriage. At the convent, the sisters keep the faith of the old gods and serve Death in every way they can. The sisters offer to train Ismae to be a handmaiden of Death. When Ismae's first mission takes her into the heart of the high court of Brittany, Ismae's devotion to both her father and the convent will be tested. Mixing a beautiful assassin into a treacherous court filled with the ever scheming royalty and the intriguing Gavriel Duval can only lead to disaster or redemption.

Review: When I first heard about Grave Mercy, my initial reaction was pure enthusiasm. I'm totally into the whole assassin sort of thing; I have been since I first read about Valek in Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study! ^-^ Not only was Grave Mercy going to be featuring a young, kick-arse female assassin, but it was going to have a little dose of historical fiction mixed in, too. I just knew that Robin LaFevers could do no wrong, and I was pretty confident that I was going to love this book. And I wasn't wrong!

Grave Mercy was beautifully written. There was never a dull moment or awkward, boring gaps in the story. Everything seemed to flow perfectly for me. Too perfectly, actually! Whenever I'm reading a book, I always like to leave off at the start of another chapter or at a calm point in the story. With Grave Mercy, I literally could not put the book down! I couldn't find a safe point in the story to stop reading for the night. But, enough about my sleepless nights, let’s get to the good stuff: the plot and characters! :D

Ismae was so cool! She didn't take crap from anyone! I also thought that her life story was really interesting; sad, but interesting. Ismae hates men, and when I say, “hates,” I mean hates. Her feelings toward males are due to the abuse she took from her stepfather and almost-husband. One of the main reasons for Ismae joining the convent of Saint Mortain was that Ismae wanted to learn how to kill men. So when she meets Gavriel, things get interesting! I loved their dialogue, and I loved the slow, so very slow, development of their relationship. I was a little worried about meeting Gavriel. All I could think was that since Ismae was so kick-arse, she was going to be the man in the relationship, leaving Gavriel with the damsel in distress role. But that wasn't the case! Gavriel was just as cool! He definitely held his own, and despite Ismae's distrust of him (because he was a guy!) I genuinely liked him and fell for him pretty quickly!

The other characters only added to my enjoyment of the book. I loved Gavriel's friends, especially Beast, and I really liked the nuns at the convent of St. Mortain. It is safe to say that this particular convent will be the only convent I will ever think about joining! I liked the idea of Death as a real person. And I thought it was cool that his daughters were running around as his personal vengeful assassins. Death's handmaidens only killed those treacherous to the crown of Brittany, and I found that weirdly justified and cool. The whole premise of trying to wheedle out the corrupted in the historical court of Brittany was very interesting. And I think I had just as much fun, if not more, as Ismae did when it came to finding the schemers!

In the end, Grave Mercy did not let me down. Not only was it beautifully written, but it was also a genuinely unique idea. The only thing that bothered me about Grave Mercy was how Ismae decided to place her trust in people. At times, her wary nature seemed a little extreme and inconsistent. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed Grave Mercy and am glad that I picked it up. It kept me up late at night reading, and I haven't been that immersed in a book in a while. For that, I thank you, Grave Mercy!

All in All: Grave Mercy was a kick-arse book filled with kick-arse characters, a kick-arse setting, and an all around kick-arse plot! I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the continuation of the series!

Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

We have a guest reviewer today—it's Melissa, Ally's sister and Lee's cousin! Melissa will be contributing occasional posts in the future, too. Without further ado, here's her first book review!

Fateful
By Claudia Gray
Publisher: HarperTeen

To Sum It Up: Tess Davies is a servant for a wealthy English family, the Lisles. Tess dreams of escaping the cruelty of Lady Regina and creating a new life for herself. Opportunity arises when the Lisles decide to take a trip to America on the luxurious Titanic. Tess has devised a plan to leave the Lisles when the ship reaches America. She only has a few more days of servitude, but will Tess lose sight of her dreams when she meets the handsome first class passenger, Alexander Marlowe? Alec has a dark past that could put Tess and everyone she loves in terrible danger.

Review: I found Fateful to be very well-written, and it brought new life to the story of the Titanic. Claudia Gray created an enticing plotline with werewolves and a werewolf-kind-of-cult. That kind of drama mixed with the inevitable disaster awaiting the passengers of the Titanic is a recipe for a fantastic book. I feel like this book was so close to a five star, but there were only two things holding it back.

First of all, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I didn’t dislike them; I just wasn’t in love with them. Tess was cool, but I wish there had been something more to her. Alec also had so much potential, but he, too, was missing something. Alec is a cursed and tortured soul, but I feel like Claudia Gray could have pulled more out of him. I feel like he should have had some passion besides Tess, making him more memorable. The plotline was so good; I wish the characters had been just as good.

I was also very, very disappointed with the ending. I really wish it had ended differently. I feel like if the end had gone in a different direction, the book could have reached its full potential.

All in All: I think the book is definitely worth a try. The plotline is too good to just write off because of a few letdowns. Even though Fateful is not one of my favorites, it was very enjoyable. I hope you like it just as much, if not more than I did.