Review: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Title: Struck
Author: Jennifer Bosworth

Genre: post-apocalyptic, dystopia, science fiction, young-adult

Series: Untitled series #1

Pages: 382 (Nook ARC edition)

Published: expected May 8 2012

Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

This had the potential to rock my socks off: a new twist on the dystopia trend so prevalent in today's YA market (religion versus progress), an intriguing 'hook' for the main character of Mia (tell me more of this 'lightning addict!'), and a post-apocalyptic setting of a toppled and chaotic Los Angeles ("Hell-A") - what could be more intimidating for a struggling seventeen year old? I wanted to love it, and almost almost did before Struck and main character Mia, let the ball drop. Unfortunately the execution falters in delivering the most interesting and promised aspects of the novel; Struck gets a bit too caught up in the religious overtones to the overall detriment of the far-more-original lightning addict part. Less religion, more natural disasters, please! This is a bit of an uneven read; the first-half of the novel is far stronger than the the middle and ending, and by the time it came to turn the final page, I was more than ready to put this down.

Like I said, Struck gets off to a great and original start - it's nearly impossible to not be pulled in and intrigued by Mia's introductory paragraph - and if only that level of uniqueness had continued, this would be a much different review for a much different novel. But enough with what could've been. Mia herself is plucky, determined and cutthroat for her circumstances; no wishy washy bullshit about survival here. With a younger sibling and a mentally incapacitated Mom after the earthquakes, (Katniss, is that you?) Mia's situation is hardly revelatory, nor is her position as head of the family, but she works well in that capacity. Mia will do what is necessary for her and her brother to survive and it's always easy to admire and root for a fighter/survivor. What is less easy to admire about Mia is how completely and totally brainlessly she can and does act during the book. She makes dumb, plot-advancing, obvious decisions that keep her in the dark, goes out of her way to be outside of communication with anyone else, which, consequently, lands her into trouble/danger fairly frequently. 

In this earthquake-rocked future, Mia's constantly caught between two massive cults vying for power and influence after the world ended: the religious Followers of the Prophet and the cryptic and mysterious anti-Prophet "Seekers".  With her mom going one way and her brother going the other, it's easy to understand Mia's motivations for distrusting both powerbases. For one: both groups are unnecessarily and repeatedly cryptic with what they want and two they're both presented as sinister. For the much of the bulk of the novel,  the reader has absolutely no idea why Mia is so important. It's quite frustating reading endless rigamarole, obvious traps and lies without having any idea why such manuevering is needed. While I get doign the "big reveal" closer to the end, I might've bough the machinations of both cults more if I knew the reasons. I might've tolerated the wait better if anything to do with the lightning had been shown, but no. For a book about a lightning "addict", there's very little explained about the phenomenon. I just wish there'd been much less  discussion on religion and the Prophet versus the dangerous and Spark-enhanced Seekers, and more about the natural disasters/Mia's lightning.

I felt very unsatisfied with the worldbuilding here. There are some details given initially that seemed to bode well for how this vision of Armageddon would commence but they dried up early in favor of religious fervor and drama. The infodumps used to indoctrinate the readers aren't as bad as the ones in say, The Rook, which had chapters and chapters of amusing and diverting details, but they aren't camouflaged very well either. Eavesdropping, remedial lessons, etc. serve to inject the slight history needed but it felt incomplete. Another issue not explained to my satisfaction was the relationship the "conductors" and the "bonds" used for the lightning - Bosworth kinda throws the ideas out there fairly early on in Struck, but never fully comes back around to expand on how such a thing is done. The romance angle (you knew there had to be one..) ... I'm not even going to fully go there. Let's just say I called Jeremy's big twist very very early on (it's incredibly obvious and telegraphed to the audience early) and I wasn't a huge fan of his motivation, characterization or actions. While he doesn't inspire me to the anger that many, many other YA male love interests do, he's no prince either.The repeated cyrpyic remarks he refuses to clarify, the required mysterious and painful past... I just found him to be too much of a cliche to invest overmuch in him. Mia, though not what I wanted, at least has the distinction of being a three-dimensional, original character/

To put it baldly and in the simplest terms: Struck just plain-old disappointed me, but it isn't necessarily a bad book - it's just not for me. All that potential and what I got was far from what was anticipated from the blurb and synopsis. There are kernels of a good story here in Struck and Mia is far from the worst protagonist I've come across, but in the end, I must go with my conscious and admit this left a lot to be desired upon finishing.

