Title: Heir To The Sky Author: Amanda Sun Published by: Harlequin Teen Publication date: April 26, 2016 Pages: 304 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits—by her duties as a member of the royal family, by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman, and by the edge of the only world she’s ever known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what’s left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft. When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks, and other terrifying beasts. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself. You guys, writing is hard! Especially when writing a YA book and coming up with an original theme with original characters in a saturated market. This has been my mindset lately, and I’ve been less inclined to try new authors or stories because…writing’s hard! It was with this reluctance and sense of duty that I picked up Heir To The Sky. Monsters, mechanical islands, girls falling from the sky – there’s potential here. It’s a sweet story. I thought the romance was sweet, and the hero was sweet, and Kali just wants to save her people. And I thought it was sweet that the book seems to be a stand-alone. Nothings graphic and it’s very clean. If you’re looking for sweetness, and a quick fantasy read with little depth, pick this one up.
0 Comments
Title: The Siren
Author: Kiera Cass Published by: HarperTeen Publication date: January 26, 2016 Pages: 336 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Love is a risk worth taking. Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again. Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny…and Kahlen doesn’t want to. Falling in love with a human breaks all the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.
The newly republished Siren by Kiera Cass does not have the strength of her Selection series. I was not drawn in by Kahlen, and I wasn’t convinced of her and Akinli’s love.
Title: The Last of the Firedrakes Author: Farah Oomerbhoy Published by: Wise Ink Creative Publishing Publication date: August 15, 2015 Pages: 488 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: 16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad. Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear. With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever. I got this book free for Kindle on Amazon.com, because it sounded like a fun fantasy adventure. I like to read these kinds of stories, so I was hopeful. What I discovered is a story with borrowed themes and a winey, immature protagonist. None of the characters were very developed. I wanted to like Aurora, but she was a body of contradictions—capable and powerful one moment, unable to hold her head up against a bully the next. She didn’t make sense to me. I wanted her to be bold and confidant, strong and worthy, but even when she comes into herself she doesn’t take counsel from those around her, but makes rash decisions. I was more interested in Rafe’s Robin Hood-esque adventures than Aurora’s coming-of-queen story. Rafe was not a bad character, but a little cliché. The romance with Rafe was too fast and underdeveloped. They hardly spend any time together, but he’s handsome and rescues her multiple times and makes her heart flutter and smirks…he’s a smirker—UH! And Aurora spends most of the book making assumptions about Rafe’s feelings with little context. How can she know anything about how he’s feeling? They don’t know each other! The world building in the book relied heavily on borrowed ideas from Lord of the Rings about elves, dwarves, and wizards, and their multiple kingdoms. I thought Farah Oomerbhoy’s story could’ve been more unique. The heroine could've been stronger the the characters more developed. Would I let my teen read this book? I’m not giving this book one star, because on the positive side—the book is free on Amazon and it’s totally clean. If you’re young daughter likes fantasy and struggles to find appropriate books, then this is an option. I just can’t promise a lot of substance. Age recommendation: 12 Language – None Drugs & Alcohol— One character had been drinking Sex – One kiss Violence – There is mention of magical, stuns, burnings, and killings, but it’s stated, not depicted. My Goodreads rating: 2 out of 5 stars Order The Last of the Firedrakes on Amazon, currently FREE Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest Author: Holly Black Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication date: January 13, 2015 Pages: 336 pages Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Summary from Goodreads: Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for. Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. Until one day, he does… As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough? There’s a monster in our wood. The Darkest Part of the Forest has a great mystery— a horned boy in a glass box. However, the story that unfolds after the horned boy wakes up, doesn’t quite measure up to the intrigue of the mystery. Despite having some wonderfully menacing characters (see above excerpt), once moving, Holly Black’s story felt a little too forced and predictable.
