Review: Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

Of Metal and Wishes (Of Metal and Wishes #1)
By Sarah Fine
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Moving on with her life after the death of her mother isn’t easy for Wen Guiren, not when she often assists her father, a physician in a slaughterhouse. The place is also allegedly haunted by a ghost who grants wishes, and Wen discovers the truth of this firsthand when a young worker who publicly humiliated her is badly injured following Wen’s offering to the ghost. Wen seems to have the ghost’s attention, but that may not be in her best interest as the number of seemingly unexplained—and alarming—events around the slaughterhouse rises.

Review: Of Metal and Wishes is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while, which may sound like a bit of an odd thing to say when you also consider that this novel is based on The Phantom of the Opera. I haven’t read the latter, and the extent of my knowledge of the story is limited to watching part of the 25th anniversary production of the musical version on TV. Not being entirely familiar with the original Phantom, in literary or musical form, didn’t keep me from appreciating the complexity of Sarah Fine’s Ghost, though. This character is simultaneously frightening and sympathetic, and I’ll return to gushing about how much I loved this plotline shortly.

Of Metal and Wishes is set in a refreshingly different world that draws on Asian culture for some of its elements. Fine cleverly keeps you guessing as to what time period you find yourself in. It’s not quite modern, yet it’s not that far in the past, plus there’s a hint of steampunk to it, AND all of this centers around a slaughterhouse. That last bit alone lends the book an eerie atmosphere, and that’s before you even factor in the rumors among the workers that it’s haunted.

Ah, the Ghost. Benevolent or malevolent? That’s the question you’ll keep asking yourself as his story unfolds. While he’s actually only a part of a larger mosaic, the Ghost was the character who drove the novel for me. I wanted to know everything about him, even when I suspected that the truth would be chilling.

Wen, the protagonist, was my main reason for feeling disconnected from the book at times. I just never clicked with her narrative voice, and I found her a little immature on occasion, too. She’s self-aware enough to realize that she has some growing up to do, though, which kept me from getting annoyed with her whenever I felt she sounded kind of whiny. I also have to say that I didn’t find Melik, a slaughterhouse worker from a social class that’s looked down upon by Wen’s fellow Itanyai, especially memorable, either. I liked how Melik spoke his mind and looked after his fellow Noor, but as with Wen, forming a connection with him eluded me. It’s not that both aren’t well written characters because they are; it’s just . . . me.

I loved Sarah Fine’s debut, Sanctum, and her prose continues to impress me with Of Metal and Wishes. She’s also created a world that you don’t come across every day in YA. Although Wen was an average main character, the Ghost’s compelling story still made this book very much worth a read for me.

All in All: If you’re looking for a very different YA read, give Of Metal and Wishes a try. I had an issue here and there with Wen, but the Ghost bits were delightfully creepy.

Review: Sanctum by Sarah Fine

Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands #1)
By Sarah Fine
Publisher: Amazon Children’s Publishing

To Sum It Up:

Lela Santos has not had an easy life. She’s grown up in a series of foster homes as well as spent time in a juvenile detention center. At last, though, the future seems to be looking up for her; Lela is now in a stable home and planning to attend college with her best friend, Nadia. But Lela’s heart is shattered when Nadia commits suicide, and Lela begins having visions of her friend in a hellish place that is all too familiar to her. Determined to find Nadia, Lela searches for her among an entire city of desolate souls and is willing to sacrifice anything in order to rescue her friend.

Review:

I originally borrowed Sanctum from the library, and I’ve never been so sad while returning a library book in my life. I felt like I had separation anxiety or something; this novel was that amazing. I lasted about two days before I broke down and purchased my own copy.

Sanctum is such a stunning debut novel that it’s hard to absorb that it is a debut novel. The original world, the take on heaven/purgatory/hell, the dialogue, and the characters are all outstanding. The characters are especially so. This is a novel with a very dark subject—suicide—yet there’s a strong message of hope in its pages, too. Sarah Fine is also a child psychologist, and I think this really informs her writing. Characters aren’t given tragic pasts just to give them tragic pasts. Their suffering is ingrained in their souls and continuously drives their thinking and actions. I’ve read quite a few books that appear to tackle tough issues, but you don’t always see the long-term effects on the characters. These topics are handled in a superficial, cursory manner in an attempt to add weight to the story and are all forgotten by the time the protagonist achieves a happy ending. Sanctum is an entirely different species. Fine’s characters always remember what they’ve been through, but not in a self-pitying way. You clearly see how they’ve become the people you’re reading about and why they make the decisions they do.

I loved Lela from the start. Unlike some other female protagonists whose tough words aren’t backed up by their actions, Lela is the real deal. Her courage and determination to brave whatever exists beyond the Suicide Gates in order to save her best friend, Nadia, instantly put her on my list of favorite heroines. Lela can also be very stubborn and at times rushes headfirst into situations, but her flaws remind you that she is a human being, capable of vulnerability. She’s such a strong character, yet without appearing too perfect.

The place in which Lela must search for Nadia is a kind of limbo for those who have committed suicide, though it’s not too far removed from hell. Lela has actually glimpsed it before, having once attempted suicide herself. The food here is free, but it’s rotten. Hardly anyone speaks to each other because most of the inhabitants in this city are too wrapped up in their own melancholy to notice one another. The streets are also stalked by the Mazikin, evil spirits that possess human bodies while the human souls go to the Mazikin version of hell, which is infinitely worse. The city’s Guard works tirelessly to eliminate the Mazikin and is captained by one incredible young man named Malachi.

Malachi. Where to begin talking about this lethal warrior whose pure heart made me melt? Malachi is equal parts swoon-inducing and formidable badass. He reminded me a lot of Valek from Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study in that I-Will-Kill-You-with-a-Single-Look kind of way. Like Lela, Malachi has known so much pain in his life; they’ve both persevered, and together, they’re even stronger. I am guilty of one of the very things I loathe in books—Insta-Love—because it was impossible not to fall in love with Malachi at first sight. And if that makes me a hypocrite, well, I’ll iron a capital “H” onto my shirt and wear it proudly.

I loved everything about Sanctum, from the story to the romance to the depth of all of the characters, even the minor ones. I must be turning into a softie in my old age because I felt the urge to cry in a few places, not necessarily because I was reading something sad, but because the writing was so beautiful. This book is stellar, and my puny review can’t even begin to do anything resembling justice to its brilliance.

All in All:

A very big thank you to Katja at YA’s the Word for recommending Sanctum to me. I devoured this book and will absolutely be buying the sequel as soon as it’s available. No traumatic library returns this time!