Book Tour Review: The Sweet Spot by Stephanie Evanovich

Title: The Sweet Spot
Author: Stephanie Evanovich
Genre: general fiction, romance novelish
Series: N/A
Pages: 272
Source: TLC Book Tours for review
Rating: 3/5

When pro baseball player Chase Walker first meets Amanda at her restaurant, it’s love at first sight. While Amanda can’t help noticing the superstar with the Greek-god-build, he doesn’t have a chance of getting to first—or any other—base with her. A successful entrepreneur who’s built her business from scratch, Amanda doesn’t need a Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. And a curvy girl who likes to cook and eat isn’t interested in being around the catty, stick-thin herd of females chasing Chase and his teammates.

But Chase isn’t about to strike out. A man who isn’t interested in playing the field, he’s a monogamist who wants an independent woman like Amanda. His hopes rally when she discovers that squeaky-clean Chase has a few sexy and very secret pre-game rituals that turn the smart, headstrong businesswoman on—and into his number one fan.

Then a tabloid discovers the truth and turns their spanking good fun into a late- night punch-line. Is Amanda ready to let loose and swing for the fences? Or will the pressure of Chase’s stardom force them to call it quits?

I can tell you why this book didn't click for me personally  -- it was the characters. Well, mainly one important character. It's a hard kind of novel to enjoy if you aren't a fan of the people directly involved with the plot and I was less than enthused with the male half of the equation. There's a lot to celebrate with Evanovich's second novel -- the body positive focus on Amanda, the female love interest, the relatively healthy family dynamics shown, the easy way you sink into the story -- but it fell apart for me with Chase, Amanda's counterpart.

Chase just isn't the kind of man or love interest I find attractive. He's overbearing and bossy, presumptuous and incredibly arrogant. Granted, Evanovich paints him in smaller strokes than that, but even for all the layers and virtues she gives Mr. Walker, I never liked him or cared about him. And once a reader is divorced from the central romance, it can all feel a bit silly and contrived. At least, that's how I feel about The Sweet Spot. It's a mostly innocuous, bubble gum-type read; one that will entertain for a few hours with its predictable but comfortable plot.

Granted my apathy for Chase won't be the only or expected reaction and my 3/5 is certainly indicative that there's more to like about the story than just Amanda's attitude and her family. It's a broadly entertaining novel, but it just doesn't do anything original enough to become a favorite for me. The characters grow and change, but I still lacked an emotional connection to any part of the story at the end. The Sweet Spot is what it is: a fluffy summer read. 

Book Tour Review:The Queen's Exiles by Barbara Kyle

Title: The Queen's Exiles
Author: Barbara Kyle
Genre: historical fiction, romance novelish
Series: Thornleigh #6
Pages: 352
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 4/5

1572. Europe is in turmoil. In the Netherlands the streets are red with the blood of those who dare to oppose the brutal Spanish occupation. A vengeful faction of exiled English Catholics is plotting to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and install her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. But amid the unrest, one resourceful young woman has made a lucrative enterprise ...

Scottish-born Fenella Doorn rules like a queen over a privateer's haven on the Isle of Sark. Her success at salvaging crippled vessels affords her gold and security, and it is on one of these ships that she meets wealthy Baron—and privateer—Adam Thornleigh. Secretly drawn to him, Fenella can’t refuse when Adam enlists her to join him in war-torn Brussels to help find his traitorous wife, Frances—and the children she’s taken from him.

But Fenella’s own bold actions have put a price on her head. Now Adam and Fenella’s lives are in peril as they race across Europe in an attempt to rescue his young ones, defend the crown, and restore the peace that few can remember.

Though the fourth the in series and second Thornleigh novel for me, The Queen's Exiles was a much improved outing for me with this author. The characters and plots that surround Nella and Adam make for more engaged reading, and the romance that makes up the secondary plot is easy to care about and root for with those two involved. I thought the previous novel too concerned with a less-than-charismatic romance but found that far from the case here --- I cared more about the people involved and the romance was handled in a better way. Adam, Fenella, and even Frances make for an exciting and unpredictable story.

