Uprooted by Naomi Novik

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Uprooted by Naomi Novik 
N/A
Source: Gifted Hardcover
Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: Published May 21st 2015
Age Group: Mature YA

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood's powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows - everyone knows - that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia - all the things Agnieszka isn't - and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But no one can predict how or why the Dragon chooses a girl. And when he comes, it is not Kasia he will take with him.
From the author of the Temeraire series comes this hugely imaginative, engrossing and vivid fantasy novel, inspired by folk and fairy tales. It is perfect reading for fans of Robin Hobb and Trudi Canavan.

Let me tell you something - this book is huge. It's only 438 pages but the size of this gorgeous hardcover? MASSIVE. So you'll understand just how excited I was for this book that I started it without hesitation the day after I got it, and it only took me that long because I had a prior book to finish.

I wasn't even two pages in when I knew I would adore this book. I was absolutely right.

The main character and narrator is Agnieszka, and even though I'm pretty sure I've never once pronounced her name right, I knew from the second she opened her mouth that I would love her.

She is a Dragon-Born girl, which is the term for a girl born on a Dragon year - every ten years, the valley's wizard the Dragon takes one seventeen year old girl to live with him in his tower. But Agnieszka and her family aren't really worried, because the Dragon always seems to take the best girl, and Agnieszka's best friend Kasia is a the sure choice that year.

But, surprise, Nieshka is chosen and now she has to deal with being uprooted (see what I did there??) and living with a surly, neat-freak, perfectionist wizard who won't try even a little bit to make the transition bearable.  

From that point on, things get real interesting.

First of all, let me say this - the bromance (is there a female term for bromance??) between Nieshka and Kasia is life. I was worried that Uprooted will follow in Cruel Beauty's steps with more hate than friendship, but it totally didn't. Nieshka and Kasia are real, honest to god, best friends. They're practically sisters. It was beautiful, seriously. 

Then there is the Dragon. The Dragon is not an actual Dragon and I was shipping him and Nieshka from pretty much the first time they met. They just clashed so beautifully - she with her spontaneous, outdoorsy, clumsy manner and him with his straight laced, dignified order. It made from some hilarious interactions, and you could see from the get-go that those interaction rattled both of them.

In the best way possible.

I mean, it's sort of a hate to love relationship, and it is executed perfectly. You fall in love together with these two characters, and the best part is that neither of them need to voice their feelings to know they are there. 

Oh, and they are hot. Sometimes in an explicit sort of way--but don't worry, that content is not overboard and it's very tasteful. Novik isn't scared to go past PG-13 and it fits the mood, the story and the characters to a boot. 

Now lets talk a little about the world because it was beautiful and horrifying and magical. Novik did a wonderful job flashing out the world without info-dumping it on you, letting you learn the ins and outs through the characters and their experiences. In this world, some rare people have magic. And the biggest threat to all the kingdom's people is not the war always brewing on the horizon, it is the Wood.

Yes. When was the last time you read a book where a Wood was the main antagonist? And not just any antagonist - a manipulative, cruel, mind controlling one who will do anything in his power to devour all the land and kill everyone in it. 

What, you're scared now? You should be. 

Alongside Nieshka, Dragon and Kasia, there are many side characters, such as the other magicians, the (kind of hateful) prince, the king, and the villagers. They were all, even when they were kind of awful, charming in their own ways. Mostly because no one in this book is really evil. 

Oh, and you should know - this book doesn't pull any punches. There are deaths. From a certain point there is a death almost every page. And some of it is hella gory. But even so, it's still so damn charming.

GAh, I don't know. This book does stuff to me. 

Uprooted is everything. The only reason it's not a full five star is that I just want more of this world and characters so damned much that I can't deal with this being the end.

  Nitzan★

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

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Deerskin by Robin McKinley
Standalone
Source: gifted paperback
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: July 1, 1994
Age Genre: Adult

As Princess Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her breathtaking beauty she is the mirror image of her mother, the queen. But this seeming blessing forces her to flee for safety from her father's wrath. With her loyal dog Ash at her side, Lissar unlocks a door to a world of magic, where she finds the key to her survival - and an adventure beyond her wildest dreams...