Hazel is determined to fight the fae in the woods who haunt Fairfold, but wants her brother to share her mission. Ben used to, but he has a special magical gift from the fae, and now lives in fear of it, because he can’t control it. Throughout the book, we discover Hazel and Ben’s neglected childhood—which leads both of them desperate to prove themselves, and know unadulterated love. The horned boy was more compelling in the box. The love interests for siblings Ben and Hazel felt extremely one-sided on Ben’s side, and somehow underdeveloped on Hazel’s side (even though it was with a character we should’ve known well). Black’s story kept me entertained, but not guessing. I was underwhelmed with the conclusion and wished it had been better—because there was so much potential! Would I let my teen read this book? Hazel and Ben aren’t really the best role models, but that doesn’t really prove a book inappropriate. I don’t mind morally ambiguous characters, but Hazel and Ben felt more superficial. Mostly I struggle to recommend it, simply because I didn’t like the direction of the story. The book is relatively clean, content-wise. There’s some gruesome scenes and gruesome fae creatures. Hazel kisses the boys and makes them cry. Ben is gay and shares a few kisses with another character, he also references what it was like for him to be with a boy for the first time. Sex is mentioned but there’s nothing graphic. Age recommendation: 15 Language – mild Drugs & Alcohol— the kids drink alcohol at parties, kids get drunk Sex – several kissing and make out scenes Violence – knife and sword violence against the fae; character gets fingers broken; characters left in coma. My Goodreads rating: 2 out of 5 stars Buy The Darkest Part of the Forest on Amazon.com Title: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids Author: Sarah Ockler Published by: Simon Pulse Publication date: June 2, 2015 Pages: 416 Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling Summary from Goodreads: The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak. Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one. Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life. When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . . I picked up Chasing Mermaids because it seemed like a fun, summer read loosely based on The Little Mermaid, and I was intrigued by the premise about a girl coping with the monumental lose of loosing her voice. It’s also exciting to read a book with diverse characters. Elyse is from Tobago, a small island in the Caribbean. Sarah Ockler writes wonderfully, and I was at ease reading through the prose. The thing I like most about Chasing Mermaids is the topic of figuring out life when all your expectations and opportunities are removed. Elyse has no choice but to move on, because her dream depended on having an auditory voice. She has to face her fears, learn to depend on others, and discover who she is when all her hopes and dreams are washed away. She’s going through all the stages of grief. Despite the things I like about this book, like the faithful girl friendships and some strong family ties. Chasing Mermaids left me feeling MEH in the end. Here’s why: Christian is a playboy and I’m so tired of this character. Why authors regularly default to this kind of love interest is confusing to me. Is it the fantasy of taming the boy? I don’t know. I also don’t like that there never seems to be any consequences for these playboys and the womanizing life they’ve been living. They get to sleep around with lots of girls and still get the girl in the end, but there’s never any thought about dealing with the guys past in the new relationship. If you think there wouldn’t be conflict in a relationship with a history like that, you’re delusional. The mysticism, magical references were confusing and didn’t add to the story for me. (Minor spoilers, so skip to next paragraph if you’re not interested) I understand the need for Elyse to face this magical presence in the end, but I didn’t like that facing Atargatis was the means to Elyse’s recovery. Maybe it was supposed to be metaphor, but I thought she could’ve accomplished healing outside of Atargatis. Would I let my teen read this book? I don’t think this should be Young Adult. The characters are adults (18-20), and the sexual content is more graphic than what I think kids who can pick up books in the YA section should be exposed to (as young as 12…advanced readers age 8-9 in some cases). I’ve recommended 17 and up for this book. Ideally, this could be a good book to read with your teen, since there are many good discussion topics. Age recommendation: 17 Language – moderate; 4-5 F-bombs Drugs & Alcohol— Underage drinking at parties Sex – The sex scenes were a little graphic, with some details. Elyse masturbates in her room at night; two sex scenes Violence – none My Goodreads rating: 2 out of 5 stars Buy The Summer of Chasing Mermaids on Amazon.com |
Lindsey Learn
I read a lot. I'm a Mom. I'm officially in my 30s, but strangers often don't believe I'm old enough to drink. I love Young Adult fiction, and thought it was worthwhile to help teens and adults find age-appropriate options. Categories
All
Archives
July 2017
|