Fenella Doorn is a great character and carries whatever portion of the book she is involved with, personally, romantically, tangentially. She's a great complement for a lot of the mainly male cast (exception: Frances); she isn't a traditional female but nor is she an anachronism for the timeline of the story being told The life she has carved out as an independent woman in the 1500's is unconventional but not unbelievable. She's easy to like and respect, and her admiration for Adam is undeniable. It helps that Fenella feels like a new character, only recently introduced into the sprawling legacy and series. The other, more established characters feel weighted down by a history that you really need to read the earlier five novels to fully understand.

The strength of Adam's character is largely due on his devotion to his children, and his overall honor as a man. Everything else is second to him. And while The Queen's Exiles is often a romance as well as a drama, it never loses sight of the real plot or personal goals that motivate the individual characters. Love doesn't always conquer all, and not all endings are happy for the Thornleighs by the time the book is resolved. I loved that the author isn't afraid to be a bit cruel to her well-known and favorite characters -- shown not only by Adam and Fenella, but through the trials Isabel and Carlos face too. 

I wish that the politics angles had been more of a central plot as it was a fascinating time and place to be, or that the ending hadn't been quite so quick, but The Queen's Exiles is an engaging and often exciting historical romance. Well-rounded and well-drawn characters help to make the read personal and memorable.

Two Minute Review: I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan

Title: I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks
Author: Gina Sheridan
Genre: nonfiction
Series: none
Pages: 160
Published: Expected July 31, 2014
Source: publisher via edelweiss
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Straight from the library--the strange and bizarre, ready to be checked out!

From a patron's missing wetsuit to the scent of crab cakes wafting through the stacks, I Work at a Public Library showcases the oddities that have come across Gina Sheridan's circulation desk. Throughout these pages, she catalogs her encounters with local eccentrics as well as the questions that plague her, such as, "What is the standard length of eyebrow hairs?" Whether she's helping someone scan his face onto an online dating site or explaining why the library doesn't have any dragon autobiographies, Sheridan's bizarre tales prove that she's truly seen it all.

Stacked high with hundreds of strange-but-true stories, I Work at a Public Library celebrates librarians and the unforgettable patrons that roam the stacks every day.

Reviewed by Danielle. 

I used to work at a public library in high school, so believe me when I say every story in this book rings true.

I Work at a Public Library recounts silly questions, baffling encounters, and even the touching stories of working with readers. It's often a frustrating endeavor, but as the last chapter shows, a worthwhile one. Of course, it doesn't generally feel that way when you're cleaning vomit covered sweatshirts out of the stacks.

The best part of Sheridan's book is the way she's organized the stories. I love the idea of using the Dewey Decimal system as the chapter headers. It was cute, made me think of libraries, and separated this book from several similar ones I've read. I also liked the chapter on one patron, Cuckoo Carol. It gave the book a personal connection that I was searching for.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of non-fiction books, (and even more blogs!) with stories from customer service jobs, and these don't really differ much from say the one about the bookstore or the other one about libraries. It's a genre I like, don't get me wrong, but in a few weeks I don't think I'll be able to tell you in which book I read the wetsuit story and which one asked if there was a copy of Tequila Mockingbird available.

I Work at a Public Library is a very short, (I read it in about 90 minutes,) but very funny book that's relatable to anyone who's worked with the public. If you've ever heard "my tax dollars!" in an unironic way, and you've gained enough space from the experience that it's funny now, you're probably going to have a great afternoon with Sheridan's patrons.

TBR Planning: July edition

Quite a lot of good books coming out soon! I have already read a few new favorites and have my eye on a veritable goldmine for a tbr! I have a lot of fun reviews and blog tour stops headed this way, too. It should be a great summer. 

Falcio is the first Cantor of the Greatcoats. Trained in the fighting arts and the laws of Tristia, the Greatcoats are travelling Magisters upholding King’s Law. They are heroes. Or at least they were, until they stood aside while the Dukes took the kingdom, and impaled their King’s head on a spike.
Now Tristia is on the verge of collapse and the barbarians are sniffing at the borders. The Dukes bring chaos to the land, while the Greatcoats are scattered far and wide, reviled as traitors, their legendary coats in tatters. All they have left are the promises they made to King Paelis, to carry out one final mission.
But if they have any hope of fulfilling the King’s dream, the divided Greatcoats must reunite, or they will also have to stand aside as they watch their world burn…

Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell
I'm a sucker for epic fantasy and damned if this doesn't sound epic. I was lucky to get an ARC and plan to have a review for it up in the next week or so!

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
This one is going to be good. This one is going to be a favorite for me, for a lot of people. I think Dani is also planning to review it. It should be memorable, that is for sure.