Surprisingly, considering this was a birthday present and I have never heard of this book before, I really liked this book, and recommend you read it if you're looking for something different than you're used to, because this book is different than most everything I read before.

Deerskin is written in a matter which includes very few dialogues. Most of the story is told through a storyteller, who describes the surrounding, lore, and thoughts of our main characters. In fact, it takes about 170 pages, maybe even longer, until we meet a character for Lissar to speak to, and even then - Lissar is a woman of few words.

I expected this to really hinder my reading process, as the first time I tried this book, it did feel a bit oppressing. But this time around? I gulped it up, in one sitting, stopping pretty much only to eat. And when I reached the end of part one, I felt like the writing style was a smart choice.

Why? Because the writing style, especially at first, really distance you emotionally from what was happening. Now, you must be thinking - wait, what? How is that a good thing? But in this particular book, it was. I don't think I would've managed to go past the horrific events of part one if this story was written any differently.

And then, slowly, as Lissar began to interact, so did we as readers, right in time for the PUPPIES and OSSIN. So we were able to go through the horror, and still connect with the good. I think that is a wonderful thing; because this book is about overcoming and finding the good. Finding a will to go on.

And as I said, Ossin and the puppies. I mean, those effing puppies, man! Soooo cute.

And Ossin... Okay, let's talk for a minute about this guy. He's a prince, yeah? But his favorite place is the kennel, where he take cares of dogs... even dying puppies (two words that should never be said together!). And he is not handsome. At all. Like... nope. But he is sweet, and kind, and loyal and real, and I dig it!

Especially when he were together with Lissar. It wasn't the mushy, hands-on, I'll-die-for-you-or-without you type of romance, but it was real and sweet and sneaked up on both characters. <3

The reason this is not a four star is that the events at the end really confused me... Like, wtf happened to Lissar? Her mother?... and the blood?... like, what even? And what actually became of Lissar, and her powers? Were those just a loan from the Moonwoman?...

Nitzan★

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

Through to You by Emily Hainsworth
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. He’d give anything to have just one more glimpse of her. But when Cam visits the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees an apparition. Her name is Nina, and she’s a girl from a parallel world. When Cam follows her there and makes an unbelievable discovery, it’s as if all his wildest dreams have come true. But things are very different in this other world. Nina is hiding a secret, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with the truth, he’s forced to make a choice that will change his life forever.

Viv has been dead for two long months, but she's still everywhere.
And nowhere.
Through to You started out as an ok kind of read. I wasn't immediately impressed and begging for more, but I was doing alright. But by the end of the first chapter, I was really just engrossed in the idea of a parallel world. I was just salivating at the very idea, really. And I really can't say that it dissapointed me. I enjoyed the surrealism of stepping out of one world and into another that was just nearly identical. I loved seeing how one choice could effect the entire world - one person's choice could change the choices of all of those around them.

I find that butterfly effect to be truly amazing. The logistics of a parallel universe all at once seem to baffle and excite me. I truly love the idea. And I was glad to see it carried out so well. The parallels seemed very close, but also fairly different, which adds a certain level of believability to a fantasy type subject.

Now that I've rambled on about my love of the philosophy behind parallel universes, I believe it's only fair that I talk about the main character, Cam. I found Cam to be a well developed character, as far as sorrow and sadness. I don't feel like his character ever really communicated happiness, even when he was supposedly happy. It's like he hid himself. Not only from everyone who loved him, but from the reader as well. We never truly get to crack into that hard shell of a human being. And I think Cam was comfortable shutting us all out. I will say one thing for him though, he's at a college level of maturity. I spent a couple chapters wondering how old these kids were, that's for sure.

I can only assume that Cam was so mature because of the sorrow that he experienced.

When Cam enters the parallel though, it's like an entirely different character shining through. And not necessarily in a good way. Cam spends most of his time in the parallel trying to replace the other him. To straight up be him, really. And although there are similarities, I can't say that they're that much alike. They made very different decisions in life, and turned into completely different people.

I will say that I like the "love triangle" that I was seeing - you never see a love triangle with one boy and two girls. It just doesn't happen, and it's a totally different dynamic. I do have a favorite I was rooting for (go, Nina!) but I won't spoil who he ends up going for.

Speaking of the girls, I'll start with Viv - the dead girlfriend. I'll be completely honest, and I hate to speak ill of the dead, but I hated that bitch.

She was sneaky. She was conniving. And worst of all she hid it. I didn't like the way she constantly put herself above others, or the fact that she was always after Nina. Viv is truly a very disturbed girl, and a psycho killer level of crazy in my book.

Then we have sweet Nina. Who I'll admit, isn't completely innocent in anything. She may have done a little bit of her own conniving, but I found her to be more endearing than Viv, and all around more caring to Cam. She supported him, and helped him, and always tried to be there for him. I really liked that. That's definitely the kind of thing that men should be looking for in a girl.

The plot may not get an A+ score, but I'd say it was alright. Kind of predictable, but nothing we here at TBBR couldn't handle. All in all, I'd say it was a solid read. Worth the pages if you're interested in parallel universes.
 

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred
Source: bought Kindle copy
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Publication Date: May 12, 2005
Age Genre: adult (not graphic)

Sweet tea, corn bread, and soup beans—everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both of their lives forever.
Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick's abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer.
Suddenly, Nick is gone—leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick's abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she's starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she's content if not happy -- until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He's back…and he's not alone.
Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. Only one thing might break the protective wall she's built around her emotions—the truth about Frank Anderson's death. But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal.

You are my roots. Wherever you are would be home to me.

I'm not sure where you start this review. Maybe I should kick it off with saying how shallow I am for putting this book off for so long just because I kind of hate the title and cover, even though I knew how recommended it came.

I know how wrong I was now. Because The Sweet Gum Tree... The Sweet Gum Tree is something else.

The story spans approximately 26 years, telling the epic love story of Nick and Alix through Alix's eyes. She's the one telling the story, from her position in the present, narrating it with an honest and raw voice, sprinkling everything with premonitions, warnings and second thoughts of what's to come.

That added a lot to it, in my opinion. It kept tensions high, kept the suspense in a completely opposite way than normally - you wondered not what's going to come (because you know from the get-go it was coming, and you know it was bad), but how it's going to go down. And why.

"No one should have to go through life with only half a heart," he whispered.

The Sweet Gum Tree is an emotional roller-coaster. You jump from laughter and joy to tears and sadness. You are forced to watch two people who are made for each other, who have always loved one another, break apart. Break down. And sometimes, the book completely blindsides you.

The biggest slap to the face made me cry. There was no warning, no preparations. One minute everything is fine, and the next... it's not. Alix didn't prepare us for that one--maybe she couldn't, maybe it was too hard to even hint at--and I was filled with grief. I didn't expect that, but I loved that it was told this way.

You can't turn love on and off like a light switch, no matter how hard you try. All you can do is wall it off, one brick at a time, until you've created an impenetrable fortress around your emotions. And once that fortress is built, you camouflage it so well that even you can't see it anymore. 

I felt like this book didn't try to make me an emotional mess. If that happened, it was just a byproduct. This book told a story that felt completely real and honest.

Maybe it was the characters - Alix, Nick, her mom, the Judge, her aunts, her best friend, Hugh... they all felt like real people. They spoke like real people, they acted like real people, and they had the chemistry of real people - for better or worse. I laughed and I cried with them, rooted and admonished them. I loved them all.

I highly recommend this love story, for anyone who loves a good romance. For anyone who's tired of insta loves and baseless loves. For anyone who wants a book that will shake his emotions, but without having to feel like that's all the book does.

"She died a long time ago and she's never coming back. That's the way I want it. She was a naive child who thought love could solve anything, who believed in happily-ever-after endings, and that justice and honor always win out. She believed in the integrity of others and never questioned their motives. She didn't stand a chance and she's better off dead."

   Nitzan★

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler 
Source: bought hardcover
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 21st 2013
Age Group: Young Adult

When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author ofBittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.
Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.
Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?
Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?
Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

I'm going to admit something: I decided I wanted this book purely because of the cover. The fact the synopsis sounded appealing... well, that was just a bonus. But I am not ashamed of this. I am not ashamed of it at all, because it made me read this book. and this book... THIS BOOK, you guys.