Review: Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de Castell

Title: Traitor's Blade
Author: Sebastien de Castell
Genre: fantasy
Series: Greatcoats #1
Pages: 384
Published: Expected July 15, 2014
Source: publisher via edelweiss
Rating: 4 out of 5

Falcio is the first Cantor of the Greatcoats. Trained in the fighting arts and the laws of Tristia, the Greatcoats are travelling Magisters upholding King’s Law. They are heroes. Or at least they were, until they stood aside while the Dukes took the kingdom, and impaled their King’s head on a spike.

Now Tristia is on the verge of collapse and the barbarians are sniffing at the borders. The Dukes bring chaos to the land, while the Greatcoats are scattered far and wide, reviled as traitors, their legendary coats in tatters. All they have left are the promises they made to King Paelis, to carry out one final mission.

But if they have any hope of fulfilling the King’s dream, the divided Greatcoats must reunite, or they will also have to stand aside as they watch their world burn…

Reviewed by Danielle. 
I have fallen in love Sebastien de Castell’s writing.

Traitor’s Blade opens with a classic, old-school prologue about duty, honor, and the inherent righteousness of our heroes. And then it drops us in the middle of a scene of said heroes guarding a boudoir as their employer deploys fantasy-Viagra to fuck a prostitute all night long. And with this juxtaposition, I fell hard.

Falcio val Mond was the First Cantor of the Greatcoats, the head of a legendary band of roving magistrates, protecting citizens high and low and defending the King’s justice. Unfortunately, the King lost his head and the Greatcoats lost everything. They’re reviled, loathed even, and knights are just itching for the chance to murder the lot.

Falcio, clinging to his ideals, sets out on his final geasa from the King, a journey to find the King’s Charoites, or jewels. He’s reluctantly joined by his best friends Kest, the greatest mortal swordsman, and Brasti, an archer beyond compare. Guarding caravan leaders may just be beneath their skills. Unfortunately, finding a bunch of hidden jewels in a world that despises you isn’t as easy as it sounds. The trio end up in the center of the political unrest that has followed the King’s death.

This leads to the largest portion of the book, the “Blood Week” in Rijou. Does that sound bad? The city is described as, “from a distance it gleamed. I don’t mean it shimmered, nor did it shine; it gleamed, the gleam of oily skin on a corpse, or the gleam in the eye of a man who fancies he can kill you without consequences.” Yeah, everything’s going to go great for Falcio in there. There’s a lot of action, particularly during this section, and it’s well written. There’s also a lot of humor and wit, something you rarely find in this genre. Even more interesting is Falcio’s obvious depression, bordering on suicidal, which serves as a counterpoint to Brasti’s easy humor and Kest’s stoic honor.

There are three scenes that concern me and kept me from giving the book a higher score. The first is a flashback to Aline, Falcio’s wife, being fridged. This is an unfortunate trope to start with, but when the woman agrees to let herself be raped to save both their lives and their home, rides the villain like a demon, gives him the best sex ever, (despite being raped,) and is then brutally murdered anyway to set the main character on his quest for revenge and redemption? Problematic at best, fucking-gross-Jesus-fuck-why-would-you-DO-that?!? at worst.

The second is Falcio’s night with Ethalia. The consent is questionable, the motivations are thin, and the conclusion felt rushed and out of nowhere. The spiritual cleansing of your main character shouldn’t read like a last minute, obligatory sex scene requested by the publisher.

And the last is the thrilling conclusion. Again, it felt rushed. Without spoiling too much, the acceptance of a new member of the Musketeers was frankly crazy. They pretty much literally went with “a wizard did it” to wave everything away. I’m left with so many questions. Spoilers: Why didn’t the soft candy work on little Aline, but it did on Falcio? Where did the Duchess get a Saint? How did any single thing the Tailor did actually work? Why was the King’s actual freaking plan, “leave a bunch of bastards around the country for after I die”? And WHY DID I FIGURE THAT OUT A HUNDRED PAGES BEFORE FALCIO? 

Traitor’s Blade is a fantastic high fantasy that should appeal to fans of Sanderson or Lynch, which I am and which it does. It does have a bit of a Three Musketeers flavor at points, but it didn’t feel derivative. The twists are engaging and (for the most part) exciting, though somewhat expected. It’s funny and sharp. I was never bored, and I’m extremely excited for the next in the series. I strongly recommend it.