This book is hella emotional, and it deals with the hard, painful subject of early onset Alzheimer's, which is on itself a subject not discussed enough in literature, in my opinion. But it's not a tearjerker, even though it will make you cry. Why? Because you don't feel like this book is trying to make you cry. You don't feel like the whole purpose of it is to wrangle your emotions and make you an emotional mess. And that makes it all the more powerful, to me.

It shows you the truth, reality, in such an honest and upfront way, and that reality is painful, and it is hard, yes. But it balances the hard. It balances it with the good, and the romantic, and the familial. This book, it doesn't try to bring you down with it. It tries to push you up. To give hope, where a situation is hopeless. To show us it's not the end.

It does so through Jude, and her journey dealing with this Demon that's eating through her father.

She's just finished high school, and instead of enjoying her last summer, she is home taking care of her father. I loved this girl, and her voice. She was funny, emotional, real and very much her age - she still had that naivety and awkwardness we all have at her age. She feel like I did two years ago (and I still feel like this sometimes).

But she also grew tremendously throughout the story. She learned a lot about life, about human nature, about love and independence. About family and standing up to them. I loved watching her evolve and grow.

Than we had Emilio Vargas. Naturally, he's the love interest, and I think he is definitely worth some swooning. He is not a bad boy, despite what the synopsis might hint. He is actually just a kind, nice, motorcycle loving guy, which I loved. You get the nice hot guy with an edge. And Jude sees that, which makes the whole swore-not-to-get-involved-with-a-Vargas deal extremely difficult.

Though, I did think the whole 'I betrayed my family' deal was a bit over-the-top. Her sisters are grown women - they should know better, and act better. I would've liked to hear more, too, about what happened in the past. It's never fully explained - and I was interested. This is really the only reason I didn't give the book a full 5 stars.

However, this really doesn't matter. The synopsis doesn't lie when it tells you this is a "poignant and romantic novel", and if that sort of thing is anywhere near your thing, you should read this book ASAP.

Ps. even if this isn't your thing, you should read this book just for the pleasure of meeting Pancake the dog and his obsession with bunnies. Just saying.

   Nitzan★

Thursday Oldie: The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

So as you guys know, I just moved here. And that means my old blog now lies abandoned... alongside all my old reviews. But because I feel like some of them don't deserve such an awful treatment, I'm going to slowly move my favorite reviews here, especially if my opinion differs than Megs. (though some editing may occur, as I'm a little OCD about my reviews, and the older they originally are, the more likely I am to have things I want to rephrase). 

The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram
Source: own paperback & Kindle version
Publisher: Bluefields
Publication Date: May 4th 2013
Age Genre: Young Adult
Originally published: June 8, 2013

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.
Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.
Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

Okay, so to celebrate Kelly's upcoming release of Cinder & Ella, I'm dedicating the next couple of Oldies to this lovely lady and her lovely creations, starting with possibly the cutest and sweetest story I've ever read. If you're looking for a contemporary that will turn you to mush, make you adore every single character in it and laugh out loud - look no farther than The Avery Shaw Experiment. 

Honestly, just thinking about this book makes me unable to even. I read it again a few weeks back and it had the same impact as the first time - I enjoyed every second of it. It was all so funny, or adorable, or emotional, or swoon worthy. I laughed out loud, my heart broke for the characters at times (especially near the end), and I kind of wanted to hug everyone in it.

The best thing about this book are the characters. This is the first dual POV book Oram has ever done and she did it wonderfully. Each character had her own unique voice, but they moved and weaved with each other seamlessly. Just as Grayson and Avery do! 

Prologue #2
(Yeah, you read that right. If Avery gets one of these nifty prologue thingies to explain herself, then so do I. She's not the only one with a story to tell here!)

Now tell me honestly you didn't just fall a little bit in love with Grayson Kennedy right there and then! I mean, this guy is serious swoon, girls! He is so sweet and caring. Avery kind of hit the poor guy like a brick wall, you can't even tell he used to be a womanizer, because from the moment his brother breaks her heart (and she jumped in his shower) he was all about her, doing his best for her. And let's not forget, he was so good for her. He just brought all the best in her for the world to see! I mean, seriously, I'm in love with Grayson Kennedy. I want my own Grayson Kennedy! 

“Avery chewed her bottom lip. I was going to have to talk to her about that habit because every time she did it, it got harder and harder for me not to kiss her. One of these days I was not going to be held responsible for whatever actions I was driven to.”

His lady love was just about the cutest girl ever. Avery is sweet, shy, smart and funny. and she is actively trying to make the best out of a bad situation. To get over her heartbreak and move on. She's not some mopey Bella person who stops living her life just cause of some dude! Watching her grow and bloom throughout the book was nothing short of delightful! 

Surrounding these amazing duo, we've got a set of awesome characters - Libby and her quirkiness, Owen, Pan and Chloe and the Nerd Herd. It was pretty fantastic watching two very different groups mingle sort of successfully. I even liked the moms, and even Aiden to a degree--though the guy is a total idiot and who knows what Avery saw in him. 

"Definitely a cat in a past life," Owen muttered next to me. "But, like, a big scary one that ate people."
--Owen on Libby

As for the romance? Well, I can sum it up in one word - AWWWWWWWWWWWW. It was just so cute and sweet. They both made each other better and I swear - I was falling in love right with them, just as I should!

“I’ve got news for you, Aves. When a guy says he wants to take you out in the name of science, he’s totally full of it. He really just wants to take you out.”
“But you’ve taken me out like a million times for the experiment. You kissed me once in the name of science.”
“Exactly.”

I finished this book in one sitting - both times - and I started late at night on both occasions. I just... couldn't put it down. And then I couldn't take it out of my head after I finished, with resulted in a rather embarrassing amount of Facebook posts on the subject (thankfully buried long ago due to the, oh, year it's been since. Phew).

Also - thank you Kelly Oram for listening to my plea from last year and printing you books! *fireworks*

Nitzan★

Continue the Avery Shaw Experiment 

With these adorable shorts from Avery & Grayson's journals! 

I see London, I see French (Avery)

Purging (Grayson)

Too Hot To handle (Avery)

Self Control, or Lack Thereof (Grayson)

Most Definitely a Real Date (Grayson)

Post Shower Avery and Grayson Thing (Avery)

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Series: N/A
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publication Date: January 29, 2013

"Cat, this is Finn. He's going to be your tutor."


Finn looks and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task is now to tutor Cat. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, Finn is her guardian, her constant companion...and more. But when the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world, and in Cat's heart.

I guess I'll just get straight to the heart of things - I didn't love The Mad Scientist's Daughter. I've seen lots and lots of favorable reviews on it, but it just didn't go as well for me. I thought that the point of view/writing style was very strange, but as the book progressed I became used to it; which means it really wasn't one of my peeves.

But there were lots of peeves. Lots and lots of peeves. Let's start with Cat. In the beginning chapter, Cat is really young - maybe 8 or 10? That wasn't a problem. The problem was that she got older throughout the book - and it didn't register with me until she was like twenty. Her voice didn't really change between those ages, which just bothered me. Everyone's perception of things changes as they grow older, and Cat's just... didn't. She was pretty much the same person, from beginning to end. I hoped for character growth from her, I really did.

And don't even get me started on the romance. We have the romance plottish thing with Finn - that's quite the focus throughout the story, and it honestly raised a lot of moral questions for me - and sometimes just questions like how everything works. Not to be awkward or anything... but robot sex? *shudders* For some reason, the idea just grosses me out. And it makes me question things about Finn's... you know... LET'S NOT GO THERE (how can his junk possibly work?!) (Yep, this is what I was questioning. Laugh if you must.) In all honesty, such a thing should just not be possible.

Aside from all of this "not possible" thing, there's also the fact that Cat repeatedly uses Finn. Like, uses him and then runs off with her boyfriend of the week. The girl is constantly attached to someone else, which made for quite a few annoying and slightly awkward love triangle situations.

Now we'll move on to the pacing - the pacing was insane. Time progressed so quickly that I'm not even sure where some of our time went. I think that there was maybe like... 15 - 20 years packed into this book? And there's lots of gaps in between, so sometimes I just couldn't follow. Coupled with Cat's eternal youth, it really was just awkward.

I didn't have enough background on the world or the circumstances to really love it, but the atmosphere was nice and gothic. I just... I feel like there were too many awkward plot twists and ridiculous changes throughout the book for me to really love it. It's one of the strangest books that I've ever read, but it gets three stars for originality and enjoyment levels, even if there were a lot of things that I disliked.